The 2nd annual Velorama Festival took over Denver last weekend with amazing music, brand installations, food, and amazing beer.
The festival was once again held in the parking lots off Blake Street in the Rino District. We were on hand to catch the music performances from some of the best acts in music today as well as some equally impressive local bands and dj's.
The first night saw things open up with local faves Slow Caves who set the tone of the night with a rather raucous performance with their usual chill rock vibes. Philly's own Hop Along was also on hand to perform an amazing set as the crowds started to fill in. It has been awhile since we saw the dynamic duo of Jamie Hince and Alison Moshart who form the rockcentric The Kills. Those unfamiliar with the band got a first hand dose of straight in your face rock and roll. The scheduled headliner for the night was Modest Mouse who unfortunately had to cancel due to travel issues, the decision left a bitter taste to those who came out just to see the band. We've been covering music for quite sometime now and realize that stuff like this happens all the time. The band did however get added to the following night's headlining slot.
Day two started off with local crooner Brent Cowles and his talented band. The band played a jubilant set that would have to rank as one of the best we have seen from the band. We weren't quite sold on Lo Moon who seemed like they killed a little of the buzz Cowles had left. A rather subtle set, the band just wasn't doing it for us or the crowd. The band that we had circled as a must see was Rainbow Kitten Surprise who blew our expectations as they probably had the best set of the weekend. Fronted by lead singer Samuel Melo, he channeled his inner Mick Jagger and Freddy Mercury dance moves as they gave life to the bands performance. The band is no stranger to performing in big festivals as they danced and swayed and encouraged the crowd to do the same. Cold War Kids (who seem like they play in Denver every other weekend) was on hand to deliver a nostalgic set for us as as they mentioned the last time they had performed in a parking lot was for the 2008 Democratic National Convention which we were also part of. The Growlers were another band who didn't seem to live to our expectations, not sure if it was the lack of our knowledge of their discography or that they followed Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Modest Mouse finally showed up and played an array of their amazing catalog that stretches back years. Frontman Isaac Brock did seem a little seem to banter a bit which at times made no sense to anybody but aside from that it was a great way to end the second night of the festival.
The last day of the festival had us scrambling to get to the grounds in time for Wildermiss, the local band who has been creating a huge buzz locally is starting to look more comfortable on stage as the band seemed more loose moving around the stage playing their customary indie pop sound. Another band we had been looking to perform was Cults. The duo of Brian Oblivion and Madeline Follin has been our playlist for years now and although we missed the last time they performed here, we were anxious to catch their set which had us reminiscing (older stuff) and excited to hear newer material. The night ended with a bang as Matt and Kim took to the stage and all hell broke loose. With a reputation for amazing live shows, the band did not let off the gas as they mingled and encouraged crowd participation throughout their set. The crowd of course ate it up and preceded to play along to the indie band hailing from Brooklyn.
Aside for a few minor quirks (beer lines, band rescheduling, water stations) the festival was an enjoyable weekend for music lovers as the bands that participated were a perfect pairing for a great weekend.
