Dehd @ Summit Music Hall With Yoho 23Sep22

Dehd are a cool young Chicago reverb-heavy post-punk, indie rock group whom I've profiled prior in "music appreciation newsletters." Jim & I met at Summit Music Hall for their Denver show. While I long ago booked the show, I was unsure I'd go till I was C19 negative at 5pm before the show. Blue Skies is their latest album and the 1st on their new label (of 4 albums since 2016's Dehd/Fire Of Love and they have been hitting the radio studios strong; I do have the limited edition pink vinyl (and FLAC) for Blue Skies.

Exum, a former SF 49ers safety (quit after a career-ending injury) opened the show. I didn't really get his mix of rap and pleasant melodies and backing loops very well, but he surely was a stud.

The band is "just" a trio of Emily Kempf on bass & vocals, Jason Balla on guitar & vocals, and Eric McGrady on stand-up percussion. Their sound is pretty unique but refined and their DIY ethos is to be respected. I came to them when l was looking for non-harmonizing duo led vocals and Emily's keen vocal tricks & and killer voice counter-played with Jason's nice round boy voice results in many good songs - where they bounce off each other incredibly well. Emily is the songwriter and a presence to encounter; Jason is a producer of sorts and his 80's guitar punk pop - surf pop sound is awesome (he plays Van Halen's Kramer); Eric is the fiercely quiet and understated percussionist. Their stripped down music column from just three is raw and inspired and truthful.They are making music which is indie rock but far from normal, it's also not too accepted yet if I check the hits on YouTube or the attendance at the show ~ but dang it is good. They did a ~18 song (most are pretty short <3 min each) for a 70 min set... more on the setlist later. They played a lot from the new album but a number from Flower Of Devotion as well. I have to say that I am confused by Emily - she produces the official videos and recent versions have had lesbian overtones (like Eggshells official vid HERE); yet at the Denver show she supposedly proposed to her boyfriend ~ I shouldn't care as it doesn't impact the music and it may be intentionally confusing and controversial.

The concert from Dehd was very good; the venue was less so. The lighting for the entire show was pretty dark as you can see, always pink on Emily and always blue on Jaosn ~ maybe the band specified that but I don't know. The house sound was good enough from where Jim & I heard it right in front of the mixing guys... we did wear ear plugs for most of it though, lot's of boom. It's good to have earplugs that yield a flat attenuation across the full audible frequency range. I did capture lofi versions of 'Loner,' 'Eggshells,' and a medley near the end.

Regarding the setlist, I did grab one from the stage, as I usually attempt, and succeeded. However, at this Live Nation spot, Summit Music Hall, for whatever reason, I was detained by staff and the setlist was unceremoniously ripped from my hand. I did explain that the band would have likely wanted me to have it or they wouldn't have left it. Their response was that if that were the case they'd have sent it to me. Policies at LN and/or Summit are too corporate and over-bearing - maybe they were trying to monetize it the way they have so many things. I bought merch and music and a ticket, but was accosted... I won't go back there.

I did let them know that my experience put me off. For those just coming up to speed on Dehd, here are several radio studio shows and concerts I've liked where they are featured. To hear the recent live stuff start at KEXP, of course, and move to HERE then HERE then to Live @ KUTX. Jim and I are Dehd Heads.