Dandu’s unique sound dazzles audience

Local band Dandu plays a set at Dazzle

Describing themselves as ‘wonky groove music,’ Dylan Johnson, Ben Weirich, and Sean Dandurand brought a fusion of jazz, progressive rock, and hip-hop to Denver’s best jazz club, Dazzle. The trio performs under the name Dandu. It is always fun to attend a show where the entertainers really want to be there. The intimate setting of Dazzle allowed everyone to observe just that, watching Dandu demonstrate their musical passion on stage. That energy bled over into their sound, which caused the whole place to buzz with excitement.

There aren’t many events these days that are truly immersive, more specifically, events that can capture the attendees’ attention and keep them away from their phones. Dandu removed themselves from the norm on the 24th of November as everyone sat without their phone as they reveled in the music. To some degree, their music reminds one of the strange scores that accompanied early horror films like the German film Vampyr. To achieve this, the talented Weirich moved his fingers with little effort over the synth keys as he sat surrounded by a piano, three keyboards, and a synth. Dandurand grooved center stage with a bass guitar, and Johnson rocked out on the drums, both a traditional and an electric drum set. It was very refreshing to hear music that didn’t sound like any other modern band.

**Dandu offers up a mix of genres in their own wild fusion.** Photo credit: Taelar Johansen · The Sentry

Although Dazzle serves dinner, not many attendees ordered food. The songs being hard to catch, Dandurand explained that he wrote one of the best of the night after he had spent many hours listening to an elderly woman share stories of her life with him. As he began to play, the rhythm of the music matched that of an elderly woman softly speaking, though none of their music contained lyrics. Due to the lack of vocals, everyone focused on Johnson as he weaved together an amazing drum solo.

Overall, it was an enjoyable evening with even more enjoyable music. The only drawbacks were a few hecklers in the crowd. Dandurand showed how comfortable he felt on stage as he handled it professionally by not directly addressing those who were disrupting the show, but by making a joke about the whole situation and continuing with their setlist as if nothing had happened. Nor did he or the rest of Dandu allow it to affect their playing or moods.

Dandu took to the stage at Dazzle like seasoned pros. They were a delight to watch in person as their energy radiated through space. Sadly, they have no more confirmed shows in Denver. However, if the thought of slightly hypnotic and psychedelic jazz sounds like a good time, be sure to check out Dandu’s EP titled What Are Friends For?

EP now available on Spotify, Google Play, iTunes, and BandCamp. Facebook and Instagram: @dandumusic.