Vaux Calls It a Day

Not to mention that by then, frontman Quentin Smith and drummer Joe McChan had set up shop in Seattle, and bassist Ryder Robison (who parted ways with the group late last year but will be back on hand for the farewell show) was residing in New York. Meanwhile, Sorensen, Daniels and guitarist Adam Tymn were still stationed here in the Mile High City. It's challenging to maintain any kind of chemistry when the principals are in different zip codes, much less time zones. The end came a few weeks ago, when Smith, who was back in town for a family function, gathered his bandmates together for dinner and announced his plans to move on.

Somebody please tell me this is a dream sequence. First Drag the River, and now Vaux! I'm truly heartbroken. Vaux is one of my all-time favorite local bands, and I still contend that it's one of the best bands in the country. While all of its members are bound to resurface — Sorensen and Daniels are already working on a new project, and Tymn will likely focus on his project RideTheBoogie — they're going to have a helluva lot to live up to. Vaux is a tough act to follow.

Years from now, I'm confident that Vaux's renown will reach storied proportions, much like that of Sunny Day Real Estate, Christie Front Drive (reportedly reuniting, BTW, for a special one-off performance on Saturday, September 1, at Denver Fest) or Mineral. With some time and distance, folks will realize just how important this band was and how its heady, sophisticated music was among the best being made. And past shows will become legend for those who never had the privilege of witnessing them.

Thankfully, I was fortunate to catch Vaux in its prime on countless occasions. So I'll always have the memories — like that time the guys leveled a tiny patio at SXSW a few years ago, when the stage was so small it couldn't contain all the band's members. But then, no stage seemed quite big enough to capture Vaux's explosive live show. This band was larger than life.

Upbeats and beatdowns: I caught the Heyday this past Saturday at the Marquis Theater, and by God, what a difference six months makes. Back in January, I asserted that once the guys' live show caught up with their songwriting, they would be unstoppable. Well, it has and they are. This band is now the picture of poise, and it draws the most boisterous fans this side of 3Oh!3. Frontman Randy Ramirez urged the throng to sing along during "One Foot Out the Door" — but they already were. And so will everyone else when the Heyday releases its Christopher Jak-produced debut (recorded by Andrew Berlin at the Blasting Room) this fall.