In my experience with shows at Rock Island that there are two types of crowds. There are the ones where everyone is packed in like sardines, so tight that they either can’t enjoy the band and just stand there covered in sweat, or just don’t even notice how packed it is because they’re so into the show (depending on the band). Then there are the shows where it’s not sold out, but may as well be because the kids in the center are rocking out so hard, that everyone has to file outward to the edge of the floor to allow the slam-dancing and moshing to ensue.
Crowds for Lenore shows fill the latter category.
Lenore always delivers, always. Whether they know it or not, they can hold their own just as well as, if not better than a lot of the bands that pass through Denver on tour. When the Agony Scene had to cancel due to personal issues, Lenore filled the spot as the headlining band, and from the look of the crowd, I don’t think anyone seemed to mind. Denver kids are always welcoming of a good ol’ fashioned hometown ho-down.
Despite the fact that I stood in the back in order to avoid a swift kick to the head, the raw energy these guys presented on stage was enough to make me feel like I was right up front, catching all the beads of sweat and hair whips with the best of ’em. But really, that’s the point. Regardless of where you stand, you are still able to feel the brutality and emotion of these guys, especially if you have any kind of slight clue who they are and what they’re about.
Lenore carries this sense of “roots” about them, and it shows in their performance. I’m not sure if I feel that way because they’re from here in Colorado, or if it’s because they’re still a fairly small band who rely on and understand the importance of a strong connection with fans. Maybe it’s because they haven’t gone Hollywood yet and still have a good sense of who they are and where they want to go. Hopefully, when they do get bigger, (which WILL happen) they won’t lose touch with that aspect of themselves, and always maintain that sense of connectedness with their fans; because in my experience, that connection can just as important as the music.
Photograph by Shannon Axelson
