When and Joe Pope decided to bring back their for , they needed a guitarist and a drummer.
And when they , it should have surprised nobody in the local music community to see , backing them up.
Pat and Nate Meese are ubiquitous in Denver music. They have their own bands, which can’t help but remind fans of their previous bands — most notably Meese, which signed to Atlantic Records in 2007 and was later dropped before the group disbanded. But the brothers also have become those guys in the local music scene — the guys who others go to when they need seasoned playing or experienced advice.
“We went through every stage of being in a local band here in Denver,” said Pat Meese, 29, “and now we’re in a new stage, I guess.”
Adds Nate, 28: “My new thing is I don’t say no to anything. I’ve stopped saying no. I would much rather have rehearsal than not have rehearsal. (The band) Meese wore me out. It turned into the opposite of what I wanted it to be. I didn’t play guitar for a really long time. And now I’m playing piano again, and I’m playing guitar all the time.”
Not saying no is working well for the brothers Meese. Last week alone, Nate was touring the East Coast with the recently signed Denver act Churchill, including a sold-out hometown date at the 1stBank Center in Broomfield opening for Of Monsters and Men and fun. Pat is a member of Rateliff’s current roots-oriented band, and that group opened for Wilco last week in Vail — one day after Tennis, another band Pat tours with, opened for the Shins in Aspen.
Friday was the big Born in the Flood show for both of them. Pat will help Rateliff open for the Lumineers on Dec. 30 at a very sold-out Ogden Theatre, and he’ll fly to New York City the next day to play a big New Year’s Eve party with Tennis. On Jan. 4, Nate will play the Lion’s Lair with Navy, another band he’s in. And both brothers play in the Centennial, which is releasing its CD on Jan. 11 at the Larimer Lounge.
Is that everything?
“Not quite,” said Nate. “We’re pretty busy.”
Pat was also Gregory Alan Isakov’s drummer, and he hopes that will resume in 2013. Nate guitar-techs and tour-manages some Rateliff tours. Pat also plays with Fairchildren. Letap not forget Nate’s solo project, Lips & Teeth. Patap also a back-up drummer for Navy. All the while, Nate is a bartender/barista, sound guy and talent buyer for the Golden Triangle coffee house Rooster and Moon.
“We were doing one thing, and now we’re doing another thing,” Nate said. “We’re lucky to have talented friends who want us to play with them. Itap made it all feel natural and easy. And Patap right: We have been at every tier in Denver music, outside from being wildly successful on a national scale. We’ve been everything but ܳڳܱ.”
Nate jokes, but it speaks volumes that they’re both working musicians — on a national level, even. Both Rateliff and Tennis have toured successfully internationally, and Churchill’s latest single “Change” is blowing up on radio all over the U.S.
And playing is only half of their contribution to the community. Since these guys have already done what so many dream of doing — getting signed! (an act that isn’t always all its cracked up to be) — they’re unofficial counselors for many local acts with stars in their eyes.
“We met a lot of our goals, and we also learned a lot of lessons the hard way, and itap good to be able to have that experience to share so somebody doesn’t have to go the hard way,” said Pat. “But every band is different. There are certain truths that probably tie all bands together, but really itap completely relative to the band.”
Adds Nate: “Itap funny being on the other side of it all.”
Nate brings up an old house he, Pat and Tiffany Meese (Patap wife and a member of the Centennial) used to share with Tim Bruns and Joe Richmond of Churchill.
“It was right when they were starting up,” Nate said. “It was before their first show at the D Note. Itap been a blast to watch them take off and turn into the band who they are now. I bugged them forever: ‘Let me play with you. Let me play with you.’ And now they’re finally getting to a point where they needed an electric guitar, and it was the most natural thing ever. It took two rehearsals to get used to it.”
The Meese boys don’t consider themselves elder statesmen. But in a way, thatap who they are. Sometimes itap easy to give too much advice, Pat said.
“We’ve probably given Churchill more advice than we should have,” Pat said. “We like those people so much that we get a little too … talky. We want them to do well. And sometimes I probably run my mouth when I should probably shut up.”
After writing their own songs and leading their own bands for a number of years, you might think it would be awkward for Pat and Nate to back-up other artists’ visions. But if you know the selfless brothers, you know they’re enjoying the process — and learning more along the way.
“I really enjoy the supporting role that I’ve found myself in over the last three years,” said Pat. “Because after the Meese stuff, I needed some perspective, and I needed to see how other people were doing it. And from seeing how Nathaniel does it and how Tennis do it and how Gregory does it, it has really shaped how I think I should do it. How could it not?”
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Ricardo Baca is the founder and executive editor of , the co-founder of and an award-winning critic and editor at The Denver Post.
