White Denim were really good back at SXSW when I’d never really listened to them before; White Denim were great at Monolith when I’d actually knew what I was in for.
Prior to their set we ran into James and Steve on the balcony of Red Rocks. I introduced myself and told them that I’d love it if they managed to play “Sitting,” something they apparently have only done once or twice. James laughed and said that even though the rest of the band didn’t know it, he might try to play it since he knew that Chris and I liked it so much. Unfortunately it didn’t happen, but that didn’t keep it from being one of the best sets I saw all week.
White Denim are the kind of band you email your friends about. Midway through their show, I paused and thought about emailing all my friends at record labels to see if any big bands would want to take them on as openers; let’s forget that in a perfect world White Denim would be a national headlining juggernaut. They’ve got a kind of greatness that inspires action in its audience — whether that be telling friends, buying their records or even just attending the next show, I promise it’ll grab you.
But White Denim were just a ton of fun. Josh drummed like a guy who was having way too much fun, which, strangely, lead to one of the greatest exchanges of the night. Lead singer James Petralli told drummer Josh to “tighten up,” which I took to mean “stop drinking.” Josh grinned and got ready to jump into the next tune, intent on his wacky ways (which I was thoroughly enjoying). I guess James decided to fight fire with fire, because he took a big gulp of his beer and spit it all over Josh and his drum kit. After a second of wide eyes in the crowd, unsure of how this would turn out, we all shared a laugh when Josh shook his head, laughed and launched into their next song. They’re like crazy brothers who make some great music.
