Porno For Pyros & Tigercub 2.22.24

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Fillmore Auditorium
Denver, CO

Photos by Mike Sherry Photo

Porno For Pyros' farewell “Horns, Thorns En Halos” tour visited Denver last Thursday, fronted by alt rock's preeminent godfather, Perry Farrell. Adorned in a furry trapper hat and brown woven poncho, Farrell greeted the crowd at the Fillmore Auditorium by apologizing for having to cancel their previous Denver appearance, vowing the band would “make it up to them.” Not a second was wasted satisfying that promise.

The evening was kicked off by British (now Aspen-based) group Tigercub, revving the audience up with a barrage of tight and accessible tunes. For a trio Tigercub sends a plenty big sound, rolling between rockers and moody vibes. By the time lead singer/guitarist Jamie Stephen Hall bid farewell the main floor of the Fillmore had packed in and the assembled were ready for more.

The sultry tribal rhythms of "Orgasm" from 1993's Porno For Pyros debut made for a choice opener, flowing seamlessly into the edgier eponymous track from the same album. It made a great singalong opp for the crowd, mirroring everyone on stage bellowing the refrain. Mike Watt (Iggy Pop & The Stooges) who replaced Martyn LeNoble on bass was as animated as one can be limited to performing from a chair - howling supporting vocals and ruling the bottom end, ripping some sizzling feature runs. Must mention here how fine the mix was – from punctuated bass to the myriad drum tones in Stephen Perkins' kit to Perry's blending vocal effects, the sound was on point all around the Fillmore.

Guitarist Peter DiStefano was a commanding presence from start to finish, moving each tune with the right amount of grunge or grace, at times using a violin bow to conjure ethereal curtains of sound. Throughout, keyboard flourishes from Robin Hatch were a lush underpinning that helped sustain tunes like "Porpoise Head," while singer Etty Lau Farrell harmonically matched her husband Perry's dazzling vocals with a unique charm.

After Perry and Stephen praised the wafting Colorado aromas in the hall the band presented their new tune "Agua," which Peter had co-written on a tropical holiday with Perry. Guitar-driven and upbeat, it got the audience dancing and ebbed like the tide into the darker moods of "Wishing Well." Ebb and flow continued to be the hour and a half set's style, as the rocking anthems "Cursed Female" and "Cursed Male" dissolved into the sublime groove of "Good God's/Urge!" and the iconic "Pets."

Even with an orgasmic beginning, the show's energy climbed to a heady peak with a "I Got A Right" - a shout out to Watt's roots with Iggy Pop. "Tahitian Moon" made a thundering wave of surf punk crash over the crowd before Perry paused to ask if the band had made up for missing the Mile High city last year. There was unanimous affirmation. DiStefano then let loose the frantic riffs of "Bad Shit" and the dance floor was shaken one last time. With fresh activity seen on the Jane's Addiction horizon, this farewell somehow seems more like just parking your surfboard for a season.

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