Banyan – March 6th – Oriental Theater

Photos by Johne Edge

The Scene: The suburban exodus of the 1950’s left many Denver neighborhood businesses to struggle and often times die.  Elitch Lanes, a 63-year institution in northwest Denver, somehow managed to survive all these years.  Now as people return to the city from the suburbs and beyond, the dirt in Northwest Denver has become very expensive.  Unable to afford their lease any longer on May 17th Elitch Lanes will close their doors and head to Arvada, making way for a new Natural Grocers.

As the Berkley neighborhood reinvents itself, the owners of The Oriental Theater are working hard to preserve and protect what many consider the historical heart of the neighborhood.  Andy Bercaw and Scott LaBarbera shared with me some of the things they are doing to help preserve the Northwest Denver landmark. Outside the sign is in motion, as Seth Totten of Acme Neon should be finishing the marquee (little bulbs etc) within the next few weeks. Next up Seth will restore the neon on the sign blade.  Inside ownership is in the process of re-finishing the lobby floor, re-carpeting, and painting the inside of the venue.  Over whiskey Andy Bercaw said,” We continue to push on in a corporate driven entertainment industry, while we remain committed to community, diversity and most importantly fun events for everyone.”  With that statement I remain hopeful that one of Denver’s great historical theaters will remain standing for a long time to come.

Big shows coming up: 3/13 The Subdudes, 3/14 David Bromberg, 3/19 Dave Mason’s Traffic Jam, and Leon Russell on 4/26.

Banyan: Banyan is a band that somehow is greater than the sum of it’s individual parts.  On percussion is Stephen Perkins, who first played drums for Janes Addiction, and then later for  Porno for Pyros, and Infectious Grooves.  On the trumpet is the incomparable  Willie Waldman.  You can find Willie’s name on the liner notes of artists such as Snoop Dog, Rob Wasserman, and Tupac Shakur.  Anchoring the harmonic framework is Tony Franklin.  Tony is probably best known for his work on the fretless bass guitar with The Firm and David Gilmour.  On guitar is Fareed Haque who has played with Keller Williams, The Disco Biscuits, and Garaj Mahal just to name a few.

When you see Banyan’s members name scattered across the credits of today’s music industry it becomes easier to understand where their fusion of Jazz, Funk, and even Punk would come from.  The free form music they played on Friday was almost unrecognizable compared to the recordings I own at home.  The music that they filled the historical hall with was so much better, it was alive and expansive, one of the best shows I have seen in 2015 so far.

Energy: A
Musicianship: A+
Sound: A
Stage Presence: A
Set/Light Show: A

Overall: A