Turn Over The Keys – May 28th – Boettcher Concert Hall

Estimated read time 2 min read

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Photos by Ty Hyten

The Scene: Last Thursday was a rare opportunity to see four, mostly local, indie acts backed by the venerable Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Fans crisscrossed the atrium of Boettcher Concert Hall in long beer lines, dressed in wrinkled suit jackets and dresses that had likely been tucked away since the last wedding they attended. The venue ended up being loosely packed, but a good showing none-the-less.

Megan Burtt: After several rings of the “finish buying beer and sit down” bell, the 26-piece orchestra filed in behind a large glass divider flanking Denver’s Megan Burtt and another vocalist. The strings added a hefty amount of emotion and drama to her Pop-Folk songs. A few of my favorites were tracks from her new album, due out later this year.

Jay Clifford: Jay Clifford, best known for his work with Jump Little Children, both helped write the arrangements and performed his own set. Accompanied by his acoustic guitar and the symphony, Clifford played a number of reimagined polished Pop ballads backed by haunting strings. The highlight of his set was the 1998 Jump Little Children hit “Cathedrals.”

Land Lines: After their recent performance at Denver Music Summit, NPR’s Bob Boilen posted “I was told they were the best band in Denver. Now I know why” about local band Land Lines. Their set on Thursday was consistent with that statement and my favorite of the night.  Martina Grbac’s voice sat unexpectedly well with the symphony, who accompanied the band without competing for sonic real estate. The rhythm of dueling drummers was paired with the droning bass provided by James Han on keys. The symphony moved back and forth between dissonance and beauty, creating a dark setting.

Ian Cooke: The show ended with Denver’s Ian Cooke and his whimsical songs about dinosaurs. The CSO went out with a bang as they raced and wove energetic landscapes around the already fantastical songs. Songs included “T-Rex,” “Vasoon,” “Music” and “Extinction.” A number of songs were promising tracks from his new album, Antiquasauria, which is all about dinosaurs, but in no way a children’s album.

Energy: A-
Musicianship: A
Sound: A
Stage Presence: A-
Set/Light Show: C

Overall: A-

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