The DU Debatefest, aside from the necessary political activities, featured a trio of Denver-based bands in the form of Zach Heckendorf, Nathaniel Rateliff and The Lumineers. This indie concert series was well received by the crowd, which grew increasingly more enthusiastic as the evening wore on and culminated in a frenzied climax with the performance by The Lumineers.
The concert series began with 19-year-old Zach Heckendorf, an acoustic singer-songwriter and graduate of Cherry Creek High School.
The up-and-comer’s set started shortly after the gates to the event opened, meaning the crowd had yet to fully arrive. Still, the singer-songwriter performed an enthusiastic 6-song set. Though the complicated guitar patterns and surprisingly husky voice were clearly the performer’s strong suits, he did not appear overly comfortable on stage until the band began their fourth song, the single “All the Right Places.”
Nathaniel Rateliff, the indie folk artist who recently released his album In Memory of Loss, performed next. Rateliff, the frontman for the band, has composed a minimalist discography focusing heavily on lyrics and echoing the style of artists such as Leonard Cohen and Bon Iver.
From the first songs, fans sang along to lyrics, demonstrating their familiarity with the band. Its 8-song set was defined by soft vocals dripping with emotion and a gentle coalescence of somber acoustic guitar and bone-chilling bass, most apparent during the fourth song, a clear crowd favorite entitled “Shroud,” a folk love ballad.
Rateliff himself, a surprisingly humorous performer, took to the stage in an unassuming, manner that allowed him to slide into the listener’s hearts, leaving them wondering how they lived without the sound on songs like “Nothing to Show,” the seventh of the band’s set.
Arguably the most anticipated portion of the festival was the arrival of The Lumineers. The band, which gained critical acclaim last spring with their self-titled album, gave an outstandingly energetic performance. The folk rock group, composed of Wesley Schultz (guitar, lead vocals), Jeremiah Fraites (percussion, mandolin, vocals) and Neyla Pekarek (cello, mandolin, piano, vocals), returned to Denver before beginning their mostly sold out fall tour.
When the band’s set began, the audience rushed the stage. The Lumineers brought a stage presence not felt on their album and this, coupled with the wind blowing through the trees on the DU campus and falling leaves, made for a marvelous show.
The band’s single, “Ho Hey,” garnered the greatest response from the festival’s participants. The crowd chanted each lyric in unison and releasing a near primal scream on the word “hope” in the lyric “Love we need it now/Let’s hope for some.”
The band’s 11th song choice, a yet unnamed duet, allowed Pekarek to display her singing prowess, creating beautiful harmonies with Schultz. The set ended with the song “Flapper Girl,” an aptly chosen final song. The somber tone, meandering piano and guiding vocals by Schultz felt like a farewell, leaving the audience on a good note.
Though dominated by The Lumineers, the musical selection at Debatefest was a trifecta of near perfect performances to kick off the pre-debate celebrations. The fluid guitar sounds of Heckendorf, the unassuming, but moving performance by Rateliff and the sensational showmanship of The Lumineers made this concert series one audiences are sure to remember.
