Bonnie and the Beard will perform at The UMS on Saturday.
are working on new music, which they will debut at on Saturday. Download a live preview of “Hustle” below.
If were a sideshow at a Westernrevival– which, in a different era, they very well could have been — fairgoers would be greeted by the lovely Megan Fong and, like a temptress, she would draw them into the tiny tent with the promise of Jesus-approved whiskey and cards.
But upon entering, they’d find Tony LoVerde, veiled in a cloud of smoke like a snake in the garden, beat-up guitar on his lap, singing a gospel not approved by revival hosts.
There’s just something about the music of Bonnie and the Beard that feels so delectable and sinful. On the one side, you’ve got LoVerde with hiswhisper-growl voice, and on the other there’s Fong with her blues-angel voice — like an angel and a devil on opposing shoulders, but in this case the angel and the devil are in cahoots. Even if the songswere about saying your prayers and eating your vegetables, the music would still somehow inspire whiskey drinking, gambling and philandering.
This very special breed of Americana that Bonnie and the Beard conjures doesn’t draw from one specific genre of Americana. Rather, it consumes blues and country and gospel as a whole, and spits out something thatap uniquely Denver, much like Slim Cessna’s Auto Club. And beneath it all, there is a playfulness with what they are doing that makes it incredibly entertaining.
On Saturday, Bonnie and the Beard will perform at Skylark Lounge as part of . You won’t be faulted if the combination of beer and music becomes a religious experience.
Below, download “Hustle,” a live track Bonnie and the Beard debuted on .
Please note that downloads offered via Steal This Track are intended to whet your appetite, and are NOT CD-quality recordings. If you want those, please support the artists by buying their music and/or seeing them live.
If you’re a band or musician ready to expose your fresh sounds to the readers of Reverb, email your tracks — along with any interesting facts about them, as well as a photo or album art — toSteal This Trackfor consideration.
Josh Johnson is a Denver freelance writer and Reverb contributor. He’s also a journeyman butcher. Seriously.
