For the original article including a photo in which the caption reads "The lead singer was so star struck by the many Denver Cruisers out there that he became speechless." Click Here.
MF Ruckus takes Backseat to Cruisers
By Bryan Smith
Editor In Chief
Published: Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Updated: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 23:10
As the last hoorah of Denver Cruisers' Ski Bum/Snow Bunny themed ride culminated at Brooklyn's on Sept. 28, MF Ruckus appeared as the musical guest.
As cyclists made their way from the circle of death (in which riders ride in a circle steadily increasing speed) at Civic Center to Brooklyn's back patio, Ruckus set up on the small stage.
Even though the band had a lively 80's rock ‘n' roll vibe, MF Ruckus's performance mostly served as background noise to the antics of the Cruisers' last run.
Ruckus' sound is comparable to bands like early Whitesnake and Motley Crüe with loud, solo guitar riffs and a combination of airy and guttural vocals.
When the crowd seemed to be more heavily interested in the circle of death outside of Brooklyn's, they managed to reel the audience back in with weak covers. However, with the additives of patrons guzzling beer and sneaking tokes, their renditions of "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" were immensely crowd-pleasing.
Naturally, the cover of "Bohemian Rhapsody" marked the peak of the spectator's involvement with the show. Cruisers and pedestrians alike joined in and drunkenly shouted the lyrics along with the band.
Had Ruckus focused more on covers to engage the clearly intoxicated audience in a more universal sense, the show might have been more captivating among the hundreds in attendance for Denver Cruisers.
Ruckus can definitely put on an energetic show. The two guitarists committed to dressing the part of an 80's rock band sporting long, straight hair and bandanas. Maniacal, back-and-forth head shaking and classic head banging religiously accompanied each guitar solo. For the two or three songs that I wasn't mesmerized by the hundreds of Denverites wheeling around, MF Ruckus had my attention.
Regardless, Ruckus' set definitely fell victim to circumstance. No matter how much energy the band emitted, it was no match for the plethora of men in 80's ski onesies and scantily clad women in snow boots.
The setting just wasn't intimate enough for a lesser-known, local band to steal the show and hype the crowd up. Brooklyn's looked more like a party scene in an American Pie film than a rock concert: The conversation and laughs were exponentially more interesting than the band playing. I was more inclined to hop into the circle of death or grab another beer than elbow my way to the front of the stage to jump up and down with the 10 wasted, but seemingly devout, fans.
MF Ruckus takes Backseat to Cruisers
By Bryan Smith
Editor In Chief
Published: Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Updated: Tuesday, October 11, 2011 23:10
As the last hoorah of Denver Cruisers' Ski Bum/Snow Bunny themed ride culminated at Brooklyn's on Sept. 28, MF Ruckus appeared as the musical guest.
As cyclists made their way from the circle of death (in which riders ride in a circle steadily increasing speed) at Civic Center to Brooklyn's back patio, Ruckus set up on the small stage.
Even though the band had a lively 80's rock ‘n' roll vibe, MF Ruckus's performance mostly served as background noise to the antics of the Cruisers' last run.
Ruckus' sound is comparable to bands like early Whitesnake and Motley Crüe with loud, solo guitar riffs and a combination of airy and guttural vocals.
When the crowd seemed to be more heavily interested in the circle of death outside of Brooklyn's, they managed to reel the audience back in with weak covers. However, with the additives of patrons guzzling beer and sneaking tokes, their renditions of "The Devil Went Down To Georgia" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" were immensely crowd-pleasing.
Naturally, the cover of "Bohemian Rhapsody" marked the peak of the spectator's involvement with the show. Cruisers and pedestrians alike joined in and drunkenly shouted the lyrics along with the band.
Had Ruckus focused more on covers to engage the clearly intoxicated audience in a more universal sense, the show might have been more captivating among the hundreds in attendance for Denver Cruisers.
Ruckus can definitely put on an energetic show. The two guitarists committed to dressing the part of an 80's rock band sporting long, straight hair and bandanas. Maniacal, back-and-forth head shaking and classic head banging religiously accompanied each guitar solo. For the two or three songs that I wasn't mesmerized by the hundreds of Denverites wheeling around, MF Ruckus had my attention.
Regardless, Ruckus' set definitely fell victim to circumstance. No matter how much energy the band emitted, it was no match for the plethora of men in 80's ski onesies and scantily clad women in snow boots.
The setting just wasn't intimate enough for a lesser-known, local band to steal the show and hype the crowd up. Brooklyn's looked more like a party scene in an American Pie film than a rock concert: The conversation and laughs were exponentially more interesting than the band playing. I was more inclined to hop into the circle of death or grab another beer than elbow my way to the front of the stage to jump up and down with the 10 wasted, but seemingly devout, fans.