There are few bands on this planet with the guts to go on the road, stripping down their band to an "acoustic" ensemble and playing sets chosen (mostly) by fans. The Trashcan Sinatras are brave and talented enough to do just that, and they do it wonderfully.

Opening the early show was local Denver band Still Light. Having never heard of them before I was very pleasantly surprised with their set. They are a very mellow five piece ensemble; two guitars, drums, cello, and keyboards/xylophone. And I do mean ensemble… they are much more that than a simple rock band. Their sound approaches the edges of Mojave 3, with a very Southwestern flavor, but orchestrated and larger and much more mellow. One might even imagine that this is what Grant Lee Buffalo would sound like if they were drained of all the rock energy that that band maintains and some strings were added in for effect… and vocalist Kirill Nikolai almost sounds like the most melancholy moments of Lloyd Cole. His voice blends beautifully with local songstress Jessica Dye, who played keys and xylophone in the band. Perhaps it is the lack of a bass that makes the band seem so laid back… but this is a beautifully understated, but entirely full sound; airy and dark and wonderful.

The Trashcans came out on stage and played quite a nice little set. The classic and essential line-up was in attendance for this tour. Frank Reader sang and played acoustic guitar. John Douglas played acoustic guitar and sang a bit while Paul Livingston played electric guitar and Stephen Douglas played percussion. The set drew heavily from the latest release, In The Music, but also contained songs from older records like Cake and even a few songs from A Happy Pocket. The band seemed to be having a great time despite some early set technical difficulties with Frank's in-ear monitors. His comment? He doesn't understand why Colorado isn't cooperating with him, he loves it here… he even admits to watching South Park. The band launched into a great set of music and were in great form, as the tour is winding down and preparing to wrap up… nearly a month of dates has really fine-tuned the show.

But not everything was by the book or clean, as Paul let his guitarwork fall apart on the ending of "Hayfever", getting discordant and noisome. John introduced "Only Tongue Can Tell" by commenting, " Here's an old man coming round the corner…" before proceeding to rock it out pretty good and then take lead vocal duties on "The Sleeping Policeman". This song was really a nice treat for the evening, the guitars getting loose and bluesy, falling in and out of time and creating an enormous amount of tension. Frank let us know that the incredibly beautiful "I See The Moon" had Japanese connections and so was dedicated to their Japanese friends. At times it was striking how this band is nmot that much different acoustic than they are electric… certainly raw volume plays a part, but the lighter rhythm section is the only real difference. The lack of drum kit and bass guitar eases things up a bit and robs many bands of their power, but the Trashcan Sinatras have equal amounts of power whether playing a soft intimate show or a full-blown rock show.

It was nice to see the band playing songs that are mostly requested by audience members and calling out the requester's name before or after the songs that they play. This band has thrived throughout the years not because of major label album contracts but because of fans and their desire to experience everything that this band has to give. It is obvious that this band is well loved and has a strong connection to their fans, doing all that they can to make audience members feel like they are more involved than a traditional audience member might be. Submit your request… it might get played. For "Apples & Oranges" Frank pulled his iPad out and called up a synthesizer app. He plays the little virtual keyboard throughout the song, only handing it off to an audience member during the last minute or so of the song. The girl did very well playing along on the "keyboard" while the band wrapped the tune up and Frank howled away… Again, the band has involved a fan in a special way. In addition to the heavy involvement that the crowd played in the set list and show, it was enjoyable to see the band having some fun with the songs and being fairly loose. Lyrics were changed and arrangements were switched up to keep things fresh and exciting for the long-time fans.

The set list ran a little something like this:

1. Easy On The Eye
2. All The Dark Horses
3. Hayfever
4. I Hung My Harp Upon The Willows
5. Only Tongue Can Tell
6. Send For Henny
7. The Sleeping Policeman
8. I See The Moon
9. Prisons
10. Wild Mountainside
11. How Can I Apply?
12. Oranges & Apples
13. Obscurity Knocks
14. Weightlifting
15. Twisted And Bent
16. People

There were definitely naysayers in the crowd who were disappointed with the set list, and would have liked to have heard more of their own favorites… but the danger in a show where the songs are mostly picked by audience members is that not everyone is going to get to hear their own favorites. Regardless of what songs the band ran through, they were splendidly rendered and it was a beautiful night of music.

-David DeVoe

Trashcan Sinatras
The Walnut Room, Denver, CO
March 28, 2011
www.trashcansinatras.com

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