Mile High Horror Music Showcase-Night 2
by Wendy Villalobos
There will never be a moment that I experience where I am not, in one way or another, supporting the creativity of independent musicians. I am always pleasantly surprised at undiscovered talent that I come across, and when I entered The Walnut Room, one of Denver’s hot spots for local and aspiring musicians, I knew I was in for a good time.
Two years ago, Denver was introduced to the unique and new idea of holding an independent horror movie festival. This meant that hardworking unknown cinematic geniuses could produce movies that the audience would later see, and be recognized all at the same time. In the same regard, the Mile High Horror Music Showcase came around to inspire creative musicians to bring their talents forth, with a nice spooky twist to liven up the crowd. The first on stage that night was Wichita Runs, a two-man group from Denver consisting of singer/songwriter Conal Rosanbalm and mandolin player Andrew Thompson.
I was immediately impressed with a mandolin player in the group, something I do not get to see frequently. The set was around forty minutes, and each song was so unique from the other. One song in particular called “Saw You Strolling” caught my attention. I felt as if I was in the “Elizabethtown” soundtrack suddenly, feeling the perfect combination of guitar and mandolin to create an almost folky, bluegrass feel that did not disappoint. Their music was not only pretty, but their lyrics were meaningful and full of life that brought a smile to my lips. Rosanbalm joked during the set that even though they weren’t exactly in the “horror” spirit, he had a creepy “hello” that was just enough to give us chills. The performance overall was a pleasant ride, and I was glad to have been on board with this new, budding band.
The next band to take the stage was one simply called the Kevin Costner Suicide Pact. Well that’s definitely one way to ring in the Halloween season right? Aside from their whimsical, if not hilarious band name, TKCSP were up next to give the audience a taste of their talents . . . with a twist. Instead of the band actually performing, they went ahead and set up an old movie reel and soundboard on stage, announcing that they were going to score a favorite scary movie of theirs, to celebrate what the showcase was all about.
In terms of spooky and creepy, the Costner’s did just that, creating a strange tension with synthetic sounds and reverbs as the last thirty minutes of the movie played on the reel. I can truthfully say that I had never been to a show where the experience was kind of like the performative, but it was a great way to introduce a bit of a horror element into the show.
Next up on the list was the talented and charismatic Sarah Slaton, one musician that I have had the fortune of watching live before. Her presence on stage has always been energetic and her songs are full of great lyrics with even greater music to back it up. Her songs, like one called “Ribs” really gave me chills and left me with a definite haunted feeling, which fit in perfectly with the theme of the night. I walked out of the Walnut Room that night feeling awake, but also excited for the upcoming Halloween season. The Mile High Horror Music Showcase was a “spooktacular” (please excuse the pun, I couldn’t help myself) way to kick-start that excitement for me, and I can’t wait to get scary.
Category: On The Scene
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