Some places just resonate familial interactions, where you can go time and time again knowing you will see friendly faces, as well as meet new people. Cervantes’ is that place for Denver locals, a safe space to hang out with like-minded individuals and hear good music on any given night of the week. Whether it’s the Masterpiece Ballroom or The Other Side, you can bet that there will be an artist or group that you would rather not miss. RE:Search Wednesdays are an exceptional night at Cervantes because the lineups always include local household names, as well as more prominent and recognizable artists. Many people that I’ve talked to during RE:Search nights come on a near-weekly basis even if they don’t know the artists because they can hang out, dance, enjoy the silent disco and more than likely leave with new artists to throw on their playlists.

All Photos by: Reed Moskal | @Real_Regiss

Someone who resonates with being at Cervs on a weekly basis is resident talent, Jordan Polovina. Chances are by now you’ve heard the name. Polovina, along with a rotating cast of all-stars, hold it down at RE:Search every single week, getting the house primed for any and all musical acts that may follow him on any given week. This week, the multi-faceted producer found a bit of fun in inviting random show-goers on stage to freestyle with him. Though clear he didn’t bite off more than he could chew, Polovina was definitely surprised with the talent he found to flow with. Guys like Grant Williams or @chakrates_philosophies rose up to the challenge and made Denver proud. In fact, the 2-3 locals kept upping the anti, but Polovina would almost effortlessly match their style and speed, showing us exactly why he’s where he is and more so, giving us a clear glimpse of where he’s going. This man won’t be opening Cervantes every week for long.

Great Dane came out to a hyped crowd ready to see him drop tracks from his newest EP, Respect: Self, which came out mid-May of this year. There were clearly many dedicated Great Dane fans who came out, especially if they caught him at his last RE:Search set back in April. His eclectic repertoire proved a willingness to experiment and take risks with what some might try to define as “Great Dane’s sound”. I would challenge that idea by saying he has no single identifiable style or sound, but rather a compilation of unique beats. DJ terminology would most likely describe Great Dane’s music as intelligent; meaning music that requires extra attention from the listener due to complex and cleaver sounds. The crowd was lost in his ambient build-ups that led into heavy hooks, seemingly inspired by futuristic hip-hop styles; similar to the likes of Kanye West and Tyler The Creator. Respect: Self was accepted with open arms from fans after the success of his last album, which was a 14-track testament to his bold and unforgiving nature as an artist. People always love music with loud low-ends and recycled catchy loops but when someone with quality music and good intentions comes out, people tend to notice.

Wednesday welcomed Hucci, trap legend from the U.K., back to the stage to headline RE:Search. For those who have never been graced by one of his live sets before, they may have been surprised by how young he looked as he came on stage. Although he is now in his early twenties, Hucci’s claim to fame was partly due to being a prodigy throughout DJ culture when he was just 16 years old. He has a formidable presence felt through his music, it was a true pleasure to watch his “baby-face” laying down daddy tracks. I was at Hucci’s show around two years ago, the last time he came to Denver and headlined at Cervantes. Looking around, there were definitely some day-1 fans who had come back for more “Hucci madness”. Young Hucci was first recognized for his serpentine mixes of other artists original songs. He blessed us with some of those mixes on Wednesday, a crowd favorite definitely being Kendrick Lamar's iconic Backseat Freestyle. At the peak of his set, even the floor felt like it was going to bust a move and the whole ballroom might just fall right through. Many hugs and handshakes were shared at the end of Hucci’s set, he was so excited to interact with his fans. I briefly spoke with Hucci after his set, and he was enthralled with the reaction and energy that had emitted from the crowd.

“I love Denver, they show so much love and respect. The crowd is fun as fuck! -Ollie Hucci

It was yet another successful lineup and turn out for the folks at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom and Euphonic Conceptions (weekly presenter of RE:Search). With so much diversity and originality, there is never a dull moment on hump-day at Cervantes. Next week will undoubtedly pop off as well, with a list of artists including SubDocta w/ special guest sfam and a Denver local favorite, AVRY.

As an invitation to get pumped up for next week's RE:Search session, we spoke to AVRY about the upcoming show and his current musical endeavors.

SV: What makes Cervantes a fun venue for you to play and how would you describe it in your own words?

AVRY: “Cervantes for me is home, I got my start in Denver playing Cervs on Monday nights, helping friends organize some smaller events. I’ve been able to work from the ground up there and see how the scene operates. I’ve played there when the room was empty and now when it’s packed out. A big part of my path in music has been paved through that place, it’s everything to me. It’s fun because it has so much meaning, and it’s always packed full of friends and people I love.”

SV: What fun upcoming shows do you have this fall or end of Summer season?

AVRY: “After this show, I have Compound Sound Music Festival, then I’ll be supporting ATLiens in Fort Collins at the Aggie Theater on 9/27. ATLiens is one of my biggest inspirations right now, so I’m beyond excited to be a part of that show.”

SV: Have you played with anyone else playing next week or know any of the guys?

AVRY: “I have played with SubDocta before, a while back in Portland Oregon at The Paris Theatre. We don’t know each other too well but enough to get along for sure. I met the sfam guys last week at 515 for the first time, they killed it and were definitely good people.”

SV: How would you describe the experience of your live set? Or what you want it to be?

AVRY: “I try to feel what vibe the crowd would feed off of that the most and go with that. I really feed off the crowd's energy so if I can keep them excited I have a lot of fun on stage and get juiced up. Overall I want my music to carry a message, that it’s more about the music than the party. My music definitely gets people going but overall I want it to make a genuine impact on people once they leave the room. Right now I want it to be whatever people need. A release, distraction, a dance party, wherever it can make the world feel a little lighter that’s the reason and driving force for me to create it.”

For your shot to win THREE free tickets for next the next RE:Search Wednesday, just drop your email address here!

RE:Visit - HUCCI, Great Dane, & More Plus Catch Up With AVRY Before Next Week

All Photos by: Reed Moskal | @Real_Regiss