Another great show to report. I think someday I will get quicker posting these things…
Opener- My Brightest Diamond… meh. She obviously has a great voice, and I can see how when she is singing other peoples material it could be fantastic. But I thought her performance was a little flat– weak guitar playing and annoying basslines. Maybe I’m not being fair, it is hard to be an opening band. You are there before trying to play to an audience that is most likely there to see someone else and usually you are a lower tier band. I’m sure she will be good someday. OK enough of that on to the main show.
DeVotchKa – Here is a group who’s music was used in the film Little Miss Sunshine which has brought a whole new batch of fans to their mix (i.e. me). A great blend of Latin and Klesmer music, everyone in the group were multinstrumentalists and great showmen/woman. The lead singer, Nick Urata’s heroic chin and coiffed hair recalled a mixture of Clooney, Morrissey, and Bruce Cambell which added to the appeal of his vocals. This guy has so many cojones he needed TWO microphones to capture that voice. He also plays the guitar and laud (??) with a very spanish style strumming pattern.
Violinist/accordionist Tom Hagerman’s virtuostic lines had that spiderlike quality that added so much to the fast eastern european sound. He definitely gave them that Yann Tiersen twinge. Jeanie Schroder on Sousaphone/bass played all of her lines with a smile on her face the entire night. The Sousaphone has such a thick sound, like an electric bass on steriods, that it gives a great pad for Hagermans higher notes.
And last but CERTAINLY not least the drummer. Oh the drummer… this guy was on FIRE! Shawn King. This band plays FAST and he was there, tight as hell, the whole time. I haven’t heard drumming like this in a long time. Very precise and very schooled and very intense. He might even be my favourite aspect of their live show (if I were forced to pick one I suppose).
This was such a fun group to see. Very melancholic yet jovial party music, much like a Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico or something. They even had the bottle of wine to drink from on stage. All in all I think it was the second best show I have seen all year (Andrew Bird is still on top by a hair–not that his hair is better than Urata’s) and its definitely one of my top of all time. If anyone is in Denver over new years I would recommend checking them out, its a cheap show (36 bones) AND it includes Andrew Bird (obviously my new music man crush).
I give DeVotchKa the blue ribbon of success. 
Its a shame My Brightest Diamond wasnt good, as I really enjoy her album this year. She of course is notable for being the female voice behind many of Sufjan Steven’s work on Come on Feel the Illinoise. She is a bit dark and fragile on the record so that might not translate live as much when sometimes you just have to step up and play big.
DeVotchKa is growing to be one of my favourite groups with that healthy blend of gypsy eastern european folk and spaghetti western rock. Great to see them gain a whole new audience (including myself) in Little Miss Sunshine this summer.