 |
| Strange Americans |
A few weeks ago a tragic event happened. The skies darkened, hearts were broken, and the world weeped. Of course, I am talking about
Justin Bieber canceling his world tour. This left four women from the Pacific Northwest with a weekend in Denver without the Biebs (he was scheduled to perform at
Sports Authority Field at Mile High on August 12th). The
Beliebers were determined to make the best out of this catastrophic event. Dressed in
Justin Bieber and
Calvin Klein wear (he is their underwear spokesman), the heart broken music fans attended
Strange Americans Album release party. Apparently bearded guys playing roots rock is the closest thing Denver has to
Justin Bieber.
 |
| Murry Mercier and Trent Nelson |
Unlike the instant
YouTube success of
Justin Bieber,
Strange Americans have been a hard working Denver band since 2009. They consistently perform in the Rocky Mountain Region.
Strange Americans played
Red Rocks in 2015 and opened for the indie Rock Gods
The Old 97s last year. Their new album
Borrow You, Brother took three years to make. Their recording process consisted of living together in a single apartment, a fire, and four separate trips to Denton, Texas. After some record label juggling, the album consisting of 48 minutes of rock anthem goodness has been released into the world.
 |
Strange Americans - All Photos taken by
The Rock and Roll Princess |
The majority of the album was performed to the crowd that consisted of friends, family, and four J
ustin Bieber fans positioned in front of the stage.
Matt Hoffman wearing his signature trucker hat and flannel shirt led the band through songs about the struggles of striving for the American dream with
Big Black Car and
No Punches. Trent Nelson took over lead vocal duties for
Riverside with amazing harmonies from the band and his trademark leg stomp. Older material was played throughout the set including the
Springsteen like
Blood in Gold and
Rocks/Rolls featuring
Murry Mercier pounding on the keyboards. The night ended with
Places II with Hoffman singing with raw emotion, "
Remember when we had nothing at all." The audience congratulated the band with handshakes and hugs and quickly purchased the album. The
Justin Bieber fans walked away with a high from the power of Rock and Roll or second hand pot smoke.
 |
| Miles Nielsen |
The opening band
Miles Nielsen and the Rusted Hearts played infectious songs and created a party like atmosphere.
Strange Americans were their supporting act for a few weeks during their recent summer tour. The band was returning the favor for
Strange Americans album release party.
Miles Nielsen is the son of
Cheap Trick's guitar player
Rick Nielsen (the eccentric
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member). His brother
Daxx Nielsen is currently
Cheap Trick's drummer.
Dear Kentucky (You're Killing Me) a love song about a city with a warning label was a crowd favorite.
Shine Your Light made the audience stop talking and notice the gospel inspired song with multi-instrumentalist
Adam Plamann playing an amazing clarinet melody in the background.
 |
Miles Nielsen and The Rusted Hearts
with Strange Americans Dance Troop |
When
Miles Nielsen stated special guests were joining him for
Start Me Up,
Matt Hoffman,
Trent Nelson (no relation, different spelling), and
Murry Mercier came on stage and danced during the chorus. The crowd went crazy and the
Justin Bieber fans were just confused.
Miles Nielsen and The Rusted Hearts later joined
Strange Americans for a jam session.
The Rusted Hearts' Daniel James McMahon guitar skills were awe-inspiring.
See you at the next show. I'll be one impressing the masses with my new
Strange Americans' dance moves.
No comments:
Post a Comment