If you weren’t already planning on catching one Lawrence’s upcoming shows on their Hotel TV Tour Part 2, this is your sign to get tickets. Even on a bitter January night in Denver, the eight-piece band made the inside of The Gothic Theatre feel warm and upbeat with their high energy, carefree and most importantly, spectacular sounding set. The night felt like a celebration of great music from start to finish, kicking off with Swatkins, who hypnotized the willing crowd with his unique brand of talkbox funk. The band’s mastermind, Steve Watkins, returned to the stage later in the show to perform alongside Lawrence as well.
Meanwhile, the headliners put on a performance worthy of Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Within only a few songs, the band easily wowed the crowd with their musical prowess, transitioning effortlessly between playful renditions of The Cha Cha Slide and the Hey Arnold theme song into cuts from their latest album, Hotel TV. The performance didn’t feel over-rehearsed by any means, though, especially when the band took a brief break later in the set to explain the difficulties of creating a setlist, mentioning that they hadn’t played the next song, “Que Sera, Sera” since before the pandemic. That didn’t stop them from having a mini practice session on stage before eventually launching into the song and straight up crushing it, though.
It felt like a treat to see Lawrence in such an intimate setting, especially ahead of a (just announced) Coachella appearance later this year, and by the time the band was making an effortless jump between their playful cover of Sean Paul’s “Get Busy” and their vulnerable track, “The Weather,” it was clear that this will likely be the last time they will play such a small venue in Denver.
For Colorado fans, you still have a few chances to catch Lawrence before they embark on the rest of their Hotel TV Tour Part 2. The band will be playing The Aggie Theatre in Fort Collins tonight (1/15) and The Boulder Theater in Boulder tomorrow (1/16). And for the rest of their fans eagerly awaiting the band’s stop in your town: you’re in for a real treat. Lawrence have already proven time and time again that they’re a force to be reckoned with, and this tour simply feels like a victory lap.
VIEW A FULL PHOTO GALLERY FROM LAWRENCE AT THE GOTHIC THEATRE HERE.