Review: Khruangbin Brings the Groove to Red Rocks on Sold-Out Denver Run

Khruangbin is currently dominating Denver with a sold-out run that kicked off at Mission Ballroom on August 26 before heading to Red Rocks for the next two nights. And at that iconic venue, the band seemed completely at home.

The trio of Laura Lee Ochoa (bass/vocals), Mark Speer (guitar/vocals) and DJ Johnson (drums/keyboards/vocals) has become a sensation in the past couple of years, garnering a big following with smooth tunes that blend jazz, world music, psychedelic rock, soul, funk and more for a unique sound that's completely its own. The band's name references that variety, with the members telling the Guardian that Khruangbin — the Thai word for "airplane" — "symbolizes the international set of influences that shaped our music.”
The musicians have also said that they might not have chosen the name if they had anticipated the confusion it would cause. Until their August 27 Red Rocks show, I'd never been to a sold-out concert where so many audience members didn't know how to pronounce the name of the band they came to see. (Phonetically speaking, it's either kroo-ong-bin or krong/krung-bin, depending on who you're asking or how fast you're talking.)

"I had no idea how to pronounce their name until the first time I saw them live," said one fan at Red Rocks, who was sure to note that he had been following Khruangbin for years.

He wasn't alone in that; I overheard many other people asking neighbors how to pronounce the moniker while waiting for Khruangbin to take the stage after the opening act, Peter Cat Recording Co. That band, which hails from Delhi, India, will be back to play the Ogden Theatre on September 24, and it's worth seeing. Fronted by vocalist/guitarist Suryakant Sawhney, the group was the perfect complement for what was to come, with a jazzy and down-tempo set that also included high-energy doses of disco funk.
And then Red Rocks was awash with the soothing currents of Khruangbin, flavored by a medley of jazz and surf rock. The band kicked off with "Fifteen Fifty-Three" and "May Ninth" for its first set of twelve songs, which all gripped the audience through the set's culmination with "Les Petits Gris." Ochoa and Speer were seated at the edge of the stage, creating a sense of intimacy in the packed amphitheater, while Johnson suffused the air with soft piano chords that uplifted Speer's trills from his guitar. The windows on stage were dripping with rain, the sound of which reverberated in the background of the song until developing into a full-blown thunderstorm, with lightning emulated by flashing lights as the trio exited before the second set.
The entire performance was magic. Everyone in the audience was completely captivated by the sharp and searing grooves — I didn't even look at the time until the band was more than halfway through its second set. The performers' enigmatic stage presence further pulled you in, with Ochoa wearing a crown of doves while swaying with her bass and synchronizing movements with Speer, whose guitar solos were nothing short of transcendental. Even while some improvisational moments could end with cliffhangers, the teases were almost as satisfying as the crescendos themselves.

The stage was set with a backdrop of three arched windows above a platform with multiple stairs leading down to the rest of the stage, and was flooded by meticulously chosen colors that perfectly reflected the sound — sherbets, rainbows, deep blues and lavender. Many people have asked what it's like to have synesthesia; going to a Khruangbin show would give you a good idea. The colorful lights that paired with the music were precisely what I experience when streaming the band's music. 
The second set included several covers from the band's multicultural influences, such as "Il Clan de Siciliani," "Ha Fang Kheng Kan," "Je t'aime...moi non plus/ La javanai," and "Fire Cracker." The set also offered some of Khruangbin's major hits; "Time (You and I)" had everyone boogieing, including all of the venue's security, before the band mellowed out with an encore of "A Calf Born in Winter," "White Gloves" and "People Everywhere (Still Alive)."
By the encore, I found myself at the top of the venue, where the breeze complemented the warmth of the songs. Even a raccoon darting between the two closed bars seemed to pause for a moment. In that time, everyone was spellbound; people making their way to the exits to beat traffic would inevitably pause and look back, then decide to stay just a couple minutes more.

If there was ever a band made for Red Rocks, it's Khruangbin.

See more photos of the show below:
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