You’ve never heard of the The Fox Theatre?…It’s the venue that hosted Kessel Run‘s raging EP release show in under 12 parsecs!
Celebrating the release of their self-titled EP, Kessel Run provided fans with a headlining set of non-stop, high-energy, and uber-focused playing which put their new music front-and-center as they performed every track off the new release.
As the house music introduced the band with a dubstep tribute to Star Wars’ iconic “Skywalker Theme”, the band emerged confident, seizing their moment and kicking right into the first track off the EP, “Tactic”. As the rumbling bass rolled in over scatted 8-bit samples, the crowd lit up and began to syncopate with the rhythm. The band was all business, constantly seguing into the next tune and taking very little time in between songs to banter or decide the next number. The centerpiece of the set is a journey from “Desolate” to “Dew”, in which the band executed a masterfully pieced together 40+ minutes of prog-rock-fusion that played with tension-release builds, dynamic peaks, and passionate solos. The band can go from slow jazz rhythms to upbeat spacey synth rock vamps with a natural flow and ease that is incredibly engaging.
After the epic segment of “Desolate -> George Lucas -> Interlude -> Blue Tie -> Dew”, the band finally took a quick breather to update fans on their upcoming tour and to thank the other bands before then launching into the only cover of the evening, a cover of what I can honestly say is my unequivocal favorite Britney Spears song, “Toxic”. The moment the riff hit, the crowd was in love. The band’s composition was brilliant, the iconic synth riff stayed the same, however now aided by the lead guitar, but what really shines through here is the vocal lead being performed by the saxophone, which added the true Britney sexiness that I think we can all agree is hard to find.
The set then closed with the final track off their EP, “Skin Crawl”. A song full of dynamic shifts, crushing riffs, and big synths that sent the crowd off in one final epic composition, highlighting the best of what Kessel Run has to offer. The night was theirs; they came, they saw, they conquered. Kessel Run’s sound is a welcome breath of fresh air, a no nonsense approach of pure musicianship and sonically mindful songwriting. Congrats to them on the release of their new EP – also they are running a GoFundMe right now to help them with some touring and recording expenses. These guys are legit, just listen to the recording. So if you can, go ahead and help ’em out – I did!
Kessel Run | 2010-02-16 | The Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO
-= One Set =-
01. (Intro)
02. Tactic >
03. No Moon
04. Desolate ->
05. George Lucas[1] ->
06. Interlude ->
07. Blue Tie ->
08. Dew[2]
09. (Banter)
10. Toxic (Britney Spears cover)[3]
11. Skin Crawl
Show Notes: This show was billed as “Boulder Weekly Presents: Kessel Run EP Release Party” to celebrate the band’s self-titled EP release. The Casino Effect opened the show and Mom & Dad played a late set after Kessel Run.
[1] “George Lucas” contained “Pure Imagination” (Bricusse/Newley) and “Ain’t Nobody” (Chaka Khan) teases.
[2] “Dew” contained “Who Knows” (Jimi Hendrix) teases.
[3] “Toxic” was a Kessel Run debut.
Taper Notes: DFC directly behind the soundboard. Mics raised around 9′ PAS. Board patch thanks to Robert!
Thank you to Kessel Run and The Fox Theatre for being cool with taping/sharing live shows. Go see live music and tip your bartenders! #spacetapes
LINK: https://archive.org/…/KR2019-02-16.AKG.P170.AUD.SBD.Matrix…/
DONATE: https://www.gofundme.com/help-kessel-run-with-recording-amp-tour-expenses
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