UMS 1.3: Widowers, Snake Rattle Rattle Snake & more | Reverb — Reverb Music — The Denver Post

UMS 1.3: Widowers, Snake Rattle Rattle Snake & more

By | July 23rd, 2009 | No Comments »

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Mike Marchant of Widowers on Day 1 of the Denver Post UMS at 3Kings, July 23. Photo by Mat Luschek, The Denver Post.

John Hendrickson: If Widowers’ early Thursday set is any indication of how this festival will roll, my expectations have already been surpassed.

Widowers played to a full crowd at 3 Kings Tavern and Mike Marchant & his mates’ harmonies sailed out onto the South Broadway sidewalks. Marchant’s well-constructed melodies routinelly broke into messy, distorted instrumentals. As smooth as it was rough, as pop as it was noise.

For a UMS first-timer, Thursday is setting a high bar for the rest of the weekend.

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Day 1 of the Denver Post UMS at the Hi-Dive, July 23. Photo by Mat Luschek, The Denver Post.

Baca bits:
*Widowers sound so goddamn good at 3 Kings. Mike Marchant has a way of leading a band that makes it seems so effortless and natural. Easy, almost. They’re now working their way through ‘Space Never Strays,’ and that song-ending guitar solo slayed.

*Big Time played an ambitious set that divided the crowd. Some appreciated their courage, with such bold compositions. Others retreated to the front of the bar at 3 Kings.

*Scratch what I just told some guy. Snake Rattle Rattle Snake is not a Monofog side project. They are the real thing. They are killing a packed 3 Kings, and asking for more guitars in Doug’s monitors.

*Snake Rattle Rattle Snake is closing its gorgeously filthy set of reverb-drenched rock at 3 Kings. Everybody in the crowd is talking about KaiserCartel, playing later at the Hi-Dive.

From Reverber Billy Thieme: Light Travels Faster is Superchunky Voidoids, in New York Dolls drag for DPUMS! Denver needs more of the Television sound, and the singer does a great Richard Hell, with a light Pete Shelly back.

SLIDESHOW OF ALL THE DAY’S PHOTOS SO FAR:
http://photos.denverpost.com/photogalleries/umsimages/

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  • Kynoceros

    That solo for ‘Space Never Strays’ was literally finger shredding. Brian was wearing a bandage for the rest of the night.

  • Admiral Ackbar

    The widowers set was pretty good. It was nice to hear Mark back on Rhodes, but otherwise they only played one new song and the rest of the set was from two years ago.

    Snake Rattle Rattle Snake, on the other hand, was fresh and powerful. Hayley’s abilities as a Righteous Fox leader have begun to show their full potential. The dancier, the better.

    \It’s a Trap!