The Aggie Theatre
Fort Collins, CO
Words, Photos & Video By Nicholas Stock
Dead Floyd has quickly become one of my favorite cover bands to see live. However, calling them a cover band sells them short, as they really are musical architects. Their real art comes in the way they segue seamlessly between songs by Pink Floyd and the Grateful Dead. Up first was rock, soul outfit Better Than Bacon. I asked them about their name before the show, to which they responded, “It’s more of a goal really.” They recently released their self-titled album, which I had the pleasure of checking out. It was a big reason why I headed down early to see them open up the night. It was most definitely worth the trip. They opened with a rowdy original entitled “Train Of Hope.”SET I: Train Of Hope, Worry Man, Into The Country, Letter, Twelve Years, Cosmic Slop, Not A Sad Song, Next Train Home, Funky Hippie Music> Skinny Man Strut, Like The Weather, Glasses Full
What the early attendees got
was a set of originals with a singular cover of Parliament Funkadelic’s “Cosmic Slop.” The entire show was a rocking journey with the right amount of give and take. Musically the balance between James’s crisp vocals and Ryan’s soulful voice added a rich dynamic to the performance. The back on forth of the acoustic and electric again gave the songs an interesting juxtaposition. They are definitely a younger group and fairly fresh to the scene, however Better Than Bacon has enormous potential. Their attention to songwriting and crafting great music reminds me of fellow Front Range rockers The Congress. Additional highlights from the show included a stellar “Into The Country” and great version of “Glasses Full.” I will most definitely be keeping my eyes on these guys in the future.By the time Dead Floyd took the stage the room had filled in nicely and there was an excitement in the air. Fans began dancing from the opening notes of “China Cat” here is full setlist.
SET I: China Cat Sunflower> Fearless> Friend Of The Devil, Childhood’s End, Brown Eyed Women, Lost For Words>The Gold It’s In The…, High Hopes, Playing In The Band> Comfortably Numb> Playing In The Band> I Know You Rider
SET II: Have A Cigar> Cassidy> Althea> Deal, Shine On You Crazy Diamond> Uncle John’s Band> See Emily Play> Fire On The Mountain> Shine On You Crazy Diamond> Shakedown StreetENCORE: Not Fade Away> Going Down The Road Feeling Bad> Not Fade Away
This show demonstrates how Dead Floyd continues to delve into the repertoires of both bands to create implausible combinations. Musically all of the members are in other projects, but Dead Floyd really feels like a way for them to get together and have fun. Playing the music that inspires you can only help them bring perspective to their original endeavors, which include The Grippe, Hot Gazpacho, The Maji, Wooleye, Holy Moses, The High Rollers, and Orooni. The segue into Fearless set the mood
for the whole night. Additional highlights from the first set include the “Lost For Words” into “The Gold It’s In The…” It’s obvious that when they are pulling tracks from Obscured By Clouds that Dead Floyd is not afraid to dig deep. The second set blew the roof off the place and kept the audience getting down late into the evening. Dead Floyd also brings additional lighting and that really helps with the overall experience. The “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” became the crux of the entire set with an intrepid “Uncle John’s Band” into “See Emily Play.” There is no other band that performs these awesome song combinations, which is why I keep coming back. After their headlining performance at FoCoMx I was happy to see them back in their element playing in their classic form. It’s not like seeing Furthur or Roger Waters, but if you want to just go out and have a great night of fun I suggest checking out Dead Floyd.
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www.deadfloyd.com
www.betterthanbaconband.com
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