Revenge of The 90's & See of Sounds 3.30.13
Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom
Denver, CO
Words & Photos By Brad Yeakel
As I returned to the Ballroom, DJ Mikey Thunder sent us on a journey that morphed from Janes Addiction into Sublime. "This is How We Do it," lead into Suzanne Vega's "Uncle Tom's Diner", which may have been the most bizarre yet interesting twist of his set. I was impressed with his equipment which allowed him to "dj" with music videos, like Kurt Loder dropping jams. He rounded out his set with "The Choice is Yours"> "What's the Scenario" > "Give it Away" > "90210" theme. The tv theme was timed perfectly to bring the band on stage.
The first of many lineups took the stage and launched into Metallica's "Enter Sandman." The crowd roared and the party was under way. Members of Yamn, the Motet, The Whales, Kyle Hollingsworth Band, and MANY more touched on Better than Ezra, Tom Petty, Smashing Pumpkins, Soundgarden, Mariah Carey, Spice Girls, Hootie and the Blowfish, and Tracey Chapman before the highlight of the show... Beck's "Two Turntables and a Microphone." The band did an amazingly accurate version that was the most impressive song of the night to me. The next song, "Possom Kingdom" was one of my forgotten favorites from the 90's, and though there were certainly songs I didn't care for, I realized that the overall production was really good. From grunge, things got heavier, and Kid Rock, Danzig, Offspring, and White Zombie brought the rock to the party and put the finishing touches on first set.
When I made my way back, Snow's "Informer" reminded me that no amount of comedy can compete with a white guy trying to rap like a Jamaican. Then Coolio, Ice Cube, Digital Underground, TLC, Will Smith, Madonna, The Prodigy, and Daft Punk each played their role in the creation of an atmosphere where flip up sunglasses, acid-washed jeans, and flannels emerged uninhibited. The encore, Pearl Jam's "Evenflow" had a coupe of missteps in what was an otherwise flawless performance. Having watched many of these musicians in other bands, I was a little disappointed that they didn't jam much. These musicians all had decent improv skills, and I felt the show was a bit too much like watching a local cover band... An incredibly talented one, but a cover band, nonetheless. I prefer to watch a band explore and create, to let the music lead them and to follow the musical winds as they blow minds with unexpected synchronicities, glorious peaks, and raw emotion... but I still like to party, and it was fun having a few beers and listening to the soundtrack of my "glory days."
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www.cervantesmasterpiece.com
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