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| The Dustbowl Revival |
Inauguration day reflected a divided nation, but that night a band brought the commonwealth together with a washboard and a lampshade.
The Dustbowl Revival is an eight-piece band that combines bluegrass, Americana, and New Orleans Swing. Their infectious sound won over the sold out crowd immediately. Girls with long flowing scarfs took over the front of the stage dancing in a gypsy trance. Bluegrass fans sang along to all the standards. And others just smiled from the first note until the band marched off at the end the night.
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| Liz Beebe of The Dustbowl Revival |
The Venice, California based band started when singer/guitarist
Zach Lupetin placed a
Craigslist ad bringing transplanted jazz and bluegrass musicians into a mash-up ensemble. A grueling tour schedule transformed them into a powerful musical force.
The Dustbowl Revival gained a loyal following and was recently voted the best live band in Los Angeles, California by
LA Weekly.
The band fired up the
Larimer Lounge crowd with the New Orleans standard
John the Revelator (you know he wrote the book of the seven seals)
. Liz Beebe put down her washboard and took the lead singing the rhythm and blues inspired
Busted. Belting out,
You think you got something/But you don't got nothing/Honey, it you don't got me.
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| The Dust Bowl Revival |
A lampshade slowly worked its way from the back of the room to the front of the stage as the band performed the ultimate party song
Lampshade On (I saw the proud owner of that lampshade getting the band to sign it at the end of the night).
The Dustbowl Revival requested the crowd to join arms for
So Far Away and join in the chorus, "
So far way/ So far from home/I got these new friends/ And I ain't drinking alone."
The band jumping off the stage (it wasn't easy with a stand up bass) and played in the middle of the crowd. They performed the bluegrass classic
New River Train and marched off into the night with
The Saints (because they go marching on).
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| Modern Whiskey Market |
Modern Whiskey Market was the second band on the bill. Their social media state, "they have been playing knee slapping music for the fine people in Colorado since 2012." I speculate their love for bluegrass and facial hair brought them together. The band was short a man due to a medical issue (I assume it's beard related). They sang original songs about drinking moonshine and tripping on mushrooms in the Rocky Mountains. Their
Prince cover of
When Doves Cry transformed the 1980's classic into a fast paced bluegrass jam.
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| Treehouse Sanctum |
Denver's own
Treehouse Sanctum was the opening band. Singer/guitarist
Sam Rymer sporting a red bandanna (
Bruce Springsteen Born in the USA era) and Singer/Keyboardist
Danya Lynn Prado decked out in leather pants (
Jim Morrison Lizard King Era) lead the band through a set of music they describe as indie dream rock. When they played
Pilot & Crew about a World War II Veteran
, an older gentleman blowing the trumpet appeared from the back of the stage. The crowd might have wondered who brought their Dad. It turned out it was
Dewayne Rymer (Sam's father). They ended their set with
Van Morrison's Into the Mystic (making me ponder how one can rock a gypsy soul?)
See you at the next show. I will be the one with the washboard with my lampshade on.
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