ladybug transistor (i'm out of clever titles...)

The Ladybug Transistor/Papercuts/Widowers
8/14/2007
Hi-Dive, Denver, CO

In my determination to NOT miss the Papercuts set last night, I arrived at the Hi-Dive promptly at 9:00. However, as is my luck these days, the show didn't start until 9:30. Ah well, I was there in plenty of time to catch the openers – local band Widowers, who list the likes of The Beach Boys, The Zombies, Wilco and The New Pornographers among their influences. They were quite good, showcasing their brand of reverb-y psych pop in a pleasant 6-song set.



A short time later Papercuts took the stage, and so did the myriad technical problems. Over the course of the 40-minute set, Jason Quever and co. encountered a malfunctioning pedal, a malfunctioning microphone, and a drum that decided to fall over mid-song. Quever was visibly frustrated, though most of the problems seemed to be solved by the halfway point. Regardless of the technical difficulties, and the "long day" Quever claimed the band had had, Papercuts turned in a lovely performance. Unsurprisingly, most of the songs were chosen from this year's acclaimed release Can't Go Back; while Papercuts didn't play my personal favorite Take The 227 th Exit, they did put a smile on my face with Dear Employee and John Brown.



In sharp contrast to the almost weary tone of the Papercuts set, The Ladybug Transistor were bordering on giddy by the time they began their show. Gary Olson was definitely the focal point on stage as he juggled the trumpet, tambourine, shakers, claves, and what appeared to be a beat up old bass guitar with just two strings. Then there's his mellow baritone… studio recordings don't do this man justice; in the live setting his voice wraps itself around you like a nice warm hug.



Approximately half the songs were taken from the recent (and lovely) release Can't Wait Another Day, including Terry, For No Other, This Old Chase, So Blind, Always On The Telephone, and Three Days From Now (perhaps due to the passing reference to Denver?). It was a night for technical problems though as Gary's pedal was on the fritz off and on throughout the set. The band took it all in stride by bantering with the crowd a bit between songs - about Denver's altitude (a tired subject to us locals), Julia's greatest onstage fear (sneezing), and the Big (Abraham) Lincoln Head Monument in Wyoming. The hour long set was a blast; The Ladybug Transistor are an absolute joy to watch – you can't ask for more than outstanding musicians who undeniably have a great time playing together.