Local Band Radio Fluke Plays Red Rocks for the First Time

Denver alt-rock band Radio Fluke has been rocking the Front Range since 2018, but its members feel like they’ve finally arrived with the dream Colorado gig: playing Red Rocks. After winning the Sundown Throwdown, sponsored by Colorado Native beer, Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Denver Film, the band will bring its funky, eclectic, blues-influenced rock and roll to Red Rocks on Monday, August 19, as the opener for the popular Film on the Rocks series, featuring 2015's post-apocalyptic classic Mad Max: Fury Road.

On August 14, the band dropped its second of three singles this summer, leading up to an LP release in November. “Fade Away” follows the June release of “Blue Light,” and if these tunes are any indication, Radio Fluke’s fourth studio album is not to be missed.

“Fade Away” played a key role in securing the Red Rocks gig. Radio Fluke's initial submission was a live version of the song from a February show at the Oriental Theater, for local band Tireshoe’s EP-release party. It’s not surprising the song won Radio Fluke a chance to play in the Throwdown: The band's live show is a groove, and "Fade Away" has a broad range, starting on a pensive guitar hook that pulls you in, then throttles up with power guitar chords. The single’s revved-up, slowed-down tempo is both engaging and thoughtful.

“That was the key goal with the arrangement,” says guitarist and singer Kingston Lindner. “The song’s about being yourself, being true and standing out, not shying away. And the bridge in the song is like a call to action, saying, ‘We’re not going away. This is us.’

"The verses are reflective, talking to ourselves, just asking questions, trying to figure things out," Lindner continues. "Then the bridge and chorus is the fight song. It’s saying, ‘We're not fading away, and it doesn't matter what you put us through, we're still here and sticking around.’”
What started as an acoustic bit at Lindner’s kitchen table became a collaborative effort, as Radio Fluke fleshed out the song.

“The arrangement is a callback to how we’d been writing songs," explains guitarist Caleb Rockenbach. "It’s got that classic-rock package with pushes and pulls in energy” that mirror the lyrics.

“When the rhythm section takes over in the bridge,” he adds, “it breaks into 7/8 time, then back to 4/4, complementing the message that no matter what life throws at you, you keep going. We wanted the music to reflect the message that no matter how weird things get, you don’t give in or fade away.”

That intentional composition represents a band truly hitting its stride and evolving its sound. Radio Fluke's third single will be released in September, followed by November’s ten-song LP, which is a true DIY effort — all indie, self-produced and recorded live in the band’s “basement studio.” Good friend Hayden Hallet of CCM Recording Studios mastered the album.
If there is a special place where the bluesy groove of ’70s classic rock meets the post-punk power chords of ’90s grunge, that’s where Radio Fluke lives. Imagine if the Allman Brothers and Foo Fighters had a child, and you’ll get a feel for what Radio Fluke is getting at. “The influences come from all over the place with the four of us coming from different backgrounds," explains Lindner. "I came up with classic rock and reggae from my dad, Blake has a very punk and post-grunge background, Caleb’s influences start with Eddie Van Halen and metal land, and Michael is a true musical person, drawing everything from Radiohead to Pink Floyd and the Grateful and jam-band scenes, with music telling a story through each note. That mismatch of everyone together built our sound as a fusion of all types of rock and roll.”

The sound has evolved in recent years, starting as a wholly classic-rock unit with its first EP, Devil in LA. Then, according to Rockenbach, “We went through a punky phase with the album Millionaire before hitting more of an alt-indie thing with Before the Night Ends. We’re just doing what feels most interesting, and a lot of upcoming stuff is all over the place.”

The band touches on the jam-band sound with "Fade Away,” while “Lost at Sea” has a classic-rock influence. “We’re dipping our toes in new territory with the indie vibe of 'Blue Light,'” Rockenbach adds. “We’re just doing what feels interesting and exciting and authentic. In this modern era, it’s about just taking influence where you can find it and putting it where it feels right.”

While all musicians have influences, the real challenge for a band is how to find its own sound. But Radio Fluke has certainly figured that out. It doesn't sound like anyone but Radio Fluke, and that’s an impressive achievement. While classic-rock, blues, indie-alternative and ’90s grunge influences can be found in all the band's songs, the bandmates have managed to develop a distinct sound that is simply themselves, and that sort of authenticity makes for a solid listening experience, both from the studio and on the stage.

Fans of Radio Fluke have benefited in the past year from an increasing number of live shows, as the band has been added to a lot of bills at the Black Buzzard, the Lion’s Lair, the Oriental and more. But the Red Rocks show? "It’s all we’ve been talking about,” says Lindner.

After the concert, it might be what everyone else is talking about, as well.

Radio Fluke, 7 p.m. Monday, August 19, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 West Alameda Parkway, Morrison. Tickets are $20.