Last Saturday, April 30, an incredibly long line stretched down Colfax Avenue to get into a Red Bull Sound Select show (curated by the Denver music fest Underground Music Showcase) to catch sets from opening local bands Flaural and Inner Oceans, as well as main act Wild Nothing. Despite a pesky entrance process at the Bluebird Theater that kept the crowd in line longer than necessary, the audience finally shuffled in for what shaped up to be a great show.

The oversaturation of “psych rock” in Denver has led to some creative, fantastic music from local bands, and one of these bands is four-member Flaural. Flaural started off the night with shoegaze greatness, which was received by a small group of local music fans enthusiastically yelling their support. The band, comprised of Collin Johnson (vocals and bass), Noah Pfaff (guitar), Connor Birch (keyboards) and Nick Berlin (drums), was born out of other bands such as Shady Elders and A Band in Pictures. This previous experience has obviously paid off, as Flaural proved it has a long, successful future ahead.

Flaural sets itself apart with obvious technical ability and practice at crafting some of the dreamiest tunes currently coming out of Denver. Even though Johnson’s vocals could have stood a boost from the sound booth, it was clear his voice melds perfectly with the band’s instrumentals. Flaural’s music is a fresh take on elements from the ‘70s with modern shoegaze weaved in expertly; the band is a fresh breath of mountain air for psych rock.

The next local act, Inner Oceans, was a bit lackluster, but still put on a solid set. The crowd enjoyed the pop-rock outfit and certain members of the audience yelled enthusiastically for bassist Julia Mendiolea, an incredibly talented musician that, notably, also plays guitar in Denver band Freaky North. Inner Oceans, while putting on an entertaining set, just seemed to be missing a certain spark. This isn’t to say the band isn’t musically talented; they could have just had an off night, so don’t write off Inner Oceans completely.

All in all, Flaural was a perfect opening act for excellent Wild Nothing. Inner Oceans, though not as exciting as Flaural, still played a decent show, and will probably be better in sets to come. Either way, these two bands promise exciting things to come for Denver local music.