Live music review: White Denim delivered epic two set show at Sagebrush
Austin-born musician and producer James Petralli moved from Austin to Los Angeles in 2020, taking his songwriting vehicle, White Denim, with him and starting his new venture on the West Coast. After making the big move, Petralli has since assembled a studio in his new headquarters. Fans have eagerly awaited the next move for White Denim, and their anticipation has been answered with upcoming album 12. The new studio effort is the chief songwriter’s first solo venture since calling California home. White Denim appeared earlier this year at Red River Cultural District staple Mohawk, joined by Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band, and featured a sit-in from guitarist Raze Regal to commemorate their long-awaited joint album Raze Regal and White Denim Inc. Petralli and company opted for far-South Austin haunt Sagebrush on September 26 for their triumphant return to Austin. Not only this, the announcement came with the note that the Austin gig would be a two-set performance, producing a career-spanning evening with the legendary Austin indie rock act. To describe the Thursday night shindig, a word that comes to mind is “Epic.”
Ten minutes before White Denim took the stage, fans were spotted fitting a variety of different musical psychographics. There were expected Spoon shirts and other local Austin representation, but fans of King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Osees, Frankie & The Witch Fingers, and other bands that fit the guitar-shredding blueprint that followers of White Denim have been wrapping their heads around for close to two decades to date.
The California-Austin band took the stage promptly at 9 p.m, appearing with the latest incarnation of the band since enlisting the help of musicians outside of the original cast. Petralli wasted no time in getting down to business. The songs kept coming through the pipeline, new and old, including the latest single from WD’s forthcoming studio effort, “Light On.” Despite some onstage initial doubt, the group launched into the new track and nailed it note for note. “Second Dimension” and “We Can Move Along” also showed up from the new record, giving fans a taste of what is to come for the now Los Angeles-based act.
The tunes kept coming at alarming speed, including unreleased cuts “Ruby” and “Keep Calling Me Baby,” both of which will be released on an album in the future and were sadly left off of the act’s upcoming December album. A clever easter egg in the first set was extended intro to “Thank You,” with cover tune “You Wanted To,” A Mothers of Invention (Frank Zappa) nod to honor one legendary underground rock titan to another. After a 70-minute rollout, Petralli announced that they would take a short break, returning with original bassist Steve Terebecki for another complete set. This welcome treat would feature even more classics from the down-home Austin band.
After a brief wait, Petralli and company arrived again, juiced up and ready to rock with the South Austin audience for another stint. D entry “Anvil Everything” took the reins as the opener for the second set, getting right to work with the dual lead guitar playing from Cat Clemons and the White Denim frontman. Petralli’s engaging stage banter showed his visible and audible joy throughout the set, and his enthusiasm for the latest material and classics alike showed inoculable joy. The guitarist and bandleader’s between-song discussions showed his remarkable energy, which allowed him to share his delightfully off-kilter sense of humor. “If you see any frontman telling an audience they love them, bottle ’em,” Petralli joked.
The White Denim train kept rolling with the classics, hashing out Corsicana Lemonade tracks “Pretty Green,” “Limited By Stature,” and, of course, “At Night In Dreams.” But not before throwing out World As A Waiting Room anthem “I Don’t Understand Rock And Roll.” During each solo section, Petralli fed off the crowd by making eye contact with both the audience and the backing ensemble, sopping up each bit of energy that filled the South ATX honky tonk in stadium-worthy fashion.
Keyboardist Michael B. Hunter’s communicative style of playing is also a highlight, giving a wall of sound to the dual lead guitars to add new dimensions to each track that made each song pop in the 32-song set list. Workout Holiday offering “Let’s Talk About It” closed the evening, commemorating a landmark show for White Denim’s current era that left in-attendance fans wanting even more from the band’s prolific, yet enriching, porous catalog. The memorable performance made a statement that Petralli’s continued indie rock royalty over two-decades is still secure.
White Denim traveled to Virginia for another live appearance over last weekend and will head to England to celebrate their forthcoming album release this December. Tickets are available via White Denim’s website.
All photos by Paul Ramsey
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