The Motet 1.28.11

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Words & Photos By J-man
Videos By Carly Marthis
Audio Recording By Deadhead Corey

The Motet Live at Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom on January 28, 2011. <--- Direct Archive Link



I have been listening to the Motet for years, though I have never seen them live. That night at Cervantes would mark the first of what will be many Motet experiences for me. We entered the dark and empty Cervantes as the band sound checked on stage with the lights shining on the vacant dance floor. They toyed with some Talking Heads songs among other covers, causing me to get really excited for the show.

An hour or so later, the doors opened and there were folks (wooks) everywhere. Carly and I wandered back to the crowded green room for our interview with members of The Motet...



They hit the stage to an almost sold out Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom with their theme being "The Best of Halloween." The energy was so high and with the music came movement. To date, I have never seen such a raging/euphoric environment at Cervantes. They went through covers of the Talking Heads, Prince, Michael Jackson, Tower of Power, and more. The covers were not only well done, but the spin that the Motet put on the songs was extremely enjoyable. I'm not a huge dancer at shows, but I was dancing my ass off.



It was Dave Watts (21st) birthday and he was bringing it. The horn section was tight and fluid in the same respect. Not only was I blown away by the individual musicianship, but the sections and chemistry of the Motet was stellar. A lot of my focus that evening was on Garrett Sayers' bass playing. This cat is a fucking badass bass player. Garrett's got the groove and ability above most on the scene.

"Garrett Sayers is one of the best bass players that I have played with..." -Pete Wall


The vocals were exceptional, with three vocalists creating some great harmonies. They were very fitting to the song selection. On the keys was Joey Porter. Joey's playing is on par with some of my favorites stylistically. You can hear the direct Bernie Worrell influence. He tore up the keys that night contributing to a truly amazing danceable vibe. I hadn't seen a crowd go that crazy in some time. The lights shined on the disco ball and in turn on the faces of the spacey...



Carly turned to me at one point and said "I love this band... I can't believe they are doing 80's songs!" As they played Madonna's "Like a Virgin" and Prince's "Little Red Corvette". Cervantes reminded me of a 70's/80's disco-tech that evening, with folks in flashy costumes. Again let me reiterate the euphoric vibe.

All in all it was one of the best musical experiences that I had come upon since moving to Colorado. There was something about the familiarity of the song mixed with their own unique approach that appealed to me. That night I became a Motet fan. I look forward to many more shows with this great staple on the western/mountain scene.

J-man's Photo Gallery From The Show

www.themotet.net

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