Photography and review by Seraphim Dibble
Having numerous venues and places to see live music is almost exclusively the realm of urban downtown centers. Raleigh, Charlotte, and Durham in North Carolina all have numerous venues, as do their suburbs and outskirts. Denver and Fort Collins, Colorado, have many as well. But once you get out towards areas like Boulder, Colorado, those start to disappear. Especially if you live in the Lafayette, Colorado. Music venues for smaller bands are almost entirely nonexistent.
Enter Tier Two Live. Tier Two Live was created to bring DIY music venues to Lafayette while also giving local and young bands the opportunity to play live shows. On April 5th, 2019, they played their inaugural show, consisting of Bloomers, Satellite Pilot, and Ipecac, all natives to the Northern Colorado area. The show was hosted at Lafayette’s Confluence Small Business Collective.
First to take the stage were area locals, Ipecac. Ipecac brought an almost bluesy sound to the venue. Despite their young age, they displayed an incredibly professional and refined sound. Ipecac, hailing from neighboring Broomfield, was an excellent choice to open out the night. The venue somewhat resembled a garage of sorts, and they filled every corner of it with sound.
Satellite Pilot, the next band, brought their own sound to the show. From riffs that were almost like surf-rock to the most psychedelic parts of their set, they owned the venue space. Little details like wearing christmas lights and having gnomes at the foot of the mic stands added to the feel. Overall, it was a very soothing and entrancing set.
The headliner for the night was Bloomers. Like Satellite Pilot, they were from Loveland, Colorado, and self-branded as psychedelic rock. Also like the previous band, their music had a very hypnotizing effect. It was very much something you could imagine coming out of the rock movements of the 70’s and 80’s, but also very modern.
In a world where many have proclaimed live music to be dead, it continues to flourish. Local and national acts alike still find audiences for their shows. New venues open up, even as old ones close. Tier Two Live is something to keep your eyes on in the Boulder-Denver area, as are the bands that played this show. It was a lot of fun for both the audience and the bands. Make sure you catch their next show!
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