Amoramora | 2019-12-21 | The GOAT Soup & Whiskey, Dillon, CO [SBD/AUD Matrix]

You won’t always hear the sound of the #powderhound but thankfully you can hear the sounds of Amoramora performing at GOAT Soup and Whiskey Tavern!

Capping off two nights at Keystone’s best live-music venue, Amoramora treated the resort town crowd to two enticing sets showcasing the band’s enduring charm and jam prowess. The show was particularly serendipitous for me, as almost exactly one year ago, I was in the same spot: taping Amoramora at The GOAT after a day of snowboarding. Except last year, I was in a make-shift sling after I gallantly broke my elbow falling hard on a run named “Schoolmarm”. This time around, I managed to survive the green circle, all bones intact.

The show itself was much more fearless than I was earlier that day on the mountain. The first set kicked off with one of my personal favorites, the anthemic “Hooper’s Hotel”, which featured a rousing electro-funk jam that stirred up the crowd of fans and curious ski bums into a furious dance party that set the tone for the evening. The band eventually segued into an original by bassist Zach Soczka, titled “The Thrill”, which continued to carry the funk torch with its bouncy rhythm, mingling with syncopated guitar and keys fills. The band then performed a re-worked version of “Ghostdance”, a tune I had heard them perform earlier in the year at Cervantes. The new version had more of a folk sensibility than its surf-rock predecessor but still featured the bitingly sarcastic lyrics and catchy chorus that had originally hooked me. While it was surprising to see a re-worked version of “Ghostdance”, it was nothing compared to what the band was about to unleash.

What then followed was easily the centerpiece of the entire evening: a truly epic jam within the inconspicuous jam vehicle “Oh Brother”. This bluegrass tune does not normally receive the jam treatment, but this was a clear exception, as Amoramora absolutely went off on a 30-minute segment that was as expansive and exploratory as I’d ever heard the band perform. It was a clear evolution of a sound that the band had been building towards since their recent structural shake-up, and their cohesive effort shows the high level at which they are all communicating, navigating peaks, and landing several impactful moments, only to keep pushing on in another fiercely focused groove. It’s not only exciting; it’s the most compelling Amoramora jam I’ve ever experienced. (The former most compelling was at their show that I previously mentioned was almost exactly a year ago.) The set then closed out with a take on the Doc Watson standard, “Sitting On Top Of The World”, which featured some acoustic picking from Danny before a return to the electric, finally ending with the Latin-themed instrumental “Siesta”.

The second set started with a cover of Medeski, Martin & Wood’s “Bubblehouse”, which helped settle the crowd into a solid groove to start the second half of the evening, before blending into the open riffs of the Amoramora original, “Pizza Mike”. After a spacey jamtronica jam that continued the dance-party from the first set and absolutely soared over the crowd, the band dropped into one of my favorite new covers of theirs, a take on the neo-soul goddess Erykah Badu’s “Tyrone”. The band then performed their original “Robber’s Roost”, featuring a jam that flirted with going deep before eventually reconciling with its chorus and finding a second ending in the reprise to “Little Spoon”, which then crashed right into the opening chords of “Diamond Phillips” with an absolute onslaught of a guitar solo from Danny.

While the show seemed close to over, the band still had one more left in them as they performed one of their newer originals (and the tour’s namesake), “Powderhound”. The tune features a shreddy, surf-rock lead in between the verses that moonlights as the chorus, shaping a beautifully melodic structure that feels like it’s on an everlasting build. Aside from the song’s endearing structure, it also featured the last big jam of the evening, dropping into a big reggae jaunt that would eventually evolve into a fast-paced jamtronica excursion. This would then crash to a beautiful halt as the band kicked into a cover of Rancid’s “Time Bomb”, which immediately caused the crowd to revisit their skank-dance days. The set then closed out with the solemn “Owl Eyes”, another testament to the band’s strong songwriting.

Amoramora pulled out all the stops for the second night of their stand at The Goat. They’re navigating the waters of improvisation with a more discerning eye and with material that keeps getting consistently better. From their cover selection, to their new songs, and their jams, the band is finding themselves in a clearer light and playing to a new potential that is exciting to see. A lot can happen in a year, and I’m happy Amoramora is still here, strong as ever.

Amoramora | 2019-12-21| GOAT Soup And Whiskey, Keystone, CO

-= Set 1 =-
01. Hooper’s Hotel >
02. The Thrill
03. Ghostdance
04. Oh Brother[1] >
05. Sitting On Top Of The World (Doc Watson cover) >
06. Siesta

-= Set 2 =-
07. Bubblehouse (Medeski, Martin & Wood cover)
08. Pizza Mike >
09. Tyrone (Erykah Badu cover)
10. Robber’s Roost[2] >
11. Little Spoon (Reprise)
12. Diamond Phillips[3]
13. Powderhound >
14. Time Bomb (Rancid cover)
15. (Banter)
16. Owl Eyes

Show Notes: This was the second night of a two-night-run at The GOAT Soup & Whiskey. It was a part of the Powderhound 2019 Winter Tour.
[1] “Oh Brother” contained “First Tube” (Phish) teases.
[2] “Robber’s Roost” contained “The Simpsons Theme” teases.
[3] “Diamond Phillips” contained “Meet The Flintstones” teases.

Taper Notes: Mics setup on-stage as well as on the stage-left side of the room FOB. On-stage mics raised around 2′ DFC DIN configuration, room mics raised around 6′ PAS. Board feed thanks to Danny Evans, stereo XLR feed out of their x32 rack. The levels were a bit low for Danny as a whole so I was able to matrix in Danny’s electric/acoustic/vocals and Zack’s vocals (thanks to Jeremiah for the files!) to get them all up in the mix. The band’s multi-track failed several times so the individual tracks cut a few times throughout the recording but it shouldn’t be too noticeable since it’s matrixed in with everything else. Thank you to Amoramora for being so supportive of taping!

Thank you to Amoramora and GOAT Soup and Whiskey Tavern for being so cool with taping. Go see live music and tip your bartenders! #spacetapes