Morsel | 2019-02-01 | Your Mom’s House, Denver, CO [SBD/AUD Matrix]

What’s good is gone and gone is good and good is…well…good is Morsel at Your Mom’s House!

Coming out swinging with their set supporting Banshee Tree, Morsel started things off with a deep psychedelic jam, setting the tone for a jam-packed evening that would find the band elevating several tunes to exploratory heights. The crowd felt rowdier than usual, not in a antagonistic way, but more in an extra-sauced supportive kind of way. The opening tune “Sulfur Springs” was a traditional bluegrass tune, which featured some exceptional dobro work. Next up, the band exclaimed “We’re going to jam” before melting into the opening chords of “Slow Ride”. The song was one of the most psychedelic moments of the evening, continuing the theme from the opening jam and flexing the nu-grass outfit’s improv muscles.

The band then performed “Outlaw”, an americana inspired number that was forged by speedy mandolin licks and more impressive lead guitar work. Following the song about a law breaker, was a song about being on the run from breaking the law: the minor and melancholically beautiful “When We Met”. Maybe it’s the minor chords talking, but the song has a beautiful, moving cadence that I could listen to for hours and hours. Once the lead kicks-in, you know it’s going to be impactful…the stage has been set, and impactful it was.

After a cover of The Beatles’ “Rocky Raccoon”, which was well-received and the biggest sing-a-long of the evening, came another original, “Whirling Tops”. The song’s bouncy melody and optimistic chorus about sticking together hits you right in the feels and proves one of the band’s most singable songs. Was I singing? Of course I was. I’m not a monster. After the jam and a brief pause, the band took another improv excursion before launching into their single “Crab Meat Balls”, which they recently released a music video for.

They then covered The Grateful Dead’s “Deal” in true bluegrass fashion, which always goes over well on a Denver Friday night. They followed it up with two more traditional bluegrass tunes, an instrumental by the Foggy Mountain Boys, the operatively titled “Foggy Mountain Breakdown”, which cleverly segued into John Hartford’s classic “Steam Powered”. The band then closed out their set with another one from their increasingly recognizable (to me) catalogue, a raucous rendition of “Gemini Bridges”.

The set showed me a more evolved side of Morsel. From sets past, I knew they were fantastic songwriters and could certainly play a lick or five. But this set showed the band’s ability to improvise and take their songs not just to new heights, but to compelling peaks and plateaus, befitting them the title of nu-grass. Exciting to see this new side of the band’s musicianship and excited to catch the next excursion.

Morsel | 2019-02-01 | Your Mom’s House, Denver, CO

-= One Set =-
01. (Jam)
02. Sulfur Springs
03. Slow Ride
04. Outlaw
05. How We Met
06. Rocky Raccoon (The Beatles cover)
07. Whirling Tops, (Jam II)
08. Crab Meat Balls
09. Deal (Grateful Dead cover)
10. Foggy Mountain Breakdown (Foggy Mountain Boys cover) -> Steam Powered (John Hartford cover)
11. Gemini Bridges

Show Notes: This was set was performed in support of Banshee Tree who headlined the evening. Leibermonster opened the show.

Taper Notes: DFC stage left of board. Mics raised around 9′ PAS. Board patch thanks to Elliot!

Thanks to Morsel and Your Mom’s House for being cool with taping/sharing shows. Go see live music and tip your bartenders! #spacetapes

LINK: https://archive.org/…/Morsel2019-02-01.AKG.P170.AUD.SBD.Mat…