WHEN PINHEADS (RE)UNITE...

On the night of July 26th, a magical event took place at The Marquis Theatre... the members of the legendary Denver band Pinhead Circus got together for a reunion show. After breaking up more than 6 years ago, there was a small army of fans waiting for this event to take place. With an ever-changing band line up, many fans wondered who would hit the stage. Past Pinheaders have gone on to join such acts as The Gamits, Rise Against, Drag The River and Rocky Votolato. This night, the line-up was a mix of original and newer members with Scooter James on vocals/guitar, Jordan Hauser on guitar, Trevor Williamson on bass and Dave Barker on drums.

Whiskey Kiss was scheduled to open the show, but due to a run in with the law, local writer Charly "City Mouse" Fasano filled in with some insightful and hilarious spoken word. Eyes and Ears took the stage next and kept the party going with their brand of guitar driven good ol' rock n' roll. Next up was local favorite, Sleeper Horse. Lead by the gravely vocals and drunken lyrics of Mike Herrera (The Blackout Pact), Sleeper Horse got the crowd riled up and ready. Then came Pinhead...

Charly got back up on stage and introduced a band that needed no introduction. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the boy's beginning in Golden, Co. As the foursome walked on stage, the crowd seemed to meld into one giant hollering animal. To kick it off, they played the fan favorite "Detailed Instructions for the Self Involved". Scooter and the gang played like it was 1988, and they were still kids. Pinhead went on to play an incredible set that had the whole crowd singing along and pumping fists. I would say the highlight of the night was their classic Carefree Metal Daze.

After leaving the stage, the boys came back for an encore that turned out to be a big party for their proud-to-be-Midwestern gang... the No Coast Death Squad (NCDS). One by one, NCDS-tattooed guys hopped up on stage and joined in on the vocals. It was pretty cool to see this group of friends come together for one night. Being there and watching the place explode made the whole night feel as if time stopped.
Thanks guys.


Charly "City Mouse" Fasano... sharing some insight into the world of Greyhound buses, dive bars and yuppies named Chad.



Chuck and Mike of Eyes and Ears.



Mike Herrera of Sleeper Horse... beltin' out the vocals.



Matty Clark... bass aficionado for Sleeper Horse.



Casey of Only Thunder... doing his best to piss off the band.



Josh Friedman... takin' over the reins for The Horse.



So talented... and yet so angry.



From the first song, Scooter and the boys gave their all.



Jordan on guitar.



Don of Eyes and Ears was tossed into the crowd for a little surfing. Good thing he had that Hawaiian shirt on.



Back on the ground, Joe from Only Thunder grabbed him up for a bro hug and photo.



Just a bunch of kids havin' fun.



A well-deserved shot for the Circus.



This superfan was diggin' the show... and knew every single lyric. Kudos, my friend.



Ryan of Love Me Destroyer (Scooter's current band) wasn't afraid to show some love.



Scooter and Trevor... backed by the No Coast Death Squad.



The NCDS boys redefined "gang vocals."



Trevor was having a great time... and let the crowd know it.



My favorite photo from the show.



In the background is crazed NCDS'er Dusty. If you don't know Dusty, you must not go out to bars in Denver.



Just like the good ol' days.



Unlike the sticker on Scooter's guitar (and tattoo on his hand)... the night was far from a "Rock n' Roll Disaster".



The end.


To see some videos from the night, check out my YouTube page. Remember to click "watch in high quality", it makes a huge difference.