The Dandy Warhols at Ophelia's Electric Soapbox

The Dandy Warhols hail from Portland, Oregon, of course, but the band was right at home in Denver during its two-night stand on July 12 and 13 at Ophelia's Electric Soapbox.

Nearly 25 years after its formation, the Dandies have endured as one of the most stable bands in rock. The Dandys were originators, along with the Brian Jonestown Massacre, of an alternative/psychedelic music scene that also gave birth to bands like Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and the Warlocks.

Courtney Taylor-Taylor. (All photos by Christopher Windle)

Iconic frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor is the principal songwriter, but there's a lot of depth in the Dandys. Drummer Brent DeBoer sings harmony, and on the side, leads the band Immigrant Union. (When he can't make a gig because of another commitment, original drummer Eric Hedford readily steps in.) Original members Zia McCabe and Peter Holmstrom are there, too, seemingly having just as much fun as ever. Keyboardist McCabe deejays as her side gig (and dabbles in real estate as well). Guitarist Holmstrom helms the excellent band Pete International Airport.

We were there for the Thursday night show in the cozy venue packed with dedicated Dandys fans. It was a cool scene that was perfect for the Dandys, with surroundings seemingly straight out of one of the band's videos. And the city was perfect as well, because well, we all know that the band members like to partake.

The opening band, glam-rock throwbacks Uni, put on a surprisingly pleasing show. (The footage of the band on YouTube just doesn't do it justice.) Uni doesn't really break new ground, with songs that sound like they're from the movie "Velvet Goldmine." But its new frontman, clad in a partially see-through, rhinestone-embellished unitard, managed to transfix the appreciative crowd.

Peter Holmstrom

Still, there was no upstaging the headliner.

The Dandys played a well-curated setlist of 14 songs, some of them extended versions. The crowd ate it up, even the lengthy intro to "Boys Better" that somewhat resembled "Pete International Airport" (the song). The band opened with "Be-In" and also played "I Love You," though it skipped some better-known singles off the album "The Dandy Warhols Come Down." Also well-represented were "Thirteen Tales from Urban Bohemia" and the Nick Rhodes-produced "Welcome to the Monkey House."

Though it may be tempting to define the Dandys by the band's late '90s/early 2000s heyday, its most recent album "Distortland" is one of its best. The band made room in the setlist for two tracks off the album, "Styggo" and "Search Party."

Then there were the songs that must be heard, "Holding Me Up" and perhaps the band's finest moment, "The Last High,” played back to back. And "Godless" had its rightful spot in the setlist, flawless as usual.

Pete's pedals

And then there are the moments that only the Dandys can do. When Zia left the stage for a bathroom break, Courtney broke out a version of "Monkey House" that sounded exactly like the album version, with only his guitar and Pete off to the side of the stage for emotional support. Always fun.

It was a chill evening with a down-to-earth band and a crowd of some of its biggest fans, there for the handful of shows on the agenda for 2018 while the band prepares its next album.

Hopefully, the Dandys will keep on ruling into a third decade.

Simon Le Bon

I debated whether to post anything about last week's allegation against Simon Le Bon. I haven't responded to any threads on Facebook groups or on message boards. But because I have a blog that's focused on Duran Duran, I will write but not promote a post that will be available to visitors to the blog, whether they are here to read about Duran or one of the many other bands we follow.

Duran's official Facebook page posted Simon's response to the allegation, as follows:

"I have read the statement which Ms. Hariri posted yesterday on Facebook about a record signing 23 years ago at Wherehouse in L.A.

"The behavior that Ms. Hariri has accused me of, would have been just as inappropriate and unacceptable to me then as it is today. But the allegation is simply untrue.

"When Ms. Hariri first contacted me about her claim months ago, I proposed meeting with her in person so I could set the record straight. Instead, she has decided to pursue this publicly.

"I have always been one who can admit my mistakes and apologize for my failings. But I cannot apologize for something I did not do."

I choose to take Simon's word for it.

Some have shared worries about the effects of the woman's allegation on Duran's career. Duran plans to spend much of the next year or so mostly out of the spotlight regardless, with 40th anniversary activities commencing in 2019-2020. I hope that by then, this, too, will pass.

Duran Duran takes over BBC4

It was a proud moment for Duranies everywhere, and especially in the U.K., as Duran Duran took over BBC4 for an evening on June 29.

Sandwiched between episodes of "Top of the Pops" featuring Duran and the band's David Lynch-directed "Unstaged" concert were two hours of new programming. One, a 40th anniversary bash/documentary "There's Something You Should Know" was followed by "A Night In."

"A Night In" is a showcase for the camaraderie among the four remaining original members. They watch clips of their biggest influences from the worlds of music, TV, movies, and more. They're still in awe of Bowie and Bolan and still love the movie that helped start it all, "Barbarella." It's a satisfying look behind the scenes at what makes Duran tick.

But the gem of the evening was "There's Something You Should Know." While the program was billed as a documentary, it was more of a look back at the band's career highlights, much like the David Bowie special "Five Years." There was an extensive focus on the band's self-titled debut album and "Rio."

The members of Duran are back where it all began, Birmingham, at the site of the Rum Runner club and in the seats of a classic Citroen, the band's original "tour bus." There, Simon, John, Nick, and Roger reminisce about the early days, listening to an original Duran demo tape on the car's cassette player. It's clear from the way that the four originals interact with one another that the magic's still there. Jokes come easy, and the others refer to Simon affectionately as "Charlie," just like in the old days.

There are stops at other Duran career high points, and visits with Duranie luminaries like Mark Ronson, Nile Rodgers, Cindy Crawford, and in a bit of a surprise, Boy George. Ronson and John Taylor drop in at the iconic building of Capitol Records. Ronson, who has produced much of the band's recent work, is still every bit the Duranie, definitively stating that "nobody really wanted to give you credit for the fact that everybody was a great musician."

"Notorious" is represented, as we're reminded that Rodgers still thinks of Duran as his second band. Sure, we know these facts, but isn't it good that now the world knows, too?

Duran is criminally underrated, passed over most notably for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame despite a 40-year career. The BBC's math is based on the year 1978, a date the band itself has used often over the years; however, Duran has more recently pushed that date forward on its calendar.

Although the main focus is the '80s, "There's Something" also revisits "The Wedding Album," "Astronaut," and "Paper Gods." Simon talks with his old choirmaster, and Nick commiserates with suit designer Anthony Price. There are shortfalls: much of Andy's contributions, and Warren's entirely, are glossed over. But the program does a great job of covering the bases in just an hour.

Overall, "There's Something" is a good reminder for the general public that Duran is still deserving of the recognition that so many young fans gave the band so many years ago.