Concert review: Oso Closo and New Vintage at Hailey’s in Denton (April 3)

by Josh Hogan of My Denton Music

As I exited Hailey's Club dressed in my most comfortable, yet not very aesthetically pleasing, pair of pajama pants, I wondered if it must be just a little bit frustrating to be Oso Closo. Not because of a lack of fan support in their home town of Denton, which is something that has not been an issue for this band for a while now, and if Friday night is any indication then the fan support is as strong as ever. No, what I was wondering as I began my walk back to the square, was just how much longer will it be before this band really gets its big break. They are clearly one of the most talented groups in the city, and carry one of the most devoted followings, so it can not be too much longer before the fame train comes and sweeps them up out of Denton for at least a little while right?

Well, until that happens, which I concluded won't be too much longer at all, especially considering the big announcement of the night that they will have a new album released soon, fans will continue to flock to Oso Closo for every show they play in Denton. Especially if they continue to promise the same type of performance they put on display for their first annual Pajama Party. Even though only about half, maybe a little bit more, were actually dressed in PJs, the party was a huge hit.

New Vintage opened the evening with a familiar jazz set. This is a band that has found their staple sound, which is much like most of the other jazz bands in Denton. Fortunately Denton happens to the premier spot in the nation for great jazz, and New Vintage fits perfectly into this notable community.

As New Vintage cleared the stage and the pajama-clad crowd crowded the stage, Oso Closo prepared for what would be one of their most impressive shows to date. The audience, as always at an Oso Closo show, was hanging on every movement and lyric from front man Adrian Hulet who's emotion filled vocals captivated them all.

Perhaps the best indication of how well the show went was when the band got back onstage for the encore, which included an inspired cover version of the Proclaimers "I'm Gonna Be," the crowd would not let them get off again for another thirty minutes, despite the band's attempts. After their second encore and a performance of "Sheila" the crowd went home happy and already dressed for bed.