Originally released in Europe in 2007, DeVotchKa’s How It Ends is now available in the States. The album contains a couple recognizable numbers—“You Love Me” and title track, “How It Ends”—from the Little Miss Sunshine score, the film that put this gypsy-folk-punk quartet on the map, and builds on these known numbers with a solidly pleasing LP.
The eclectic Boulder, CO group has released only two albums since their first EP in 2006. Instead of spending time in the studio, they’ve clocked their hours and miles on the road getting out of the home state to tour extensively in the United States and Europe.
This fact has proved well, as the band is really best experienced live. Between gypsy-gymnast dancers, the majestic stage presence of singer and multi-instrumentalist Nick Urata (and his bottle-o-wine), Jeanie Schroder’s Christmas light-encrusted tuba, and the swirling wine-drunk energy of the crowd, there is nothing that compares to a DeVotchKa show.
The first time I caught these folks was completely by chance. It was New Years Eve of 2004; I was living in Denver and I had no particular plans. I wondered the downtown streets alone until I came across the Larimer Lounge and decided to check out their festivities. DeVotchKa happened to be the entertainment, and I was mesmerized from the first moment.
As much popularity as the band has garnered in recent years, it’s unlikely the opportunity to see these folks in such a tiny venue will arise again any time soon; but even in the expansive Paramount, the intimacy that DeVotchKa churns out will guarantee a perfect setting to ring in Valentine’s Day.
Devotchka performs Friday, February 13 with Qixotic at Denver’s Paramount Theater.
