Vitamins added much-needed color to the Oriental Theater lineup on Saturday. Photo from the band’s MySpace profile.
Starting a music collective is about as easy and common as just saying you’re going to, but actually following through with it is a different matter. Kudos, then, to Denver’s DIY Hot Congress collective, which held its first compilation CD release show at the on Saturday. You can read more about the comp and its members in last week’s , but suffice to say, it’s a diverse and adventurous group of acts, at least within the confines of atmospheric indie rock/post-punk.
I walked into the two-thirds full theater during opening set and was immediately floored by the energy the band was bringing. Tight but never stiff, the songs — some of which were incredibly short, like a countrified EP of “Alien Lanes” B-sides as covered by the National — blasted from the stage with the power and purpose of a band in charge.
De facto Hot Congress leader Lucas Johannes is one of Action Packed’s singers and guitarists, and it seemed he knew this was his band’s party as much as anyone else’s. He had no problem eating his mic, swinging his guitar wildly or doing any number of things woefully absent at most rock shows. It didn’t do favors for the vocals on songs like “In This River,” which required a fairly steady delivery, but that wasn’t really the point. Joking about Rage Against the Machine covers and cutting a squirrely figure in front of the huge video projections (blurry streets, silhouetted trees, etc.) was the point, and certain parts of their songs, including the aforementioned track’s emotive guitar coda, bordered on transcendent.
Emcee and Hot Congress member/poet set an appropriately lively, informative mood by keeping the applause going between sets and providing a balance to the relatively disparate sounds. Much like Action Packed, second band had to contend with the booming acoustics of the room, the drums nearly overpowering everything else. The Oriental is a tricky place to play and many bands have fared poorly there due to the one-two punch of a crappy mix and daunting acoustics, but Fissure compensated by turning up its already squalling guitars.
Regardless of the acoustics or mix (which was mostly solid), Fissure unfortunately remains one of those bands whose intriguing parts fail to come together cohesively live. Their song on the Hot Congress comp, “Young Psychedelic Flowers,” is a lovely slice of crunchy, Sonic Youth-style guitar rock, but in concert the elements blended into a personality-free bucket of drone. The group’s omnipresent, watery guitar tone (think “Come as You Are”) and general lack of dynamics made it the least interesting set of the night — even with bassist Suzi Allegra (of now-sadly defunct Hot Congress band the Pseudo Dates) who’s usually one of the best parts of any show she plays.
Nonetheless, I’m still psyched for the band’s forthcoming album, and not just because I’m a sucker for the early ’90s DGC sound that Fissure seems to worship.
Did I mention that the big-screen projections got more insane as the night went on? Fissure was backed by grainy stockyards, human birth footage, chimpanzee experiments and other ’50s and ’60s reels that would look at home in any grimy art gallery or sociopath’s living room. I especially enjoyed watching the non-hipsters in the audience (a dude in a giant cowboy hat, older folks who I presume were neighborhood people or members’ parents, etc.) react with confusion and disgust to the images.
Vitamins’ set was as jarring as Fissure’s was numbing. It helped that Arkind came out between bands with a medieval-style blowing horn, compelling the audience (who had faded from the front since Action Packed’s set) to continue dancing. “I know your pants aren’t that tight!” he shouted, surveying the room with a look that said, “Yeah, I know they are.”
The backing videos and cavernous acoustics for Vitamins’ set cast the band as darker and moodier than at any other time I’ve seen them. Their deft mix of indie-pop melodies, ass-tight guitar lines and driving, complex beats took on a sinister tone when paired with the on-screen bits, including creepy stop-motion vignettes worthy of a Tool video. (It also helps that songs like “Sequined Dress” are pretty damned moody to begin with, and that Vitamins singer Lizzy Allen shows almost zero emotion on stage, even as her haunting melodies and lyrics communicate something deeper).
The sounds mix was a bit better, too, but probably because drummer Crawford Philleo (a Reverb contributor, it must be noted) told me he was going to make sure the band’s guitars were extra-hot to compensate for the room’s acoustics. Unsurprisingly, the Oriental’s unique sound gave Vitamins a satisfying heft and volume that other venues can’t — even if some of the subtleties were lost in the din.
Following an alternately funny and poignant poem by Arkind about Denver, took the stage, but sound problems tripped them up immediately. It was clear that Arkind’s poem was supposed to bleed seamlessly into AL’s first song with its “howl” theme, but the technical difficulties effectively killed the momentum. Fortunately, Achille Lauro played a typically driving, clear-eyed set, including their comp song “Cardboard Divas.” A sample of a howling wolf and a stately electronic beat slowly welcomed guitar flashes, submerged keyboards, live drums and a rubbery bass line while singer Matt Close sidled up with a cooing melody. Truly, Achille Lauro are one of Denver’s best and constantly underrated atmospheric rock bands, and one that deserves a national audience. (I’m looking at you, Radiohead fans.)
Hot Congress’ mission is seemingly less defined than other collectives, but like most of them, its essence is in supporting and pooling talent. They’ve already done a great job with their comp, but the uneven Saturday show demonstrates that they still have a few wrinkles to iron out with their live events. Giving away free, high-quality music and creating an inclusive atmosphere is certainly a start.
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John Wenzel is the co-editor of Reverb, editor of the blog and an A&E reporter for The Denver Post. His book was recently published by Speck Press. He also maintains a of random song titles.
