Progressive rock was the theme of the night at the Fox Theatre on Friday, Feb. 7. Three groups each played their own version of the genre.
Garage band Aspen Hourglass from Fort Collins opened up with a bang to get the crowd ready for a loud night. The trio consisting of Grayson Erhard (guitar, keys), John Napier (bass, keys) and Sean Hanson (drums), put on a funk-infused show that was metal-inspired, complete with the guest vocalist taking a brave stage-dive into a sparse crowd.
Next up was Tauk, a powerhouse instrumental quartet from Long Island, N.Y. Regardless of the absence of vocals, they had the crowd getting down and singing along with the melodic music. Most of Tauk formed while members were in middle school, and it’s not hard to tell that they have been playing together for more than a decade. Matt Jalbert on guitar, Charlie Dolan on bass, and “A.C.” Carter on the keys are joined by the 2012 addition of Isaac Teel on drums. Tauk impressive energy absolutely rocked The Fox with original compositions, a Led Zeppelin cover (“Immigrant Song”), and a foot-stomping rendition of The Beatles’ “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” to close out their set. Teel’s skills on the drum-set wowed the audience, challenging their dancing to keep up with his playing. These guys are unique and good at what they do. They make purely instrumental music seem effortless.
The nights’ headliner, local favorite Technicolor Tone Factory, offered their classic, elongated jams featuring spacey guitar solos over funky bass lines and kept the crowd moving on Friday night. The jam band is Jarrod Guaderrama (guitar), Taylor Frederick (guitar, vocals), Zack Jackson (bass, vocals), Greg Kallfa (keys, vocals), and Bryan Lefever (drums). They formed in Boulder in 2011, and come from diverse musical and geographical backgrounds. The band cites its primary influences as Umphrey’s McGee and Pink Floyd, which come through strongly in their performances. TTF threw down their take on the style, opening with the energetic originals “Careful As You Are” and “Heist,” demonstrating their spacey, progressive quality. Later on in the set they showed their genre-bending range with the instrumental “Jalepeño,” featuring upbeat rhythms provided by bongo drums, wailing saxophone solos and salsa melodies tapped out on the keyboard.
For those of you who missed Friday night’s prog-rock showcase, or were left wanting more, you can catch Aspen Hourglass at the Aggie Theatre in Fort Collins on February 13. Keep your eye out for Technicolor Tone Factory to announce more local shows soon, and watch for Tauk on the East coast and at various music
festivals this summer.
