7/8/18 Carry Illinois at Lion’s Lair, with Space Cadet Vibe and Brianna Straut

True passion was on full display on Sunday night at Lion’s Lair. 

Carry Illinois, from Austin, TX, delivered their impassioned Indie-Pop sounds to the Denver locals.  Led by lead singer, Lizzy Lehman, who also played rhythm guitar, Carry Illinois played all the songs from their recent release, Work In Progress among a few other previously released tunes. Find the full set list in the slideshow.  Lehman bares her soul on every song, singing of real life. Carry Illinois filled the venue with authentic emotion. In a quick visit after their set, Lehman explained that the band name Carry Illinois helps her keep her roots, as her first singing performance happened in Cary, Illinois.

Drummer Rudy Villarreal revealed that the band’s stress of gearing up for the tour disappeared the minute they hit the road. The band seemed relaxed and comfortable on the stage. Villarreal also mentioned how friendly and receptive Denver has been to them, as this was their second time coming through town. The band was excited and grateful to be sharing their story and music, meeting new fans, and seeing old friends that have moved to Denver from Austin. Also supporting on stage were Darwin Smith on guitar, Benjamin Rowe Violet on key, and Jennifer Monsees on bass.

Carry Illinois will be performing at Magic Rat in Fort Collins on July 10, before heading to Missouri, Arkansas, and then back to Texas. Track Carry Illinois at www.carryillinoisband.com.

Watch: Carry Illinois video, Shameful Feeling

Opening up the night was Brianna Straut, Americana Singer-Songwriter based out of Denver, originally from Texas. Straut unveiled her soul through heart-felt songs. Playing the flute, Art Heffron from Boulder joined Straut and bassist Nick Golder for a captivating cover of Going Up The Country.  Straut’s talent and spirit shone through her songs that included The Wedge, Shoulda Woulda Coulda, Dark Days, Hallelujah Chords(vid), Ghost Town, among others. Straut has dates set around Colorado and will be heading out on tour soon. Look for an upcoming release and find a show date on her website, www.briannastraut.com.

See more pics on the slideshow. 

Also on the bill was Space Cadet Vibe. Pulling double-duty and playing bass mixed with beats, Nick Golder, kept the passion party going late into the night. Golder was able to combine his dancy-jazz fusion with stellar bass sounds for an entertaining set.

Read more about Carry Illinois.