I couldn’t wait ‘til I got home to listen to this recording of ManyColors performing at Beanstalk Music Festival!
On the third and final day of Beanstalk Music Festival, the Platform stage played host to two sets of Denver’s finest, ManyColors, drifting the festival from late afternoon and into the night. This year’s festival had already been a great success, and the lo-fi nu jazz outfit was just the right act to help transition the festival into its final hurrahs… and what a hurrah these sets would turn out to be.
The band performed two sets filled to the brim with original sound. Sure, there were covers, but ManyColors has crafted such a unique soundscape, that their covers become uniquely theirs. Whether paying tribute to the legendary producer J Dilla through tunes like “Lightworks”, or the great grunge phenomenon Nirvana with their take on “Heart Shaped Box”, the band envelopes their covers in their creativity and boldness, pushing the songs through a prism of originality, rather than relying on the charm of a more traditional interpretation. Nowhere was this more inspiring than in their newest cover, a take on the Blink 182 hit, “Adam’s Song”.
On paper, it’s hard to think a band that’s inspired by lo-fi neo-soul beats could find a starker contrast than the pop-punk trio’s somber classic. However, ManyColors’ interpretation was a beautiful mix of ghostly tones and celestial melodic phrasing that took fans on a moving journey, highlighting the beauty of the original while staying true to the ManyColors sound. The airy inflection of Eric Luba’s keys work, the shifting dynamics of Braxton Kahn’s drumming, the absolutely jaw-dropping bass solo from Kirwan Brown, and of course, the exhilarating leads from Brant Williams showcased a band comfortable in their identity and bursting with creativity. Not to mention the addition of Will Trask brought an added layer of percussive majesty to the set. Nostalgia aside, this was a brilliant and reverent take on the Blink 182 classic.
Covers aside, ManyColors has proven they are more than just a J Dilla tribute act, crafting one of the strongest catalogues of original material in the Denver scene. From their tried-and-true singles, like “Rust”, “Gladys”, and “Bangs”, to their newer combo offerings of “King Kai > Grande” and “Soft Trees > Places You’ll Go”, the band continues to create remarkably fresh original works that sit outside the conventional boxes of jambands or jazz artists. It’s a sound that’s fun to categorize; like a J Dilla acid trip or a Nujabes fever dream, ManyColors are ripe for simile.
The band also had some of the most interesting sit-ins of the weekend, inviting up Denver’s favorite sax-player, Envy Alo’s Kevin Supina, for a take on the Nujabes tune “Gone Are The Days”. This featured a rousing samba drum-off that also featured Dopapod’s Neal “Fro” Evans lending a hand. The result was a completely new sound for the band, proving they are capable of even more diversity in their sonic delivery. As the band took a respective knee to observe the percussive mastery with the rest of the crowd, it was clear that the packed Platform stage audience was hanging on the band’s every move.
ManyColors is, as the kids say, a vibe. Their music rests in the crevices of your soul, accenting the minutia of life with notes of saturated color and auditory bliss. Their music is spacious. It’s a warm blanket of technicolor that lulls you into a dreamlike state through their euphoric delivery, enrapturing you in their laid-back yet intricate compositions. ManyColors is the soundtrack to your subconscious life, a reflective trip into the soul, the pulse of dreams. Definitely a vibe for sure.
ManyColors | 2022-06-25 | Beanstalk
Music Festival at Rancho Del Rio, CO
-= Set 1 =-
01. Jam >
02. The Baddest
03. Gladys
04. Lightworks (J Dilla cover)
05. Bangs
06. Basura Bear
07. Whisp
08. Zuzu’s Tears
09. Heart Shaped Box (Nirvana cover)
-= Set 2 =-
10. Jam >
11. Rust >
12. Adam’s Song (Blink 182 cover)
13. King Kai >
14. Grande
15. Gone Are The Days (Nujabes cover)[1]
16. Soft Trees >
17. Places You’ll Go
18. Munster
Show Notes: This set was performed on the third day of the Beanstalk Music and Mountains Festival. This was the festival’s ten year anniversary. This set was performed on the Platform Stage. Will Trask was featured on additional percusion for the entire set.
[1] “Gone Are The Days” featured Kevin Supina (Envy Alo) on saxophone and Neal “Fro” Evans (Dopapod) on additional percussion.
Taper Notes: Mics setup on-stage DIN formation around 3′ DFC. Board patch & mix thanks to FOH Engineer Trea.
Thank you to ManyColors and Beanstalk Music Festival for being cool with taping/sharing shows. Go see live music and support your local artists and musicians! #spacetapes
LINK: https://archive.org/details/MC2022-06-25.CA14.omnis.onstage.AUD.SBD.Matrix.flac16
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