The Motet Slays Their Two-Day Hometown Hustle In Denver [Review/Gallery]
Colorado takes a lot of pride in being home to The Motet, and this weekend, the band gave some serious love to its residents for their Hometown Hustle. The two-night stand at the Ogden Theatre featured classic Motet sets and a set of covers from 1979, their musical mixtape for Halloween this year. The shows also gave Colorado the chance to properly open its arms and embrace the Motet’s newest members, Lyle Divinsky (vocals) and Drew Sayers (sax), as it was the first time the current iteration of the band played the city of Denver proper (though the current line-up threw down at Red Rocks in July of this year, a recording of which can be found here). Supported by Sophistafunk on Friday and DJ Mikey Thunder on Saturday, the weekend was a triumphant homecoming for the Motet as they showed they were tight as ever coming off of their extensive fall tour.New York-based Sophistafunk kicked off the festivities on Friday night with an upbeat blend of hip hop and funk. The trio, which has been regularly making appearances with the Motet this tour, was clearly well-versed in reading the audience and delivered a solid performance. Lyricist Jack Brown easily commanded the attention of the crowd with his rapping, and Emanuel Washington (drummer) and Adam Gold (keys) churned out high-energy funk grooves to get the crowd moving. Toward the end of their set, Gabe Mervine joined the three on stage, laying down some sultry solos on the trumpet and riling up the crowd with a teaser of what the Motet had in store for the rest of the night.The Motet played one extended set on Friday night of original tunes, many of which were off of their latest album, Totem, which dropped over the summer. The night also proved to be a perfect opportunity for Colorado fans to get to know Lyle and Drew musically in a more intimate setting than their Red Rocks performance in July, while still allowing the veteran members of the band to shine.Of their songs off of Totem, “Know It Too Well” and “Solar Plexus,” stood out. The slower and smoother sound of “Know It Too Well” allowed space for the musicians on stage to show off, with a powerful and heavy instrumental break with with an initially exploratory solo on the part of Ryan Jalbert that culminated in a high-energy showcase of his guitar skills to close out the song. With an initially darker sound that particularly highlighted the rhythm section, the spacey vibes and triumphant horn part on “Solar Plexus” eventually settled into a solid funk groove that clearly resonated with the crowd, as those at the Ogden got down. Moving in and out of more ambient sections, this number showed off the Motet’s ability to control their audience, evidenced by the dramatic and super effective build of the song into a spirited solo by Jalbert.Throughout the night, Lyle Divinsky’s high energy was contagious, and he captivated the audience with impressive showmanship and powerful vocals. Some of his best moments were during the back-to-back “Keep On Don’t Stoppin’” and “Back It Up,” particularly because of the interplay between him and Joey Porter, who often took over the vocals on the talk box and threw down some righteous solos on the keys. Though Lyle commanded the audience’s attention with his effortless and energized vocals, he also knew when to step back and hype up his bandmates, often looking just as pleased as audience members by the others on stage and never failing to direct the crowd to show some love to the others.“Rippin’ Herb” served as evidence the band was truly in proper form, weaving displays of the Joey Porter, Drew Sayers, Dave Watts, and Garrett Sayers’ technical musicianship with catchy grooves that kept the audience dancing. The horns really began to shine from that point on, with Gabe Mervine’s pristine and soulful solo in “Danger” being a highlight of the night, and Drew Sayers ultimately stealing the show during his performance in “Cloak and Dagger,” which elicited grins from those on stage and throughout the crowd.Coming off of Friday’s performance, the crowd was electric for the second night and packed the sold-out Ogden Theatre, reaffirming the Motet as a hometown favorite. The band kicked off Saturday with a set of originals and, after a short break, returned decked out in hilarious disco garb to lay down hits from 1979. The setlist for their cover set was well-curated with hits from Sly & The Family Stone, Funkadelic, Chic, Michael Jackson, James Brown, KC and the Sunshine Band, and Earth, Wind, and Fire to name a few.Of the first set of Saturday, “Extraordinary High” was a stand-out song, with the crowd and band all locking into an incredible collective energy. Lyle’s vocals were on point as was Gabe’s exacting and jazzy trumpet solo, and the lights illuminated the dancing crowd, making it easy to see the countless smiles. While during the first night, Garrett mostly hung back, Saturday was his night, with his mind-blowing bass solo during the song being the first of many throughout the night.After setbreak, the band emerged decked out in polyester and ready to take the crowd back to 1979. The third song of the set, “Tell Everybody,” originally by Herbie Hancock, was when the performance really began to heat up. Lyle maintained excellent control of the crowd and threw down vocals that showed off his unflinching high notes without compromising tone. During the instrumental break, the rhythm section really shined, and Garrett threw down another insane bass solo and Dave really was keyed in on the drums, as the horns and Lyle moved into a playful two-step. As the band, all of whom looked like they were having a ball, moved out of this section to close out the song, Gabe’s started with an experimental and extraterrestrial tone before moving into an impressive and more traditional trumpet solo before passing the spotlight to Joey, who took it away on the keys and talk box.The final half of the 1979 set really proved the Motet’s ability to build setlists that energize audiences. The crowd went off as soon as they heard the hook for Funkadelic’s infamous “Knee Deep,” and this palpable enthusiasm for the band’s song choice continued as the band moved through the set. The rhythm section often stole the show with Garrett’s numerous and impressive bass solos that showed off his technical prowess on the bass over the driving force of Dave’s precise beats.Of the second set, the band really dialed in their sound with “Skagly,” a Freddie Hubbard cover, through to the end of the set. Throughout “Skagly,” the rapid-fire and complex horn part was a focal point, and Gabe’s jazz background shined through as he effortlessly built the tune to its climax during his solo. The interaction between Joey and Lyle during James Brown’s “Too Funky” was another highlight of the night, as Joey provided a perfect vocal complement on the talk box to Lyle’s lively performance. The song also allowed Jalbert to tag back in and take the spotlight for awhile with a shreddy guitar solo, as he hung back for the majority of the second set. As a tribute to Prince, the band closed out the weekend with an encore of “I Wanna Be Your Lover,” during which Lyle’s singing was truly outstanding and “I Feel For You,” which featured a funky instrumental jam which the band really rode out, much to the delight of the crowd, before bringing the weekend to a close.The Motet’s hometown hustle was a testament to the band’s ability to constantly evolve and seek out new sounds while staying true to themselves and their fans. After a hiatus from playing Denver, the weekend was a triumphant return that only revved up fans, who are eager for them to return again. You can check them out at a city near you as they finish out their fall tour before gearing up for their New Year’s run, dates of which are listed below or can be found on the band’s website. Photos appear courtesy of Andrew Rios Photography, and a full gallery – as well as the setlists – can be seen below.Setlist: The Motet at the Ogden Theatre in Denver, CO – 11/11/2016Set 1: Just Around the Corner, The Truth, Getting To Know You, Know It Too Well, Solar Plexus > Keep On Don’t Stoppin’, Back It Up, Jam, Rippin’ Herb, Danger, Damn!, Like We Own It, Thankful > Cloak and Dagger > Closed MouthEncore: Serpentine FireSetlist: The Motet at the Ogden Theatre in Denver, CO – 11/12/2016Set 1: Funny > So High, Ain’t No Way, The Fountain, Extraordinary, Handcuffs (Parliament), Ryno, FoolSet 2: In the Stone (Earth, Wind, and Fire), The Same Thing (Sly & The Family Stone), Tell Everybody (Herbie Hancock), Bustin’ Loose (Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers), Wear It Out (Stargard), Glide (Musique), Knee Deep (Funkadelic) > Good Times (Chic) > Working Day and Night (Michael Jackson), Skagly (Freddie Hubbard), It’s Too Funky In Here (James Brown) > Shake Your Booty (KC & The Sunshine Band)Encore: I Wanna Be Your Lover (Prince) > I Feel For You (Prince)Upcoming 2016/2017 Motet Tour DatesNovember 17 – HiFi Music Hall – Eugene, ORNovember 18 – Revolution Hall – Portland, ORNovember 19 – Armory – Ashland, ORDecember 10 – Mesa Theater – Grand Junction, CODecember 28 – Skyway Theatre – Minneapolis, MNDecember 29 – Turner Hall Ballroom – Milwaukee, WIDecember 30 – Aragon Ballroom – Chicago, ILDecember 31 – Variety Playhouse – Atlanta, GAJanuary 20 – Jam Cruise – Miami, FL / The OceanFebruary 3 – 5 – Gem and Jam Festival – Tucson, AZ Load remaining images