Atomga, Pink Hawks & Roka Hueka – January 12th – The Bluebird Theater

Photos by Tim Dwenger

Last Saturday night, The Bluebird Theater served up an eclectic line-up of local bands that once again proved how deep the talent is in the Denver scene.  The night opened with a high energy thirty minute set from Latin Ska master Roka Hueka.  I’ve been seeing this band for a couple of years now and they never fail to put on a captivating show that is heavy on the horns and chock full of danceable beats.  While the whole band is a powerhouse, frontman Andy Gonzalez steals the show with his slick dance moves as he slides across the stage.  At one point in the all too brief set, Gonzalez paused between songs and joked about needing to catch his breath as it was his first show of the year.  If you haven’t seen Roka Hueka yet, get out there and catch these guys live.  You’ll be converted!

The Pink Hawks took the stage next and bridged the gap perfectly between Roka and the evening’s headliner Atomga as they effortlessly blended Afrobeat with Chicano Hip-Hop to create a unique sound that had the Bluebird rocking.  Bubbles floated through the air as the eleven piece band wove horn lines around xxx spit rhymes that delighted my ears.  Toward the end of their set the ethnically diverse crew made a plea for unity, acceptance, and tolerance in this tense and authoritarian political environment.  Needless to say, there was a lot of support from the crowd!

Closing out the night was Denver’s favorite Afrobeat band, Atomga.  I was lucky enough to have caught these guys way back at one of their first shows and while the line-up has changed a bit from those early days, Frank Roddy, Leah Concialdi, Casey Hrdlicka and the rest of the band still brings it.  With three recordings under their belt, these guys draw on influences like Fela Kuti, Antibalas, and Snarky Puppy but throw their own spin into the mix to create a wildly funky sound that I just can’t get enough of.  When I first saw them I said something about the band being “poised to take the town by storm” and judging by the turn out and the energy in the room at the Bluebird on Saturday, they’ve done just that!