Concert review: Bronze Whaler at the Boiler Room (October 23)

by Charlotte Golden of My Denton Music

If I had to admit anything to an audience of music lovers, I would have to say that I've been having a hard time grasping this new-age rock scene that Denton seems to have accumulated. However, the music does appear to have grown on me. I now dream Denton rock, I live amidst Denton rock, and although it may smell of sweat and booze, I bathe in Denton rock. Amidst this thought I heard of a show happening Friday night at the Boiler Room and although I wasn't too fond of the headlining act, one band definitely caught my attention.

With the enthusiasm of horny school boys, Bronze Whaler rocked the house at their CD release show on Saturday night at The Boiler Room. All the members of the group are geniuses of their instruments. While lead man, Sean Bonacum speaks true to the band's name as a perfect pitch whaler and ripped at his guitar like an angry ex-girlfriend, Brady Kinkade followed up with dueling riffs that could match some our favorite Texas guitarists such as Todd Lewis and Clark Vogeler of the Toadies. These two, however, in no way overpowered the speedy hands of drummer Gabe Musquiz and bassist Jacob Delott. Although in the background, Musquiz let his presence be known with head-boppingly fast and upbeat sound. He carried the band musically and made our "pants vibrate," as one of the onlookers confessed. Other front man Jacob Delott danced and played his bass guitar like he'd been doing it from birth. Watching him play made playing the bass seem almost too easy.

With old and new songs, Bronze Whaler wowed the crowd with their cutting edge rock n' roll that sticks in your head like glue in your hair, yet much less irritating. As hard as it is for me to say, the band's cover of Electric Field by MGMT could battle the original. They bridged the fine line of electronic and rock like it was a small creek, but still kept the originality that MGMT gave the song on its debut album, Oracular Spectacular. Their new self-titled album is now on sale, and I would highly recommend visiting their MySpace and checking the music out for yourself.