Jeff Austin Band & Escort – April 19th – Cervantes’

Estimated read time 3 min read
Photos by Tim Dwenger

Last Friday night at Cervantes’ was 4/20 Eve and there was more than just excitement in the air as the Five Points club played host to two stellar Bluegrass bands who have a long history with the Colorado, and a Disco band from Brooklyn that is known for bringing the heat.

When we walked in Larry Keel was tearing it up in the main room with a Tom Petty cover and the room was starting to fill up. Keel and his band were peddling a loose and driving brand of grass as they warmed up the crowd for Jeff Austin with a strong set set that wrapped with a jammed out take on The Allman Brother’s “Whipping Post.”

As Larry was packing up his guitar, we slipped next door to catch some of Brooklyn’s Escort as they dropped electro Disco beats on the Denver crowd. They came out fast and hard with “Starlight” – a song that I personally think could have been written by Nile Rodgers and Chic and would have fit in perfectly on the the Last Days of Disco soundtrack. The expertly crafted song took us back to the 70’s for a while before the stark reality that the band was only four members strong, and the backing track was providing a lot of the mojo, began to sink in.

Escort sometimes plays with a large, and admittedly expensive, cast of characters, but at Cervantes’ on Friday they opted for the stripped down four piece and there was something missing. Dancing to a dirty bass line while watching a band with no bass player doesn’t quite compute with my brain and that took something way from the show.

After 6 or 7 tunes, we made our way back to the Ballroom to catch Jeff Austin Band on the second night of their 4/20 residency. When we walked in, Jeff and Company were careening their way through “Static” and the room had a notably different feel than “The Other Side” as the crowd was decidedly more jam oriented and the overall vibe was much looser. As setbreak loomed and the band broke into “Sideshow Blues,” a chatty fan told me they had opened the set with “New Horizons” and that I had probably just missed Jeff’s take on the Jerry Band gem “My Sister’s and Brothers” and The Stones’ “No Expectations,” and I have to admit that I felt a more than a little sad to have been late to the party. I guess there’s just something about Jeff’s take on this genre that I’ve missed.

After a quick trip to The Other Side to catch the end of Escort as their “hit” “Cocaine” reduced the crowd to a frenzy, we returned to the familiar late night jam scene where Austin was opening the second set with an expansive version of “Death Trip” that featured Larry Keel and most of his band. As Keel left the stage Jeff steered the band into a song that I know I was familiar with, but just couldn’t place, as he sang “quiet concentration might be all you need…go out, as far outside as the eye can see…and hold out, hold out for the better it can be.” From there the band meandered their way into “The Other One” and we decided we had to call it a night after three bands and four hours of music. Damn do I love Cervantes’ and their diversity!

tdwenger http://www.listenupdenver.com

Music has always been a part of my life. It probably all started listening to old Grateful Dead, Peter Paul & Mary, and Simon & Garfunkel records that my parents had, but it wasn't long before they were taking me to concerts like Starship, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Huey Lewis & The News. I got the bug to write about music after reviewing an Eric Clapton concert for a creative writing project in high school but didn't really take it up seriously until 2002. Since then I have published countless articles in The Marquee Magazine and done some work for Jambase.com, SPIN Magazine, and various other outlets. I started Listen Up Denver! as a way to share the music information that is constantly spilling out of my head with people who care. Please enjoy!

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