We were seated in the top row of the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall on Wednesday night for Wilco, but that didn’t stop us from getting a good taste of opening act White Denim’s 1970s-drenched rock and roll stew.
The band from Austin, Texas has been kicking it old school since 2006. I don’t mean to limit the band’s range with that statement. The 1970s was an expansive time in rock music, and White Denim is a band busy stretching the limits of what they can do with their dub, psychedelic, prog rock, blues, punk, jazz and soul influences.
Let’s listen:
Last May, White Denim released their fourth studio album D on Downtown Records. Like me, you can listen to it now on Spotify.
The band, which reminds me of Portland-based Blitzen Trapper, also makes their music available on SoundCloud.
If you’d like to read about Wilco’s performance, Willamette Week, The Oregonian’s Ryan White and the band itself, have the beat covered. Although none of those sources mention the state of affairs in rock and roll today. That’s work best left to the blogger.
It cost $110, including fees, for two tickets to Wilco with White Denim on the bill. The Schnitz closed down their alcohol sales by the fourth song of Wilco’s long set for reasons I do not comprehend. Also, the hall itself needs to be outfitted for sound. There was just one hanging stack of speakers above the stage, and that’s not sufficient for the two thousand of people in the balcony.