Photo by:
Last Thursday brought mounds of snow and cold weather, but it also brought two up-and-coming bands from England.
The co-headlining tour of both South and Elbow landed at the Bluebird Theatre, just hours before mother nature dumped several inches of snow.B
South hails from the more cosmopolitan parts of London, while Elbow is based in working-class Manchester. Both bands are sure to be hits in the United States, especially among fans of bands like Travis, Coldplay and even Radiohead.
Earlier in the day, fresh off their tour bus from Portland, members of Elbow stopped by the KVDU studios for a short acoustic performance. KVDU DJ George handled the interviewing duties while Guy Garvey and brothers Mark and Craig Potter played a few songs (including the single “Newborn”) on acoustic guitars and a melodica.
Later that night at the Bluebird, the vibe was set by a DJ spinning quirky tracks, including two songs from The Avalanches, that never settled into one genre or the other.B This fits the style of the two headliners since they incorporate different electronic sounds and effects into their unique brand of rock.
The theatre itself was less than full due to the weather outside, but the crowd was very appreciative.
Both bands had just come from a show in Los Angeles that was shut down by the fire chief due to overcrowding. After this, playing to a less-than-full venue in Denver might discourage many bands.
But as South took the stage, the band seemed just as excited to be playing as if the place had been packed.
Both South and Elbow utilized screen projections and visuals to highlight their music.B South’s visuals were more abstract and artful, utilizing well-synced loops that accented each song.
The members of South proved to be multi-talented. After every couple of songs, members would switch instruments and singing duties. It kept their set fresh, while at the same time showing how talented they are.
After a quick set change, Elbow’s five members started out playing some very mellow rock. They too utilized live visuals, but they opted for using live video and warping it to suit their needs.B
In fact, their set began with an instrumental piece accompanied by footage of someone walking down Colfax and then back to the Bluebird.B As the cameraman reached the venue, the band appeared on stage.
Elbow’s frontman Garvey was very talkative, at one point recommending to the crowd that touring is very nice and that the crowd “really should try it.”B
After the more mellow material, Elbow’s songs would climax into huge walls of sound, proving that they could really rock.B
By 11 p.m., though, both bands had said their peace, and it was time to face the snowy drive home.
