Kessel Run | 2019-07-12 | Cervantes’ Other Side, Denver, CO [SBD/AUD Matrix]

The US Air Force has a software development team named Kessel Run, but I doubt they jam as hard as the real Kessel Run at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom(Other Side)!

Coming off a stellar set that kicked off Beanstalk Music Festival with a bang, Kessel Run came out to support Travers Brothership with a solid set of original, epic jazz-fusion instrumentals. The set opened with “Desolate”, which was exactly where the band ended things a couple of weeks earlier at Rancho Del Rio. The tune lulls listeners into a hypnotic thumping chord progression before launching into an ascending outro, driven by guitarist Cam Canepa‘s feverish lead and blanketed by Alex Cazet‘s saxophone melody. The set continued with the smooth and sexy “Blue Tie”. The song starts off with a clear smooth jazz focus but begins to loosen its proverbial tie and kick into its own party with synth tones and more guitar shredding. If this song were a person, it would be a man in a blue suit, slowly loosening the tie and progressively rocking out harder and harder until he catches himself, finds his composure, fixes his tie, and returns to his normal life. I don’t know if this personification was necessary for you to understand the moment, but I felt it was worth sharing.

Next up, the band kicked into “Skin Crawl”, a song that lives up to its namesake, featuring one of the band’s most menacing opening riffs. The song takes some breaks into more downtempo jamtronica but always finds itself crashing back into that evil riff. If we need another person to describe this song, it would be someone running away from an ominous evil shadow only to realize intermittently that the shadow can take shape within them on a whim. Afterward, the band took the intensity down, performing their blissful epic “No Moon” before closing out the set with a nod to their namesake, the particularly funky “George Lucas”.

Kessel Run always manages to impress with their highly technical compositions executed with a flawless attention to detail and fierce focus. Equally impressive is their ability to write instrumentals that keep fans engaged with their highly melodic main riffs and proficient technical ability. They’ll be celebrating their three year anniversary this Saturday at The Fox Theatre, and it’s no surprise they’ve managed to accomplish as much as they have in such a short period. Congrats to them and on to another three!

Kessel Run | 2019-07-12 | Cervantes’ Other Side, Denver, CO

-= One Set =-
01. (Intro)
02. Desolate
03. Blue Tie
04. Skin Crawl
05. (Banter)
06. No Moon
07. (Banter II)
08. George Lucas[1]

Show Notes: This was an opening set in support of Travers Brothership. Big Time Rascals played a tweener set on the outside Patio stage.

[1] “George Lucas” contained “Ain’t Nobody” (Chaka Khan) teases.

Taper Notes: Stage right of the soundboard, slightly off-center. Mics raised around 8′ PAS.

Thank you to Kessel Run and Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom for being cool with taping/sharing shows. Go see live music and tip your bartenders! #spacetapes

LINK: https://archive.org/details/KR2019-07-12.AKG.P170.AUD.SBD.Matrix.flac16