Club Red at Telluride Conference Center: Deer Tick

07 Aug Club Red at Telluride Conference Center: Deer Tick

“Ragged Chuck Berry grooves and punk-country riffs are topped by frontman John Joseph McCauley III’s Winston-stained howls about alcoholics, gold-digging women and poverty-stricken couples who can’t foot their bills,” Rolling Stone about Deer Tick

An uber-hip band returns to the Telluride region – or should I say invades?

Following the success of Blitzen Trapper (a sold-out show) and Cash’d Out, Denise Mongan’s Beyond the Groove Productions and Telluride Ski and Golf once again join forces to bring the band Deer Tick to Club RED in the Telluride Mountain Village Conference Center. With its plush lounge decor and ambient lighting, the musical venue, the region’s newest, is reminiscent of  the speakeasies of the Prohibition Era. The show takes place Thursday, August 14, starting at 8:30 p.m.

About now, you could well be asking yourself what sort of group would name itself after a really nasty parasite that transmits Lyme disease?

Answer: a very good one.

“One of the most innovative bands in the folk and Americana revival,” raved Spin Magazine

Deer Tick (the band) is synonymous with its guitarist and singer-songwriter John McCauley, who grew up in Providence, Rhode Island, where he began his career by teaching himself to play drums, guitar, piano, and pedal steel. Asked about the name, McCauley’s alleged answer is as off-the-wall as his Americana-like sound.

Deer Tick’s John McCauley

Apparently McCauley and a friend, Brendon Massei, aka Viking Moses, were hiking in the Morgan-Monroe State Forest near Bloomington, Indiana, when McCauley found a deer tick on his scalp. Although he camped and fished as a child, he  had never come in contact with a tick. Was that a sign? McCauley named band after a blood-sucking parasite, thinking sign or not, the name was cool.

And perhaps in the age of vampires, zombies and werewolf’s it is. For sure, Deer Tick is cool.

For the uninitiated, Deer Tick is an American indie folk band. The group began as a solo project for McCauley back in 2004. Songs such as “Dirty Ashes,” “Art Isn’t Real (City of Sin)” and “Ashamed” garnered comparisons to pioneering indie and alt-country acts such as Bright Eyes, Modest Mouse, and Uncle Tupelo.

After one particular performance at Bonnaroo a few short years ago, Deer Tick became widely recognized as one of the top 25 bands not to miss. With the harmonies of Mumford and Sons, the soul of Bob Dylan, and the rock ’n roll of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers guaranteed Dick Tick will knock you off your feet.

In its live shows, Deer Tick perform an eclectic mix of covers and original songs (though their recorded discography is almost exclusively made up of compositions by McCauley whose rough, ragged, heartfelt vocals bring a wealth of rock and grunge influences to the sound).

“Deer Tick is one of my favorite young American alt-rock bands,” said Mongan.

The show is family friendly.

Tickets are $22 pre-sale; $24 day of show. They are available here  and locally at Wizard Framing and Entertainment.

Once again, the show is produced by Denise Mongan of Beyond the Groove Productions and supported by Telluride Ski & Golf, the Telluride Mountain Village Conference Center and the Inn at Lost Creek.

For a preview of Deer Tick’s show, watch this video:

About Club Red:

Tony Kalyk of the Telluride Conference Center, Denise Mongan, Robert Stenhammer, Telski

Sleek and sultry, with a capacity of 450, a large performance stage, red ambient lighting throughout the room, and seating areas for a more private experience, Club Red is expected to become the choice music venue of the Telluride region. And Club Red twins with Denise Mongan. The place is the brainchild of the music producer (massage therapist and homeopathic healer) and a close friend (who chooses to remain anonymous).

Born and raised in Ireland, Mongan embodies the signature attribute of strong Celtic women. From pagan times, Irish legend is filled with strong women whose feet were planted firmly on the ground, but who were also non-conforming and enlightened enough believe in magic.

The seeds of Club Red were planted in 1999, when Mongan really began to hone her ear with great success:

“The two bands I picked out as the sounds of 2013 were indeed #1 and #2 on the BBC sounds of 2013: Kodaline and Haim! I just seem to have an instinct for what new music will do well and am a passionate listener. I tune into European radio, which is always cutting edge. I have enjoyed scouting talent for many years and now have my own production company, Beyond the Groove. Last year I produced three shows at the Moon saloon: Sea Wolf, the Cave Singers and Toubab Krewe.”

The music Mongan tends to listen to – and scout – does not include the usual suspects around these parts:

“No jam grass, no jam rock, nothing of that ilk, much more progressive. Much of it is European, mostly British, Australian, and new American. Not all new, Blitzen Trapper has been making music for over decade, but they are still considered indie. Beyond The Groove is my avenue to produce bands I enjoy, bands I seek out, and do my darndest to secure before they are main stream and beyond the budget. I hope to produce many more shows at Club Red throughout the year, featuring high-quality sounds in a classy, comfortable venue the likes of which did not exist in Telluride – until now.” 

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