Envy Alo | 2021-06-25 | Rancho Del Rio, Bond, CO [SBD/AUD Matrix]

It’s so hard to find, so hard to find, so hard to fiiiiiiiiind Envy Alo performing at Beanstalk – so don’t worry, I gotchu!

One fun thing about being a taper that focuses primarily on local acts is if you are lucky, you’ll watch them grow and evolve into something greater. The first time I saw Envy Alo they were supporting Cycles at Cervantes back in 2017 with a short tweener set on the outside patio area. Back then, they were just an organ trio, but what they lacked in size they more than made up for in their tenacious attack – the band had a solid amount of instrumental originals with accessible melodies and catchy grooves that kept patrons dancing while they transitioned to the next set. The band was also handling John Scofield and Jeff Beck covers with ease, shredding through compositions written by some of the most acclaimed guitarists of all time, while managing to pepper in some of their original sound. I loved it. The band would later perform a set on the lot of Dick’s Sporting Goods Park as a pre-show for the Phish weekend run. They allowed me to come out and guerilla style taped their lot set, which was actually something I’d really wanted to do and was grateful for the opportunity to have done so. In time, we would see members come and go and see the sound evolve into a more song focused group. However, after this past Beanstalk set, it seems we are seeing a new evolution of the Envy Alo sound. A harkening back to the organ trio days with a departure from a more vocal based band, and a refocus on the most exemplary parts of the band, their musicianship.

This sentiment may be best understood in the opening three numbers, especially the first, an 11-minute instrumental jam written by guitarist Kevin Hinder, titled “Black Jeans”. The segment was one of the big highlights of the set and one of the better jams of the entire day, displaying a dazzling array of what makes Envy Alo great: the breakneck speed and shark-bite tone of Kevin Hinder, the burly funk slaps of Karl Summers’ bass, the bright and soulfully refined shimmer of Kevin Supina’s sax tone and now, the addition of colorful keys work, all rounded out by the resolute and dynamic drumming from Nate Etter; and now the band was jamming in a way that I felt I hadn’t seen since the organ trio days. It was refreshing, it was intriguing, but most of all, it was fantastic. The band has found their space for maneuvering improvisational moments, leaving plenty of space for each member to make their own statements, from reverb-laced sax solos to heavily overdriven guitar solos, each piece of the musical puzzle seems to find its place with ease. The instrumentals didn’t stop; next up was “Two Of A Kind”, another newer instrumental intended to show the band is serious about their new identity. This was followed by an Envy Alo classic “Edgar”, once again, nodding back to their organ trio days.

That’s not to say that Envy Alo can’t write a great song with lyrics. The set followed up with one of the band’s most recognizable numbers, “Wasting Time”, a solid rock ditty that feels nostalgic in its structure but fresh in its approach, especially during the breakdown, which features a fiery sax solo. The song is catchy and a great part of their musical repertoire that shows their depth as songwriters. Next up, the band invited Eric Luba (ManyColors) and Scott Hachey (Magic Beans) for a take on Beck’s “Devil’s Haircut”, which featured a real solid jam, and at its center was Eric Luba’s always brilliant keys work dancing with Kevin Hinder’s punctuated and nuanced guitar accompaniment, culminating in one of the most fun sit-ins of the festival.

After the cover, it was back to the instrumentals with another Envy Alo throwback written by bassist Karl Summers, “Karl’s Funk”. The tune featured a dark breakdown, which let Kevin Supina stretch out his solo a bit as it traveled through the groove with a hypnotic cadence. The band then performed “Tell Me”, a vocal tune featuring Kevin Supina’s falsetto beckoning for you to, well, tell him stuff. This was proceeded then by another instrumental tune called “Railroad Boogie”, a super dynamic number that goes from frantic train-speed funk to a slowed down swamp groove, constantly shifting its intensity before crescendoing back into the original funk riff. Envy Alo then invited up Cycles bassist Tucker McClung for a fast-and-loose instrumental interpretation of the Red Hot Chilli Peppers song “Walkabout” – listening to the original you forget how funky the Dave Navarro era of RHCP music was, but clearly neither Envy Alo nor Tucker McClung forgot, treating fans to buttery smooth take of the lesser-known Chili Peppers tune. Useless fact: Tucker sat-in with Envy Alo the first time I saw them back in 2017 also. The band then performed another duo of instrumental tunes: “Bobby’s Big Boy Bars”, which is another old-school Envy Alo tune, and “Junk”, a progressive groove that features punctuated ends and a swift descending lick before slowing everything down to allow some effected sax tones to flutter in and add real texture to the song. The song would eventually build itself back up before the band left everyone with a cover of Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up”, proving the Rick Roll is still alive and well, at least at Beanstalk. The set ended with a shout of “I’m festival Rick”, a Rick and Morty reference I was very down for.

Envy Alo is sounding as good as they ever have. Their compositions and newly resurfaced thirst for highlighting their instrumental talents is a welcome shift in their playing. It’s not always easy to change the expectations of your fans, but OG Envy Alo fans know this has always been in them; we’re just finally seeing them grow into what that original sound could be. It’s exciting to see what will become in the next few years as the band continues to evolve and explore these territories. I’ll just be happy to share it. As the Simpson joke goes, “this is isn’t the best Envy Alo show I’ve seen. This is the best Envy Alo show I’ve seen… so far.”

Envy Alo | 2021-06-25 | Beanstalk Music & Mountains Festival at Rancho Del Rio, Bond, CO

-= One Set =-

01. (Intro)

02. Black Jeans

03. Two Of A Kind

04. Edgar

05. Wastin’ Time

06. Devil’s Haircut (Beck cover)[1]

07. Karl’s Funk

08. Tell Me

09. Railroad Boogie

10. (Banter – Tucker Intro)

11. Walkabout (Red Hot Chili Peppers cover)[2]

12. Slide

13. Bobby’s Big Boy Bars

14. Junk >

15. Never Gonna Give You Up (Rick Astley cover)

Show Notes: This set was performed during the second day of the Beanstalk Music Festival. The entire set featured Will Trask on additional percussion.

[1] “Devil’s Haircut” featured Eric Luba (ManyColors) on keys and Scott Hachey (Magic Beans) on vocals and additional guitar.

[2] “Walkabout” featured Tucker McClung (Cycles) on bass.

Taper Notes: Mics setup FOB DFC raised around 7′ PAS. Board feed was split off of the PA sends but does not have the subs mixed in. As a result, the recording is matrixed with the audience feed to provide low-end as well as ambient sound. Thanks to sound engineer Richard Hartanft for the patch and mix!