Popcult, Mr.Right, Yeah Great Fine at Moe's BBQ; October 7, 2011: Review

Our first sponsored show went without a hitch and we had the lovely Maddie Casey chime in with her review of the night, Maddie will be contributing more local coverage here on ultra5280 so keep an eye for her awesome contributions.

A night filled with local favorites, and out-of-town surprises, Denver was in for a treat with the first show ever presented by Ultra-5280 this past Friday night at Moe’s Original, featuring Popcult, Mr. Right, and Portland natives Yeah Great Fine.

Popcult

has grown into feeling like an old friend of the Denver music scene in the mere three months they’ve been performing together. After only playing their first show ever in June of this year, Friday night the band sounded as if they came ready to play, and the crowd could feel it. Opening with the catchy, dream-like song “Life In The Wind”, fans were obviously excited to hear this young band give it their all. Finishing off their set with other hit’s off their new EP like “Balance” and “Already Gone”, Popcult’s alternative, relaxing sound was a perfect introduction for a night filled with fun and unique bands ranging in styles.

Mr. Right

always seems to know how to grab the crowd’s attention, opening their set Friday night with a song guitarist Jarrod Barazza told me they had “only finished at 2am last night”. Lead singer Drew Torres’ voice carried through Moe’s, grabbing the attention of any and every bar patron, guiding them towards the dance party in front of the stage. Playing hits like “Tabula Rasa”, “Come Right Out and Say”, and teasing the crowd with a 30-second cover of Coldplay’s infamous “Yellow”, this rock-n-roll trio gave the fans a great time. Mr. Right opened Bop Skizzum’s huge “Kings and Queens of Summer Ball” this past July at The Gothic theatre, and have been busy planning some tours since. It was nice to see them back at a familiar venue, seeming refreshed and ready to go.

Closing out the night was a band visiting Denver for their very first time! Although I’ve never heard of

Yeah Great Fine

before, I was incredibly interested to hear what they had to offer. Opening the night with a catchy full-band jam, Yeah Great Fine impressed everyone off the bat. With guitar riffs reminiscent of Local Natives, this group grabbed the room’s attention immediately and had fans dancing in front of the stage in minutes. YGF have recently toured with acts like MGMT, and for a good reason; their indie-rock sound is perfect for anyone listening to bands like Local Natives, Broken Bells, or even something like Vampire Weekend.

Although much of their set felt like a jam-session, it was hard to not pay attention between the complex drum rhythms, harmonies, and great stage presence of the entire group. With songs like “Jazz Hands vs. Spirit Fingers”, “Don’t Wake Up”, and “Have A Seat”, Yeah Great Fine’s set was fun beginning to end. All of my favorites from Friday night’s set are featured on their 10-track, self-titled LP. Although the band is still young, I can’t wait to see them come back to Denver soon. Their sound is perfect for the indie-alternative scene that’s been continuing to grow recently, and with plans to head back into the studio in the new future, I can’t wait to see them come back through town after building a bit more of a buzz-for themselves, with new material in-hand.