Last Friday night, DU students from the arts, social sciences, maths and physical sciences came together to dance, let loose and share inspiration. At Lost Lake — a popular off-campus spot on Colfax Avenue to catch DU bands — four groups showcased their work to the DU community and a greater Denver audience.
Spinning Jenny, Judith Hindle, Surprise Soup and Exhaler, four very different bands, came together with the community to build on each other’s eccentricities and celebrate what they all love; making music with the inherent togetherness of the diverse music scene they are a part of. Post-show, we heard from some band members.
Kicking off the night with a few groovy, original tunes was Spinning Jenny. The band began their set with a new release, “Lemme Talk to U.” They filled the room with their eclectic style of pop, blending jazz beats with hyper-pop-ish vocals from Yazzy Simons, a DU senior studying computer science.
Their performance pulled the crowd into their own little corner of the world, mixing lyrics and beats that took everyone on a rollercoaster of genres. Each member brought their own flair and influence to each moment, creating songs that fit cohesively as a whole, even though, individually, they might not fall under one genre or influence.
Unfortunately, the band noted that this marked the last time Spinning Jenny would be performing together for a while. Although, you can see Spinning Jenny’s drummer from last Friday, Colin Brown, in his active project, Surprise Soup.
While the band won’t be playing together, Simons hopes to continue to engage in creative spaces critically and in ways that have a meaningful impact on the Earth and the foreseeable future.
“Music is a really important part of this world, and given the political climate around the world, creativity and sharing your creations has never been more important,” Simons said.
The second band of the night was Judith Hindle. Right off the bat, they set the tone with beautiful visuals; flowering trees and other feminine, fun and vibrant imagery lit up the stage before the band even stepped on. What set Judith Hindle apart from the rest was their creative use of covers, nostalgia and satirical comedy to engage the crowd. In the audience were parents, close friends and family members.
“Seeing all of our friends in the audience is the most heartwarming thing,” said guitarist Sylvia Miller. The band sparked smiles and laughter among the crowd, creating an inclusive experience of art and their own identities.
Judith Hindle had a great set list with covers of “Shut Up and Drive” and “Heart of Glass,” but they really came out swinging with their first song; a live performance of the band’s new single “Missing Something (I Really Shouldn’t Miss)” which is set to release this Valentine’s Day on all platforms.
Surprise Soup was the third band of the night, and as expected, they threw it down as they always do. This punk band, with only three members, has a sound that speaks for a thousand emo choirs.
With Sean Perman on vocals and guitar, Marco Ramirez on bass and Brown on drums, it’s incredible to comprehend how much power and energy these three bring to the stage. Using instruments we’ve all heard before, they manage to create something that feels fresh and electrifying. Surprise Soup has a slew of new songs nearing release, though no set date has been announced.
Perman explained that he’s graduating later this year but hopes to get more DU band gigs together before the year ends and expressed that he doesn’t know how many more DU events he will be a part of in the future. He made one thing clear though.
“DU has an awesome music community,” said Perman. “I’ve been here a long time, enough to see so many bands through previous generations, and there is always so much talent at DU. It’s so great to be a part of it.”
Exhaler wrapped up the night with a full crowd to play one final set. This past year the band released their first EP “Blood Orange” available on all streaming platforms. Exhaler was a great way to close out the night. Giving the euro-punk revival its moment in this lineup was only right.
The band consists of all DU students; Trevor Briggs on keys and vocals, Grady Dionne on guitar, Elan Jimenez on Bass, Julian Horne on guitar, Bryson Miller on the kit and Drew Tilbrooke adding the tenor sax, flute and auxiliary percussion. Exhaler’s most recent song came out on Halloween, a single titled “With You in Mind/Standpipe,” available on all streaming platforms. Dionne hints at an album that is aimed to release in May, but we can look forward to some new material from them sooner than that.
Many bands wanted to thank Sean and the Surprise Soup crew for bringing them all together on Friday night to be a part of the consistent initiative to give back to the community.
“(Surprise) Soup really fosters the community of DU bands,” said Miller. “It is really amazing. Every single time we get to play with them we know that what we are doing is something good, aside from entertaining.”
As much as this night was about these bands and the connections they bring, Surprise Soup offers to collect canned soup at every show. You can follow the band on Instagram to stay up to date with new shows and projects of theirs.
