(Photo by Kenton Larson!)

Hot IQs closed the book on their career to a packed house at the Bluebird Theater this weekend with one of the best shows I’ve seen them play.  This is one band that will be greatly missed in the Denver Scene.  Tim has a great review of the show up at Something Like Sound, which includes a few more of Kenton’s photos.  If you still can’t get enough after listening to their farewell show, a solo Eli Mishkin set is still available here.

Hot IQs
6.19.2009
The Bluebird Theater, Denver, CO

Source:  Microtech Gefell M300’s > Lunatec V3 > digi-coax > Oade Mod Edirol R44 @ 24/48 > WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > Resample to 16/44.1 > CDWave > LAME > mp3
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
1. (Sid Pink intro)
2. Web In Front
3. Hot IQs
4. Houndstooth (Release the Hounds)
5. Have Nots Have Knots
6. (Another Song About) Pretty Girls
7. Retromuff
8. Getting Old
9. Twos and Threes
10. unknown
11. The Mascot Is Winning
12. unknown
13. Elephant In White
14. unknown
15.  I Think I Need A New Heart
(Encore)
16. (banter)
17. Nightstand
18. Firecracker
19. (band thanks)
20. Duck And Cover

A zipfile of mp3s is available here.
FLAC files are available on dime.

Purchase the Hot IQs Discography:
2007 - Dangling Modifier (Band Website | iTunes)
2004 - The Argument Between the Brain and Feet (Band Website)

Here’s the first of many captures from yesterday’s Westword Music Showcase, a performance by Elin Palmer in the spectacular Curious Theatre.  Delays in stage setup resulted in a late start, but a nice sized crowd streamed into the theatre as soon as doors opened.  While short, the overall mood and attentive crowd made this my favorite Elin show to-date.

Elin Palmer
6.13.2009
Westword Music Showcase
Curious Theatre, Denver, CO

Source:  Microtech Gefell M300’s > Lunatec V3 (opti-mod) > Toslink > Nomad JB3 > Firewire > Adobe Audition 3.0 > CDWave > LAME > mp3
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
1. intro
2. unknown
3. Du
4. unknown
5. unknown
6. A Little House
7. Everyday

Band Members:
Elin Palmer - vocals, violin, nyckelharpa, accordion
Tiffany Meese - casio and vocals
Charlie Parker - bass
Patrick Meese - drums

A zipfile of the mp3s is available here.
FLAC files can be downloaded as a zipfile here.

In typical fashion, last weekend’s Larimer BBQ was sparsely populated, but that didn’t stop Natural Selection from giving their all to those select few who were listening!

Natural Selection
5.31.2009
The Larimer Lounge, Denver, CO

Source:  Microtech Gefell M300’s > Lunatec V3 > digi-coax > Oade Mod Edirol R44 @ 24/48 > WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > Resample to 16/44.1 > CDWave > LAME > mp3
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
1. Paper Plane
2. 15 Up to Colfax
3. unknown
4. Go Go Go
5. unknown
6. unknown
7. unknown
8. Down Elevator
9. Meet in the Middle

A zipfile of the mp3s is available here.
FLAC files can be downloaded as a zipfile here.

The constant rainfall Saturday night wasn’t heavy enough to prevent people from turning up the Meadowlark’s patio show, and it definitely wasn’t enough to stop Travis, Tom, or any of the other performers from warming up the crowd!

Pictureplane
5.23.2009
Meadowlark, Denver, CO

Source:  Oktava MK-012’s (card capsules, -10db pads) > Apogee MiniMe > digi-coax > Hosa ODL-276 > Nomad JB3 > Firewire > Adobe Audition > CDWave > LAME > mp3
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
1. Track #01
2. Track #02
3. Track #03
4. Track #04
5. Track #05
6. Track #06
7. Track #07
8. Track #08

Notes:
It rained all evening, leading to the right PA channel going out 4 minutes into Track 2.
I panned the recording hard right in an attempt to compensate for the PA problems.

Evening’s Lineup:
Iuengliss (Tom Metz)
Josephine and the Mousepeople
Speakeasy Tiger
Pictureplane (Travis Egedy)

Opening for Elvis Perkins at the beginning of the month, Other Lives introduced a sold-out Denver crowd to material from their new self-titled LP, throwing in a few newer songs and a great Leonard Cohen cover.

Other Lives
5.08.2009
Hi-Dive, Denver, CO

Source:  Microtech Gefell M300’s > Lunatec V3 > digi-coax > Oade Mod Edirol R44 @ 24/48 > WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > Resample to 16/44.1 > CDWave > LAME > mp3
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
1. Don’t Let Them
2. End of the Year
3. The Partisan
4. How Could This Be?
5. Speed Tape
6. unknown
7. (new song)
8. AM Theme
9. Paper Cities

Notes:
Some clipping in the PA for the drums, but not enough to detract from the listenability.

A zipfile of mp3s is available here.
FLAC files are available on dime.

Breakfasts
4.18.2009
The Larimer Lounge, Denver, CO

Source:  Mix [Microtech Gefell M300's > Lunatec V3 > digi-coax] + [SBD > XLR] > Oade Mod Edirol R44 @ 24/48 > WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > Resample to 16/44.1 > CDWave > LAME > mp3
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
1. intro
2. Ageless
3. Orange Orangutan
4. #1 Lonely
5. Bee Extinction
6. Phaser

Notes:
Breakfasts’ first performance!
Part of the Hot Congress block party.

Lineup:
Taylor Rice (Fissure Mystic and Pseudo Dates)
Adam Shaffner (Mothership)
Crawford Philleo (Vitamins)
Diana Sperstad (Games For May)

A zipfile of the mp3s is available here.
FLAC files can be downloaded as a zipfile here.

Vitamins
4.18.2009
The Larimer Lounge, Denver, CO

Source:  Mix [Microtech Gefell M300's > Lunatec V3 > digi-coax] + [SBD > XLR] > Oade Mod Edirol R44 @ 24/48 > WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > Resample to 16/44.1 > CDWave > LAME > mp3
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
1. Sequined Dress
2. Big Bang
3. banter/tuning
4. Dark Matter Splatter
5. banter
6. A Fear of Rattles
7. One Bloody Foot
8. Annual Bicentennial

Notes:
Part of the Hot Congress block party.

A zipfile of the mp3s is available here.
FLAC files can be downloaded as a zipfile here.

Laura Gibson visited the Hi-Dive twice this spring, and while I missed her headlining appearance in March, I managed to catch the opening set for Damien Jurado in April.  This was easily the quietest and most attentive crowd I’ve ever experienced at the Hi-Dive!

Laura Gibson
4.05.2009
Hi-Dive, Denver, CO

Source:  Microtech Gefell M300’s > Lunatec V3 > digi-coax > Oade Mod Edirol R44 @ 24/48 > WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > Resample to 16/44.1 > CDWave > LAME > mp3
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
1. “Frailty”
2. Come By Storm
3. Nightwatch
4. Hands in Pockets
5. Postures Bent
6. Funeral Song
7. Where Have All Your Good Words Gone?
8. Sweet Deception
9. Spirited
10. (Glory story)
11. Glory

Notes:
Opening for Damien Jurado.

Purchase Laura’s Discography:
(All purchases include album downloads.)
2009 - Beasts of Seasons (CD | Vinyl)
2008 - Six White Horses: Blues & Traditionals Vol I (Hush Records)
2006 - If You Come To Greet Me (Hush Records)

A zipfile of the mp3s is available here.
FLAC files can be downloaded as a zipfile here.

I’ve been sidelined from any posts for the last few weeks, but am finally back at it with a fine set by William Elliott Whitmore.  Even though Whitmore has been pumping out albums for over five years, I was only recently introduced to his material through the February release of Animals in the Dark.  The Larimer show brought in a fairly large crowd for a snowy Sunday night…but going into this show with no preconceptions or background on the artist, I was a bit surprised that Whitmore hasn’t already garned the well-deserved attention of a wider audience (the “NPR crowd”, if you will).  If Animals in the Dark gets into the hands of the right listeners, it won’t be long before we see him headling shows at the Bluebird or Swallow Hill.

William Elliott Whitmore
4.26.2009
The Larimer Lounge, Denver, CO

Source:  Mix [Microtech Gefell M300's > Lunatec V3 > digi-coax] + [SBD > XLR] > Oade Mod Edirol R44 @ 24/48 > WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > Resample to 16/44.1 > CDWave > LAME > mp3
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
1. Country Blues
2. Lift My Jug (Song for Hub Cale)
3. Diggin’ My Grave
4. Lee County Flood
5. Dry
6. From The Cell Door To The Gallows
7. (banter)
8. Hell or High Water
9. Who Stole the Soul
10. Take it on the Chin
11. (banter)
12. Johnny Law
13. Lord Only Knows
14. Midnight
15. Hard Times
16. The Chariot
17. (banter)
18. Pine Box
19. One Man’s Shame
20. Old Devils
21. Our Paths Will Cross Again

A zipfile of the MP3s is available here.
FLAC files are available via BitTorrent at cotapers.org.

I just got word yesterday that Am I Still Illmatic, the debut album from Atlanta’s Tendaberry, is due out next month.  The news prompted me to sit down this evening and track out their stellar performance from last year’s PopFest.  The set contains many originals that will appear on the upcoming disc, along with an interesting selection of covers.

Tendaberry
8.15.2008
Athens Popfest
Little Kings Shuffle Club, Athens, GA

Source:  Microtech Gefell M300’s > Lunatec V3 (opti-mod) > Nomad JB3 > Firewire > Adobe Audition (compression) > CDWave > LAME > mp3
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
1. So. Central Rain (I’m Sorry)
2. Can’t Tell Me Nothing
3. Prophets
4. MCs
5. Righteous Waiting
6. Orgasm Addict
7. Cold Boy
8. I Need a Job
9. The Complaint
10. Cherchez La Ghost > Born Under Punches > Cherchez La Ghost

A zipfile of the mp3s is available here.
FLAC files can be downloaded as a zipfile here.