If you Google “the Silversun Pickups’ crazy drummer,” it’s no surprise to fans of the band that you’ll arrive at a YouTube video titled “Silversun Pickups — crazy drummer,” a 12-second vid of Chris Guanlao, the man on sticks, unleashing his high-handed fury on his kit. Anybody who sees the Pickups recognizes Guanlao’s sheer joy. Not only is he elevated on an ultra-high riser, but he’s also among the most athletic kit-men in the game.
That Guanlao doesn’t outshine his three bandmates speaks to the outrageous quality of the Silversun Pickups, who threw down a memorable show at the Fillmore Auditorium last week. (Apologies for such a late review — we were catching up on sleep after The UMS.) The Pickups are one of the best modern rock bands of the last 10 years, and while the haters can continue to spew their misguided Smashing Pumpkins comparisons, they’re really missing out on one of the most exciting and consistent rock acts of the century to date.
The group’s Fillmore date started out potently with “Well Thought Out Twinkles,” “There’s No Secrets This Year,” “The Royal We” and a particularly vicious “Little Lover’s So Polite.” Frontman Brian Aubert oddly dedicated “So Polite” to those of us who caught the act at the Monolith Festival in September of 2008. (But Aubert dedicated nothing to those of us who caught them at the Hi-Dive well before that, ha.) “It’s Nice to Know You Work Alone” was a surprising singalong, and nearly the entire audience sang some form of the song’s chorus — which was misinterpreted as “It’s nice to know you wear cologne” by at least a few girls next to us.
“Future Foe Scenario” was wickedly explosive in the way Aubert’s voice was forced out of its comfort zone. Unsurprisingly, so much of the band’s quiet-loud-quiet formula is centered on Aubert’s massive vocal crescendo freak-outs, and he’s learned to manage them expertly in his band’s live shows.
The group’s unsung jam, “Kissing Families” (off the “Pikul” EP), was outstanding, especially given Aubert’s pitch-perfect (in a really messed-up/lovely way) guitar solo. The song, which would have been a hit had it been released after “Lazy Eye,” was a lovely intro to “Lazy Eye” and the encore-starting “Substitution.”
The Silversuns are unstoppable — with a strong EP, two brilliant full-lengths and live shows that only continue to get better. That the Fillmore was only half-full for their show is proof that their fanbase is dwindling and not growing, and that’s a shame.
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Ricardo Baca is the founder and co-editor of and an award-winning critic and journalist at The Denver Post. He is also the executive director of the , Colorado’s premier indie music festival.
Joe McCabe is a Denver photographer and a regular contributor to Reverb. Check out his .
