Local bands dig in at the Alamo

Barfly: Babybaby and The SIR Band

by Abby Wehrman and Genessa Gutzait

Down on Colfax, there’s a little place called the Alamo Drafthouse. It’s quite unnoticeable unless you’re really looking. It’s a movie theater/bar/restaurant/music venue combo, and on Friday, Nov. 2, it was the spot where local artists BabyBaby and The Sir Band performed a lovely little concert for an audience of around 50 people.

BabyBaby went on first, performing some of her originally produced music and a few messy covers of some crowd favorite songs. One of the songs she covered was Cyndi Lauper’s 80’s staple, “Time After Time.” BabyBaby dedicated the anthem to her mom, who was in the audience, and while this was a kind and charming sentiment, the lyrics were incomprehensible at times underscoring her dream-pop vibes. She used a microphone, her laptop, and a small midi on stage to project her lo-fi beats. Rather than distinct words or a vocal part, her voice becomes another layer of sound over her signature electronic melodies and beats. Electronic music is difficult to perform well live, but BabyBaby is very consistent to her recorded presence.

Her voice sounds like it’s coming to the audience through layers of gauze. While BabyBaby’s voice has a pleasantly warm timbre or tone color, she seems to struggle occasionally with finding the melody of most of her songs, tending to be slightly flat. If she wrote the melodies with larger intervals, or chose covers with similar qualities, this issue might’ve been remedied. It was also possible she was having trouble hearing herself through the Alamo’s sound system.

BabyBaby’s delightfully upbeat, self-deprecatory and quirky stage presence made her an interesting and memorable opening act.

The main event was a performance by The Sir Band. Sir has previously headlined at Red Rocks and has played sets at SXSW. It’s difficult to know what to expect before they start playing. The hodgepodge of band members makes the audience wonder if they’re going to be performing heavy metal, alternative hippie vapor wave, or Christian rock. It’s clear once they begin that it’s none of the above. The Sir Band is a sort of hybrid of Paramore and Fleetwood Mac, but it works.

**SIR’s lead singer filled the stage with her big voice.** Photo credit: Genessa Gutzait· The Sentry

The lead singer has a stunning voice, extremely powerful and engaging and strong. She captivated the audience instantly and kept them there until the final song. The juxtaposition of her tiny, pixie frame and her XXL voice gives the band a dynamic that is different than a lot of other bands performing live in Denver. The Sir Band was an interesting contrast from the opening act, but their confidence and professionalism fit right into the venue.

The low height of the front of the stage, the bright oriental rug, and the studio-feel of the place gives the audience a sense of inclusion to the musicians. It’s slightly cramped, but somehow also cozy, the live music creating a feeling of unified interest among the audience members. It’s a great place to grab a drink and dinner with some friends before seeing a show, or even see a movie. After all, the Alamo Drafthouse offers it all.