HANDS | Larimer Lounge | June 14
Yet another late and lovely night at the Larimer Lounge in Downtown Denver to see Los Angeles indie-rock shahs “Hands” perform. I met a couple of the guys the night before at Superhumanoids, and just the fact that they were out supporting other bands was an immediate thumbs up. These dudes enjoy whiskey on the rocks - and fully deserve a round when they come to your city.
After Denver bands Common Anomaly and We Like Monsters graced the stage, Hands set up and began the evening with my favorite song, “Videolove.” With a dreamy intro, heavy drums and the tings of tin cans - singer Geoffrey Halliday sang with his perfectly indie-rock suited chorals to kick the night off.
The subtle electronic additives in Hands’ music make it energetic, fun and danceable. Let me just say that these guys know how to perform. Every single member in the band interacted with the audience in some way during the show. Bassist Alex Staniloff is quite the anomaly when it comes to bassists - he actually moves to the music and puts on quite the show. Hands’ new album “Synesthesia” is heavily endorsed by Staniloff’s vibrating bass lines.
Drummer Sean Hess was completely on-beat the entire night. With hard hits and a perfect flow, his beats carry many of the songs and add to the jammability (term coined here first) of the music. This dude is a drumming machine - no pun intended. I started getting real critical because he wasn’t messing up. He also drums without shoes. Riddle me that, Batman.
Finally, dreamy guitarist Ryan Sweeney and his fabulous hair accentuated the rhythm excellently with melodic riffs. The dance grooves produced last night had the ladies in the crowd totally swooning. Not to mention, I don’t think I’ve ever seen more women at an indie-rock show. Good work, dudes.
During “Trouble” (arguably on of the best songs on Synesthesia), Ryan shook it (a tambourine) and tiny galactic synths glazed over the eyes of everyone at Larimer. The guys interacted with one another on stage proving their excellent creative chemistry. If you haven’t been listening to these rad summer jams, you really should be.
A fan after the show put it best. “Hands” presents a succinct and clear approach to indie-rock. It lacks moody sentiment and highlights the will to party. Even their name gives them a unique edge. While the music is formulaic, it incorporates an entirely original sound. Comparable, some say, to the likes of Hot Chip or Tanlines, I disagree and present that they’re the next big epidemic in indie music in all of the best ways.
If you aren’t completely convinced after you hear their new album “Synesthesia” - I still recommend checking them out live. And when you do, I think you’ll find that (in the words of their song “Brave Motion”):
“It makes no sense - you’re in love, again.”
Check these swell fellas out in a town near you. When you do, let me know what you think at autumn@ultra5280.com!