Okkervil River – Marquis Theater, Denver, CO, 13/09/07

Okkervil River holds a very special place in my heart as they were the first indie band that I fell in love with. Obviously late to the party, I didn’t get involved in indie music until 2005. Okkervil River’s Black Sheep Boy absolutely blew me away, and I have been in awe of them ever since. This was my first time seeing them live, and I haven’t been so excited about a gig in quite some time. It amazes me that they aren’t bigger – they played a small 280-capacity club here, and Denver’s really not all that far from Austin. No complaint from me about the intimate setting, but still – this is a band that is criminally underappreciated.

Damien Jurado opened the show and had the majority of the crowd eating out of his hand. I haven’t been able to get into his studio material too much, but live he and his band were mesmerizing – Damien’s definitely got a flair for melancholy folk songs. Plus it was a nice change to have an attentive crowd for the opening act.

The Denver indie set had a tough decision this night, in that Conor Oberst and Bright Eyes were playing just across town at the Ogden Theater. Stiff competition notwithstanding, Okkervil River owned the packed Marquis Theater from the opening note of “Plus Ones”, weaving through highlight after highlight of new songs and old fan favorites with little distraction. The set was heavy on music and short on banter, though Sheff orchestrated a lovely “evil don’t look like anything” sing-along during “Westfall”, and I suspect “The President’s Dead” made an appearance thanks to several crowd requests.

Okkervil River’s live show accentuates all of the things that are great about this band – the fascinating lyrics, the catchy tunes, and the consistent solidity and professionalism. I tend to have a constant and nagging sense that the more shows I attend the less I’m going to appreciate the great ones. It’s both refreshing and comforting to come away from Okkervil River knowing that I was witness to something sublime.

Plus Ones
Lady Liberty
No Key, No Plan
The Latest Toughs
Red
Song Of Our So-Called Friend
A Hand To Take Hold Of The Scene
Our Life Is A Not Movie Or Maybe
Black
A Girl In Port
Unless It’s Kicks
For Real
Westfall
———-
A Glow (Will solo on keyboard)
The President’s Dead
Last Love Song For Now

Links
Okkervil River [official site] [myspace] [album review]