White Denim – Everything you want in a rock band.
Genre: Alternative Rock.
Composition: Guitar/Vocals, Drums, Bass, Keys.
Venue: Paradise Rock Club
White Denim is an alternative rock band based our of Austin, Texas (a place I really need to check out) who has been around since 2006. This show was a real treat, one of the shows you go into expecting good things and receiving much, much more. I got an invitation from my buddy Matt to see this band and I only knew a few of their songs, their studio stuff is excellent, but definitely felt much mellow-er than their live work. They have an ability to combine blues, rock and funk in a way that is unique and not often seen these days. I had a perfect view of the show, which at Paradise is hard not to have, stage right side of the band looking across and behind the band members. A lovely thing about this venue is the ability to feel the energy coming off the stage, which in many locations you are close enough to touch. It’s intimate experiences like this that make Paradise so fun, and the site for many famous rockers over the years.
This band has one of my favorite traits in a live show, continuous playing and the blending of one song into the next. It’s a hallmark of a group of very talent musicians, and it really speaks to their ability to work together and be “in sync” with one another musically. Not only that, but during these extended jam sessions they were constantly changing tone, key, rhythm and time signatures. Incredibly impressive playing all around, and you could tell these guys had been playing live together for quite some time. Their frontman, lead guitarist and vocalist James Petralli, is an absolute stud and the star of the show. Guy can hit a note vocally with a raucous tone that ranges from screeches (the good kind) to low, softer notes on their slow songs. His voice sounds notably better, in my opinion, live than it does in studio. More raw and less echoey. He can also shed wildly on guitar with precision on each note, breaking out in impressive solos throughout. Their bassist, Steve Terebecki, was vibing and headbanging with the crowd on each lick. And boy, did they feed off the crowd. Concertgoers, fired up for a Friday night (as they should be), were in awe of the talent on stage, and it honestly felt like most of us there were not expecting how good the show would be. These guys are very much musicians. Drummer Josh Block was going all out on drums and impressed me with his rapid playing all night, carrying the energy of the whole band forward even on pace with Petralli’s lead front-stage.
All-in-all, great show. The crowd was really into it and you could tell the band was feeling it too, James was smiling the whole night. Might I add, they played 30 songs!! What a performance. Some of the highlights: Sky Beaming –> Hallelujah –> Had 2 Know; Magazin (one of my favorites); Take It Easy; Pretty Green; Fine Slime.
All-in-all, fabulous show. Score: 9.5/10
Check out their albums: Corsicana Lemonade; Stiff; In Person
Beats & Blockbusters 