The Highland Tap & Burger
Denver, CO
Words By J-man
Photos By Carly Marthis & J-man
Wednesdays at The Highland Tap have become a staple in the Denver music scene. With the Garrett Sayers Trio leading the charge, the crowd has grown exponentially and the word is out. Last Wednesday afternoon the event promoters received a curve ball.
Garrett Sayers was sick and would not be able to make the evening's show. A mad scramble of epic proportions ensued. Musicians from all over the Denver/Boulder area were contacted, as not having music would not be an option. Beyond the business aspect of it, the owners of the Tap are huge music fans, so to not have music would have been a personal disappointment all around.About an hour before the scheduled load-in time, the line-up fell into place! The evening's show would feature Pete Wall (Textiles, Game 7), Cody Willie AKA "The Wicked Won," Ryan Burnett & Damon Metzner (Signal Path)! The announcement was made all over Facebook and the anticipation built. Over at The Tap, the band loaded in, met Pete, dined and drank in preparation for the evening.
As soundcheck began the room filled in like never before. So many new faces had gotten the message that members of Signal Path would be doing a special show and turned out to see what Wednesdays at The Highland Tap were all about! The room was all smiles, though there was a palatable sense of apprehension from the band as they had never played together and didn't even know what to expect as far as crowd, vibe and approach. The first track started off rocky as the band honed their chops and within' five minutes The Highland Tap was overtaken by an improvised dance party!
Cody laid down the tracks as Damon followed up with nasty/dancable drum work that refused to allow anyone to remain seated. The combination of Ryan and Pete at the melodic forefront created a fantastic sound that rounded out the bands sonic output. Though the project was in its infancy, the set eluded to the individual talent and
professionalism of each member involved. Their chemistry flowed naturally as the band looked as if they were having the time of their lives. The packed crowd was overwhelmingly receptive to what they were witnessing, as folks consistently thanked those involved in making the event possible.What could have been a night without music at The Highland Tap, was instead the best night of music, energy and fun that the establishment has witnessed from the Wednesday showcases! The icing on the cake would come in the form of an offer from the owners for additional gigs featuring the assembled group. The fans/patrons were happy, the owners were thrilled, the band was ecstatic... Mission accomplished.
Carly & J-man's Photo Gallery
www.highlandtapdenver.com
www.signalpathmusic.com
www.petewall.com
This --> "The Highland Tap was overtaken by an improvised dance party!" I had such an unexpected blast last night. Garret Sayers Trio is always a great time, but knowing that last night's show was thrown together in a matter of hours, it could not have been better evening for all in attendance. Hope to see this lineup at HTB again sometime!
ReplyDeleteManagement made an offer during the bands set for future shows. By the time the show had ended, another had already been booked. :o)
ReplyDelete-J-man