Gotye // Kimbra ::: Ogden Theatre ::: 04.06.12

The massive waves caused by Aussie and New Zealander respectively, Gotye and Kimbra, have already passed tsunami status at this point. I dare you to try and listen to FM radio and not hear both of them on “Somebody I Use to Know.” Our friend Sarah Quinlan fought her way through the throng of fans to give us her take on Friday night’s sold out Ogden Theatre show.

The much anticipated first Denver appearance of Goyte and Kimbra at the Ogden did not disappoint. Opening in a perfectly pink tacky fluffy dress straight from the 1980’s (the dress is older than she is) Kimbra brings it. She has a commanding stage presence combining the qualities of a strong independent woman with a sexy flirtatious quirky barista girlfriend. This vintage personal style amplifies her exuberant stage presence and ability to immerse us into her lyrics and sound. Her mixed style includes but is not limited to soul, R&B, Jazz and pop. As we transition from song to song we are presently surprised as to how uniquely different each is, from Cameo Lover to The Samaritan the experimental heavy rhythms combined with self-harmonization and vocal manipulation are as impressive as is the personal depth of the lyrics. They not only covered all the hits from Vows but we were surprised at the end with a new song entitled Come into my Head, which once again sounds reminiscent of her other tracks but can individually stand on its own.
 
We all associate Gotye with the hit Somebody I Used to Know but after this show he is someone we got to know a little better. Anyone who has searched online for his videos has come across the several artsy stop motion animations featuring the tracks of Making Mirrors. In the show these are used as a backdrop for each song intensifying the overall experience. The seamless marriage of Gotye’s expressive voice, self-indulgent lyrics and technical abilities make each song a vinyette into the mind of the artist. An impressive musician who is surrounded by keyboards, synth pads, drums and at least four band mates each song is a well-executed work of conceptual art.
 
It was interesting to see the chemistry between Goyte and Kimbra in person and to sing along with the song everybody knows, but one of the standout song of the night was definitely State of the Art. The bass was intense, the imagery a clear metaphor for our cultural obsession with technology and status and the musicality was combination of psych-rock, experimental electronica and R&B. Overall, this was a great first Denver show and maybe next year we will see him at Red Rocks.”
 

Word and photos by Sarah Quinlan

Gotye – Somebody That I Used to Know (Goodness Gracious Remix)
Kimbra – Cameo Lover (Shook Remix)

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