Gandhi, Top Hats, Cow Herdin, Psychedelics

Exhibitions to Catch:
 Xu Behong characterizes Gandhi 


Bill Amundson makes light of ignorance

“Artspeak Remote”, 2011, pencil on paper, 48 x 38 inches 

Wes Hempel spins classic English book covers to reveal, stir emotions

WES HEMPEL THAT SAME CORNER oil on canvas
30 x 32

Duke Beardsley successfully wrangles the concept of contemporary Western art

Exhibitions to Miss:
MCA:  West of Center: Art and the Counterculture Experiment in America, 1965-1977
(Merely a nostalgic revelry of 1960's drug annals. Would bode well with high school students who want to see nudity and drugs.)

Unexpected Harmonization

You know the spot. It's the neighborhood site that has been a myriad of restaurants, each only successful in dwindling popularity from the business before. This haunt is located in Boulder, a block off of the main traffic street, removed from juggling hippies and want-to-be Allen Ginsbergs. It was the impromptu venue chosen to host Delicate Steve and Yellow Ostrich Tuesday night in place of the canceled Ra Ra Riot show.

The bands took the stage in the backroom of the main restaurant, which truly only functions as a lobby. The wine isn't cheap, but they're not serving Little Penguin so its justified.

Yellow Ostrich brought Whale to a new level with the addition of the trumpet.

Delicate Steve made a mockery of their moniker and got loony on stage. The band basically bouncing endlessly like a high school football team pre-game huddle. 

All in all, great show to catch. Just in keep in mind that the bands are still figuring out their stage presence.

Bare Maximum

Sitting with three glasses of wine, tint gradually darker with each glass, we sit feasting like royals at Maxx's Gill and Grill near Wash Park. There's a medley of characters at the bar, including an older gentleman sporting a shirt that declares 'I do my own stunts' along with a felt bounty hat, red vest, and rounded bifocals. There's a sense of accomplishment that comes with the successful attainment of a happy hour, as though one is in essence swindling the establishment. However, there is greater accomplishment felt when one osmoses three superb bands for the price of one.

Spires, Bear Hands, and Royal Bangs performed a knock-out kneck-straining show at the grungy the Hi-dive. The crowd started to amass around the end of Bear Hands, which presented plenty of time on the dance floor for the frictionless soles of vintage boots occupying the room. The tempo progressed with each band, as did the thrashing.

Both Bear Hands and Royal Bangs played a mixture of new and older jams, throwing in some solos here and there. Darren the Drummer from the Royal Bangs nearly internally combusted on stage. All in all, the energy was vibrant despite the apparent fact that all members of each band had a case of the tour flu.