RIP: Hot White, one of the Denver's most explosive bands, goes gently into that good night

After an almost five-year run, riotous trio Hot White have called it quits. Starting out as a teenage duo from Parker, guitarist Kevin Wesley and drummer Darren Kulback were eventually joined by bassist and vocalist Tiana Bernard, who pushed the band to the next level of sonic chaos. Known for...

By Bree Davies

September 30, 2011

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After an almost five-year run, riotous trio Hot White have called it quits. Starting out as a teenage duo from Parker, guitarist Kevin Wesley and drummer Darren Kulback were eventually joined by bassist and vocalist Tiana Bernard, who pushed the band to the next level of sonic chaos. Known for crowd-destructing live shows, Hot White fucked with everyone and everything that got in its way -- all while presenting a searing and brutal sound that was part sloppy punk, part precision musicianship.

Self-releasing an EP in 2009 and a tape for Nail In the Coffin in 2010, they didn't leave much in the way of a recorded legacy. But live was where the group burned brightest anyway. Bernard and Wesley played like two flipping magnets, constantly attracted and repelled by each other's bass and guitar. Kulback was the steady observer, laying an unflinching percussive groundwork for the erratic rest.

The band quietly announced on Facebook in mid-September that last Monday, September 26, would be the band's last show. In its typical zero-fanfare fashion, the trio did indeed make its last appearance at Rhinoceropolis (where Wesley and Darren were also one-time residents) with Oakland's No Babies and Denver-based Echo Beds.

If you were that guy who said you would always catch Hot White "next time" and you never did, you missed out. This band was one of the best to roll across Denver's warehouse space floors in the last decade. Hot White, you will be missed, you motherfuckers.

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Bree Davies is a multimedia journalist, artist advocate and community organizer born and raised in Denver. Rooted in the world of Do-It-Yourself arts and music, Davies co-founded Titwrench experimental music festival, is host of the local music and comedy show Sounds on 29th on CPT12 Colorado Public Television and is creator and host of the civic and social issue-focused podcast, Hello? Denver? Are You Still There? Her work is centered on a passionate advocacy for all ages, accessible, inclusive, non-commercial and autonomous DIY art spaces and music venues in Denver.

Contact: Bree Davies

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Twitter: @cocodavies