The Sam Chase & The Untraditional | 2019-08-22 | Lost Lake Lounge, Denver, CO [SBD/AUD Matrix]

I’ve got problems but they don’t amount to much. But on the plus side, I’ve also got The Sam Chase & The Untraditional headlining at Lost Lake!

You always remember the first time you saw a show at a venue, and with a little more than 300 shows under my belt, I’ve pretty much taped every venue Denver has to offer. Yet somehow, Lost Lake had managed to elude me. Luckily, I was given the opportunity to check out The Sam Chase & The Untraditional as they headlined the newly renovated Colfax venue, and what I experienced was a musical sermon of rocking proportions and a first time at the venue that I surely won’t ever forget.

If you aren’t familiar, Sam Chase is a singer-songwriter from San Francisco, CA. His voice is like a mid-range sounding Louis Armstrong, if he had grown up listening to Merle Haggard. It soars above all else and drives each of his songs home with a surly confidence and cowboy-like swagger. His music packages elements of folk, roots, americana, and bluegrass, and it delivers it all in a rock package that is as accessible as it is unique. And his band, dubbed The Untraditional, features its own distinct cast of musicians, each contributing their perfectly nuanced touches to elevate Sam’s songs and give them their character. A song like “Carry My Bones”—which shows off some impeccable violin work from Chandra Johnson, a rippingly dynamic lead from guitarist Nikko Rios, beautifully phrased keys work from Debbie Neigher, and the unwavering waltzy rhythm held down by bassist Liss Leigh and drummer Ted Johnson—is just one example in a set full of songs where The Untraditional’s contributions add the perfect compliments to Sam’s songs. Songs which cater to the downtrodden, the hopeful, the travelers, and as he may put it, the old lovers. I particularly enjoyed “I’ve Got Problems”, which has a really great video featuring a backwards mess.

In addition to all of this, Sam is a brilliant performer. There are some key, unspoken rules to being a great singer-songwriter, and one of them doesn’t have anything to do with music. Rather, it has to do with the in-between. Stories. Jokes. Fan interaction. Sam is a master of crowd control, and his ability to read the moment and turn a joke contributes to making each minute unique and fulfilling from a listener’s perspective. It’s a talent that can’t really be learned as much as it can just be refined, and Sam seems to have refined gold.

Sam Chase & The Untraditional put on a show filled with inspired songs that are played with so much passion that it overflows from the stage and into the crowd. Music that will make you dance, moments in between that will make you laugh, and songs that will make you smile. Sam Chase is a true troubadour for the modern era.

The Sam Chase & The Untraditional | 2019-08-22 | Lost Lake Lounge, Denver, CO

-= One Set =-
01. Feel Sunlight
02. I Sold My Soul To The City
03. End, Or Better Yet
04. (Banter)
05. Carry My Bones
06. (Banter II)
07. Little Better
08. (Banter III)
09. I’ve Got Problems
10. (Banter IV)
11. There For Me
12. (Banter V)
13. Play Our Songs
14. (Banter VI)
15. Devil’s Throne
16. (Banter VII)
17. Thank God[1]
18. Rivertrance (String Cheese Incident cover)
19. Ground Shakin’
20. (Banter VIII)
21. Blood Flow
22. Rock Bottom Never Felt So Good[2]

-= Encore =-
23. (Encore Break Banter)
24. Say That You Love Me

Show Notes: This was a headlining set and the band’s first time performing at Lost Lake. Jeff Cramer and The River Arkansas opened the show.
[1] “Thank God” contained a “U Can’t Touch This” (MC Hammer) quote.
[2] “Rock Bottom Never Felt So Good” contained a “Jurassic Park Theme” tease.

Taper Notes: FOB sligtly off-center mic stand setup on the stage-left corner of the soundboard booth; mics raised around 9′ PAS. Board patch and mix thanks to FOH engineer Jordan Schmidt.

Thank you to The Sam Chase & The Untraditional and Lost Lake for being cool with taping/sharing shows. Go see live music and tip your bartenders! #spacetapes

LINK: https://archive.org/details/tscatu2019-08-22.AKG.P170.AUD.SBD.Matrix.flac16