Cycles | 2019-10-19 | Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom, Denver, CO [SBD/AUD Matrix]

Denver’s hottest new game show is Cycles at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom. It has EVERYTHING: watermelon eating, glowstick throwing, frenchmen throwing basketballs, head-banging, two of the members of Part & Parcel dressed as school girls, a stuffed goose, and Dr. Doolittle 2 on VHS….

In a scene that can oftentimes feel choked by nostalgia for the achievements and watershed moments of the legendary acts that preceded the current crop of jam bands, it’s a constant struggle to find new concepts/ideas that don’t feel derivative of the juggernauts that pioneered the way. The common complaint, “[Legendary Band] did [Legendary Thing], and thus any band following in their steps is inherently unoriginal,” is not always true, but it’s certainly a prevalent sentiment when it comes to any analysis of a band announcing a special event. It can be hard to put on an event that feels unique, not only to the band, but also to the scene that the band exists in. However, last Saturday, Cycles put on an event that was not only unique, but very organically their own. An event that brought together fans and musicians as contestants in what felt like a thousand person party. I present to you, the Cycles Game Show!

For their second time headlining the main ballroom at the famed Cervantes, Cycles put on a “Game Show” themed set, centered around the main riff to their popular song, “Game Show”. The main riff, an intrinsically game-show-themed melody, helped carry the show along as the band invited up fans to either play as contestants, or to spin a custom wheel containing various games that the contestants would compete in to win prizes at the end of the set. Games consisted of things like watermelon and doughnut eating contests; a glow stick throwing competition that featured a complete lighting blackout with a Cycles techno-themed jam for full effect; “Jaques Jams”, which featured contestants dressing up as Frenchmen (complete with fresh baguettes in tote) and shooting baskets to the sounds of 95 South’s “Rodeo”; a headbanging competition, complete with Slayer cover and wigs (if needed); a three-boot-beer drinking competition; and a conga-line-off, which featured conga lines snaking all throughout the main ballroom. There was even an intermission that featured two of the members of Part & Parcel dressed as school girls, dancing to Juvenile’s “Back Dat Ass Up”. Needless to say, this was not your mother’s game show. All of the craziness was corralled by MC Dennis Craig, who did a fine job holding down the game show aesthetic and navigating the zaniness of the amped-up crowd and untried formula. After eight wheel spins with around three contestants for each round, along with a separate group of fans spinning the wheel, Cycles managed to get 30+ different audience members on the stage for a concert experience they’ll surely never forget. While not every moment may translate perfectly to the recording, the palpable excitement and joy is all there, and that’s posterity I can believe in.

That’s not to say the first set didn’t have several musical gems, including a solid chunk of Slayer’s “Raining Blood”, the techno jam that was centered around The Chemical Brothers’ “Hey Boy Hey Girl”, the funkiness of “Hollywood Swinging”, and even the brief “Chariots Of Fire” teases during the prize announcements. Cycles is all about the details. The crowd was fantastic, as well, and happily participated in every game with the contagious energy and enthusiasm that’s fundamentally characteristic of Cycles‘ dedicated fan base. Every single time a game ended, Tucker chimed in with the first three notes of the “Game Show” riff, and it never failed to light up the whole room. And, to top it all off, the final prizes were just as random as games: a toaster, a picture of someone’s family on a rafting trip, a stuffed goose, Cycles t-shirts, and the ultimate prize–two free tickets to every Cervantes show for the next six months. But, if I’m being honest, the crowd really went wild at the final awarded prize, which was a VHS copy of Dr. DooLittle 2, creating a moment that for some reason feels like it perfectly sums up the night. The set was about the fans. The band played without ego, crafting musical moods to suit the moment and put on a set that was, for the first time, more about the experience than about the music. To execute that without pretentiousness is the most endearing aspect of the entire performance and a testament to what Cycles has accomplished with this set.

The second set will no doubt always be overshadowed by the first, but it’s definitely not something you should sleep on. After performing the first set as more of a house band, Cycles was perfectly loosened-up and delivered a second set with exceptionally tight playing, some deep exploration, a fitting sit-in, and, in typical Cycles fashion, a completely out-of-left-field cover. The set opened up with a charged-up version of “Something In the Water”, which featured a bit of a decomposed dive into the dark depths of the tune with a hypnotic jam that settled into a rhythmic groove guided by Tucker’s cryptic quoting of Led Zeppelin’s “No Quarter” and Patrick’s haunting reverb laced looping. The tune eventually melted into the epic riffage of the Patrick-penned song “The Ball”, which delivered its viking call of a main riff to the delight of the headbanging crowd. The band then performed a fired-up version of “The House”, featuring Patrick putting on an absolute shred-clinic straight through the last two minutes of the outro. Next, the band invited up founding member and original drummer, Michael Wood, to perform a duo of tunes he had written for the band. The first was one of my favorite songs of his, “The Martyr”, which featured Michael Wood replacing new drummer Collin O’Brian. He then switched over to the keys and provided additional vocals for the pro-minimalist anthem “Everything Must Go”. It was a satisfying moment of closure in some respects for fans still reeling from the drummer’s departure this past summer. Both songs serve as reminders of his immense talent as a songwriter and his important contributions to the band thus far. It was fitting that in a room full of some of Denver’s most talented musicians, his was the only sit-in of the evening.

Next up, the band performed three newer tunes, the first was an alt-rocker by Patrick, titled “Angel”, which showed off a more aggressive vocal attack form Patrick. The second was a much heavier tune titled “The Box”, which makes a delightfully unnerving reference to “the razor blade in the ceiling fan” that for some inexplicably morbid reason hits me in the right spot, just like the revolving line in “Sunday Night” (“I went into your house while you were out of town – I slept in all the beds and drove your car around / I killed your family and stole your puppy dog”). The parallel between Patrick’s voice during the verses and Tucker’s voice during that line provide an absorbing contrast and a new piece to the band’s songwriting. The third was a much lighter gaze-like tune about loss, called “If You Were Gone”, that was dripping with an emotive vocal performance and wrapped in a blanket of reverb-laden mist. Once the song dissipated, the band kicked into another fan-favorite, “Get Up Out Of Your Head”. This particular version would contain the last big jam moment of the night as the band explored the heavy depths of their live staple, deconstructing itself to a minimalist avant-garde jaunt that eventually works itself into a slowly building ascension into the songs crushing peak. This was followed-up by “The Clock”, and while it didn’t have the type II quality of “Get Up Out Of Your Head”, it is absolutely the most peak-filled, bursting-with-energy jam of the night, finding several highlight moments led by Patrick’s solo work and complimented by Collin’s impressive ability to adapt to the shifting dynamics of Patty and Tucker’s interplay. The set then closed out with “Sunrise”, which featured one final chance to fist thrust, as Cycles carved out the peaks of their final original of the night. While “The Clock” may have had the most peaks, the most satisfying one lay right around the end of “Sunrise”, as the band wound themselves up for one final big cathartic release. There is a way Cycles builds their tension release moments that has evolved to a more precise act. Like a surfer learning how to master maneuvering bigger waves, Cycles has only gotten better at guiding and delivering the big moments in their jams.

The encore would then feature a surprise cover of the 90’s anthem of self-revelation, “Torn”, by Natalie Imbruglia. On a night of crazy surprises, somehow Cycles covering a late 90’s Australian pop-song is the least out-of-character; Cycles loves music and has never been one to shy away from songs because of genre or musical configuration. Fans of the 90’s had their moment to sing-a-long, and the ballroom was filled with Cycles fans explaining that “this is how [they] feel”. Cycles brings it out in you.

One of the recurring themes in these reviews of Cycles is my constant marveling at their ability to deliver fresh moments, and tonight was not only no different, it was an exceptional example of exactly what makes them one of the most compelling bands in the scene. Their ability to push the envelope never feels contrived, more a genuine intent to celebrate the best parts of what make us all love music. They play with a fearless abandon to conventional set lists, constantly taking risks and delivering live experiences that are as much engaging as they are just plain fun. Like hanging out with your eccentric friend that has their own style but listens to everything. It’s a completely fresh sound delivered in a package that is self-aware enough to know that it can be whatever it wants to be, as long as the intent is genuine, and lucky for all of us, Cycles seems to be as legit as it gets

Cycles | 2019-10-19 | Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom, Denver, CO

-= Set 1 =-
01. (Game Show Set Intro)
02. Round 1 Contestants
03. Spin 1: Watermelon Man
04. Round 2 Contestants
05. Spin 2: New Boot Goofin'[1]
06. Round 3 Contestants
07. Spin 3: Techno[2]
08. Round 4 Contestants
09. Spin 4: Rock Lobster[3]
10. Round 5 Contestants
11. Spin 5: Soul Train[4]
12. Intermission: Drag Queen Beauty Contest[5]
13. Round 6 Contestants
14. Spin 6: Donuts[6]
15. Round 7 Contestants
16. Spin 7: Jaques Jams[7]
17. Round 8 Contestants
18. Spin 8: Headbanger’s Ball[8]
19. Winner’s Circle / Prize Announcement[9]

-= Set 2 =-
20. Something In The Water[10] >
21. The Ball
22. The House
23. (Banter)
24. The Martyr[11]
25. Everything Must Go[12]
26. Angel
27. The Box
28. If You Were Gone
29. Get Up Out Of Your Head[13] >
30. The Clock
31. Sunrise

-= Encore =-
32. (Encore Break)
33. Torn (Natalie Imbruglia cover)[14]

Show Notes: This show was billed as “Cyles Presents: The Game Show – An Interactive Game Show Concert Experience”. The first set consisted of a Game Show put on by the band and hosted by Dennis Craig. Fans were called up and asked to participate in various challenges, the winners of which would qualify for a chance to win the ultimate prize, free tickets to the next six months of Cervantes’ shows. Zeta June opened the show followed by Chompers. Cycles then closed out the evening. The first set was the Game Show set and the second set was a normal Cycles set.
[1] “Spin 2: New Boot Goofin'” contained a “The Lone Stranger” jam.
[2] “Spin 3: Techno” contained a “Hey Boy Hey Girl” (The Chemical Brothers) jam.
[3] “Spin 4: Rock Lobster” contained a “Rock Lobster” (The B-52’s) jam.
[4] “Spin 5: Soul Train” contained a “Hollywood Swinging” (Kool & The Gang) jam and “Sand” (Phish) teases.
[5] “Intermission: Drag Queen Beauty Contest” featured Jacob Moss (Part & Parcel) and Mark Pietrovito (Part & Parcel) dancing to Juvenile’s “Back Dat Ass Up” while dressed as catholic school girls.
[6] “Spin 6: Toast / Donuts” contained a “Glazed Donuts (One 4 Dilla)” (J-dubble) jam.
[7] “Spin 7: Toast / Jaques Jams” contained a “Rodeo” (95 South) jam.
[8] “Spin 8: Headbanger’s Ball” contained a “Raining Blood” (Slayer) jam.
[9] “Winner’s Circle / Prize Announcements” contained a “Chariots Of Fire” (Vangelis) jam.
[10] “Something In The Water” contained “Sand” a (Phish) and “Whamola” (Les Claypool) teases. It also conatined “No Quarter” (Led Zeppelin) quotes.
[11] “The Martyr” featured Michael Wood (original Cycles drummer and founding member) on drums.
[12] “Everything Must Go” featured Michael Wood on piano and additional vocals.
[13] “Get Up Out Of Your Head” contained “Contraband” (Magic Beans) teases and quotes. It also contained “Jessica” (Allman Brothers Band) teases.
[14] “Torn” was a debut Cycles performance.

Taper Notes: Stage-right of the soundboard, mics raised around 8′ PAS. Board patch and mix thanks to FOH Engineer Cory Ballentine.

LINK: https://archive.org/details/Cycles2019-10-19.AKG.P170.AUD.SBD.Matrix.flac16