Kessel Run | 2020-08-01 | UpSlope Brewing Company, Boulder, CO [SBD/AUD Matrix]

That’s no planet…that’s a recording of Kessel Run performing at Upslope Brewing Company!

The current concert situation during the worst pandemic in modern history has been pretty non-existent. The mood has felt bleak. There have been events that try to recreate aspects of a live event that have fallen somewhat short. But luckily, there are still artists and venues fighting tooth-and-nail to find a way to make this all work. Last Saturday, UpSlope made its entry into the socially distanced concert series with a couple of sets from Denver/Boulder-(depending on who you ask)-based band, Kessel Run.

The band seemed anxious to get back to what they do best, performing live. The sold-out crowd appeared equally ready to experience live music for the first time, for many, in months. Even a brief rain shower during soundcheck couldn’t trounce the band’s high spirits as they took the stage for the first of two sets that they would perform that afternoon.

The first set a started off with the sauntering original, “Desolate”, which rallied its intensity and then blended into another original, “Tactic”, kicking things into frantic disco party mode. The band then took things down a notch with a fitting tribute to Radiohead, playing their cover of “Weird Fishes”, which featured several poignant saxophone moments as it mimicked Tom Yorke’s melodious verses. The band then performed their second longest tune of the night, with the intricately cathartic “No Moon”, followed by the debut of their original, “Funkhauser”, a heavy-funk instrumental whose namesake pays tribute to the late actor Bob Einstein, who played Morty Funkhauser on the popular show “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, and also featured guitarist Cam Canepa on a seven string guitar for that low end funk. The set then closed with a crowd favorite cover of Tame Impala’s “The Less I Know The Better”, once again spotlighting tenor saxophonist Alex Cazet’s ability to breath life into well-known vocal melodies.

The second set was equally strong and a bit more eclectic with its set list selection, featuring several new cover debuts – the infectious grooves of Flock Of Seagulls’ “Space Age Love Song” contained all of the danceability and zero of the bad hair to kick off the set; there was a bouncy rendition of Poolside’s interpretation of Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon”, and a bust-out cover of Miles Davis’ “Black Satin”, which the band last played back in 2018. They also peppered in some of their originals, such as the cosmically funky “George Lucas” out of the opening dance-romp, and the intense “Dew > Skin Crawl” combination to close out the set. The band also encored with the most exploratory song of the evening, a new debut named after the venue playing host to the event, “UpSlope”.

In these trying times it’s nice to be able to do the things that kept us sane prior to everything getting crazy. Kessel Run and UpSlope certainly rose to the occasion, providing a reason to see live music again, providing a socially conscious event that helped provide the new archetype for what may be the future of live music for the time being. A welcome moment with hopefully more to come.

Kessel Run | 2020-08-01 | UpSlope Brewing Company, Boulder, CO

-= Set 1 =-
01. (Slayer Intro)
02. Desolate >
03. Tactic
04. (Banter)
05. Weird Fishes (Radiohead cover)[1]
06. No Moon
07. (Band Introductions)
08. Funkhauser[1]
09. (Banter II)
10. The Less I Know The Better (Tame Impala cover)[1]

-= Set 2 =-
11. (Set 2 Intro)
12. Space Age Love Song (Flock Of Seagulls cover)[1] >
13. George Lucas[2]
14. Harvest Moon (Neil Young cover)[1]
15. Black Satin (Miles Davis cover)
16. Dew >
17. Skin Crawl[3]

-= Encore =-
18. (Encore Break)
19. UpSlope[1]

Show Notes: This show was a part of the “Safer Summer Music Series In The Back Yard” hosted by UpSlope Brewing Company.
[1] “Weird Fishes”, “Funkhauser”, “The Less I Know The Better”, “Space Age Love Song”, “Harvest Moon”, and “UpSlope” were debut performances.
[2] “George Lucas” contained “Ain’t Nobody” (Chaka Khan) teases.
[3] “Skin Crawl” contained “George Lucas” teases.

Taper Notes: Mics setup DFC on-stage raised around 2′ – Audience mics setup on the stage-right side and set around 7′ PAS. Soundboard patch and sound mix thanks to Eric Plein and Chris Ruiz at Cosmic Collective.  

Thank you to Kessel Run and Upslope Brewing Company for being cool with taping/sharing shows. Go support live music and your local businesses! #spacetapes