Christo Bowman of Bad Suns looks into a sea of fans in Denver. Nov. 12, 2017 (Angela Smith/CU Independent)
On Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017, I went to go see Bad Suns at the Gothic Theatre. I hadn’t seen Bad Suns since they were opening for New Politics in 2014, but I remember them being pretty good. I had high hopes for the show. Bad Suns and their talented openers definitely did not disappoint.
The first opener of the night was QTY from New York City. While mostly unknown by fans, the majority of the room seemed to enjoy their down-tempo jams as they danced along. The band did a good job of keeping the crowd engaged despite their lack of familiarity. QTY talked to the audience and even answered questions shouted at them from the crowd. As they walked off the stage QTY seemed to have left the audience excited for their next performance.
The second opener was Southern California’s Hunny. Hunny previously toured with Bad Suns. Many fans were already familiar with the group and some people were at the show just to see Hunny. The crowd was much more engaged with and excited about Hunny’s fast-paced songs. Hunny had a great stage presence and interacted with the crowd well. During their last song of the night lead singer Jason Yarger not only climbed on the barricade to go into the crowd but went from there onto the balcony. The set left the crowd ready for more.
Bad Suns took the stage to lots of cheering. The cheering was louder than the starting music. To be honest, I did expect some of this — Bad Suns are known for their incredibly dedicated fan base. I certainly was not ready for this.
They opened their set with the song “Disappear Here,” which is the opening track of their most recent album, Disappear Here. Beginning their set with the song brought an excitement and preparedness similar to listening to the album.
Lead singer Christo Bowman’s first major interaction with the crowd came during the song “Sleep Paralysis.” Bowman brought the crowd closer and went into the crowd by standing on their hands. This engagement sparked the fan’s excitement for one of the most popular songs off Bad Suns’ debut album, “We Move Like the Ocean.” The excitement that came out for this song seemed to stay the rest of the night with songs like “Violet” and “Off She Goes.”
I personally loved the staging that Bad Suns had in the background. The backdrop itself was very simple, featuring the logo of the band on a blank white background. The lighting, with simple LEDs in various places on the stage, were programmed beautifully. During “Maybe We’re Meant To Be Alone” the lights featured a rainbow pattern that moved across the stage with as much energy as the band put into the song.
The rest of the set was filled with fan favorite after fan favorite such as “Daft Pretty Boys,” “Cardiac Arrest” and “Salt,” both singles off their first record, and “This Was A Home Once,” an anthem with change. Between the personal lyrics of “This Was A Home Once” and the promises made to come back to Colorado, I felt that there were real people up on the stage who cared about their fans beyond what is heard in their songs. Despite being one of the largest shows the band had ever played in Colorado, it still had the intimate feeling I love and that is what will keep me coming back for more.
Contact CU Independent writer Angela Smith at angela.smith@colorado.edu.
QTY gets into their set in Denver. Nov. 12, 2017 (Angela Smith/CU Independent)
Greg of Hunny looks into the distance during their set in Denver. Nov. 12, 2017 (Angela Smith/CU Independent)
Bad Suns’s setlist for their Denver show. Nov. 12, 2017 (Angela Smith/CU Independent)
Ray Libby of Bad Suns getting into their set in Denver. Nov. 12, 2017 (Angela Smith/CU Independent)
Christo Bowman of Bad Suns with laser focus in Denver. Nov. 12, 2017 (Angela Smith/CU Independent)
