See also: The Thursday night fans .
"Holy fuck it's cold" was a common refrain last night, the first night of 35 Denton, as temperatures dipped into the 40s and winds whipped at our faces indiscriminately. There weren't a whole lot of people on the square, which could be chalked up to that dip, or the fact that it was Thursday, but once inside The Labb for Old Snack's 9:30 set, weather didn't seem to matter much. In fact, I was itching to de-scarf in the warm bosom of the Denton trio. Justin Collins' drumming was the thread holding their rough-hewn punk sound together. Or rather, propelling it. I appreciate a band that churns out a setlist Ramones-style. Diamond Age was the standout of the night (see below for more), and he should be playing to much bigger audiences. His music is progressive and interesting and you can't trace it back to any one source. Well, until tonight, Denton... . - Audra Schroeder
OM Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios Following dependably excellent hometown doomsayers True Widow, bass player Al Cisneros of OM lurched to the mic and waited for Emil Amos to crash the first cymbal. Joined by a third member playing mainly tambourine, with a bit of keyboard here and a bit of electric guitar there, the trio wasted little time submerging themselves into a low-end groove that ebbed and flowed for close to an hour. As the primary duo of the group progressed, Amos honed his gaze on Cisneros, creating a focus that, in tandem with Cisneros' monotone chanting, was key to their heavy trance. When the occasional lull drifted in, Amos kept the pace. - Kelly Dearmore
Diamond Age J&J's Pizza
Much like Bradford Cox of Deerhunter and Atlas Sound, Matt Leer, aka Diamond Age, knows how to complement the intensity of his droning, layered sound by finding a balance between guitar, vocals and loops. Over the course of just three songs in J&J's basement, Leer was also quite talkative. "Enough bullshitting around now, we're just dudes playing music," he said. "Feel it, fucking feel the beat. Anyway." A closing cover of Ennio Morricone's "Ninna Nanna Per Adulteri" put a spotlight on his tastes, as does Leer's 2007 reinterpretation of Gareth Williams and Marie Currie's 1985 album, Flaming Tunes. By the end of the song, a few guys near the front pumped their fists in approval. - Daniel Rodrigue
