The Hi-Dive is exactly how one would imagine a dive-bar: gritty, grimy and full of beer. On May 14, this locally-loved venue held one of the standout shows of the year—this Red Bull Select show, curated by the Underground Music Showcase, featured Ned Garthe Explosion, Plum\ and Twin Peaks.
After moseying up to the stage with beers in hand and excited energy on sweaty faces, Ned Garthe Explosion did not explode as their name promised. The band was a lukewarm beginning to a red-hot show. This local four-piece attempted to spice up their set with flat comedy—a move that failed to impress the sparse crowd.
Local rockers Plum were up next, and they did not disappoint. Dressed head to toe in ‘70s-inspired clothing, Plum led the crowd in a groovy mishmash of far-out bass lines and superb guitar. Jake Supple played an impressive drum performance and had some notable vocals.
Despite only having two released singles, the psychedelic band performed a solid mix of originals and covers. Plum opened with “Hello Miss Yellow,” their first single, an incredible start to an incredible set. The band also played “Behind Your Man,” their second single, which was colorful and showcased promising talent from the young group.
Kyle Miller led the show with striking vocals and excellent guitar playing, with Ty Baron at his side playing a mix of dreamy guitar and solid keyboards. These psych rockers unquestionably impressed.
Last up was main act Twin Peaks, hailing from Chicago. This garage band with an old-school-rock twist had a strong physical presence on the stage before they even began; guitarist and vocalist Cadien James took up the stage with his impressive height, and second guitarist and vocalist Clay Frankel filled the room with his electric personality.
Beginning with “Stand in the Sand”—a song off of the group’s first album “Sunken”—Twin Peaks set a new standard for rock ‘n’ roll for all of the audience. Frankel danced wildly on stage, eclectic facial expressions coloring his performance.
“Give me, give me!” Frankel exclaimed, until someone tossed him a beer, which he promptly downed in less than 30 seconds.
While Frankel was definitely the craziest out of all the members, bassist and vocalist Jack Dolan caused a frenzied mosh pit when he led “Boomers,” a fan favorite. The crowd was slipping on the beer-stained floor, but no one cared; they were there to see Twin Peaks and to have an insanely good time.
Newest member and keyboardist Colin Croom added a new layer of depth to the band’s sound, and Connor Brodner led an energetic display of drumming chops.
Stand outs from the set included “Flavor,” “Good Lovin” and “Fade Away.” A few new songs were mixed in to the set, promising some fresh tunes from the Twin Peaks dudes.
Overall, this show was one people will be sorry they missed, and one people won’t forget if they were there. Plum will be playing the Underground Music Showcase this July, and while Twin Peaks may not be back in Colorado anytime soon, you can catch them at some big name festivals this year such as Lollapalooza.
