MusicMarauders Presents: Two Nights of Dirty Dawgs (Kang, Molitz, Gould, Draper) 11.16 & 11.17

Quixote's True Blue
Denver, CO

Words By J-man
Photos By Carly Marthis & J-man
Audio By Corey Sandoval (Kind Recordings)

The grand opening weekend of the new location of Quixote's True Blue welcomed a fantastic assortment of talent, from local acts like Grant Farm & Jet Edison, to hard-hitters like Magic Gravy (Dan Lebowitz, Garrett Sayers & Dave Watts) and The Dirty Dawgs feat. Michael Kang (The String Cheese Incident), Steve Molitz (Particle), Eric Gould (Particle) & Brandon Draper! Walking into the new location at 13th & Grant was like a breath of fresh air and a collective exhale could be felt from the dedicated fans of Quixote's and the culture that it has bred in Colorado. What was noticeable immediately was the step up in appearance from the "worn in" feel of the Lawrence St. location. Colorful strings of lights were hung across the crowded room. The click, click, click of a ping-pong ball drew my attention to the front window where delighted folks competed... loosely. The bartenders were smiling and the drinks were flowing while a band played from the large stage in the corner of the room. The new spot felt right.

Heading back towards the front entrance and around a corner, one will find the main music room of the venue. Walking into the room we found several adoring fans speaking with some of their favorite musicians. Quixote's has always bridged the gap between fans and musicians and has created a level playing field for candid conversation with some of the fans favorites. Michael Kang and Steve Molitz stood at the front of the stage posing for pictures and shaking hands as Ray White wandered around the venue, greeting folks and creating smiles. The vibe was great and as more familiar faces poured through the door, it felt like home.

Grant Farm Live at Quixote's True Blue on November 16, 2012.



Friday night The Dirty Dawgs began their set easing in as a "band" and testing the waters. The haunting sounds of Steve's electro-noodling collided with Michael's heavy electric tone. With Brandon's straight ahead drumming and Eric's elevated bass playing, it quickly became clear that it was more than just a jam band show. The project sounded tight and directional, unlike some of the other projects containing similar member arrangements. This project included elements of jazz and fusion that intrigued me and kept the crowd moving. In between sets the front room welcomed The Grant Farm for a tweener that could have easily stole the show for many fans. The band sounded tight and more energetic than a couple of recent shows in Denver. The crowd was large and captivated by The Grant Farm as The Dirty Dawgs fired back up in the main room for their ripping closing set.

Dirty Dawgs Live at Quixote's True Blue on November 17, 2012.



Saturday night brought an even more refined Dirty Dawgs, with Ray White returning to the stage for a second night of guesting. The energy was just as high, the crowd just as excited and the band was firing on all cylinders! At one point in the show, Ray White expressed "Stevie's got some new shoes," which prompted Steve to remove his shoe to show to the crowd. He then began to use the shoes to create some screaming organ sounds. The mood was light and the vibe was great. Throughout the weekend I kept thinking to myself, "This will work..." and indeed it will. Head over to the new Quixote's True Blue and check out their new location!

Carly & J-man's Photo Gallery

www.quixotes.com