On a night that should only be described as absurdly frigid, the temperature inside the Boulder Theater was blazing hot. That’s because grammy nominated blues rock band The Record Company was tearing up the stage with their unique blend of blues, rock, country, and roots music (with a little bit of rockabilly and a touch of rap thrown in for good measure).
Saturday night was The Record Company’s fourth show in as many nights in Colorado. On Wednesday they were in Aspen. Thursday saw them in Frisco. They moved to the front range on Friday, for a show in Fort Collins. Last night brought them to Boulder (this review is based on that show), and they are wrapping up their Centennial State swing tonight at the Gothic in Denver (Englewood).
The Record Company consists of Chris Vos on guitars, harmonica and lead vocals, Alex Stiff on bass and backing vocals, and Marc Cazorla on drums and backing vocals. Formed in Los Angeles in 2011, the band released their first full length album, Give It Back To You, in 2016. Give It Back To You introduced the world to an earthy, rootsy sound that was certainly grounded in the blues, but was anything but blues and blues alone. There is a rawness to their sound that comes across as both retro and contemporary at the same time. They have been favorably compared to the Black Keys, which I think we can accept as fair. But while the Black Keys tend to be more polished and refined, The Record Company leans toward a more raw and gritty sound.
Give It Back To You was followed by All Of This Life in 2018 and Play Loud in 2021. Oddly ignored on both the band’s website and Wikipedia is Early Songs & Rarities, an album of outtakes and b-sides that was released in 2019. I mention it here because the band played a song from that album in their set last night. After changing record labels (the first four albums were released on Concord Records), the aptly titled The Fourth Album was released on Round Hill Records four months ago.
I know, I know… it would appear that The Fourth Album is actually the band’s fifth album. I don’t know what to tell you… you will have to take that up with them.
One would have assumed that the setlist for last night’s Boulder Theater show would have favored the band’s newest album, but that was not completely the case. The overall set included seventeen songs, five of which came from The Fourth Album. The rest of the set included six songs from Give It Back To You, two from All Of This Life, one each from Early Songs & Rarities and Play Loud, and one cover (John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom,” which was the second of a two-song encore). The total running time of the set (including encore) was a healthy one hour and thirty-four minutes. (You can find the entire setlist, in order, in the photo gallery below.)
Taking the stage at 9:05 pm, the band opened with “Dance On Mondays”, the lead tune from the new album. It is an excellent selection for an opener (album and/or live set), with a funky opening bass line and overall groove that makes it impossible to just stand still and listen. If you are going to attend a Record Company live show, you need to be prepared to move.
Vos is an exceptional front man, with an energy level bordering on manic. He is constantly in motion, even when seated for songs where he’s playing lap steel. He is most animated when he’s playing harmonica… dancing across and to the very edge of the stage. During the regular set closer “Off The Ground,” he came to the front of the stage with his lap steel and had an audience member hold up his arms as a makeshift stand for the guitar. Kudos to the dude (who was standing right next to me) who acted as that makeshift stand… he stood stock still, allowing Vos the jam to the delight of the rest of the crowd.
One of the things that makes The Record Company unique is that the rhythm section of Stiff and Cazorla are not there to simply be the glue that holds everything together. Given the band’s heavy emphasis on bass and drums, there are plenty of opportunities for Stiff and Cazorla to show their stuff. Stiff is far more animated than the average bass player. Several of the band’s songs begin with a solo bass line, with Stiff stepping out front to kick them off. And even though he is captive behind his kit, drummer Cazorla is anything but the guy stranded in the background. I love that his kit is elevated. That, combined with Vos and Stiff setting up on either side of Cazorla, brings him right into the middle of the action.
From start to finish, the band’s set was a high-octane adrenaline rush. Highlights include the terrific jams within the songs “In The Mood For You” and “Life To Fix,” the latter of which included an impressive bass solo from Stiff. I was also pleased and impressed with the inclusion of the song “So What’cha Want” from the Early Songs & Rarities album. That song includes a pseudo rap lead vocal that pumps the energy up another notch or two.
At one point early in the show, Vos commented on the freezing weather outside, noting that they were committed to turning up the heat inside the venue. Yep… they did exactly that. If you are lucky enough to be going to the band’s show tonight at the Gothic, you will find out on your own. If you are not, and you didn’t catch any of the band’s shows in Colorado this past week, you’ll just have to wait until they make their way back here again. Trust me when I tell you that you want to put them on your “must see” list.
Before I leave, a handful of shoutouts…
To Christian Hee, VP of Marketing at Z2 Promotions… thank you so much for assisting me with photo credentials for the show. You really saved my bacon, and I sincerely appreciate it.
To the fine folks at The Lounge, for opening early to provide people attending the show with an option to standing in the ridiculously cold weather, waiting for the doors to open to the venue. You all are awesome, and the beer was damned good as well.
To the equally fine folks at New Terrain Brewing, for providing the aforementioned outstanding adult beverages. If you aren’t familiar with them, you should check them out. Add their beer garden and taproom in Golden to your list of places to visit soon.
And finally, to everyone who showed up for the show. I don’t know if the place was officially packed, but it certainly looked that way to me. Each and every one of you deserves a medal for braving the elements to come out on a night like this. I hope you appreciated the show as much as I did.
Story and photos by Rick Witt www.rickwittphotography.com
