Critic's Choice: Red Vs. Black to erupt on March 8 at Rhinoceropolis

Like a lot of young punkers, Red Vs. Black drummer Sam Tallent and bassist Clay Dehaan were infected with the bug when they connected with early hardcore bands. But unlike many of their peers, Tallent and Dehaan don't treat their music like a cultural accessory to cast off in early...

By Tom Murphy

March 1, 2011

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Like a lot of young punkers, Red Vs. Black drummer Sam Tallent and bassist Clay Dehaan were infected with the bug when they connected with early hardcore bands. But unlike many of their peers, Tallent and Dehaan don't treat their music like a cultural accessory to cast off in early adulthood. The guys also didn't bother to recruit a guitarist who would probably demand all the glory anyway. But with drums, bass and vocals alone, the two make quite a stirring clatter. Much more like the Minutemen than Minor Threat in sound and dynamics, Red Vs. Black (due at Rhinoceropolis on Tuesday, March 8) also seems to provoke a reaction in the audience -- not one of hostility from hardcore purists, but rather a pure sense of release at the band's eruptive sound and boundless energy.

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.

Tom Murphy is a writer, visual artist and musician from Aurora, Colorado. He was a prolific music writer for Westword and a documenter of the Denver music scene.

Follow:

Twitter: @simianthinker