Lost Lake with Origami Summer, Our Stars Align, Miniluv, & Ragetones
Behind me, I can hear a saxophone as the bands go through soundcheck, and in front of me are the four men of Origami Summer in a momentarily awkward semi-circle. The guys quickly warm up once I get them talking, eventually settling into a scattered and enthusiastic energy. We’re tucked away in the alley behind Lost Lake to find some quiet to hear each other. I was welcomed in by D’ante, their lead guitarist, who introduced himself as their “band dad” and plays the role well, all charismatic ease. The band is made up of D’ante, their guitarist, Andrew on bass, Daniel on drums, and Sphen as lead vocalist, but they say they “feel like more of the band” when recording with Van VerHoeven from BNormous Productions.
“Lost Lake gave us a chance,” they explain how the venue was major to them starting out when all they had to prove themselves was some recordings on their phone. They exemplify the community essential for local bands perfectly, acting as a mixture of foster dads and matchmakers for other bands around them. All four are eager to name the people and bands who helped them grow. Despite only being together since December, the guys have a natural chemistry apparently forged through road trips and an ungodly amount of Lifesaver gummies. Even as the other bands perform before them, they can be seen in the audience with their arms around each other’s shoulders.
Our Stars Align
The first band to play is Our Stars Align, who I heard practicing earlier in the evening. Their music could be classified as quintessential emo, with angsty, screaming vocals and a thrumming bass that seems inspired by Deftones. They are lush and dark, with lyrics of pining and hurt. Lit up in yellows and magentas, they explain how their bassist, Leon, is new to the band, and I wouldn’t have been able to tell any difference with how fluid his sound fits in. Their stage presence is intense and gritty in an authentically sloppy way that suits their tone. They ended their setlist with You Threw it All Away, their strongest song with tight cymbals from their drummer, Julian, and a gorgeous guitar tone from Connor. You can catch them next on July 15th at Doghouse in Colorado Springs.
Ragetones
The Ragetones, a classic pop-punk combo from Pueblo, played next. Their saxophone player, Taryn, was a crowd favorite, and I was no exception. Both the male and female vocalists are strong and memorable, distinct when solo and blending together when combined. They switched from some of their sadder songs like Angel, promising the crowd that they are, in fact, a sad band, to bouncing hits like Dream. It all built so naturally upon itself that I didn’t notice the switches in tone until the breakdown of the next song. They have nailed down the anthemic brightness of pop-punk while keeping the angst and sadness intact. They were clearly a local favorite, the crowd cheering for one more song as they left the stage. You can catch them next on July 14th in Wichita, Kansas.
Miniluv
Miniluv is a feast of bright guitar tones balanced out by the screaming vocals. They are just as amazing live as they are recorded, those crisp guitar lines carrying through and speaking of some promising talent. They describe themselves as “really loud poetry from Denver, CO,” and it is a suitable description for the rhythmic passion you can hear from them live. The lyricism is a definite strong point for this band; even the distorted sound live clear to the talent behind whoever is writing for this band. I recommend their song Mannequin for a listen on Spotify, the fluid guitar is a real hook. I am curious to hear the inspiration behind their sound, some Midwest emo possible, as well as hardcore being heard from them at times. You can hear them on July 22nd at Trailside Saloon in Denver.
Origami Summer
The band I was invited out to see, Origami Summer, played both of their released singles, From B to A and Your Number is Up, and its 5280, as well as two new ones, Break down and Serotonin, which is supposed to be a taste of phase two for the band. Daniel, their drummer, who was relatively silent during our interview, was amazing on stage, with an ease to his playing that I couldn’t stop watching. My notes during the show feature a lot of exclamation points next to Daniel’s name. They are confident yet open on stage, saying they approach playing live with the goal of emotionally connecting with their audience and hoping you laugh and cry with them. The live performance of Your Number is Up, and its 5280 may be the peak of their set with spacey guitar full of reverb and a sharp snare. I can hear the mix of perky and melancholy in the chords that D’ante says is a key theme to their music when writing. The bassist, Andrew, is a pillar to the band’s stage presence with consistent energy, even when he jumps off of it to be level with the crowd.
They promise that they “are here to stay” with a plan to give some life push six singles through November and have an established phase two by 2024. They want to explore a deeper and heavier sound, and I hope to hear them develop their guitar and bass some more. With Serotonin, our first taste at the sound of phase two, they beautifully highlight the guitar. Inspired by bands like Movements and The Wonder Years, I am eager to see how Sphen develops his own sound more as well to better match the post-gaze spacey-ness the rest of the band leans into. You can find them next on July 19th at 7th Circle in Denver, or find more about them on their Instagram.