Live review: The Airborne Toxic Event, Arctic Monkeys @ the Ogden Theatre | Reverb — Reverb Music — The Denver Post

Live review: The Airborne Toxic Event, Arctic Monkeys @ the Ogden Theatre

By , , , , , , , , , and | September 28th, 2009 | No Comments »

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Airborne Toxic Event singer Mike Jollett and his band proved their choice of covers that they’re dedicated to passionately wrought music. Photos by Joe McCabe.

I think I know what the musical equivalent of the baseball joke “Who’s on first?” looks like now.

There are many questions I have about the co-headlining experiment featuring Arctic Monkeys and the Airborne Toxic Event Thursday night at the Ogden Theatre, not the least of which is, “Who’s the ‘fifth monkey?” But before we dive into that… It’s unfortunate when you feel compelled to write about the promotion of a show because it got in the way of the music.

The Henry Clay Band was scheduled to open the night at the 8 p.m. start time listed on the Ogden’s website and on the concert tickets, so I’m guessing they either started early or took a wrong turn on Colfax and wound up nervously performing a set behind the pool table at the Red Ram.

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Instead of the other bands beginning when they were scheduled to start, they were moved up. Granted, when we arrived shortly after 8 p.m., the venue was packed with those who must have sensed the bait-and-switch potential from the constant changing of the headline act in promotional ads leading up to the show. Others weren’t so lucky. If they had to work late, were driving in from out of town, had kids to attend to, or just wrongly believed their ticket information, they missed huge chunks of the Arctic Monkeys, probably the band they bought their tickets to see in the first place.

I’m not certain who’s to blame for this, but when did rock shows become a race to the finish? Were we trying to clock in under the tour’s Salt Lake City time trial from the night before? Do we win a stuffed panda doll for our effort? Ah Denver, one day you’ll be a grown-up town and get to stay up later with all the other grown-up towns.

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We walked in at the start of the Monkeys’ third or fourth song, the apropos “This House Is A Circus,” with the verse, “This house is a circus, berserk as f*ck / We tend to see that as a perk though / Look what it’s done to your friends / Their memories are pretend / And the last thing they want is for the feeling to end.” It was true that after a few moments listening to the lads from Sheffield, you didn’t want the feeling to end.

Alex Turner’s voice was spot on; the stage sound was crisp; the band’s chops as tight as their trendy narrowed jeans. They were a turbine spinning the kind of bristling static you can feel in the hairs of your arm when you enter a room.

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  • Monkeys fan

    Thanks for the review. I also went first and foremost to see the AM's who, in light of Airborne doing a show the following nite AND having already played Denver earlier this year – should have closed the show.While the price of admission was well worth the hour of the Monkeys, my mere like of ATE turned to pure loathing seeing their “look at us” stage antics, how typically LA.I arrived at 8PM, HOPING to also see The Henry Clay People. For the third time in a year (the other two occurred at the Bluebird) I arrived ON TIME only to find out that the show was moved up. I was under the impression these venues earned a huge chunk of their profits from booze sales, so WHY start a show early and then FAIL to tell the people who've bought tickets? Half the time I arrive at shows a little late and end up waiting 30-40 minutes for the show to start, then there's this equally annoying predicament. This is ain't brain surgery, it's show biz. I can appreciate many bands are driving from SLC to Denver to KC or vice versa and that there are weather problems, mechanical failure, etc but, in the internet age, it's not too difficult to notify people of an early or late start. I could write more about the idiotic decision to have the Monkeys go on first, let alone share a bill with what my friend dismissed as a band whose appeal will be limited primarily to young girls. They belong on Leno or MTV and NOT on a bill with The Arctic Monkeys. Let's hope THEY come back soon.

  • Sam Deleo

    Good points. With all the charges people are asked to pay for their tickets you'd think some of that money could go toward buying a watch for whoever decides when the shows start.

  • Anthem

    A huge let down is what transpired that night…I have longed to see the Arctic Monkeys live and 60 minutes was definitely not enough! I got there early enough to see about half of the Henry Clay People's set, it was good and I look forward to seeing them again. The Airborne Toxic Event was decent but I couldn't help but feel like I got played (no pun intended) by the promoters of this concert…they obviously had no idea who the bigger and better band was there that night!!!

  • Airborne Toxic Fan

    Wow. I went to this show solely for The Airborne Toxic Event, not caring at all about The Arctic Monkeys. I would have been fine with TATE playing first because then I could have left and spared myself the torture of sitting through the monotonous The Arctic Monkeys. I think TATE is full of talent and would sit through just about any act to see them. Fortunately, I got to see them in Boulder the following night as well (along with The Henry Clay People). As far as start times, the Boulder show had the opposite problem. Show was listed with an 8:00 start time on the website, but upon arrival at the Boulder Theater, it stated 9:00. No matter the venue or start time, I welcome TATE back as soon as possible.

  • Sam Deleo

    Whether you are a TATE or Arctic Monkeys fan, you should not be subjected to elusive promotional techniques that flip flop about “who's on first,” nor should a show start before the time advertised on your ticket. I know, I know, “ya' pays your money, ya' takes your chances,” but this is not about a lead singer lip synching or a guitarist who's too drunk to play. I could be wrong, but as near as I can tell, it has nothing to do with the bands themselves at all. And THAT'S what sucks.

  • Sam Deleo

    Whether you are a TATE or Arctic Monkeys fan, you should not be subjected to elusive promotional techniques that flip flop about “who's on first,” nor should a show start before the time advertised on your ticket. I know, I know, “ya' pays your money, ya' takes your chances,” but this is not about a lead singer lip synching or a guitarist who's too drunk to play. I could be wrong, but as near as I can tell, it has nothing to do with the bands themselves at all. And THAT'S what sucks.

  • amfan

    I thought TATE was absolutely horrid! I forced myself to stay for a few songs hoping they would get better, but was extremely disappointed when they seemed only to get worse. Arctic Monkeys should have been supported by TATE, not the other way around. Would love to see the Monkeys again, but would never waste my money to support TATE

  • amfan

    I thought TATE was absolutely horrid! I forced myself to stay for a few songs hoping they would get better, but was extremely disappointed when they seemed only to get worse. Arctic Monkeys should have been supported by TATE, not the other way around. Would love to see the Monkeys again, but would never waste my money to support TATE