Cloud Nothings are Really Something at Bluebird Theater

Photos by Michael McGrath, Story by Amy McGrath

Several times before we arrived at the Bluebird Theater, I second guessed my decision to go out on a snowy Sunday night. It was too icy to call a Lyft- I didn’t trust someone else to deliver us safely through the treacherous sheet of ice that blanketed Denver’s streets. But I’d wanted to see Cloud Nothings for a long time, since irrepressibly catchy “Hey Cool Kid” crawled into my brain and took up residence. On a cold snowy Sunday night, Cloud Nothings warmed me up, made me grin from ear to ear, and introduced me to my new favorite rock and roll drummer, Jayson Gerycz.

Under the leadership of singer-songwriter Dylan Baldi, Cleveland’s Cloud Nothings have been putting out perfectly Ohian indie rock for nearly a decade. Their music is energetic, sometimes heavy, cheerful and full of the same kind of insanely catchy hooks that drove “Cool Kid” into my brain like a spike. But standing in front of the stage at the Bluebird Theater, it was drummer Jayson Gerycz’ controlled ferocity that really elevated the band. His athletic pounding drives the sound of the band, and that sound is intense, focused and joyful.

Cloud Nothings terrific set at the Bluebird Theater last Sunday obliterated my worries about driving on an ice-glazed streets, made me forget about how early I had to get up the next morning, and offered a perfect mix of heavy but joyful indie rock to fans who braved the weather.