Pacific Northwest invasion coming
It may be Rocktober here in Denver, what with all sorts of marvelous shows rolling through here this month. But in a few weeks, forget Rocktober because Fuel/Friends is presenting three absolutely fantastic shows coming through Colorado in the first week of November, with bands from the fertile loamy shores of the Pacific Northwest.
We’ll call it Rockvember, which really doesn’t have nearly the same snappy effect as Rocktober, but it will have to do.
Seattle’s The Head and The Heart and Portland’s Drew Grow and The Pastors’ Wives — both bands are becoming addictions of the most socially acceptable kind, meaning that I pretty much just rotate between their two albums in recent weeks but maintain my hygiene and there’s no lying or drug-seeking behavior.
First off, Drew Grow and The Pastors’ Wives are playing the Larimer Lounge on Wednesday, November 3rd (with Kelli Schaefer, the girl joining in for a show-stopping duet on the last lines of the song in the video below). The next night, Thursday the 4th, they are playing a Fuel/Friends house show down in Colorado Springs and I think you should come. It’s $5 and you can BYOB and rock out in my ‘hood.
Every last thing that you need to know about why you should come see Drew Grow & The Pastors’ Wives for one of those two shows can be gleaned from this post here, and from this video here. Wait until three minutes in, when the best kind of musical cataclysm starts to occur:
Their album is one of my favorites of the year, easy. Recently at the Doe Bay Festival in Washington, the Seattle Weekly reviewer wrote, “Two weekends ago, I had one of those rare, game-changing live music experiences, the kind when you’re watching a band and your chest swells up big and red and raw like a great frigatebird during mating season and there’s a lump in your throat and an ACME anvil could fall on the person next to you and you probably wouldn’t even notice the blood spatter because HOLY FUCKING SHIT this band is amazing.”
So, yeah — there’s that.
Bootstraps – Drew Grow and the Pastors Wives
Then on Friday, November 5th –if we survive the two nights with Drew Grow, maybe rehydrate our electrolytes– Seattle supernovas The Head And The Heart are playing their first show in Colorado at Moe’s (next door to the Gothic), co-headlining with local favorite Ian Cooke, with support by The Lumineers.
Sounds Like Hallelujah – The Head and The Heart
Guys, I can’t even tell you how blindingly quick things are exploding for this likeable, insanely catchy band right now, and deservedly so. They just toured through my home state of California, and I had friends at each stop along the way either texting me effusive praise from stageside, or stuck outside in the rain (like in LA, where apparently many folks couldn’t get in, despite the band adding a late show the same night). I have never seen them perform live yet, just pretty much watched the bejesus out of youtube videos.
This is a new song, “Gone,” they have been performing, with a bridge that I just can’t get out of my head. I’m trying here…
BIG OLE’ TICKET GIVEAWAY!
I have five pairs of tickets to give away to both of these Fuel/Friends presented shows (11/3 with Drew Grow and 11/5 with The Head And The Heart) to folks who email me. You can go to both, I’d absolutely love to share these bands with you.
‘Gone’ is absolutely rocking my world right now. I got so obsessed with the video last week that I had to find a site to rip it down to an mp3 so I could listen to it at work. I can’t get over how in pretty much every song they build it up and then just crush it with the bridge and chorus (‘Rivers and Roads’ being my favorite). The band is just so impressive.
Really sad I don’t live near CO, cause I would totally be taking you up on your offer for the tickets. I tried for a few minutes, sitting here at work, to talk myself into making the drive out there from Chicago. I couldn’t really think of a scenario in which it was possible, which sucks. Hopefully The Head and the Heart make a trip out to Chicago soon, cause I absolutely cannot wait to see them.
Adam — October 21, 2010 @ 7:11 am
It’s a Friday night. You should drive out from Chicago. I was thisclose to driving out to SLC in september to see them, and I think it would have been worth it. Also, your experience with “Gone” parallels mine, exactly.
browneheather — October 21, 2010 @ 7:35 am
I believe in shows at Moe’s. Bowling alley + beer + pulled pork + EXCELLENT TUNES = a certain kind of happiness that surpasses certain kinds of love and drugs. I certainly hope your head doesn’t explode at the first show, Heather. Save it until the second at least … and once it’s over.
Dainon — October 21, 2010 @ 8:13 am
Adam, there’s this one too: http://vimeo.com/15357630
browneheather — October 21, 2010 @ 10:05 am
Maybe next month should be called “Rollvember” as in, “man Rocktober was awesome, but just wait till Rollvember!”
AC — October 21, 2010 @ 4:23 pm
If you’re looking for recording in the Seattle area or elsewhere please check out my website http://www.jonrook.com. I’m a local freelance audio engineer with the ability to travel all over the country to work with artists.
-Jon
Jon Rook — October 24, 2010 @ 5:27 pm
Hey Heather,
I’m a friend of Jamie’s, and I was going to try to make the Head and the Heart on Tuesday, but I have class until 9pm.
Any idea as to when they’ll play? If I can make it, I will!
-t
Tony T. — November 7, 2010 @ 5:14 pm