Here's the scoop:

February 28th took me to the Three Kings Tavern on south Broadway in Denver.  This is an end of town where the fetish shops outnumber the second-hand stores.  This end of town is loaded down with pubs and taverns and a gritty feel which only serves as a magnet to the city's collection of trendy folk – not to mention the band of people looking to escape the norm. 

 

The lineup at Three Kings tonight features an Austin band by the name of Lions.  Since their 2005 induction, Lions has been quickly climbing the ranks of the independent scene without the use of an acoustic guitar or mascara.  Picking through my collection of cameras earlier that evening I tried to anticipate the crowd that could turn out and weighing it against the risk of bringing an eight hundred dollar camera into the mix.  Usually the turnout includes aged rockers who stick to their fashions of t-shirts, worn jeans, and the idea that long hair makes anyone a hell of a lot cooler.

 

Well, the long hair definitely works towards something, because February 28th at Three Kings turned out to be a great show and there happened to be an abundance of greasy manes.  Coincidence?


Lions take the stage around 11:30 in the evening.  The idea of a Friday morning commute and high bar tabs have driven most of the regulars back to their apartments.  All that remain are a few hard-core fans, members of other bands, and the expected variety of alcoholics who are afraid to leave their stools.  For a band that is featured on Guitar Hero, the turnout is a little thin.  But as Tony Wilson says in "The 24 Hour Party People," "The smaller the attendance the bigger the history."


The band isn't bothered by the thinning crowd, "Sometimes the best shows happen in front of crowds this small" front man Matt Dernik gasps into the microphone.  The thin Colorado air already taking affect on his voice.  They kick into their first number, "All Hail" and my experience with Lions begins.  The sound is reminiscent of the post-heavy metal/ grunge feel that too many bands have tried to breathe life back into since the 80s.  It's hard, it's fast, and it's loud.  But unlike most bands, it's also comprehensible.  This band isn't loud for the sake of being loud – volume is just the fortunate by-product.


Matt keeps gasping out lyrics that give his voice a Dylan-esque sound (assuming Dylan ever did rock and roll). Even with the handicap, every lyric carries a passion that requires a days worth of energy just to listen to, much less experience live.  Occasionally the Lions may pause briefly to tell you something about the next song.  But if you're lucky they will belt out four in a row.


For the sake of the shot, the picture that will speak volumes more than writing about it ever will, I am crouched low at the foot of the stage. Within seconds my ears are buzzing from being too close to the amplifiers.  By the end of the evening everything I hear has a background hum – a clear indicator that something great has been experienced.


Lions carry the kind of intensity that makes your stomach clench tight at first, because you are a little bit afraid of what is coming next.  Listening to Lions is like being smothered by your overweight girlfriend.  It is an intense feeling that leaves you gasping for a breath of air, but it is one of the few things that actually gets you off.  You loose your breath, you feel weak in the knees, your head starts to swell.  And after each session you feel so good about what just happened that you just want to scream from the rooftops about the experience.  For a while it is your secret obsession, but after a few drinks it becomes something you tell your friends about, thinking that they just might like it as well.  Lions are my fat girlfriend, and I love her so.  And at the rate she is gaining popularity, there is bound to just be more of her to love.


The Lions first record, an EP simply titled "Volume One," is a seven track release of original songs by the Austin area band which was received with accolades from even the haughtiest of critics. Their next feat came with the release of "No Generation," which didn't have a hint of lag that can almost be counted on in most band's sophomore releases.  Even though this quartet only formed in 2005, I find it astonishing to see two records and a tour in less than three years.  I can't even count the number of bands I have listened to who can't even find their way out of their parent's garage in three years, much less cut two stellar records.    There is something even further revealed about the band that you will never hear in a live show.  The professional appeal of the album give us notion that Lions aren't a pleasant mistake.  Something very pleasant is being planned here.


Pleasant.  And very loud.



press photo via www.myspace.com/thelionsband

Lions are currently on tour, making stops all over the country. 

You can find information on their tour schedule, buy their records, or just get a little taste online at myspace.com/lionstheband or on their official website at lionstheband.com