Live music review: White Denim played stellar tour finale at Mohawk Friday

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Photos: Brandon Sandler

When White Denim lost 40 percent of their roster to Leon Bridges’ tour, things looked uncertain for talented founder, James Petralli. The path to the sound the virtuosic guitarist is constantly seeking was temporarily muddled. What was never in doubt is Petralli’s ability to make exceptional music. White Denim’s sound was largely built around former drummer Josh Block’s unorthodox technique who left to tour with Bridges full-time as did guitarist Austen Jenkins. Petralli had to shift gears, forming what was essentially a new band to record previous release “Stiff.” The current tour in support of White Denim’s latest release, “Performance” included two new members, Greg Clifford (Smiile) and keyboardist Michael Hunter. The lineup changes have worked out. Friday’s stellar tour finale at Mohawk proved that fact. 

Clifford is a jazz-trained drummer who knocked it out of the park during his debut appearance with the group last summer at Float Fest. He continues to bring great energy to White Denim’s live shows with his intensity. Hunter has also been a welcome addition, with Petralli noticeably eschewing a second guitarist in favor of Hunter’s mind-bending keyboard work. Slowly, White Denim has morphed from a blues-based progressive rock band to a less specific jam / prog / rock approach. While we enjoyed “Stiff” it is apparent with the new lineup and corresponding record that Petralli has come closer to his goal of making a record that reflects his goal of making a ground-breaking record from start to finish. 

With a newly built vintage, analog recording studio, Radio Milk, lots more material ready to release and a newfound sobriety (Petralli stopped drinking at the beginning of the year), the sky is the limit for the gifted guitarist. Not only is his new music some of his best, we have a feeling there’s even better music forthcoming from White Denim. The mind-blowing show the group delivered Friday indicates the band is currently clicking on all cylinders.

White Denim led-off with the title track from the new record, including two more from Performance,  “Backseat Driver” and “Moves On” before moving to older material, revisiting “Drug” from 2011’s D album. The Mohawk audience was feeling the music (and perhaps celebrating the good weather after nearly six weeks of rain in Austin). Shortly after, Petralli led the band through two more Performance tracks, “Double Death” and one of our favorite new songs, “Magazin.” The latter was released as a single in the UK. The horns and blazing riffs in the song led itself to a healthy amount of blistering jams. 

A set highlight was “It Might Get Dark” another single from “Performance” that sounds like it was written to play live. Clifford’s furious drum work on this song complimented Petralli’s wild riffs perfectly. The tune came about midway through insanely fun 26-song set. Set closer “Fine Slime” left fans both gasping for breath and screaming for more which White Denim obliged by returning with “Bess St” and “Shake Shake Shake” to round out the show. The final tune took it all the way back to debut album, Workout Holiday (2008). 

View the complete setlist below:

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