Photos by Michael McGrath, Words by Amy McGrath
There’s probably not a lovelier place for a date night for Metro area music lovers than the amphitheater at the Arvada Center. It’s a gorgeous venue with great sound, but most importantly, there’s a deeply Arvada-esque sense of chill that reigns over the whole place: plentiful, free parking on the sprawling grounds of the Arvada Center, and hands-down the friendliest event staff of any venue in town. And there was not a better way for the Arvada Center to close its 2019 summer season than Friday night’s deliciously melodic Squeeze show, especially with legendary LA punk band X in the opening spot.
X and Squeeze are both bands that came of age in the late 70’s, but the lineup represented a perfect balance of bands on opposite ends of the rock spectrum. Flag bearers of LA’s 70’s punk scene, X has maintained bratty punk cred through the decades with their singularly peculiar vocal harmonies, vague and poetic lyricism and loose, unpredictable stage presence. Vocalists John Doe and Exene Cervenka seemed happy, healthy and in fine-form through a set that included tons of fan favorites like “Los Angeles,” “The World’s a Mess (It’s in My Kiss”) and “Breathless.” X is a band of four old punk rockers that still bring something fresh to the stage- a sense of really connected chaos.
At the same time X was storming the 70’s LA punk scene, Chris Difford and Glen Tilbrook were lighting up South London with their ferociously catchy melodies and some of the finest storytelling lyrics in all of rock music. Musically and visually, Squeeze is the opposite of X. The infectious, tight grooves of the 7-piece band are as precise as the tailoring of their natty three-piece suits. There may not be a more economical guitar soloist than Tilbrook, who turns in tiny, tasty licks that brighten up tunes the way a master chef utilizes seasoning. And oh, the HITS!
Friday’s setlist was a virtual hit parade: “Tempted,” “Cool for Cats,” “Up the Junction, “Pulling Mussels from a Shell,” “Black Coffee in Bed;” the band just kept rolling out bouncy, radio friendly pop confections. All these crowd favorites and the tunes in between kept the Arvada Center engaged and on its feet. Steven Large’s glittering 80’s keyboard sounds were on point and balanced by unexpected elements like the sweet pedal steel guitar of Melvin Duffy. And holding it all down on the bass was classy and charming Yolanda Charles. The night ended with an extended “Black Coffee in Bed” crowd singalong that sent the energetic Arvada Center patrons back to their cars with a cheerful bounce.
