“You really are very, very special,” said a beaming Lisa Gerrard after performing “Rising of the Moon,” the final song of set at the Sunday night. As the third encore of the night, the song followed 90 minutes of music that transported a nearly full house from downtown Denver to a dreamy world that swirled in Middle Eastern melodies, ancient languages and ambient glossolalia.
The set opened with the anthemic “Children of the Sun,” from “Anastasis” (the band’s first new material in nearly two decades) and featured about every song from the new record — and then some. Alongside Gerrard and Maxwell, DCD frontman Brendan Perry was joined by keyboardist Astrid Williamson and percussionists David Kuckhermann and Dan Gresson, who together formed a sort of onstage music conservatory specializing in ancient songs in ancient languages, accompanied by a seemingly endless supply of obscure, mostly acoustic instruments.
Gerrard’s presence was heavily felt: when the band filed onto the stage there was a collective inhale that seemed to suck air out of the room as she entered the fore in a blue velvet dress flanked with a gold, floor-length scarf. The audience was immediately smitten with her stately, perfect poise — which belied the passion and power of her vocals throughout the night. Gerrard has always been a siren on record; in person she was a true, otherworldly diva. Perry presented a strong, more grounded, even pagan (he even appeared elven) presence, and kept the otherwise surrealistic performance from becoming too serious.
After the opener, things began to weave into a tapestry of occidental flavor, starting with “Anabasis,” “Rakim” and “Kiko” before Perry played an 800-year-old Arabian plea for release from an overwhelming love called “Lamma Bada.”
A clear highlight was Gerrard’s performance of the hauntingly beautiful “Sanvean,” from her solo album “Mirror Pool,” which was followed quickly on by “Nierika” and “Opium.” When the familiar notes of “The Host of the Seraphim” began, the room was drawn down into another depth. And then the encores began.
The first encore — after a solid 5-minute standing ovation — featured “The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove” and “Dreams Made Flesh,” followed by a second return with “Song to the Siren” and the beautiful “Return of the She-King.”
Set list
Children of the Sun
Anabasis
Rakim
Kiko
Lamma Bada
Agape
Amnesia
Sanvean
Nierika
Opium
The Host of the Seraphim
Ime Prezakias
Now We are Free
All in Good Time
Encore 1
The Ubiquitous Mr. Lovegrove
Dreams Made Flesh
Encore 2
Song to the Siren
Return of the She-King
Encore 3
Rising of the Moon
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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 .
Michael McGrath is a Denver area photographer. His work is available at . Visit .
