Dualistics’ Charley Hine did surprising justice to the songs of Nirvana at the Hi-Dive on Friday. Photos by .
If you were lucky enough, as I was, to have seen Nirvana before their unfortunate demise, then you experienced their raw, feral nature, and the infectious excitement they inspired. If you weren’t, tribute to Nirvana at the on Friday was as close as you could’ve come to the experience.
Staged in honor of the 15th anniversary of Kurt Cobain’s death, the show was built around ٳܲپ’ brilliant performance of Nirvana’s final studio album “In Utero” (arguably their masterpiece), in its entirety, after a series of Nirvana covers by other local acts.
The idea of impersonating a legendary band might have been disastrous amid the never-ending rotation of beyond-their-prime bands touring on old material, too often merely cementing their has-been status while doing so.
Dualistics, however, offered a heartfelt and vivid homage to a band frozen in rock history, yet it was fresh, vibrant and exciting. Their performance never came across as parody and quickly worked up a capacity crowd into a bouncing, slamming and screaming mess, loving every second of it.
Minutes after they took the stage, the primal, atonal chords of “Serve the Servants” erupted and the band never looked back. Charley Hine (guitar, vocals) sang most songs as Dualistics tore through the track list, saving just a few for Tyler Despres (guitar, vocals). Hine’s screech was eerily close to Cobain’s, though it appeared he was less than comfortable keeping it up at times. Backed up in rhythm by Jimmy Stofer (bass, vocals) and Scott Russell (drums), Despres and Hines worked their axes in unison, and channeled the full Nirvana, coaxing the band back to life. Even the overplayed “Heart Shaped Box,” “Dumb” and “All Apologies” sounded young, as the crowd helped to belt out the lyrics.
Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery and ٳܲپ’ love for Nirvana was thick in their imitation. More than an imitation, they positively channeled the band into the Hi-Dive and brought all the chaos and youth of the originals. The crowd — most of whom were likely in their pre-teens when Cobain died — were taken by storm and loved it.
Before Dualistics took over, a slew of local bands played some masterful, and some whimsical, tributes of their own. and offered a fun version of “Lithium,” pairing the drum machine on Common’s keyboard and his soft vocals with Mefford’s etherial background singing. played a terrific rendition of “Drain You” with a beautiful Jobim feel, featuring a fantastic simultaneous bass and small djembe drum performance by Jon Evans.
Later, Nathaniel Rateliff (of and ) played a sweet “Sliver,” and a shortened version of “Something in the Way” to a growing audience. The best early performance was impassioned “Smells Like Teen Spirit” cover, which made the Hi-Dive feel like a chapel for a bit, with rarified intensity. Heading out to rain on Broadway, I couldn’t help but feel just a little Seattle, right here in Denver.
Billy Thieme is a Denver-based writer, an old-school punk and a huge follower of Denver’s vibrant local music scene. Follow Billy’s giglist at
Lewis Cooper is a Denver freelance photographer and new Rever contributor. Check out more of his work on his website .
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