CHICANO BATMAN @ SHOWCASE STAGE
One of the more eclectic and genre-bending groups of the night, Chicano Batman also happened to be the best dressed. The funky, soulful group was effortlessly cool in blazers and skinny pants, garnering one of the largest crowds of the festival.
Chicano Batman certainly had one of the most interesting mixtures of styles of the weekend as well. Playing hits such as “Freedom is Free” and “Black Lipstick,” the band showed off its prowess as masters of indie pop, romanticism, and Tropicalia, a 1960’s artistic movement stemming from Brazil. Chicano Batman, with its unique sound and suave style, simply had a swagger that was unmatched by anyone else at the festival.
Chicano Batman is Eduardo Arenas, Carlos Arévalo, Bardo Martinez, and Gabriel Villa.
LAST CALL ROMANCE @ SKYLARK LOUNGE
To begin, Last Call Romance was a lucky encounter—after stumbling into Skylark Lounge looking for water, we were pleasantly greeted by the swingiest, most energetic group of the night. While our stay was brief, the impression left by the group lasted much longer. Despite everyone’s aching feet from an already long day, Last Call Romance had just the right amount of spirit to get everyone dancing.
tLast Call Romance’s complete comfortableness with each other lends itself to an environment that encourages the crowd to be wholly engaged. The genre of Rockabilly-Swing may be a turn off for some, but don’t let it deter you from seeing this enthusiastic, boogying group next time they hit the stage in Denver.
Last Call Romance is Chris Winters and Emily Winters, with various members on upright bass, lead guitar, saxophone and drums.
YASI @ HI-DIVE (SECRET SET)
YaSi has some big Stevie Nicks energy—and we aren’t just saying that because of her stylistic, hip-hop version of Fleetwood Mac’s “Visions.” Yasi gives off the impression that she knows exactly what you need to fix your life, and that includes some good old self-reflection.
YaSi, a first-generation Iranian-American rapper, knows how to have fun but also how to keep it real. Speaking of her experience of being in Iran when the Muslim ban was announced under Trump, she elaborated on how despite her and her family’s unique challenges, she was still here and she was going to do a damn good job of doing her own thing.
Backed by a hype-man DJ and an incredibly talented drummer relaying YaSi’s oh-so-essential beats, YaSi proved that yes, she’s a girl, and yes, she’s learning and having fun just like the rest of us. We promise— listen to “Issues” and you won’t regret it.
Yasi is also known as Yasman Azimi.
Other notable sets: Wheelchair Sports Camp, Turrvy Organ, Tyto Alba, Whiskey Autumn, Zach Maxwell, Oxeye Daisy
SUNDAY