Elliot Moss, What Have You Done?

Elliot Moss played at The Larimer Lounge with Derover and Melody Monroe, Saturday, February 15, 2020

Story by Cortney Hanley, Photos by Allie & Cortney Hanley

Bend my body into shapes and keep the music coming! Larimer Lounge gave Denver a treat Saturday night with a dynamic lineup including Elliot Moss, Derover, and Melody Monroe. 

Pumping us into it was local artist Melody Monroe. To call this woman simply an artist is an incredible understatement of her huge talent and musicality. Monroe told us for about ten years now she has been writing her own songs, but it’s obvious that playing has happened much longer than a decade. Composing not only on piano but topped as a live act producer – bringing in the tasty synth, deep chest felt undertones iced with her perfectly placed voice – Melody had us listening (and watching) in awe. She was one of two dancing, stomping, flowing lady acts to get the show going, 

By way of a small detour towards her now New York home, the Netherlands brought the next singer, classically trained pianist, and noise mixing master. Derover told us that Holland is a lot like Denver but, “I like it here better.” Denver will be glad to keep her. Quickly engulfed by spectrum jazz vibrations, a fascinating and powerful audio engineer appears. The multi-instrumentalist led the audience on a delightful electronic journey, soundscaping the room and manipulating our ears completely. It seemed intrinsic with this fully self-produced experience.

Layering vocals on drum beats on sounds on vocals, she had us happily mesmerized. Seeing a camera with the night’s main performing artist behind it was a common occurrence. Things were transcendent – as they would be with an all-female opening.

Almost halfway through his tour and launching the latest LP, A Change in Diet, Elliot Moss and band lit up the Lounge. The first track of the show, and fifth on the album, made it clear: His mind is certainly a razor and we were his thread. Bodyintoshapes set the mood. Fiercely its backup, July 4, the intro track of the not-even-month-old release melted in. How blissfully sensory-stimulating, their sound. With Elliot’s well known and matchless voice overlay, attention was swallowed by the performance. 

They paused after a few tunes to give some insight. Danielle Turano, the classical violinist-in-training on the current release, took a break from the merch booth to stand out in front as a band member. Not only is she a fantastic musician and entertainer, Elliot calls Turano, this violinist and singer, his best friend. In her car one day, she called him asking if he needed a sample over anything because she had her instrument. As it turns out, they made a list of killer pieces. Turano’s husband, Evan Marien, accompanies with backup vocals and playing bass among other things. Just to hang with the theme of the night, he is not only a multi-instrumentalist but a composer. Devin Collins drove the band train with Vic Firth sticks (the only kind he’ll use) on drums. After the show before packing up for California, he expressed how exciting it is to actually grow their own crowd and themselves. Watching a fan base organically expand really means something for them.

Moss’s A Change In Diet tour with Derover continues through March and into Mexico while they build the Elliot Moss name as headliner. To say the least, it is so well deserved. This hidden gem has been working up publicly since 2015 but began Highspeeds his sophomore year of high school. Hearing Slip certainly did not disappoint that night. We anticipate only more greatness to follow.