Words and Photos: Dendrons / Chloe Jacobson / Supermoto at The Green House
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| Dendrons at The Green House. Photo by Aaron Rhodes. |
Date: September 5, 2021
The Green House - Kansas City, MO
Maybe it's not worth taking my word on this since I booked the band myself, but Dendrons should be on the radar of far more music fans than they currently are. The Chicago band's engaging blend of indie rock and post-punk is packed with unorthodox grooves, stop-start thrills, and is far more danceable than any other current rock band that could be called experimental in their methods. The quintet played its second Kansas City show this past Sunday (I booked their first, a lowkey record store matinee, before the pandemic) on the way back from ICT Fest in Wichita and was met by an enthusiastic young crowd. Attendees who likely had never heard their music before the show swarmed the band's merch table in the side yard as soon as the set was complete.
If you know me personally or have read my writing for long enough, you know I can be a sentimental schmuck. That's why I latch on to full-circle type moments with such ease. The last show with a touring band that I booked before the pandemic was Maddie Razook, Blackstarkids, and a closing set from Chloe Jacobson. When Oxford Remedy had to drop off Sunday's show due to a COVID exposure, Chloe just so happened to be available to take their opening slot, making her the first act on my first touring band gig post-pandemic. Chloe's set on this night included a couple old favorites (one of which she noted was written nearly 10 years ago now) and a couple new songs written during the pandemic. Catching another basement set from Chloe, hearing the floorboards above creak as she worked through her delicate and powerful setlist, was a specific joy I had missed.
The evening was closed out with a set from new local R&B/funk/hip-hop outfit Supermoto. They were given an enthusiastic, impromptu introduction by friend of the band Joe Cornejo (Hot 103 Jamz, The Yadda Yadda Podcast) before kicking off a lively half hour set. It's tough not to call them a party band at this point due to their upbeat, interactive presence (friends many times tried coaxing a drum solo out of Hank Wiedel before he finally gave in) and the inclusion of three cover songs ("Lost" by Frank Ocean, "Loving Is Easy" by Rex Orange County, and "Your Love" by The Outfield), but the band's writing and playing skills were apparent on their originals, so there is certainly potential for them to transcend that label. And anyway, who doesn't want to just party sometimes?
[This show was booked and presented by Shuttlecock and The Green House.]
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