10.25.10 :: Interpol @ The Ogden Theater (W/ DJ AFTER-PARTY!!!)

The Venue & Whatnot

Occasionally Denver can be one of those places were everyone says they’re going to a show, so you go, only to find yourself in an empty room. This was not the case tonight. Music fans were out in force, with about a hundred or people lining up outside the Ogden before the door opened. These people deserve credit for two reasons: 1.) last night was the first legitimately chilly night of the fall and 2.) they were there to see White Rabbits, not just to see the headliners. Bravo.

Opening Act

Last year we listed the White Rabbits show at the Bluebird as our least favorite show of the year. To be honest, most of that had to do with the opener that night, a band called Crocodiles, who might be the worst band on the planet. Last night was a different story as White Rabbits delivered an excellent performance for a crowd that was more than familiar with their music. My big gripe last time around was that their set seemed “hurried,” and even though they had to cram themselves into a shorter amount of time they seemed much more comfortable on stage last night. Pianist/vocalist Stephen Patterson was on his game, nailing every note and doing the best he could to writhe around his instrument and elicit excitement from the audience. As was the case last time, I could not take my eyes off percussionist Matt Clark who, because of his ridiculous exuberance when hitting inanimate objects, continually drew smiles and laughs from me and my fellow concertgoers. They ended the set with their friendliest single “Percussion Gun” which was, for lack of a better word, awesome.

Headliner

Fact 1: Interpol’s Turn On The Bright Lights was (or should have been) on any respectable publication’s Top 10 albums of the 2000’s list, this one included. Fact 2: Subsequent albums have been nothing short of underwhelming. Fact 3: People still love this band because of Fact 1 and in spite of Fact 2. I feel that $35-plus-fees for a show at the Ogden completely warrants a little bit of expectation, so I walked into the venue last night ready to be impressed. I was less than such by the end of the set. Sampling from all of their albums, the band’s performance lacked energy for most of the night, the exceptions being “PDA” and “Stella Was A Diver And She Was Always Down” and a few other fan favorites. For most of the night I found myself wondering how being at the show was any different from simply blasting a few random songs from their albums. Sure, they “sounded just like the CD,” but part of the live music experience is adding something to the sound, giving it more depth, and making a connection with the audience, none of which was accomplished last night. To be fair, perhaps I am in the minority. The venue was nearly at capacity and the bars were empty during the Interpol set, so the band didn’t lose the audience, I just wonder how many of the hundreds of people at the show last night left wanting a little bit more.

After-Party (WOOT WOOT!)

Billed as some awesome Interpol DJ set (and Boyhollow too), it was actually pretty weak. The band hit the green room at Larimer Lounge at around 11:00 and took over on the 1’s and 2’s for Boyhollow at around 11:30. The party was complete with awkward mixes, drunk bitches trying to score drugs and/or their way into the green room, and skinny jean wearing hipsters dancing as only they can (poorly). It was a totally average party and we were glad they gave out free tickets at the Ogden rather than paying $12 of our hard-earned money at the Larimer door like a bunch of suckers. Looking back on it, turns out the whole evening went downhill after White Rabbits…