The Jauntee | 2019-05-25 | Mile High Spirits, Denver, CO [AUD]

The effervescent cleansing we all look forward to will be delayed, but in the meantime, enjoy The Jauntee performing at Mile High Spirits – Denver’s Distillery!

As the weather begins to warm-up and with the summer finally creeping in, it was refreshing to get out to Mile High Spirits’ weekly reason to go day-drinking, Bloodies and Bluegrass. This week featured veterans of the event, The Jauntee, performing their brand of nu-grass dubbed “Jauntgrass”, a mash-up of Jauntee originals and covers performed in a more stripped-down acoustic style.

The band had quite the eclectic cover selection, ranging from more traditional bluegrass tunes such as the Jerry Garcia and Dave Grisman penned “Grateful Dawg” and “Dawgz Waltz”, to a more folk-like sound with covers of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Homeward Bound” and Neil Young’s “Harvest Moon”, to more classic rock numbers such as The Rolling Stones’ “Let It Bleed” and Eric Clapton’s “Lay Down Sally”. The band also found room in that spectrum for one of Dave Brubeck’s jazz classics off his prolific “Time Out” record, the first track titled “Blue Rondo a’La Turk”. They also performed some indie tunes with a couple of nods to Wilco, as well as Cake, and they even threw in a cover of Phish’s “Bug” to round things out. If you like any type of music with a guitar (short of metal) there will be something here for you, and to be fair, guitarist Caton Sollenberger does his own fair share of shredding.

The band also performed a plethora of originals, re-phrased in the Jauntgrass style. There was an early first set “Whiskey”, which may have been a nod to the venue being a distillery, featuring a brief blissed-out mid-section with a satisfying build and peak section. There was the misty cadence of “Jiminy Cricket”, which drifted through the high ceilings of Mile High Spirits like a foggy dream. There was the spirited step of “Let Dreams Do”, which feels right at home as a bluegrass number and featured one of the deeper jams of the afternoon. They also performed some compact versions of their more accessible tunes like “Know It All”, “Yopper”, and “Mr. Murderin’ Man”, all of which felt like a natural fit in their new bluegrass digs.

The Jauntee are true professionals. When it comes to crafting set lists that incorporate an incredibly broad range of artists and genres, all while interpreting them through a bluegrass lens, The Jauntee succeed in spades. Their execution is pristine for both their originals and their cover selections, each to which they add their own distinct voice with a seemingly effortless ease. The Jauntee might be my favorite bluegrass band, and they aren’t even a bluegrass band. I think that sums it up nicely.

The Jauntee | 2019-05-25 | Mile High Spirits, Denver, CO

-= Set 1 =-
01. Airline To Heaven (Wilco cover)
02. Regretless Apprentice
03. Grateful Dawg (Garcia/Grisman cover)
04. Whiskey
05. Stick Shifts & Safety Belts (Cake cover)
06. Let Go
07. Know It All
08. Fading Time
09. Tonight You Belong To Me (Billy Rose cover)
10. Blue Rondo a’La Turk (Dave Brubeck cover)
11. All My Loving (The Beatles cover)[1]
12. Let Dreams Do
13. Jiminy Cricket
14. The Late Greats (Wilco cover)
15. Bug (Phish cover)

-= Set 2 =-
16. Valley Girl
17. Dawgz Waltz (Garcia/Grisman cover) >
18. Mr. Murderin’ Man
19. Drip Drop
20. Spiral
21. Let It Bleed (The Rolling Stones cover)
22. Yopper
23. Homeward Bound (Simon & Garfunkle cover)
24. Way To Grow
25. Harvest Moon (Neil Young cover)
26. When The Love Is
27. Old Thompson ->
28. Lay Down Sally (Eric Clapton cover)

Show Notes: TThis show was a part of Mile High Spirits’ weekly “Bloodies & Bluegrass” event. As a result, the band performed two Jauntgrass sets.
[1] “All My Loving” contained a “Isn’t She Lovely” (Stevie Wonder) tease.

Taper Notes: DFC Mics raised around 8′ PAS.

Thank you to The Jauntee and Mile High Spirits – Denver’s Distillery for being cool with taping/sharing shows. Go see live music and tip your bartenders! #spacetapes