Kevin John Wesley at Rhinoceropolis, Wednesday, May 30

As the versatile and hyper-talented guitarist in Hot White, Kevin John Wesley (due at Rhinoceropolis on Wednesday, May 30) showed how thrilling abrasive and jarring guitar gymnastics could be. But even before that band went on indefinite hiatus, Wesley played solo shows during which he never quite did the same...

By Tom Murphy

May 22, 2012

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As the versatile and hyper-talented guitarist in Hot White, Kevin John Wesley (due at Rhinoceropolis on Wednesday, May 30) showed how thrilling abrasive and jarring guitar gymnastics could be. But even before that band went on indefinite hiatus, Wesley played solo shows during which he never quite did the same thing twice. Early performances included live electronics, while others featured performance art with just Wesley and his voice and an impromptu karaoke machine fed through his computer. Still others showcased various styles of instrumental guitar work that pushed beyond the previously known boundaries of both the instrument and Wesley's abilities. Wesley takes his boredom, balls it up and throws it at a wall, and fascinating sound ideas always come bouncing back to him. The fact is, if you've seen one of Wesley's shows, you certainly haven't seen them all.

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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.

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