‘Cause only you’ve got a thing that I just got to get with… I just got to get with you, and you know what we’re gonna do… Check out a recording of GrooveSafe AllStars Band headlining Cervantes Other Side!
On the precipice of a plunge into the uncharted waters that have since enveloped our every day lives, drowning out the future of any live music event for the foreseeable future, Denver was treated to one last hurrah featuring a fitting cast of local musicians that represent some of the best talent the city has to offer, all in support of GrooveSafe, a movement that aims to raise awareness about unwanted touching at live events, in order to help nurture a safer and more inclusive culture at our beloved shows. Unbeknownst to the crowd, this was going to be the last live event many of them would enjoy for a while. Lucky for them, it was a doozy.
The band lived up to its namesake, featuring an all-star cast of local musicians that gelled exceptionally well together, providing the foundation for each tune to help realize its full potential. The percussive attack featured help from Rory Dolan and Johnny G of Lespecial, Kirk Larson of Kessel Run, Cody Whales from Magic Beans, Will Trask from Analog Son, and Chuck Morris from Lotus. The mighty mighty horn section, comprised of Eric Levine of The Jive Tribe and Sarah Mount of Dylan Kishner Band, punctuated each tune with their punchy solos and fills. There was also no lack of guitarists either, as Marcus Rezak of Shred Is Dead and Mike Pederson of Phour Point O ripped solo after solo with plenty of help from James Dumm of the Dumm Friends League. There was also help in the bass department from Dopapod‘s Chuck Jones and lespecial‘s Luke Bemand. And there were keys players a plenty, as Todd Stoops held down the bulk of keys work but also invited up Magic Beans keyboardist Casey Russell, ManyColors and Analog Son master of the boards Eric Luba, and the always unpredictable Andy Frasco, who not only sat-in on keys for a tune but also contributed some vocal talent as he directed the All-Stars in an impromptu tribute to James Brown. Needless to say, the lineup was stacked.
However, the real stars of the evening were the ladies of the local scene, who each delivered a powerhouse performance that commanded the stage with she-lion energy. After a quick dive into the funk classic “Root Down”, the GrooveSafe vocal All-Stars took center stage, led by the ever fervent Jessica Jones, and the band took a step back to allow the vocals to shine. The first tune with vocals was an appropriate nod to the cause, a fierce take on Aretha Franklin’s “Respect” that set the tone for the rest of the evening. The set selection featured a great mix of funkier classics, hip hop classics new and old, and even a Mike Pederson original, which hit extra hard with the roaring back-up vocals courtesy of the GrooveSafe All-Star ladies, who delivered highlight after highlight, like “Move On Up”, which featured a monster vocal duel between the Jessicas; the falsetto stylings of Aubrie Hamrick and Karen Jeffreys during “Got To Be Real”; and the communal force of “You Dropped A Bomb On Me”. Throughout the night, the vocals were always on-point and led each song with a steadfast strength that brought everything together in a celebration of vocal prowess and musical acumen. Whether delivering a stirring take on hard rockers AC/DC and Led Zeppelin or enchanting the crowd with soulful performance of Government Mule’s “Soulshine” to close out the set, or even just having fun with a tribute to MC Hammer, complete with a custom made “Stop” sign to inform everyone of hammer time, the band made each song their own, wrapping the groove in a melodic blanket that draped over each corner of the tune in a compelling blend of dazzling vocals and enchanting musicianship.
The GrooveSafe All-Stars provided a highlight-rich performance that featured such an abundance of local talent, it almost seems cosmic that it would serve as one of the last chances many in attendance would have to see live music for a while, myself included. A kismet moment that brought together a plethora of talent to enjoy almost three hours of music for one final party. Enjoy.
GrooveSafe All-Stars | 2020-03-11 | Cervantes’ Other Side, Denver, CO
-= One Set =-
01. (Intro)
02. Root Down (Jimmy Smith cover)[1]
03. Respect (Aretha Franklin cover)[2]
04. You Dropped A Bomb On Me (The Gap Band cover)[3]
05. (Band Introductions)
06. Come Down (Anderson.Paak cover)[4]
07. (Banter)
08. Don’t Let Me Down (The Beatles cover)[5]
09. (Banter II)
10. You Shook Me All Night Long (AC/DC cover)[6]
11. (Banter III)
12. Brown Eyed Lover (Allen Stone cover)[7]
13. (Banter IV)
14. Got To Be Real (Cheryl Lynn cover)[8]
15. (Banter V)
16. Debra (Beck cover)[9] >
17. What A Man (Linda Lyndell cover)[9] >
18. Andy Frasco Does James Brown[10]
19. Everybody Is A Star (Sly & The Family Stone cover)[11]
20. (Banter VI)
21. Cramp Yo Style (Breakestra cover)[12]
22. (Banter VII)
23. Move On Up (Curtis Mayfield cover)[13]
24. (Banter VIII)
25. Halo (Mike Pederson original)[14]
26. (Banter IX)
27. U Can’t Touch This (MC Hammer cover)[15]
28. It’s Your Thing (The Isley Brothers cover)[16]
29. Whole Lotta Love (Led Zeppelin cover)[17]
-= Encore =-
30. (Encore Break)
31. Soulshine (Gov’t Mule cover)[18]
-= Lineup =-
Jessica Jones (Jessica Jones Project) on vocals
Todd Stoops (RAQ) on keys
Marcus Rezak (Shred Is Dead) on guitar
Mike Pederson (Phour Point O) on guitar
Chuck Morris (Lotus) on percussion
Chuck Jones (dopapod) on bass
Eric Levine (The Jive Tribe) on trumpet
Sarah Mount (Dylan Kishner Band) on saxophone
Show Notes: This set was performed in support of GrooveSafe, a movement meant to raise awareness about unwanted touching at live events.
[1] “Root Down” featured Kirk Larson (Kessel Run) on drums and Rory Dolan (lespecial) on additional percussion.
[2] “Respect” featured Jessica Jones and Melly Fracnes on lead vocals, and Micah Munro, Harmony Batton, Aubrie Hamrick, and Karen Jeffreys on back-up vocals. It also featured Cody Whales (Magic Beans) on drums.
[3] “You Dropped A Bomb” featured Jessica Jones on lead vocals, and Kayt Unger, Harmony Batton, Aubrie Hamrick, Melly Frances, and Roni Zagoria on back-up vocals. It also featured James Dumm on guitar.
[4] “Come Down” featured Jessica Jones on lead vocals, and Ashley Niven, Jessica Holloway, Kayt Unger, Karen Jeffreys, and Melly Frances on back-up vocals. It also featured Will Trask (Analog Son) on drums.
[5] “Don’t Let Me Down” featured Jessica Jones and Harmony Batton on lead vocals, and Micah Monro, Aubrie Hamrick, Emily Clark, Roni Zagoria, and Melly Frances on back-up vocals.
[6] “You Shook Me All Night Long” featured Micah Monro and Kayt Unger on lead vocals, and Aubrie Hamrick, Jessica Jones, Emily Clark, and Roni Zagoria on back-up vocals. It also featured James Dumm on guitar in place of Mike Pederson.
[7] “Brown Eyed Lover” featured Jessica Jones on lead vocals, and Melly Fances and Aubrie Hamrick on back-up vocals. It also featured James Dumm on guitar in place of Mike Pederson.
[8] “Got To Be Real” featured Aubrie Hamrick and Karen Jeffreys on lead vocals, and Jessica Jones on back-up vocals. It also featured Casey Russell (Magic Beans) on keys and Rory Dolan (lespecial) on additional percussion.
[9] “Debra” and “What A Man” featured Jessica Jones and Ashley Niven on lead vocals, and Karen Jeffreys and Roni Zagoria on back-up vocals. It also featured Andy Frasco (Andy Frasco & The UN) and Casey Russell (Magic Beans) on keys, Luke Bemand (lespecial) on bass, Rory Dolan (lespecial) on additional percussion, and James Dumm on back-up guitar.
[10] “Andy Frasco Does James Brown” features Andy Frasco (Andy Frasco & The UN) and Casey Russell (Magic Beans) on keys, Luke Bemand (lespecial) on bass, and James Dumm on back-up guitar.
[11] “Everybody Is A Star” featured Devon Parker on vocals and Will Trask (Analog Son) on drums. It also featured a portion of “Just Friends (Sunny)” (Musiq).
[12] “Cramp Your Style” featured Jessica Jones on lead vocals and Will Trask (Analog Son) on drums.
[13] “Move On Up” feautred Jessica Jones and Jessica Holloway on lead vocals, and Devon Parker, Aubrie Hamrick, and Roni Zagoria on back-up vocals. It also featured Eric Luba (ManyColors/Analog Son) on keys, James Dumm on additional guitar, and Will Trask (Analog Son) on keys.
[14] “Halo” featured Mike Pederson on lead vocals, and Jessica Jones and Jessica Holloway on back-up vocals. It also featured Will Trask (Analog Son) on drums and Jonathan Grusauskas (lespecial) on tambourine.
[15] “U Can’t Touch This” featured Melly Frances, and Jessica Jones on lead vocals, and Aubrie Hamrick, Roni Zagoria, Jessica Holloway, Devon parker, Karen Jeffreys, Emily Clark, Harmony Batton, Micah Monro, Ashley Niven, and Kayt Unger on back-up vocals. It also featured Jonathan Grusauskas (lespecial) on percussion, and Cody Wales (Magic Beans) on drums.
[16] “It’s Your Thing” featured Jessica Holloway and Emily Clark on lead vocals, and Micah Monro, Devon Parker, Aubrie Hamrick, and Roni Zagoria on back-up vocals. It also featured James Dumm on additional guitar and Will Trask (Analog Son) on drums.
[17] “Whole Lotta Love” feautred Jessica Jones, Roni Zagoria, and Harmony Batton on lead vocals, and Devon Parker, and Karen Jeffreys on back-up vocals.
[18] “Soulshine” featured Jessica Jones and Melly Frances on lead vocals.
Taper Notes: Mics were setup stage-right of the soundboard, raised around 8′ PAS configuration. Soundboard patch and mix thanks to FOH Engineer Alon.
Thank you to GrooveSafe, GrooveSafe AllStars Band, and Cervantes Other Side for being cool with taping/sharing shows. Go see live music and tip your bartenders!* #spacetapes
***Please consider donating to Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom‘s GoFundMe to assist their staff who is out of work during this difficult time. Cervantes staff is incredible and the venue is one of the best. It is where I taped my first show and where I’ve taped the most shows. I cannot overstate how much I appreciate the venue and their staff. If you love live music and are able, please consider donating.***
GoFundMe LINK: https://www.gofundme.com/f/me8sd-20000?utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=customer&utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet
ARCHIVE LINK: https://archive.org/details/gsas2020-03-11.SP.C4.MKII.cards.AUD.SBD.Matrix.flac16
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