Photo by: Raquel Villanueva
On Saturday night, The Heyday’s concert at the intimate Marquis Theater not only celebrated the band’s new CD, it also showcased some of Colorado’s upcoming talent in the opening acts.
The young band, Saving Verona, kicked-off the show with an outstanding performance. Saving Verona decided to mix things up a bit at this show by playing an acoustic set. As a band that credits Green Day and the band Bush for sparking its musical interest as a power pop-punk band, the band risked losing the fast-paced energy that fuels its songs. Fortunately, Saving Verona dished out an incredible raw and lively performance. The only downside to this set was trying to see the two band members playing. Saving Verona chose to perform seated and all the people in the front row happened to be tall, making it virtually impossible to catch a glimpse of the artists.
Aloft in a Sundry accomplished a memorable feat simply by walking onto the stage. The members managed to cover all aspects of rock fashion in each of their outfits. From indie-vintage to cut-off sleeves and even big poofy hair, Aloft in a Sundry looked like it had taken each member from a different rock genre and mixed them together. The mix proved to be brilliant and the band instantly made the crowd move with its great energy. Although the songs on its Myspace.com profile are still demos, they really do not do this band justice. The passionate vocals and the band’s ability to capture an audience’s attention make Aloft in a Sundry a band worth checking out as it tours multiple venues in Denver this month.
Hailing from Fort Collins, Tickle Me Pink not only has a great name, but also put on a cool show. With songs about dysfunctional lovers, Tickle Me Pink pumped up the crowd to a whole new level. This group played tracks from its new disc Madeline and showed off its ability to play upbeat songs with a hint of darkness and edgy screams. Fans quickly fell in love with the band and demanded an encore. Tickle Me Pink happily returned with only one request: that the audience dance. With such an awesome performance, it was impossible not to comply.
Formed in the spring of 2006, The Heyday managed to put together a stage show and CD that many bands spend years perfecting. The infectious melodies and the band’s overall feel-good attitude resonated throughout the audience and instantly won the crowd over. It was obvious just how grateful and happy The Heyday were to be onstage performing its catchy tunes.
The band not only played tracks from the new self-titled album, but also treated the audience to some new songs and covers. Its version of Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles” will most likely go down in history as the first time teenage boys and grown men have screamed and moshed to that song.
As with Tickle Me Pink, the crowd demanded an encore. The whole venue shook as people cheered and stomped, a sound that would excite any new band. The Heyday once again took the stage and really rocked out for more than a hundred new fans.
