Armoury
Denver, CO
Words By Christian Davis (Festival City)
Not every band you see requires your undivided attention or undying devotion. However, a trio like Garrett Sayers has earned acknowledgement and respect if for no other reason than the namesake bass players highly touted and well-publicized prowess as one of the current music scenes premier four string thumpstars (that word is mine so don't try to steal it). In addition, the Armoury with its exposed brick, Chicago style ambiance, graphically enhanced and colorfully saturated artwork of Motley Crue and super-hot nudes is equipped with the style of classic cozy stage every artist wants to perform on and every music loving fiend wants to see them on.
In a venue this intimate on a Wednesday night you might expect a distracted crowd at best. A crowd that came for Stanley Cup hockey and stuck around for lack of anything better to do. This was definitely not the case. The thirty or so of us that came for the music were treated to an evening of inspired sounds. The overall consensus seemed to be one of embracing the freewheeling but attentive nature of the show. During particularly groovy jams it was well worth a shaking your ass on the dance floor until your glass was empty and throat was dry. Then it was perfectly acceptable to allow the music to became the soundtrack for enjoying the company and considerately volumed conversation while waiting for a drink at the bar. If it was a smoke break you fancied, it was easily enjoyed on the sidewalk along Larimer awash in the tunes that carried out the door and hovered over the pavement while the inventive and thoughtfully clad Monsters, Aliens, and Spacemen from the evenings Denver Cruise rode and strolled by. Not to be outdone by the costumed Burning Man crowd that paraded the street was the most honest, talented, and openly professed homeless man I have ever met. You wouldn't know by looking at Darrell in his black Dennis Hopper "Easy Rider" style leather jacket, or the reading glasses perched atop his head, or his fairly well-shined patent leather shoes that this man sings the likes of Otis Redding and The Temptations with impeccable tone on the street for money. He was more than candid about his situation and the lack of respect he has for lazy curbside bums begging for handouts instead of giving a kind stranger their something in return for their hard-earned contribution. After all, who wants to work for the man? I certainly do not, and Darrell like myself is putting in long hours every day to get by without being another soulless cog in the nightmare machine. "I'm going to be honest with you" Darrell said. "I have made my mistakes, and I have paid for them. I did a ten year stretch for selling white and I'm not proud of that, and now no one will hire me but I'm doing the best I can with what I have, and by the grace of God and good folks like yourself, I get by." Two rousing renditions of "Ain't Too Proud To Beg" and "Stand By Me" later, Darrell had enough money to make it until tomorrow, I was able to demonstrate how lacking my vocal skills are to the crowd outside, and when I returned inside GST was still funking their way to infinity.
The gentleman that promoted and hipped me to this show and many others over the last two weeks is known locally and nationally by the moniker J-Man, and I have to insist you do not miss anything this guy puts on. His lady-friend who shall remain nameless unlike the homeless fellow whose name I revealed without hesitation welcomed me to Festival City with the delightful enthusiasm I have come to regard as commonplace in this fair city. She was already fully aware of who I was when I introduced myself because as I'm sure you locals are well aware of, nothing of quality is kept secret in this city except for the quality of the city itself. We became well acquainted despite my being repeatedly distracted by the phenomenally festival worthy pants of a soon to be realized mutual friend whose name I will not disclose but decided to nickname Sylvio in honor of the Bob Dylan epic that professes, "One of these days and it won't be long, Going down the valley and sing my song. I will sing it loud and sing it strong, Let the echo decide if I was right or wrong." I am certain today that I was correct in my assessment of her and her recent philosophically graduated boyfriend who had the distinctive air of spirit that was reflective of myself. Our connection was so strong that despite attempting to part ways at the conclusion of this soul-rousing show, we ended up splitting a cab back to Uptown. Fortunately for all parties involved, I did not repeat the prior weekends events and attempt tickling the cab driver. I assure you that promising a cabbie from Sierre Leone that you will not tickle him again is not necessarily a vision of the future I have previously seen, but also not one I recommend shying away from when it presents itself. Premonitions of being the dopest president, saving the world from itself, or fronting a widely loved but under-rated rock band... absolutely. Assuring an African immigrant chauffeur you mean him no harm and are only laying fingers on him because your much more attractive female friend set the precedent for the current trend is an experience not easily encountered, but definitely one to be embraced. Thanks to J-Man and his relentless pursuit of providing quality music to a city already thick with it, your chance to encounter and absorb the Garrett Sayers Trio this summer will be easily accomplished. At the very least I can promise you they will be performing at the Armoury on June 12th as part of the official LOHI Music Festival which is guaranteed to scratch your every musical itch. So plan on coming early, staying late, and seeing me there.
www.garrettsayers.com
www.armourydenver.com
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