Her short summer dress, flowing dark black hair and endless jog from side to side notwithstanding, the one thing that drew me into the vision of Madeline Follin at the Monday night was the simple fact that she sports no visible ink, anywhere.
Probably, at one time, a trait that signified a decidedly un-hipness, I have to say she managed to wear her lack of tattoos with serious aplomb, and may have made a few in the sweaty pit wonder about the efficacy of their own.
Which is not at all to say that Follin’s physicality overshadowed her performance in any way — it didn’t. If anything, it added a certain legitimacy to a style of music that begs to be discounted, or at least dismissed as ultra-derivative, but instead finds itself gaining more notoriety every day, thanks to bands like Denver’s own Tennis.
Alongside bandmate Brian Oblivion — looking as far from his “Videodrome” namesake as could be — the pair played a scant 40 minutes of signature twee-sync-pop to a sold out house, along with three more touring band members. While the uber-short set could be chalked up to the band’s small, young oeuvre, chances are the sweltering sauna conditions in the small room likely had just as much to do with it (there was a noticeable difference in the temp from in the main room to the front of the house — the room was literally steaming).
They hit their stride almost immediately (their style’s simplicity makes it difficult not to) with great, gritty-sweet versions of “Abducted,” “Most Wanted” and ”You Know What I Mean” behind Follin’s non-stop gyrations. They saved “Go Outside” for last, and their exit was met with a noticeable sigh of relief — as well as an exodus for fresh air.
Vapid as ܱٲ’ playlist may have seemed, the duo showed off their talent for emotional manipulation — the kind that makes strong, poppy rock ‘n’ roll. Follin’s passionate vocals were well-steeped in catharsis, while Oblivion’s guitar work coaxed everyone to sway and bop around crescendoing progressions.
They were a portrait of sheer simplicity based in the roots of pop, though this duo makes their legitimacy more difficult to discount than other similar bands.
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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 explorations at , and his giglist at .
Joe McCabe is a Denver photographer and a regular contributor to Reverb. Check out his .
