We Were Promised Jetpacks @ the Hi-Dive

It's not easy to pick a favorite Scottish indie band these days, but once again the boys in Jetpacks won my heart with their live show.

Playing loud as hell to a packed house at the Hi-Dive on March 6th, the Jetpacks amped up the intensity from their brief Monolith set this fall. The crowd knew all the words (another change from Monolith) and could not have been happier with the boys' performance.

Fleet Foxes at the Hi-Dive 7/22/08

Seattle's hirsute harmonizers the Fleet Foxes made their way back to Denver this week to a sold out show. Despite a broken down bus and doing serious time on the road this summer, the boys sounded absolutely AMAZING.

A few superlatives: this was the best sounding show I've ever heard at the Hi-Dive. The best crowd I've ever witnessed in the Mile High City. And one of the best bands in America.

From opening songs Sun Giant and the beautiful Drops in the River, jaws were dropping across the room at the vocals. The sweaty crowd stood silently, kept their cameras and their phones in the pockets, and listened with reverence. Highlights included a stunning, better than the EP version of Mykonos featuring the beautiful folk tone of drummer J. Tillman at the ending.

If you get a chance to see these guys, take it. The quality of their live sound is in rare company.

Beach House @ the Hi-Dive 3/22/08

The crowd seemed ready to see Beach House, more people than I expected and they waited patiently for the soothing sounds. Singer Victoria Legrand guested for a song with opener Papercuts, and we were ready for more of her beautiful voice.

The trick I think with following a lot of opening bands is that your audience might be a bit loaded. At times it was difficult to concentrate on Beach House's artful songs, with their stillness and sameness, when surrounded by a 100 or so drunks. So it goes.

Listening to their album on Easter morning, I felt the Beach House sound might be better suited to the morning after than to the bar scene.

Papercuts @ the Hi-Dive 3/22/08

San Francisco's Papercuts opened for Beach House at the Hi-Dive Saturday night. We made it to the crowded Hi-Dive just in time for their set. With each song, we liked them more. By the end of the set we were warmed up and ready to sway to the music.

Pela sets Denver date

Oh what great news! Pela to visit the Hi-Dive March 10th.

I was lucky to see them in NYC this summer, but since then I've spent hours and hours with their album and I cannot wait to see them live again. Tenement Teeth live! Drop Me Off! Mark your calendars! I'll be the one singing along in the front :-)


pela at mercury lounge 6/17/07

[tour dates via musicslut]

Yeasayer & MGMT coming in February

I keep hearing these two bands pop up, and I like what I hear! Yeasayer is catchy and delightful. Just last week an email came in my box from a friend saying, "are you listening to this MGMT song?" Good stuff. Looking forward to seeing them at the Hi-Dive February 4th.

Yeasayer's Wait for Summer on kexp. Perfect on a short cold day like this!

Yeasayer & MGMT 2008 U.S. dates:
01-16 Washington, DC - Black Cat Backstage *
01-17 Chapel Hill, NC - Local 506 *
01-18 Atlanta, GA - The Earl *
01-19 Baton Rouge, LA - Spanish Moon *
01-20 Houston, TX - Walter's on Washington *
01-21 Dallas, TX - Granada Theater *
01-22 Austin, TX - Emo's Jr. *
01-24 Phoenix, AZ - Rhythm Room *
01-25 San Diego, CA - The Casbah *
01-26 Los Angeles, CA - The Echo *
01-28 San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill *
01-30 Portland, OR - Holocene *
01-31 Seattle, WA - Neumos *
02-02 Boise, ID - Neurolux *
02-03 Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court *
02-04 Denver, CO - Hi-Dive *
02-06 Omaha, NE - The Slowdown *
02-07 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry *
02-08 Chicago, IL - Schubas *

[via pfork]

Live Preview: David Bazan

Westword tells me that David Bazan (aka Pedro the Lion) is coming to the Hi-Dive Wednesday night.

Reading the article made me realize that we are all getting older:

"What I see now — I don't know what might emerge later, but as it stands now — it's about my wife and daughter, it's about drinking, and it's about does God exist? And the umbrella I think those are all under is a funny concept nowadays, but [it's] manhood, and, basically, am I a good man? — and what that means, and how do you measure that?"

And thinking about Pedro the Lion made me miss dear flooded Seattle, and Bumbershoot, and graduate school. Thanks for the memories Mr. Bazan. How about we all go out and support some PNW sound?

Live Preview: Dan Deacon

Fans of the fun and strange, hie thee to the Hi-Dive tonight to see the seemingly delightful if overly quirky Dan Deacon.

Words don't suffice, so how about a video?

Aqueduct, Blitzen Trapper, and Smoosh

New Pitchfork favorites Blitzen Trapper come to the Hi-Dive July 31st with Aqueduct and Smoosh. Curious about this show, but it falls the day after the Silversun Pickups at the Ogden. Need to work on funding and justification to make both shows happen.

Enjoy an mp3, courtesy of pfork.

Dan Deacon coming to Denver

The mesmerizing and befuddling Dan Deacon set a Colorado date this week.

Dan Deacon Summer Tour 2007

06/15 : Plush, Tuscan, AZ
06/16 : ExPlx, Los Angeles, CA
06/17 : Che Cafe, San Diego, CA
06/18 : Pehrspace, Los Angeles, CA
06/19 : Bottom of the Hill, San Francisco, CA
06/20 : 21 Grand, Oakland, CA
06/21 : Fools Foundation, Sacramento, CA
06/22 : Holocene, Portland, OR
06/23 : Seattle Pride, Seattle, WA (early)
06/23 : A Magical Hidden Cloud, Seattle, WA (secret late)
06/24 : Higgins Hall, Missoula, MT
06/25 : Grouse Mountain Lodge, Whitefish, MT
06/26 : Neurolux, Boise, ID
06/27 : Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT
06/28 : Hi Dive, Denver, CO
06/29 : The Jackpot Saloon, Lawrence, KS
06/30 : Waiting Room, Omaha, NE
07/02 : Triple Rock Club, Minneapolis, MN
07/03 : Cactus Club, Milwaukee, WI
07/05 : The House Cafe, Dekalb, IL
07/06 : Diamond Star House, Kalamazoo, MI
07/07 : Scrummage University, Detroit, MI
07/08 : McCarren Park Pool, Brooklyn, NY
07/09 : Sneaky Dees, Toronto, ON
07/10 : Zaphod Beeblebrox, Ottawa, ON
07/11 : La Sala Rossa, Montreal, PQ
07/12 : Middle East Upstairs, Cambridge, MA
07/14 : Pitchfork Music Festival, Chicago, IL
07/21 : Whartscpae Festival, Baltimore, MD

Brakes Update

I was not at the Brakes show Thursday, but Merry Swankster was. Who is this tool?

Live Preview: Brakes

Brakes play the Hi-Dive Thursday, June 7th.

Pfork says 7.8, raising my curiosity level a bit. Lots of folks say "roots rock" about these Brits, and that seems fair enough.

Take a listen: Last Man on the Station [via sound of the suburb]