If you haven't ever been to Unit E, it is a great little venue on Santa Fe and 12th. It is a quaint, fun place to see some local music. The owners got together and decided they wanted to create a venue-gallery space that they had complete control over, hosting a full range of music genres and the art hanging on the walls is just as dynamic. On August 29th I got a chance to see three bands play, two local and one from the midwest.
Anthony Ruptak (Photo credit Matt Smith)
The opener was Anthony Ruptak and the Midnight Friends. They are a local group with an amazing Indie/ folk sound. Anthony writes heartfelt folk melodies that make you bob your head along to the song. His powerful lyrics and vocal range paint a wonderful folk picture in your mind as you listen along. The fifth track on his album "C'est La Vie," he sings about better times/ "the grass is aways greener" and mentions the Wyatt Towing company and making a payment for having his car towed. Anthony new to the folk scene in Denver, but I expect to be seeing a lot more of him very soon.
Exit Ghost (Photo credit: Matt Smith)
Next up was Exit Ghost, they hail from Chicago and are on a Middle America Tour along side Glowing House. Exit Ghost is a indie pop rock band who's catchy tunes make you want to dance along. Their stage presence was fun and light hearted. The whole band seemed happy to be on tour and having a good time. Exit Ghost sounds a bit like My Morning Jacket combined with Wilco. The Indie pop sound along with lyrics such as "I don't want to move to another big city if it means I am going to move alone" make for very enjoyable songs.
Glowing House (Photo credit: Matt Smith)
The last band to go on that night was Glowing House. This folk-indie group finished up the night with their slow melodic songs about life. The husband and wife combo that make up Glowing House work wonderfully together. Their folk sound and the wonderful harmonies drift through the air like an elegant bird in flight. Steve Varney, the lead singer and guitarist, sings of new love and love lost. "This is a song about heartbreak," was the introduction to the song "Any Part of Her". Glowing House's current album, Days Run Out, is a needle in a haystack. It is hard to come by an album these days that almost every track is worth listening too. Days Run Out is the kind of CD that you take some time to listen it entirely because you just can't stop listening.
Matt Smith