The Ruckus

In Pictures: Cory Branan (Denver)

Hi-Dive | Denver, Colorado | 15 July 2010 | Full Set

Cory Branan knows how to put on a show. He is wildly entertaining, charming, charismatic, and impossible not to love. His songwriting skills are absolutely up to par. I would easily compare him to new and old folk legends, with a style that is definitely his own.

At one point in the evening, he explained that he doesn't spend much time on song titles and it would be able to pick up his album and figure out which song you wanted to hear. Either way, I've found myself listening to his work plenty. I'll definitely be catching Cory Branan when he comes back through Colorado next month.

In Pictures: Passion Pit

Passion Pit | The Ritz, Ybor City | 14 June 2010 | Full Set

Last year, a clever writer at Paste Magazine wrote, "It’s easy to say that Passion Pit make dance music for people who hate dance music, but these guys also make dance music for people who like dance music, so here’s the new paradigm: They make dance music for people who like music." It's a description that fits.

The band’s live show is indeed a keyboard bonanza. 'Beats tend to pulse. Melodies and voices tend to squeal. The 1980s provide a sonic touchstone, but (refreshingly) not in a campy way. Pop bliss is the goal here, just as it was for Ric Ocasek back in the day. Passion Pit will do whatever it takes to reach our pleasure centers—more than once, the band utilizes what sounds like a kids’ choir. A hackneyed trick? Yep. Still effective? Definitely.'

In Pictures: Austin Lucas (Denver)

Hi-Dive | Denver, Colorado | 15 July 2010 | Full Set

Austin Lucas put on one of the most heart-warming, lovely shows of the year last week. It isn't hard to see why people have fallen in love with his music across the world. I've said it before, but I'll say it again: the folk-punk blend is my favorite style of music right now and Mr. Lucas does it damn well.

For this show, the amazing Christina Wagner joined Austin on guitar and vocals. The pair, accompanied by violin and banjo from time to time, played through fantastic songs old and new, but all brilliant.

The best moment of the night is when Austin took to the crowd to play a couple songs unplugged, amongst the crowd. The pure sound of guitar and voice filled the Hi-Dive, catching everyone in the moment. I thought some people were going to cry (I thought I might cry, actually). I love those moments in live music where you forget everything but your heart jumping up in your chest. Thank you, Austin Lucas for bringing this to Denver.

In Pictures: Tokyo Police Club

Tokyo Police Club | The Ritz, Ybor City | 14 June 2010 | Full Set

Tokyo Police Club are pretty big right now, and for good reason. Their second full-length LP, Champ, is fantastically engaging, full of songs with catchy melodies and creative lyrics, and the guys themselves are charming, hot, and talented - pretty much what you'd expect from a Canadian indie rock band (Dave, Graham, Josh and Greg hail from Newmarket, Ontario).

I'd been rocking out to Champ for a few weeks when I was lucky enough to receive an invitation from the band to catch their set at The Ritz in Ybor City, Florida, where they provided more than ample support for Passion Pit. Their live show is playful, energetic, and a hell of a lot of fun - in short, they totally killed it.

In Pictures: Landon Pigg

Hi-Dive | Denver, Colorado | 19 May 2010 | Full Set

You know who Landon Pigg is, right? If you're not familiar with the name, you'll be sure to recognize his voice (well, you will if you're a television enthusiast). A few years ago he set hearts a-sighing when his song "Falling in Love at a Coffee Shop" was featured in several commercials and TV shows (watch the video here). If that doesn't ring a bell, then perhaps you'll remember him as the hipster heartthrob who broke Ellen Page's heart in the indie flick Whip It, which amongst other things, had thousands of young girls strapping on roller skates and looking for a bad boy of their own.

After a round of text messages wherein I urged her to push past her exhaustion and stay or face my considerable wrath (I have mad pouting skills), Tiffiny caught his set at Denver's Hi-Dive (where she'd been watching Ruckus favorite, friend and all around awesome guy Dan Craig provide solid support for Pigg's headlining gig), and shot some absolutely gorgeous photos. It wasn't as good as being there myself, but until he finds his way to Tampa, I'll take what I can get.

-Melanie

In Pictures: Imogen Heap

Imogen Heap | House of Blues Orlando | 1 June 2010 | Full Set

So, it's been awhile since the show (in my defense, I was ill for the entire month of June, and have spent the first half of July recovering and buried in work at my day job), but it is still fresh in my mind, and what I will tell you is that seeing Imogen Heap live was the kind of experience that words can never really do justice to - which is tricky because this is, after all, a blog (and words are kind of a given).

Devoted fans already know what Heap is like in concert: passionate, gracious, immensely talented and engaging. Her stage presence is perfection, and her stage design is just gorgeous. If you find yourself lucky enough to live in a city where she is playing, go - I promise you that it will be nothing less than a transformative experience.

In Pictures: Punch Brothers (Denver)

Twist & Shout | Denver, Colorado | 15 June 2010 | Full Set

Last month, I caught the Punch Brothers at a quick in-store at Twist & Shout before their show with Steve Martin at the Botanical Gardens that evening. As this was in support of the recent release of Antifogmatic, we got some enthusiastic renditions of the new material, such as "Rye Whiskey".

The ensemble of instruments and vocal harmonies make for an amazing performance. The band are touring their hearts out right now, so make sure to catch them if you can.