The Haymarket Squares Raise a Riotous Ruckus

Photo by Joe Maier

It isn’t everyday that a local band releases a well put together music video, let alone throws a music video premiere party. Yet, punkgrass stalwarts The Haymarket Squares did just such a thing. Unfortunately, this undertaking isn’t as simple as throwing together a quick YouTube video so there’s no video link as of yet. In this case, the band got together with local film director Matty Steinkamp to work out some studio time to pull out all the stops for this particular endeavor. After only seeing one day of the video shoot, one could see how elaborate of an undertaking this was between the costumes, lighting, props, videography and more.They even rounded it all out with a stellar cast and incorporated the use of fire, which was fun to work with. Even with all of these efforts, the fact that a link won’t be available until early next year goes to show how fantastic the final cut will be as they finish what is likely polishing up some final touches. Regardless, the video premiere was marvelous, including new and older supporting acts that put on quite the show.

Photo by Joe Maier

Klezmer funk project Jerusafunk kicked things off delightfully with their wonderful blend of these styles with an old-school sixties soul feel to it. Especially for being a band that partially appears to include a drum circle, one might expect some very hippie vibes from this collective. Gratefully, this unique conglomeration doesn’t fit into any particular square peg, exceeding what many likely would expect from them. Instead, one is left wanting more of this group between the strings, percussion, horns and the solo woodwind on stage played by clarinetist Jessie Demaree.Her clarinet is a lovely addition to their intriguing sound. The horn section really adds to their carnivalesque style, which includes alto sax player Austin Rickert from such projects as Bacchus and the Demonsluts as well as Naked Pizza. Guitarist Chris Del Favero rocked out for the crowd in what appeared to be red vinyl like something out of the eighties. Bassist Isaac Parker got hella funky for the crowd as well. Considering how overwhelmingly awesome these cats are, it feels required that they need to be seen more than once.

Photo by Joe Maier

Gothic rockabilly punks The Limit Club set the stage for one helluva performance like they’ve always done over the past ten years. Few rockabilly bands have captured my interest in general, let alone locally. But everything about these cats is noteworthy. Bandleader Nick Feratu stands out by shredding away on guitar and thrashing around the stage. Upright bassist NickDave got the crowd shakin’ as he slapped the bass. Maintaining the backbone of the band is Juan Carlos, not just because he’s a stand-up drummer (he literally stands while he plays) but because of his vivaciously energetic technique. And when guitarist Monty O’Blivion isn’t rockin’ out, he’s wailing the hell out of his sax. The Limit Club has gone the distance, from Arizona to Austria, and they’ve shown that they’re certainly worthy.

Photo by Joe Maier

Punkgrass band The Haymarket Squares have been a mainstay out here in our community for over the past five years and it shows. They’re one of the hardest working bands out here. They started off their set proving this by debuting their latest music video for their latest crowd pleaser “Let’s Start a Riot”. All the energy and time that they’ve put into it is definitely noticed. The quality is impressive as it stands and, short of giving away any spoilers, let’s just say that it definitely riled up the crowd for the Haymarket Squares live performance. From there, the band jumped right into their amped set. Stand-up bassist Marc Oxborrow led us story to story through their set while laying down his bassline that gets the crowd dancing. Guitarist John Luther threw down to get the joint rockin’ while he crooned. Mark Sunman shredded on mando, screaming, when he wasn’t serenading everyone on accordion. Slide guitarist Mark Allred swooped around the fretboard frantically when he wasn’t booming out his bass vocals. Fiddler Jayson James went to town on the violin like it’s going out of style. And, if that wasn’t enough for the audience, they unplugged to join the crowd at the end of the show to rock out with everyone surrounding them and shouting along. As always, The Haymarket Squares know how to entertain just about any crowd and throw one helluva party.

~ Garyn Klasek

The Rev Heats Up the Valley of the Sun

Photo by Joe Maier

Rockabilly isn’t meant for everyone. Yet, somehow, there are some musicians that can fuse the genre quite well with other styles and make something unique despite sounding classic. Reverend Horton Heat is just such a man, capable of blending rockabilly with old-school country, punk, rock and even surf music. Seeing them at Denver Riot Fest, there’s no surprise as to why this band has a loyal following. Even the crowd that had collected for L7 on the neighboring stage was enthralled with the stage presence and energy of the Rev. That’s exactly what’s in store for those who catch Reverend Horton Heat.

Photo by Joe Maier

Kicking off the show was L.A.’s The Lords of Altamont, a rock band heavy in roots music, rhythm & blues and garage punk. The first thing that made them stand out was their intense energy as lead singer Jake Cavaliere leaped atop his keyboard, mic stand and all, while the band rocked out. If there’s one thing these cats can do, it’s maintaining their dynamic power and audience interest throughout their invigorating performance.

Photo by Joe Maier

Next up was Riverside’s soul punk combo The Bellrays. Anyone who’s heard them before, or been lucky enough to see them play, can certainly see how a band like this has been able to wow anyone and everyone over the past 25 some-odd years of their existence. Vocal frontwoman Lisa Kekaula alone riles up crowds like it’s nobody’s business. Her soul powered voice and parlance make her stand out among many of the vocalists of today. Equally tantalizing, however, is the rest of the band. Guitarist Robert Vennum doesn’t just shred but also entices fans when he solos. And that’s when he’s not harmonizing or singing an entire song. Bassist Justin Andres, as well, got the crowd shaking with his superb bass playing abilities. Even drummer Stefan Litrownik really threw down hard at the kit.

Photo by Joe Maier

Closing out the show was the incredible Reverend Horton Heat. Straight out of the gate, it was absolutely noticeable how much the size of the crowd increased just before their set. And there was no end in sight to the vitality being thrown right back at the audience by the band. Early on, a small pit broke out but don’t mistake that for lacking venom, as security broke up a fight. This didn’t sway the band one bit, though. The Reverend himself, Jim Heath, serenaded fans on guitar while crooning into the microphone. After 30 years of performing, the man’s talent for entertaining is certainly noticeable. Accompanying him was upright bassist Jimbo Wallace who seems to have a fan base all on his own. He got the crowd moving with his fierce slap bass technique. At one point, Jimbo laid his bass on its side and continued playing while the Rev prance up onto it, rockin’ out for the audience. If their unique friendship and stage presence wasn’t enough, drummer Scott Churilla showed off his amazing skills, going so far as to play a song length solo that only so many drummers could keep up with. This was one helluva killer show to catch throughout.

~ Garyn Klasek