concert review: White Denim at Bottom of the Hill (26 May)

What's better than putting on a Hendrix album? Going to a White Denim gig and hearing Jimi's eternal spirit channeled through the raw power of the Austin band. Mesmerizing the audience with five-plus minute solos dripping with psychedelic goodness, White Denim had the crowd movin and shakin like it was 1969. Weaving song into song with hardly any breaks, White Denim rocked hard as if prog rock never faded into obscurity. Lead singer James Petralli showed off his impressive range by fluctuating between a soft, sultry hybrid of Devendra Banhart and Wayne Coyne and his rock-your-balls off a la Black Sabbath state of mind.

I always find is very difficult to describe this band's sound, as they draw influences from a vast spectrum of genres. You can hear bits and pieces of southern rock, grunge, jazz, psychedelia among a myriad of other things but the best way to describe this band is that they’re incredibly loud.

White Denim turned to crowd pleaser "I Start to Run" in the middle of the set and it incinerated the dance floor. Guitarist Austin Jenkins continuously pointed his instrument at various bandmates and audience members as if it were a ray gun and the band had a ton of fun on stage, grinning and really letting the music wash over them as they sunk into a veritable state of grunge indebted nirvana. White Denim obliged the crowd’s desperate and loud pleads for an encore, and ended the night triumphantly with a level of noisy distortion which would put Husker Du to shame.

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Go out and see this band. You’ll thank me later.

5/27 - Visalia, CA at Cellar Door
5/29 - Portland, OR at Bunk Bar
5/30 - Quincy, WA at Sasquatch Festival
6/01 - Salt Lake City, UT at Urban Lounge
6/02 - Denver, CO at Larimer Lounge
6/03 - Lawrence, KS at Jackpot Music Hall
6/16 - Memphis, TN at Hi Tone
6/17 - Atlanta, GA at Drunken Unicorn
6/18 - Nashville, TN at The Basement
6/19 - Louisville, KY at Uncle Slayton's
6/21 - Washington D.C. at Rock N Roll Hotel
6/22 - Philadelphia, PA at Johnny Brendas
6/23 - Northampton, MA at Pearl ST
6/24 - Boston, MA at Brighton Music Hall
6/25 - New York, NY at Bowery Ballroom
6/27 - Montreal, QC at Il Motore
6/28 - Toronto, ON at El Mocambo
6/29 - Indianapolis, IN at Rock Lobster
6/30 - Chicago, IL at Schubas
7/1 - Columbia, MO at Mojo's
7/2 - Norman, OK at Opolis