Finishing their two day Colorado tour, Los Toms and The Gray Goo co-headlined Surfside 7 last Saturday, May 31st, with local support from Avare. This Rocky Mountains lineup was heavy but approachable, resulting into yet another phenomenal psychedelic show for Fort Collins.
Avare opened, eager to put a third show under their belt since their live venue debut in February. Their capable rhythm section laid a strong foundation for fuzz laden riffs and confident vocals, and were well received by an audience who had no problem showing up for the opener. They ended their set with their upcoming single, “Stalker”, complete with a flowing dance performance from an audience member in a costume inspired by the track’s protagonist, a billionaire-tormenting fly.
The Gray Goo, a 3 piece from the Flathead Valley region of Montana, followed Avare. Dressed predominately in yellow, flanked by Orange amplifiers, and radiating anti-establishment, they drenched the room with heavy fuzz. While rooted in psychedelia and jam, their sound fluctuated from the low octave overdrive of doom metal to the bright pluckiness of funk, with occasional bluegrass elements, specifically introducing their track “Alligator Bundee” as “from the sticks”. Their playing kept up with their musical diversity, and their set was rich with solos, well executed improvisation, and excited fans dressed in the same yellow they were.
Los Toms, after constructing a veritable wall of drum hardware, concluded the night with walls of oscillating sound. Performing as a 5 piece lately, the recent addition of Dave O’donnell from Ploom makes Los Toms a two drum-kit band. The barrage of percussion serves the band well, and LED lights illuminated the “Psychs Peak” decal on O’donnell’s kit, one of the many products of O’donnel and bassist Nately Dorlac’s work cultivating the northern Colorado psych rock scene.
Los Toms played predominately out of the track list of their recent album “Tube Theory”, first playing slower, trance-like songs like “Little Trolls Live In Trees” before transitioning to the screaming desert rock of “Tube Future”. The hypnotic instrumental that heads off “Two-Headed Snake” perfectly showcased the melodic skills of Dorlac, guitarist Casey Garrow, and keyboardist/guitarist Jay LeCavalier before exploding into a racing verse perfect for drummer Giovanni Manwaring’s rapid-fire vocals. Ending their set with a full room and active pit, Los Toms filled the room with feedback, reminding us of their status as one of the noisiest bands in Fort Collins…