slice of lime

I first meet the guys of Kangaroo Court in the parking lot, next to their U-haul, where they’re still changing. The mix of curly blonde hair, natural humor, and cuffed jeans seems to be an unofficial uniform. Their twist on psych rock is apparently scarce in Chicago, where they “fill the void,” but their sound is heard 20x a night here. What makes them different? They joke that it’s their “long hair and mustaches,” but I think it might be a pure-hearted passion for what they’re doing, some stellar chemistry between each other, and a combination of metal into the mix that brings them over the edge. They seem as eccentric as their music, the differences in personality adding as much to the band as the various influences they list: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, The Strokes, Tame Impala, Psychedelic Porn Crumpets, and Black Sabbath among them. They can even be seen practically snuggled together on a couch before the show.

They speak highly of the community and the music scene they come from, that “no one gets clowned on,” and the level of mutual respect and support for what they’re doing makes it one of the best they’ve seen. Noah, their bassist, and Garrett, lead guitarist, admit to having some music projects on the side, joking they will lean into scat more as they develop their personal sounds. This band’s token of good luck seems to be in their name; just about every show they’ve done has had a location only blocks away with ‘Kangaroo’ in the name. Said band name was inspired by Jake’s love for Australian music and background studying political science.

They have two singles currently out on Spotify, “Something’s Gotta Give” and “Spark Ranger,” that we got to hear alongside some unreleased songs tonight. These singles are a taste of what’s to come for their upcoming album, hinting at a possible release in time for their two-year anniversary in late September. The album will feature “a lot of different flavors and a piano ballad at the end.” The common thread of garage rock through their sound comes from a unified personal taste. Jake currently takes the lead in songwriting. He says that sometimes they play the songs live before he even has lyrics, working with the inspiration as it comes.

Watching this touring band from Illinois, it is easy to see why they were recently named a best upcoming band. Their dark gothic bass, sharp cymbals, and crooning vocals are best enjoyed in the purple smoke and lighting of the Atrium. It gets hazier and hazier as they play, like some spell cast upon the crowd where all we can do is watch them play. The movement between the bass and drum in songs like “Order!” and “Right On” keeps the setlist progressing and never leaves the audience bored or stuck. It is rare to find a band where each player is as talented as the next, but I was astonished by each person’s skill. Cody, on drums, is quick and crisp, several times getting outright cheers from the people around him. Even during their soundcheck, the bassist and guitarists moved together in hypnotic synchronicity, and the vocals are somehow even better live. There is such a natural synergy between them I couldn’t imagine anyone else playing together.

Where The Crooked Rugs lean more playfully psychedelic, Kangaroo Court embraces the grit of garage punk guitar, even ending their set with the ode to garage punk seen in their Stumbling Blocks recording session. You can hear the deep rumble in your chest that feels very Black Sabbath-inspired, and there is a pop punk aftertaste buried in songs like “Spark Ranger.” I was drawn into its strong vocals and creative melodies like a moth to the flame, truly as melodic and catchy as the band promised. As they descended into red lighting for a new untitled song, I realized in the back of my mind I would be ruined for live performances for a bit after this.

The song I had been obsessively listening to on repeat all week, “Something’s Gotta Give,” is brought to life when played live. The slow transitions drip, thick like honey, of metal influence. Combined with the crisp vocals, it gives us a different psychedelic flavor. Instead of the tartness of Fort Collin’s psych rock, heard in bands like The Crooked Rugs, we get something savory and memorable. “Grandpa Ted’s big adventure” felt like a trip through every possible sound the band could introduce, and if they weren’t so authentic when talking to them earlier, I would think it almost an ego trip performance. I don’t know about anyone else, but I will be marking the potential release of their album on every calendar I own and praying they come back to Fort Collins sometimes soon. Consider me hooked and waiting for my next fix.

Whatever sting of energy was delivered by Kangaroo Court is soothed by the balm of The Crooked Rugs slow groove and blanketed vocals as they start off with both “Moon Dog” and “Sun Dog” from their album Metropolis. At this point, the Atrium is packed full of people, and the languid, over-indulgent guitar settled the crowd into place. While the fog may have heightened Kangaroo Court’s set into sharp focus, it now has the Cheshire Cat effect with The Crooked Rugs on the stage, the senses being settled into a mellow haze and everything else fading away. Sometimes I feel they almost struggle to stay together, maybe due to the stifling heat and haze in the bar.

There is something raw in the vocals, and although it is a weakness for the band, I couldn’t imagine something polished fitting in as well with their sound. Often, the roughness acts as an analgesic alongside the slashing guitar, making it a muffled, messy goodness. This can be especially heard in their performance of “Big Groove” off their album THAT!. I’ll eventually stop comparing these artists to desserts, but The Crooked Rugs is truly the chewy caramel center of the Fort Collins music scene. Watching, it is easy to see how their bassist, Finn, keeps the stable energy the band needs not to go careening into psychedelic madness. His creamy bass is a treat to hear paired with the fuzzy guitar in “Metropolis.”

I might be biased because they played my two favorite songs from their discography: “Violet Tiger” and “Sixth Rotation,” but even for its flaws, it was a wonderful performance from these boys of Fort Collins. Maybe I just like them barking at us in “Violet Tiger,” but the rough vocals, -gazy metal guitar, and quick-paced drum fills exemplify the best of The Crooked Rugs in my mind. I do prefer their darker, slithering songs like “Violet Tiger” to their bright, western melodies like “Tales of the Great Western Sky Pt.2,” but both make an excellent, well-balanced setlist. There is lots of movement from the crowd and band, and everyone seemed to be inspired by Kangaroo Court, bouncing and hopping about. While it was a quick show for the band, we got to hear a varied selection of their albums Metropolis, Tales of the Great Western Sky, and THAT!