Blind Pilot’s long, winding road has brought it to the Front Range many times in recent years. Photo by Todd Radunsky.

Blind Pilot has grown considerably since their original, indie-famous “bike tour” in 2006, in size as well as in notoriety. Last Saturday’s show at the Bluebird Theater featured a full sextet, rather than the 2006 tour’s duo, and produced a sound that, while remaining ethereal, pretty and light, boasted a much larger presence.

View a full photo gallery of this concert here.

The original duo, singer-songwriter and guitarist Israel Nebeker and Ryan Dobrowsky, were swallowed by the band’s four additional members, including Luke Ydstie on standup bass, a young lady deft on banjo and a few other stringed instruments who sang backup with near-perfect grace, an accomplished and continuously well-placed vibraphone player and an equally accomplished harmonium/keyboard player. And they had no trouble mesmerizing a sold-out house through a 45-minute set of music that at times recalled a smidge of Jack Johnson in flavor and composition, but even more the historic Carter Family. Ingeniously, their landscape also easily encompassed disparate indie influences like Elliott Smith, when melancholy, or Elvis Perkins when more anthemic.

Their set featured most of the band’s only album, “3 Rounds and a Sound,” including the title track, “Go On, Say It,” sporting a surprising John Mayer sound, “The Story I Heard” and “One Red Thread.” They also through in a few covers, none so resplendently produced as Gillian Welch’s wonderful “Look at Miss Ohio.”

The crowd loved it, and many of them heckled the band between songs to “Tell us about the bikes,” referring to the earlier tours along the West Coast. Ydstie countered with “Wouldn’t you rather hear about the van? It’s white, a Ford… It doesn’t smell good…,” all in good fun.

The band, next show in Salt Lake City, tweeted on the road that “Bluebird in Denver was amazing. Quite possibly my favorite show of tour.” Chance is the tweet represents Nebeker’s feelings, but could be any band member’s. I think this Bluebird crowd would agree wholeheartedly, judging by the indie, “more Seattle than Denver feel” in the venue (according to a newfound friend on the floor, as he pointed out a plethora of “flannel, and a much more lackadaisical attitude.”

Colorado Springs native Laura Veirs opened with a poppy, female-ethereal folk singer/songwriter feel, accomplished and interesting, though occasionally a bit too predictable. “Judy Flame” stuck out, offering an almost Stereolab feel, anchored by a solid, steady folk beat that inspired dancing more than swaying, space more than dirt road.

View a full photo gallery of this concert here.

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Billy Thieme is a Denver-based writer, an old-school punk and a huge follower of Denver’s vibrant local music scene. Follow Billy’s explorations at DenverThread.com, and his giglist at Gigbot.

Todd Radunsky is a Boulder-based photographer and a regular contributor to Reverb.

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