San Francisco Bay area bandits Dirtwire play by their own rules. On top of that, they play musical contraptions you’ve likely never seen before! The group’s repertoire features a variety of string and percussion instruments from around the globe.
With an electronic-music-meets-southwestern-rock-meets-world-music feel, the band have dubbed their eclectic sound “Swamptronica.” Listen for a few minutes, and you’ll be gettin’ down like you’re at a bayou bash or dancing the spaghetti step.
Dirtwire Shows Colorado Love
Fans of Dirtwire certainly had numerous chances to take in the band during 2023. They kicked off 2023 at the Aggie and played a sold-out Ogden Theatre show in January with Balkan Bump for the Ghostcatcher tour. A few months later, they rocked Sonic Bloom in June. And that was just the first half of the year!
The group brought things back outdoors in August with a two-night extravaganza dubbed Dirtfest at The Mishawaka and a free show at Dillon Amphitheater. If you didn’t catch any of those events, fear not! Dirtwire will bring their friends Moontricks and Gone Gone Beyond to Denver for an electrifying Mission Ballroom show on Saturday, February 17th, 2024.
Digging up Creative Concepts
When attending a Dirtwire show, you’ll hear unique instrumentation played atop flowing automated beats. They blend influences from various cultures and styles seamlessly onstage. I could list a couple of dozen obscure instruments the band utilizes that you’d probably need to utilize Google. Alternatively, you can see them yourself! Tailor the perfect date for you and your Valentine: get tickets here, and let the countdown begin! Or, if you feel that your stars are aligning, you can enter to win a pair!
Assembling the Perfect Pieces
Dirtwire was formed in 2007, around the same time as Beats Antique, by the latter group’s founding member David Satori. Joining him was fellow California Institute of the Arts (CIA) alumnus Evan Fraser. Fraser stays busy, as he’s also in electro trance group Hamsa Lila, Afro hip-hop band The Dogon Lights, and world music collaboration Bolo. The pair performed with other projects while grooving together over the five years that followed, culminating in the release of Dirtwire’s debut self-titled LP in 2012. Fellow CIA alum Mark Reveley joined in 2016, completing the current lineup. See more about their history and song selection process in a recent interview with HIHF.
Satori, Fraser and Reveley have remained prolific since joining forces, putting out six albums and two EPs. The most recent of those releases, the spooky-sounding EP Ghostcatcher, was released just before Halloween in 2022. With an otherworldly cover of Black Sabbath’s “Planet Caravan,” it’s a perfect listen for spooky season! The band has been extensively touring since, as evidenced by their regular appearances in the Centennial State.
Seeing Stars With Stellar Support
Canadian electro-folk duo Moontricks also blends guitar and live performance elements with a digital music background. They’re pictured above with members of Dirtwire. Comprised of Nathan Gurley and Sean Rodman, the pair have been releasing music together since 2013. Their debut LP Currents came out in September 2022 and features a collaboration with Dirtwire titled “The Edge.” Gurley and Rodman have collaborated with Dirtwire on several songs, including “No More” in 2017. They also worked together on the aptly titled lockdown-era track “Alone” in 2020.
Gone Gone Beyond is a four-piece band from California playing music perhaps best described as future folk rock. Incorporating sounds from around the world with electronic music, their latest album 2030 is a true gem.
The record features a collaboration with Moontricks on the song “Coast.” That track’s cover art and sonic flow elicit whimsical thoughts of carefree cruising on the open road. The haunting vocals of singer Kat Factor partner perfectly with the other members’ contributions to create synergetic sounds. The outfit includes founding members David Block and Danny Musengo, and it features singer-guitarist Mel Semé. Their combined instrumentation and vocals evoke enchanting harmonies and rhythms. The band strives to deliver “a potent message of hope and the desire to return to humanity.”
If you weren’t considering going to this show previously and didn’t already click it to get those tickets, what are you waiting for? Get your dancing shoes shined up and prepare for a red-hot wintry night at the Mission Ballroom!
