Something Like Sound

St. Patrick’s Day this year was an enjoyable experience here at Something Like Sound. It was a day of music, merriment, and waffles. Before diving headfirst into the review of the show, I’d like to take a moment to tell you about one of Denver’s newest eateries, Lakeside Waffles. This joint is great, they’ve got $5 waffles with fresh fruits and other toppings, and they taste great (probably the best waffles I’ve had in a long time). Either way, they are located right next to the Oriental (on 44th and Tennyson).

As far as the show went, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Up first was Hawks of Paradise, a local rock group with a loud/steady sound. Following the Hawks, was a truly unique experience, another local group named Pee Pee. Even as they were setting up the stage I could tell that it would be an interesting experience. All together Pee Pee currently consists of 10 players (including a woman who plays singing saw). Their performance was truly impressive and enjoyable. A flurry of orchestral sound, jazz improvisation, and pop sensibility, Pee Pee moved from dance beats to jam-sessions with the drop of a hat.

Up next it was my most anticipated part of the night, Young Coyotes. Zach and Adam were spot on that night as they pounded through song after song. They played through most of the material from their newly released EPs, while also throwing in some new songs as well. Perhaps it was the acoustics of the room, or maybe just my own biases, but I felt as though it was one of the better sounding sets I’ve ever seen these guys put on.

Finally it was time for Akron/Family. At this point in the night I wished I had done something to alter my consciousness, because (unknown to me), Akron/Family is sort of a hippie-jam-band. This is by no means a bad thing, it just wasn’t what I was expecting. Moving from subtle, quiet sounds to earth shattering choruses, Akron/Family used dymanics to their advantage. Perhaps the best part of their set was when the musical collective Pee Pee joined Akron/Family on stage for an all-out rock-jam. I’m fairly certain there were at least 15 people on stage as the crowd began to bounce and move to the beats of the improv.

Video of Young Coyotes performance will be available soon, check back on the blog. (We’ve also got video of Akron/Family with Pee Pee that will go up too).

Photos courtesy Patrick Beseda