Much to our dismay, spring break has come and gone yet again. While many students were in tropical places sipping exotic drinks decorated with tiny umbrellas, those who stayed in Denver were able to attend a host of incredible concerts, including heavyweights like Justice, Diplo and Les Claypool.
These bands played to huge crowds at the city’s larger venues while some of the best local acts flexed their muscles as well. With many of Denver’s favorites like Hearts of Palm and Ian Cooke fresh from their stints at SXSW, the week proved to be a perfect opportunity for up-and-coming local talents like Action Packed Thrill Ride and Roger, Roll to show their stuff.
Opening for noted Brooklyn singer/songwriter Kevin Devine, Action Packed Thrill Ride played a stellar set at the Hi-Dive on March 18. As with many bands in Denver right now, throwing Action Packed Thrill Ride into a particular genre just does not seem to work. These guys cannot be pigeonholed as a country or blues band since it is a hybrid of both.
Rather, Action Packed Thrill Ride sounds like a Ritalin-addicted, fiddle-totting, love child of folk, blues and good old rock and roll. It plays the kind of music that is best appreciated while swigging whisky, a notion that the audience quickly picked up on.
Playing a host of songs from their soon-to-be-released debut album, Action Packed Thrill Ride’s diversity entranced the audience. The combined vocals of Mark Cawthray and Lucas Johannes possess a unique heartiness without sounding forced or overly-twangy.
Accompanied by Jeni Sykes (vocals/violin), Jon Evans (bass) and Duncan Dotterrer (drums), the group’s dynamic worked masterfully. The result was a stomp-invoking, raucous live show that left the audience hollering for more. Don’t miss Action Packed Thrill Ride’s release party for its new album A Loose Leaf Script on April 18 at the Hi-Dive. They will also be playing a special acoustic set in the KVDU studio on April 17 that is not to be missed.
Roger, Roll played an equally amazing show at the Bluebird Theatre two days later. The band has made quite a name for itself as one of Denver’s most promising shoegaze bands to watch. The band has been gaining a steady following since last year (receiving accolades from the likes of Ricardo Bacca and Dave Herrera) and is only weeks away from releasing its The Blackwell Gate album.
Fronted by DU freshman Eric Peterson, Roger, Roll is another band whose sound is hard to classify. Toying with elements of pop, indie, shoegaze and folk, the band crafts a totally unique sound that is simultaneously uncomfortable and endearing. Peterson’s captivating vocals are disarmingly unpretentious but subtly powerful, the perfect companion to his inspired, often unnerving lyrics.
With the help of his extremely talented band – Pamela Gilpatric (bass), Nicholas Cox (drums) and Patrick Kelly (guitar/vocals), plus DU’s Courtney Strauss on cello, who is a recent addition – Roger, Roll is a force to be reckoned with.
No one in the audience could have had any doubts about the intensity and cohesion of the band as it was felt through every song. The set was rich and passionate, tumultuous and expansive, with whispery vocals meeting driving guitars and a menacing cello.
In a post-performance interview, Peterson said he was pleased with the turnout as well as the band’s performance. He is not alone in this assertion as the show was an exceptional display of musicianship, especially in the band’s first headlining effort at a large venue.
