The Contribution & The Drunken Hearts 4.28.13

-

The Bluebird Theater
Denver, CO

Words By J-man
Photos By Kevin Hahn & J-man

The Contribution is a true collective of contributing talent from several of our scene's most coveted bands. From Railroad Earth, Tim Carbone. From The String Cheese Incident, Keith Moseley. From New Monsoon, Phil Ferlino and Jeff Miller. Though I am not sure where Sheryl Renee is from, it could easily be heaven. Lastly, the newest contributor, from The Everyone Orchestra, Matt Butler. Together they've created a completely different sound and feel from any of their aforementioned projects. We arrived at The Bluebird early finding their block of Colfax Ave. near empty, with only the friendly Bluebird staff out front of the venue leading up to the show. Following a quick bite at the Mexican restaurant across the street, we headed into the venue to catch one of my recent favorites, The Drunken Hearts. Led by vocalist/guitarist, Andrew McConathy, The Hearts put on of of the best sets I've heard the band perform. They dug deep into some of my favorites from their original catalog, reflecting a certain comfort and more developed compositions. The current incarnation of the band sounds the best that The Hearts hav sounded in the couple of years that I have been hearing them play. If you haven't checked them out, you should do so. Start by streaming their album Live For Today on Spotify!

Setlist: Don't Go > Under the Sun, Kaleidoscopic Eyes > Sakajawea's Reel > Kaleidoscopic Eyes, Happy When You Do*, Swingtown, Holes in My Shoes** > High Seas** > Holes in My Shoes**

* new original (1st time played)
** w/ Jeff Miller on electric guitar


Following the opening set, The Bluebird remained near empty. The evening's headliner hit the stage with smiles on their faces and a clear excitement to be performing together once again. The first set featured a handful of slower songs to warm up the Sunday crowd and included some fantastic calculated solos. The band also shared some new material in "Oh No," and "Ain't No Sin." The songs were solid and translated well live. Those in attendance, though few in number, were extremely attentive and grateful for the special evening. A short break came and went welcoming the second set and a much more energetic selection of songs including Led Zeppelin's "The Song Remains The Same," "Hoedown," and "Fear of Nothing." The second set also featured new material with "The Great Boot" and "Passengers of Darkness," which sounded great! It was a shame to see such a low turnout for a group with some very reputable talent, though limited in the project's name recognition. Check out their album Which Way World on Spotify and see them live if given the opportunity!

Set One: Come Around, Back This Way, Oh No*, Time Was only Yesterday, Dream out in the Rain, Steady Ride, Not This Time, Year of Jubilee, Aint No Sin*

Set Two: The Great Boot*, The Song Remains the Same (Led Zep), The Race Is On (George Jones), Passengers of Darkness*, Which Way World, Hoedown, Walk Upon the Water, Fear of Nothing

Encore: Somewhere on a Train, Gimme Shelter (The Rolling Stones)

*=Brand New

J-man's Photo Gallery

Kevin's Photo Gallery

www.thecontribution.net

www.yarmonymusic.org

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Conversation with Barnett English - Founder of Joshua Tree Music Festival

-
Image
Joshua Tree, CA Words by Ryleigh Hutson & Alexander Cai Zettas Joshua Tree Music Festival is an immersive globally cultural musical experience held in the Southern California Mojave desert twice a year. This family-friendly 4-day festival attracts over 3,000 attendees each October and May featuring up to 30 musical acts, live art installations, as well as over 90 workshops. This fall welcomes its 19th year and MusicMarauders caught up with the festival’s Founder/Organizer, Barnett English, to discuss the history and inspiration of the festival that he is continuing to build. We thank Barnett for taking his time to answer our questions in detail and we are excited to share insight as to what makes this festival unique! MusicMarauders: What are your roots in getting involved with music events? Barnett English: Ever since I was little, I’ve leaned on music to get me through; to get on up. I’ve got solid gold memories of driving around as a kid, with my mom in our Dodge Dart, the AM
Read more

Livetronica Sampler 3.22.11

-
Image
Words by Greg Molitor ( ReMIND Photography ) Ozric Tentacles This British group has proven innovative throughout the years offering a space-rock meets psytrance sound that remains alive to this day. Though never having a major record label, Ozric Tentacles has produced 28 albums of diverse psychedelia throughout its career. The band met at the Stonehenge Free Festival in 1983 and truly fathered livetronica music with its use of sequencers and synthesizers. Simply put, there would be no livetronica without Ozric Tentacles. www.ozrics.com Octopus Nebula Colorado’s Octopus Nebula has certainly hit its stride as of late with its constant touring and increased festival interest. The group expands on the deep sounds of highly regarded acts such as STS9 and Shpongle but also carves a path of its own with its fresh takes on synthesizer tones and sampling in the live setting. Octopus Nebula Live at Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom on March 26, 2010. <--- Direct Archive Link www.octopus
Read more

Buckethead: Gimmick or Guitar God?

-
Image
Words & Photos By Nicholas Stock ( phatphlogblog.blogspot.com ) At what point does the gimmick overshadow the performance? The obvious answer is Buckethead. The man is an amazing guitarist but something is not right in this world. The idea a performer who dons a KFC chicken bucket on his head for a concert has always intrigued me, and some of his side projects such as Colonel Claypool’s Bernie Bucket of Brains have been huge successes. However his performance last weekend in Fort Collins simply left me perplexed. From his robotic dancing, to his nunchuck display, to the fact the he performed with an iPod rather than a band all added to my confusion. Going into the show I was ready to be blown away, despite rumblings of disgruntled fans from the previous night’s show at The Gothic. Buckethead had had some sound issues and some missed cues in Denver but I was still trying to be positive for the show in Fort Collins. It did go off without a hitch technically but that was the least
Read more

Joshua Tree Music Festival 10.10 - 10.13.24

-
Image
Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground Joshua Tree, CA Word by Ryleigh Hutson Photos by Alexander Fornes Joshua Tree Music Festival is a one-of-a-kind experience, with its eclectic range of genres, artistry, and beautiful focus on community and connection. JTMF held an energy like no other, there was a feeling in which everyone surrounding you intended to be there to be present with joy and love. There was a sense of community, far and wide, close and intimate, all coming together for good music and to dance to something they likely had never heard before. Set just a few miles from the Joshua Tree National Park and founded in 2003, the festival celebrated its 21st bi-annual event. Joshua Tree Music Festival is a culmination of unique creativity expressed through visual art, workshops, and worldly music all nestled within the beauty of the Mojave Desert. Barnett English and his team do a fantastic job at searching for musical artists on the rise. They emphasize bringing in musical talent
Read more

Cascade Equinox Festival 9.20 - 9.22.24

-
Image
Deschutes County Fair Grounds Redmond, OR Words by Ryleigh Hutson Photos by Alexander Cai Zettas The second year of Cascade Equinox Festival was held at the Deschutes County Fairgrounds in Redmond, Oregon. This year had its own unique blend of musical magic, with the event coordinators curating an unforgettable experience. The different styles of artists and genres of music invited to perform this year captured a similar essence as the inaugural event; exploratory, inclusive, and diverse within the Central Oregon music scene. Cascade Equinox is a three-day camping music festival, attracting attendees to the experience of a  “A Festival Reimagined.” It seemed most attendees opted for the three-day camping pass to take full advantage of the festival fun. This year they offered single-day passes as well, which was a great way to open the event up for those who were unable to do the full three days. VIP tickets were also available with a private viewing area at the main stage. The entire e
Read more