Something Like Sound

Here’s the first video we’ve got up from the show last weekend. Right now the quality is a little sketchy, but it’ll improve as YouTube finishes processing. Sorry about the lighting, it was really dark in the basement of the Hi-Dive.

While the rest of the world was tucked away in blankets sipping hot chocolate, roughly 70 people trekked out to downtown Denver in the cold, dreary weather to see one of Denver’s most non-dreary bands. Headlining at the Hi Dive, the Photo Atlas, along with the openers 1090 Club and The Forecast, put on a show that made all the hassle of driving through the downpour worth it.

As I waited for the show to start, I struck up a conversation with one of the maybe 10 people there (the rest showed up after the concert started). He said he used to write for Chicago’s version of Westword, a newspaper that especially spotlights local music. He made it a point to get to this show specifically for the first opening band, The Forecast. Hailing from Peoria, Illinois, The Forecast could best be described as a Midwest punk band straight from the mid-90′s. With the volume cranked up (almost to the point of discomfort), The Forecast blazed through songs with considerable skill as they mixed the vocals of both male and female lead singers with the ever-driving guitar. Their sound rang quite familiar since they come out of a well-explored genre. However, the songs were still distinct and there were no dead points to the set.

Next up was a band quite familiar to this blog, 1090 Club. The first content we put up here was a review of The Appleseed Cast concert where 1090 Club opened, shortly followed by a review of the album Natural Selection, which has since been released. Starting strong, the band kept a steady pace with their heart-felt vocals. Their unconventional mix including a piano and a violin, but lacking a bass, worked nicely for them. Similar to The Forecast, 1090 Club had mixed vocals frequently through their music. The darker sound of 1090 Club transitioned perfectly from the upbeat riffs of The Forecast to the minor tone of The Photo Atlas.

No newcomer to the Denver music scene, The Photo Atlas has a unique sound that can best be described as “dance punk.” Even my friend from Chicago knew of The Photo Atlas’ reputation around Denver. With an invitation for the spread-out crowd to come in closer “so we can all dance together,” The Photo Atlas started with their typical rock sound that broke down into a dance beat for the chorus. The complex guitar riffs, often reminding me of Saosin, tied songs together from start till finish. Vocals, closer to melodic yelling than anything else, fit well with their style of music. It was rather strange the first time the dance beats came in since it’s not expected at a rock concert. However, as the set progressed, people started moving more and more. Old songs and new fell together, pulling music from throughout their career. Time flew as the band played, making the end of the 45-minute set seem like it was still the beginning.

I pity all who decided against this $8 show because of the weather. We’ll keep you informed of other chances to see these guys. Video interviews with all three of these bands to follow…

Words by Spencer Nelson, Photos by Patrick Beseda

Hey everybody, sorry we haven’t been posting too much lately, it’s finals time and we’re all swamped. However, that doesn’t mean we’re not working on some great new exclusives! Coming up soon we’ve got video interviews with The Forecast, 1090 Club, The Photo Atlas, and The Silent Years! So stay tuned…