Hey, Epilogues: We’re sorry. And can we have a shirt? Photo by John Moore
To see all the videos we’ve posted from the Denver Post Underground Music Showcase to date, /music/ci_12908918
To see all our comprehensive daily UMS photo slideshows from a whole team of shooters,
From John Moore:
So one of the funniest developments of the UMS was the emergence of the “we’re not dead yet” rock band The Epilogues for their Sunday set at the T.S. Board Shop. They were stung by not having received any points in a recent Denver Post poll of local music experts. No great shame; almost half the bands on the ballot did not.
But they went so far as to have shirts made, of a fake Denver Post cover with the headline … Well, you can read it for yourself in the picture above.
(Note: The “C” is not blacked out in the real thing. We’re not sure who’s reading this blog, so we figured we best err on the side of caution.)
Here’s the intrigue: The band is convinced that out of the more than 500 bands on the ballot that went out to the voting panel, they weren’t on it. Here on the fest site, we can’t verify or deny that allegation – though if someone went to all the trouble to get those T-Shirts made, we’re inclined to believe them.
Sorry, Epilogues! We really do know you’re a band, or else, well, you wouldn’t have been on today’s bill. And we double-pinky swear that if we messed up, it won’t happen again next year. Though the T-Shirts you were hawking were so epic, we almost want to see what you might be inspired to do upon a second snub. (But not that badly. We want to see you get fair treatment.)
And we REALLY want to get our own hands on a few of those shirts. They come in pink AND white. How cool is that? We’ve inspired a shirt!! Does that mean we’re for real? Haha.
Epilogues. Photo by John Moore
Thank you, Epilogues. You were great sports about the mix-up. And we noticed you sold a ton of those shirts, so good for you.
So hey everybody out there: It’s not time for this band’s epilogue just yet. Now you know!
And a couple of other things from John Moore:
*Flobots vocalist Brer Rabbit is such the real deal. He’s often out supporting other Denver artists, not just musicians like Achille Lauro, who were among the bands he took in Sunday. He’s often at local theaters, and he has a special fondness for Buntport Theater.
*Raleigh is funny. Their covers are so much fun. Especially today’s “Touch Down Turn Around” by Hellogoodbye.
(Ricardo) Baca bits:
*900 Ancestors played a moody, Gothic-influenced set of tone-bending guitar rock at the Skylark Lounge. It was quality, and it was loud.
*Cougar Legs just improvised a barrage of noise focused on Denver musician Josh Cain, who was standing in the front of the Hi-Dive. Drummer-vocalist Dave Kurtz led his trio aggressively, making for a memorable last song of the afternoon set.
*Iuengliss has drawn a sizable crowd for his early evening set at the Hi-Dive. Tom Metz’s freakishly likable dance tracks are thoroughly enjoyable.
From John Hendrickson:
Houses just played a late afternoon set to one of the largest crowds of the day at the CarToys stage in the Goodwill parking lot. It was their second set of the weekend, following a well-received headlining performance at the Hi-Dive on Friday night. Today’s show got off to a delayed start following some minor technical issues and hot mics. Lead singer Andrew James Hamilton wryly told fans that he was hoping to avoid electricution and performed the entire set with a cloth cover draped over his microphone. The band was in peak form and owed much of its success to guitarist Mike Marchant, who constructed explorative solos on nearly every song. Though overcast, rain held off throughout the entire set and the sizable crowd was more than happy to stand and listen as UMS ’09 enters its final stretch.
Billy Thieme’s themes:
*Achille Lauro is ushering in the beginning of what’s looking to be a brilliant Colorado sunset, outside Thrifty Stick. They threatened to bury the portable truck stage, and they just might be loud, smooth and beautiful enough to pull it off. The synth just burst out what sounded like an elephant.
*How cool is Everything Absent Or Distorted? They started their second-to-last show ever with a brand-new song, during which Bryce Merrill laughingly poked fun at their music being “. . . soaked in whiskey,” pointing at a spilled bottle of Jameson’s. You can feel that the fans will miss them almost as much as the members, great friends by all accounts, will miss one other.
*Raleigh is pulling in some SoCal hardcore sound to lay on top of their already hard, fast, chunky-fun sound. Memories of Archers of Loaf, Superchunk, with thick humor. It’s increasingly hard to avoid jumping, laughing.
*3Kings filled up surprisingly fast as Sonnenblume finished their soundcheck, and now the packed house is swaying to their pretty psychedelic pop. They bring back memories of the Denver scene from the early ’90s, paricularly 40th Day, Twice Wilted or Space Team Electra. Dreamy, hard and loud, spacey rhythms.
From Cassie Schoon:
*Mark Trumble (aka “Trevor’s Dad”) informed me that Andy Maher of Everything Absent Or Distorted has been flying out for shows for some time now, from his home in California. One can hardly fault this band for calling it quits when shows and practices involve interstate travel. Nevertheless, i know I’ll sorely miss them: Theirs is the sort of music that only that level of devotion can produce.
*I was lucky enough to be among the crowd to see Iuengliss. He has expanded so much on his one-man-and-a-laptop act, to the point where he’s a truly remarkable act to see as well as to listen to.
From Reverber Kevin Galaba:
*When someone in the audience delivered a round of drinks to Rachael Pollard on stage at Sketch, she did what she always does – she promptly began “Whiskey Boozin’,” a fun, bluesy tribute to the occasional excessive drinking session.;
*And they tuned their guitars JUST FOR US: Everything Absent Or Distorted overcame initial technical difficulties to deliver an energetic, boisterous set … just as the late-afternoon sun came back out over South Broadway.”
MORE PHOTOS FROM JOHN MOORE
EVERYTHING ABSENT OR DISTORTED:
RALEIGH:
ACHILLE LAURO:
