The Yawpers

The Yawpers Capon Crusade, out this week (buy it here at cdbaby), is a badass record with giant balls. It's messy, loud, distorted and six kinds of fun. Hailing from Boulder, CO and led by vocalist/guitarist Nate Cook, The Yawpers scrap like a dogfight between Saturday night and Sunday morning. Cook makes like a manic Peter Case fusing acoustic folk blues with cathartic, stomping rave-ups that explode like cheap beer flying out of wildly shaken happy hour long necks.

There are times when calling a group a "bar band" can seem like a pejorative. This is not one of those times. This is the band you want playing at your favorite bar... every night. Even when they hit "Rock Bottom", where "the floor is covered from door to bed in Rolling Rock and cigarettes", the band sizzles with a chaotic fever, the tempo driven by the downright nasty blues harp of secret weapon Dave Romano. I can't remember a recent rock record where the harmonica spit felt like it was leaking out of the speakers.

Capon Crusade mixes styles effectively, balancing the lighters aloft power balladry of the (slightly) overlong "Darkening Doors" with the scuzzy blues wail of bookend barnburners "Savage Blue" and "Silicone Love". "Mother" explores the need for connection and the desire to find home, and evokes prime Whiskeytown in the process, while "Replace Me" cops the Springsteen harmonica riff from "Promised Land". Currently on tour to promote their debut full length, The Yawpers expect to hit the Northeast next spring - watch this space for further updates. - Teenage Kicks

The Yawpers plug Indie Rock guitars into Alt Country amps on Capon Crusade. Country twang sits firmly on a solid rhythm bristling with crunchy guitar chords, keeping the tracks true and on course. The Yawpers give an electric charge to each song, even the acoustic leanings of “America” glows with an inner fire. Capon Crusade is an attack album.
The band unleashes a major weapon from their arsenal with the vocals of Nate Cook. The man howls and hollers but the notes are never shredded. As “Replace Me” offers guitar patterns that would feel at home in Springsteen’s “Promised Land”, Nate provides gospel-friendly spirit and pulpit passion. The soul of the singer gives The Yawpers a chameleon quality. Rock, Country, Roots and Soul are the heart of Alt Country. Capon Crusade is a proud member of the club, and they raise the bar for both the founders and the followers of the sound.

Capon Crusade is a big album with lots of room for sound inclusion. When sentiment and folk guitars sit down for a breather in the opening of “Mother”, you can feel the tension rumbling underneath. The song erupts to land firmly in The Yawpers’ comfort zone of amped-up force. “Savage Blue” kicks off the album, using dueling feedback and drum rumble to get your attention. Dave Romano lets you know in the first track that the harmonica player is a full time band member, not on board for a little flash here and there. His harmonica is just as distorted as Jesse Parmet’s guitar and as heavy as drummer James Hale’s beats.

The band takes bites themselves of all that the Alt Country buffet contains throughout Capon Crusade. The power that these guys give back is nearly physical. “All Night Long” moves between rafter rattle pounding and a slightly hushed, rhythm-only underscore; “Garbage Man” moans with a choir hum as the tale tells of love put out with the trash; “Rock Bottom” is told from the comfort of a bed littered with cigarette butts and Rolling Rock beer bottles, and “Bartelby the Womanizer” puts the sonic pedal to the metal and moves by so quick the country guitar twang has to stick to slide to make its presence felt amid the rock overload.

The Yawpers play passion and fire and never hit the brake on Capon Crusade. Their commitment to hard playing and forceful delivery would make any death metal band stand up and bow down. For more on The Yawpers, follow the smell of singed sound over into their website.
- Alternate Root

The Yawpers plug Indie Rock guitars into Alt Country amps on Capon Crusade. Country twang sits firmly on a solid rhythm bristling with crunchy guitar chords, keeping the tracks true and on course. The Yawpers give an electric charge to each song, even the acoustic leanings of “America” glows with an inner fire. Capon Crusade is an attack album.
The band unleashes a major weapon from their arsenal with the vocals of Nate Cook. The man howls and hollers but the notes are never shredded. As “Replace Me” offers guitar patterns that would feel at home in Springsteen’s “Promised Land”, Nate provides gospel-friendly spirit and pulpit passion. The soul of the singer gives The Yawpers a chameleon quality. Rock, Country, Roots and Soul are the heart of Alt Country. Capon Crusade is a proud member of the club, and they raise the bar for both the founders and the followers of the sound.

Capon Crusade is a big album with lots of room for sound inclusion. When sentiment and folk guitars sit down for a breather in the opening of “Mother”, you can feel the tension rumbling underneath. The song erupts to land firmly in The Yawpers’ comfort zone of amped-up force. “Savage Blue” kicks off the album, using dueling feedback and drum rumble to get your attention. Dave Romano lets you know in the first track that the harmonica player is a full time band member, not on board for a little flash here and there. His harmonica is just as distorted as Jesse Parmet’s guitar and as heavy as drummer James Hale’s beats.

The band takes bites themselves of all that the Alt Country buffet contains throughout Capon Crusade. The power that these guys give back is nearly physical. “All Night Long” moves between rafter rattle pounding and a slightly hushed, rhythm-only underscore; “Garbage Man” moans with a choir hum as the tale tells of love put out with the trash; “Rock Bottom” is told from the comfort of a bed littered with cigarette butts and Rolling Rock beer bottles, and “Bartelby the Womanizer” puts the sonic pedal to the metal and moves by so quick the country guitar twang has to stick to slide to make its presence felt amid the rock overload.

The Yawpers play passion and fire and never hit the brake on Capon Crusade. Their commitment to hard playing and forceful delivery would make any death metal band stand up and bow down. For more on The Yawpers, follow the smell of singed sound over into their website.
- Alternate Root

The Yawpers - upcoming release of their debut LP, "Capon Crusade". The album will drop Oct. 30th. Recorded in just under two weeks at UI Studios in Boulder, "Capon Crusade" is the band's attempt at making a raw, unpolished, and unabashedly American record.

From it's very first song this album makes it clear it is going to kick your ass and not ask you for your name. The guitar work is expansive and diverse blending rock/blues riffs, country twang with punkitude. The bottom end is speaker rattilin' pound the steering wheel and hit the gas good. Nate's vocals have a very unique style yet he seems to channel everyone from Bob Dylan to Iggy Pop. Having only been together for a year these Colorado lads in my opinion have created a piece of art, a sculpture of sounds and styles that offer something new and exciting from every angle. - No Depression

"Half of our songs are about getting fucked up, and the other half are about existential crises that make you question the nature of reality," declares Yawpers frontman Nate Cook. "So, those two themes run pretty prevalently through the music, or at least I would hope so."
The Yawpers clearly have a thinking problem.
The Yawpers clearly have a thinking problem.
Location Info
Hi-dive

7 S. Broadway
Denver, CO 80209

Category: Bars and Clubs

Region: South Denver

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The Yawpers CD release, with Eldren and West Water Outlaws, 9 p.m. Friday, October 19, hi-dive, 7 South Broadway, 720-570-5400.
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More About

Nate Cook
Jesse Parmet
Albert Camus
Jean-Paul Sartre
Arts, Entertainment, and Media

Cook, a self-described literature fanatic, says he enjoys lifting from the literary greats and kind of throwing some "highbrow uber-literate shit in the band's simple-ass country rock-and-roll songs." It's a contradiction Cook says he finds pretty amusing. And indeed, scattered throughout Capon Crusade, the band's brand-new full-length, are references to existentialist writers Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre. While Cook says he says he doesn't necessarily gravitate toward them in his general philosophy, they do inspire the songs.

"They're depressing as fuck," he admits of the philosophers, "but for me, reading their depressing work while I'm writing material is a must. I write best out of being at the end of my rope or at least devastated about the iniquities of having to be alive.

"Sartre and Camus are really poignant in pointing out just how flawed existence is in general," he goes on. "And sometimes that can be comforting when you're trying to write some shitty song about getting fucked up because a girl left you. It kind of adds some cachet to it, so to speak. You don't just feel like you're some whiny little bitch; you have some heavy minds weighing in on it behind you."

Another literary giant, meanwhile, inspired the name of the band, which comes from a line in Walt Whitman's poem "Song of Myself": "I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world."

Cook's yawp might not necessarily be barbaric, but the guy sounds vigorous as hell when he's screaming like a madman during the band's raucous live shows or on Capon Crusade. He can also roll it back with his nasally voice, which he says automatically draws comparisons to Dylan, even if, at times, there are also hints of Wilco's Jeff Tweedy and Jack White in his delivery.

With Capon Crusade, Cook says the band went for a really raw, primitive approach, recording it almost entirely live, including vocals, in hopes of capturing some of the act's live energy, as opposed to last year's EP, Savage Blue, which he says wasn't really indicative of the Yawpers' on-stage sound. "There's where we've had most of our success," he notes, referring to the band's live show. "So we figured that's what our record should sound like. We tried to get as close to our live sound as possible. That's kind of what it became."

The trio has grown into a quartet that includes Cook and Jesse Parmet on acoustic guitars, as well as drummer James Hale, who replaced Adam Perry last May, and harmonicat Dave Romano, who joined the band in June. There's no bassist, but the Yawpers have no trouble making things beefy. Hale plays with two floor toms and a big-ass kick drum, while Cook, who primarily plays rhythm guitar, says his focus is just to never stop playing the bottom note. Using alternate tunings (close to half of their songs are in open D), with Parmet running his acoustic through a distortion pedal, also fattens the band's sound.

"We intentionally limit ourselves," Cook says of the instrumentation. "We don't play electric guitars. We only play acoustic guitar, and we have no bass player. We just stripped it down to what we felt like were the bare necessities and just keeping it there and working within those constraints to try and say what we wanted to say. Stripping it down to that has just allowed us to be simple and direct. It hasn't limited us in the loudness factor or the heaviness factor, surprisingly. But it has allowed us to really keep it simple, and that's really what it boils down to.

"People can connect to m - Westword

"Half of our songs are about getting fucked up, and the other half are about existential crises that make you question the nature of reality," declares Yawpers frontman Nate Cook. "So, those two themes run pretty prevalently through the music, or at least I would hope so."
The Yawpers clearly have a thinking problem.
The Yawpers clearly have a thinking problem.
Location Info
Hi-dive

7 S. Broadway
Denver, CO 80209

Category: Bars and Clubs

Region: South Denver

Photos

15 user reviews
Write A Review

Powered by Voice Places
Details
The Yawpers CD release, with Eldren and West Water Outlaws, 9 p.m. Friday, October 19, hi-dive, 7 South Broadway, 720-570-5400.
Related Content

Ten musicians fueled by existentialism
May 22, 2013
The ten best concerts this weekend: Nov. 9-11
November 9, 2012
The ten best concerts this weekend: Oct. 19-21
October 19, 2012
Coming of age with 21 drinks: A sophisticated St. Germain at Le Grand Bistro & Oyster Bar
August 16, 2013
#WMS 2012 recap: Curious Theatre
June 25, 2012

More About

Nate Cook
Jesse Parmet
Albert Camus
Jean-Paul Sartre
Arts, Entertainment, and Media

Cook, a self-described literature fanatic, says he enjoys lifting from the literary greats and kind of throwing some "highbrow uber-literate shit in the band's simple-ass country rock-and-roll songs." It's a contradiction Cook says he finds pretty amusing. And indeed, scattered throughout Capon Crusade, the band's brand-new full-length, are references to existentialist writers Albert Camus and Jean-Paul Sartre. While Cook says he says he doesn't necessarily gravitate toward them in his general philosophy, they do inspire the songs.

"They're depressing as fuck," he admits of the philosophers, "but for me, reading their depressing work while I'm writing material is a must. I write best out of being at the end of my rope or at least devastated about the iniquities of having to be alive.

"Sartre and Camus are really poignant in pointing out just how flawed existence is in general," he goes on. "And sometimes that can be comforting when you're trying to write some shitty song about getting fucked up because a girl left you. It kind of adds some cachet to it, so to speak. You don't just feel like you're some whiny little bitch; you have some heavy minds weighing in on it behind you."

Another literary giant, meanwhile, inspired the name of the band, which comes from a line in Walt Whitman's poem "Song of Myself": "I sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world."

Cook's yawp might not necessarily be barbaric, but the guy sounds vigorous as hell when he's screaming like a madman during the band's raucous live shows or on Capon Crusade. He can also roll it back with his nasally voice, which he says automatically draws comparisons to Dylan, even if, at times, there are also hints of Wilco's Jeff Tweedy and Jack White in his delivery.

With Capon Crusade, Cook says the band went for a really raw, primitive approach, recording it almost entirely live, including vocals, in hopes of capturing some of the act's live energy, as opposed to last year's EP, Savage Blue, which he says wasn't really indicative of the Yawpers' on-stage sound. "There's where we've had most of our success," he notes, referring to the band's live show. "So we figured that's what our record should sound like. We tried to get as close to our live sound as possible. That's kind of what it became."

The trio has grown into a quartet that includes Cook and Jesse Parmet on acoustic guitars, as well as drummer James Hale, who replaced Adam Perry last May, and harmonicat Dave Romano, who joined the band in June. There's no bassist, but the Yawpers have no trouble making things beefy. Hale plays with two floor toms and a big-ass kick drum, while Cook, who primarily plays rhythm guitar, says his focus is just to never stop playing the bottom note. Using alternate tunings (close to half of their songs are in open D), with Parmet running his acoustic through a distortion pedal, also fattens the band's sound.

"We intentionally limit ourselves," Cook says of the instrumentation. "We don't play electric guitars. We only play acoustic guitar, and we have no bass player. We just stripped it down to what we felt like were the bare necessities and just keeping it there and working within those constraints to try and say what we wanted to say. Stripping it down to that has just allowed us to be simple and direct. It hasn't limited us in the loudness factor or the heaviness factor, surprisingly. But it has allowed us to really keep it simple, and that's really what it boils down to.

"People can connect to m - Westword

Boulder’s indie-country rockers The Yawpers, who just released an EP earlier this year, are finally ready to issue their first full-length album Capon Crusade and with songs like these the group might just change the perception that Boulder’s only full of jammy potheads.

Earlier this year, in writing about Lucero’s Women & Work I wrote, “There has always been this sort of implied danger with Lucero — as if the things that turn a rowdy night into a behind-bars kind of night are laying just under the surface.” I should have saved that sentence for The Yawpers review.

The Yawpers are, in many ways, Boulder’s answer to Lucero, or Deer Tick, maybe with some J. Roddy Walston and the Business thrown in for good measure. There’s heavy drinking, lots of sweating, and a raw energy that doesn’t necessarily fit well on a CD. But despite their young age as a band (just over a year now) and considering their recent lineup changes, including the addition of a fourth member, the band simply nailed this debut. They didn’t play it safe. They let it all hang out, and that vulnerability is palpable and addictive.

The album begins with swampy guitar notes that are joined by a steady kick drum before they both explode into the first verse of “Savage Blue.” The song is a perfect start to the album as it does what the rest of the disc does — it takes listeners on a ride. But unlike many bands, The Yawpers use all five gears in the transmission, and they switch between them often. They’re sometimes delicate and sometimes pedal-to-the-floor aggressive.

“Mother” is one of the more reserved songs on the disc, or at least it starts that way, but just before the band hits the one-minute mark, they can’t help but grab the shifter and let it roll.

On the other hand, the absolutely off-the-hook barroom anthem that is “Rock Bottom” is as good as any drinking song that’s come before it, and it even features the sound of breaking glass. It’s not a stretch at all to imagine Yawpers crowds raising glasses and trying to sing over the P.A. system on that track.

And again with “Garbage Man” The Yawpers showcase their ability to change the flavor of a track multiple times, with it coming across seamlessly and not schizophrenic. In the first minute-and-a-half of the song the group transcends three very separate styles, from bluesy gospel, to hard-drinking rock, to over-the-top cathartic purgings.

At the heart of all of this tumultuous energy for The Yawpers are guitarists/vocalists Nate Cook and Jesse Parmet, who used to play together in the now defunct Boulder group Ego Vs. Id. Recently, the band changed drummers to include James Hale and added harmonica player Dave Romano. While Cook’s voice might take front and center throughout the record, it’s a voice that needs accompaniment and Parmet’s playing compliments it as well as a good smoke makes a glass of whiskey go down better. - Marquee Magazine

f you’ve been reading The Hype Weekly for long, you’ve surely heard of The Yawpers. If you still haven’t heard The Yawpers, you’ve been missing out on some great music. Rectify that mistake right now. Stop reading this, go to Spotify, go to YouTube, go to ReverbNation, and listen to The Yawpers. No matter what mistakes you may have made in your life, no matter how many hearts you may have broken, no matter who’s Cheerios you may have pissed in, you don’t deserve the punishment of a Yawperless life. In fact, introducing the person you’ve wronged to the music of The Yawpers may just buy you eternal forgiveness.



On Friday the 19th, the Yawpers are storming the Little Apple once more, shaking the underground rafters of Auntie Mae’s Parlor. Do not miss this show. Your opportunities to see The Yawpers in intimate venues will be severely limited in the future; it’s only a matter of time before their popularity explodes.



There is no doubt that they have the talent to make it big, and anyone who has seen them on stage will attest that they put in a full day’s work in two hours. But craft and determination do not guarantee success. Presence? They have it in abundance. I’ve seen some great musicians grace Aggieville, but most of them are just that, people who play great music. When you set eyes on The Yawpers, you know you’re looking at rock stars.



But, beyond all that, something else has convinced me that I’ll one day be able to brag about seeing The Yawpers in their early years: If you ask five different fans to name their favourite song, you’ll get six different answers. “Worthless” “Bartleby the Womanizer” “Heart on a String” “Garbage Man” “Darkening Doors”and “Jesus Car”were all responses from a quick survey.
The Yawpers aren’t a one-hit wonder, thriving on the strength of a single popular song, armed with a slew of filler and covers. Of the seventeen songs on their debut album Capon Crusade and their Savage Blue EP, you won’t find a bad track in the bunch. Nor is this a band that relies on a gimmick to appeal to a niche fan base, unless you count the gimmick of pure awesomaucity.



Not many people were fortunate enough to see Led Zeppelin’s unbilled American debut in Denver, (scant miles from The Yawpers homebase of Boulder). The number of people who attended early Guns ‘N Roses’shows at The Troubadour and The Roxy in LA pales in comparison to the legions of fans who later grew to worship them. But you still have a chance to see The Yawpers so up close and personal that you might just find yourself showered with sweat from Nate Cook’s mesmerizingly curly hair.



Head down to Auntie Mae’s Parlor on Friday night. There’s a $3 cover, but don’t let that phase you. You’ll feel guilty about paying so little for so much, but you can assuage that guilt with drinks and tips. And when the night is through, when your ears are still tingling in the euphoric afterglow of orgasmic audio bliss, I won’t say “I told you so.”But twenty years from now, you’ll be telling the next generation about the time you saw The Yawpers before they were famous. - Hype Weekly

f you’ve been reading The Hype Weekly for long, you’ve surely heard of The Yawpers. If you still haven’t heard The Yawpers, you’ve been missing out on some great music. Rectify that mistake right now. Stop reading this, go to Spotify, go to YouTube, go to ReverbNation, and listen to The Yawpers. No matter what mistakes you may have made in your life, no matter how many hearts you may have broken, no matter who’s Cheerios you may have pissed in, you don’t deserve the punishment of a Yawperless life. In fact, introducing the person you’ve wronged to the music of The Yawpers may just buy you eternal forgiveness.



On Friday the 19th, the Yawpers are storming the Little Apple once more, shaking the underground rafters of Auntie Mae’s Parlor. Do not miss this show. Your opportunities to see The Yawpers in intimate venues will be severely limited in the future; it’s only a matter of time before their popularity explodes.



There is no doubt that they have the talent to make it big, and anyone who has seen them on stage will attest that they put in a full day’s work in two hours. But craft and determination do not guarantee success. Presence? They have it in abundance. I’ve seen some great musicians grace Aggieville, but most of them are just that, people who play great music. When you set eyes on The Yawpers, you know you’re looking at rock stars.



But, beyond all that, something else has convinced me that I’ll one day be able to brag about seeing The Yawpers in their early years: If you ask five different fans to name their favourite song, you’ll get six different answers. “Worthless” “Bartleby the Womanizer” “Heart on a String” “Garbage Man” “Darkening Doors”and “Jesus Car”were all responses from a quick survey.
The Yawpers aren’t a one-hit wonder, thriving on the strength of a single popular song, armed with a slew of filler and covers. Of the seventeen songs on their debut album Capon Crusade and their Savage Blue EP, you won’t find a bad track in the bunch. Nor is this a band that relies on a gimmick to appeal to a niche fan base, unless you count the gimmick of pure awesomaucity.



Not many people were fortunate enough to see Led Zeppelin’s unbilled American debut in Denver, (scant miles from The Yawpers homebase of Boulder). The number of people who attended early Guns ‘N Roses’shows at The Troubadour and The Roxy in LA pales in comparison to the legions of fans who later grew to worship them. But you still have a chance to see The Yawpers so up close and personal that you might just find yourself showered with sweat from Nate Cook’s mesmerizingly curly hair.



Head down to Auntie Mae’s Parlor on Friday night. There’s a $3 cover, but don’t let that phase you. You’ll feel guilty about paying so little for so much, but you can assuage that guilt with drinks and tips. And when the night is through, when your ears are still tingling in the euphoric afterglow of orgasmic audio bliss, I won’t say “I told you so.”But twenty years from now, you’ll be telling the next generation about the time you saw The Yawpers before they were famous. - Hype Weekly

If Walt Whitman were alive today, and he were in a rock band, that band might sound something very much like The Yawpers.

What: The Yawpers
When: 8 p.m. March 23

Where: Oskar Blues Liquids & Solids, 1555 S. Hover Road, Longmont

Info: oskarblues.com

Whitman famously sounded his "barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world," and The Yawpers, deriving their name from Whitman's line, are sounding their music over the roofs of Boulder.

Given how the buzz about them is growing, it could soon reach the rest of the world. The group is hardly six months old and already it's gaining praise, press and high profile performance opportunities.

This week the band is down in Austin, Texas, having been invited to play several shows as part of the South by Southwest music showcase. On March 23 the band will be back on home turf to perform at Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids & Solids in Longmont.

Nate Cook, who plays guitar, writes songs and sings for the band, attributed The Yawpers' swift early success to good luck and timing. It doesn't hurt to have a drummer, Adam Perry, who's an energetic promoter of the band, Cook said.

And, after all, it could have something to do with the music.

The Yawpers offer hope to listeners who view the trend toward hyper-processed, turntable-based, Autotuned, beat-corrected music with suspicion. They are a throwback to the heyday of rock 'n' roll, when Mick Jagger's swagger was the paragon of stage presence. Cook acknowledges the Rolling Stones as a major influence, and the Stones' whiskey-drenched ethos of the early 1970s shakes off a decades-long hangover in The Yawpers debut release, the five-track "Savage Blue."

"I'm aware we're going against the grain a bit," Cook said.

If The Yawpers look back for musical inspiration,


Courtesy The Yawpers. The Yawpers strip things down to just the good parts. Nate Cook sings.
they do put one twist on tradition. They don't have a bass player. The trio features two guitarists, Cook and Jesse Parmet, and Perry on drums. It's an unorthodox lineup, but the band makes plenty of sound and nothing seems missing. Cook said they arrived at this format after he and Parmet arranged material for two acoustic guitars in a duo setting. When they added Perry they felt no pressing need to add a bass.
"We just kind of kept it the way it is," he said.

The way it is is working. The band has roughly two more albums worth of material it plans to start recording this year. - Longmont Times Call

If Walt Whitman were alive today, and he were in a rock band, that band might sound something very much like The Yawpers.

What: The Yawpers
When: 8 p.m. March 23

Where: Oskar Blues Liquids & Solids, 1555 S. Hover Road, Longmont

Info: oskarblues.com

Whitman famously sounded his "barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world," and The Yawpers, deriving their name from Whitman's line, are sounding their music over the roofs of Boulder.

Given how the buzz about them is growing, it could soon reach the rest of the world. The group is hardly six months old and already it's gaining praise, press and high profile performance opportunities.

This week the band is down in Austin, Texas, having been invited to play several shows as part of the South by Southwest music showcase. On March 23 the band will be back on home turf to perform at Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids & Solids in Longmont.

Nate Cook, who plays guitar, writes songs and sings for the band, attributed The Yawpers' swift early success to good luck and timing. It doesn't hurt to have a drummer, Adam Perry, who's an energetic promoter of the band, Cook said.

And, after all, it could have something to do with the music.

The Yawpers offer hope to listeners who view the trend toward hyper-processed, turntable-based, Autotuned, beat-corrected music with suspicion. They are a throwback to the heyday of rock 'n' roll, when Mick Jagger's swagger was the paragon of stage presence. Cook acknowledges the Rolling Stones as a major influence, and the Stones' whiskey-drenched ethos of the early 1970s shakes off a decades-long hangover in The Yawpers debut release, the five-track "Savage Blue."

"I'm aware we're going against the grain a bit," Cook said.

If The Yawpers look back for musical inspiration,


Courtesy The Yawpers. The Yawpers strip things down to just the good parts. Nate Cook sings.
they do put one twist on tradition. They don't have a bass player. The trio features two guitarists, Cook and Jesse Parmet, and Perry on drums. It's an unorthodox lineup, but the band makes plenty of sound and nothing seems missing. Cook said they arrived at this format after he and Parmet arranged material for two acoustic guitars in a duo setting. When they added Perry they felt no pressing need to add a bass.
"We just kind of kept it the way it is," he said.

The way it is is working. The band has roughly two more albums worth of material it plans to start recording this year. - Longmont Times Call

Thursday with The Yawpers

Thursday, SXSW brought the first appearance at the festival for Boulder's indie-American rockers, The Yawpers, and they murdered the set.

The trio was part of the Mike Galaxy Presents 13th Annual Day Party at Guero's on South Congress and Elizabeth Street. It's a location fairly far removed from the main downtown scene, but it's still a thriving area for unofficial SXSW parties.

The Yawpers' set started off with a shrug. Frontman Nate Cook introduced the band as: "We're The Yawpers. We're out of Boulder. So we're gonna do some stuff here, I guess."

He really undersold them. They immediately launched into a set that gradually brought the taco-munching, beer sipping crowd off of the picnic tables of the outdoor venue. People pulled in closer, tapping toes and nodding heads, while three women got up to dance on the small space in front of the band.

The energy was just as high in the band. Cook and Jesse Parmet, both wearing sunglasses, were smiling at each other, stomping around the stage and kicking the air. The two of them traded little spurts of solos at one point, showcasing their chops bursts. Adam Perry did the same, and it seemed like he might break his drum kit with enthusiasm. For the last song, "America," he ran around the audience clapping his hands.

Speaking of the last song -- it was easily the best and the one to really win the crowd over. Besides the participatory pull of getting the whole crowd clapping (and keeping those women dancing), it was by far the hardest rocking moment. The whole thing wrapped up with a crashing four-on-the-floor beat from Perry, while Cook and Parmet wailed away, Cook running randomly into the crowd.

Afterward, the crowd was raving about the set and people were tracking them down to shake hands. The Yawpers first SXSW outing was a definite success, and one that can hopefully be repeated at the Illegal Pete's Starving Artist Showcase on Saturday. It will be a bigger venue in a more central SXSW location, so the stakes are raised for round two.

The Colorado Daily will be there, so stay tuned.

- Colorado Daily

The press has given The Yawpers a lot of love lately, and it's hard not to at the rate they're blowing up.

Back in November, the band had only been around for three months and already had a deal with Adventure Records and an EP ready for release. In the following three months, the "Savage Blue" EP has been praised by critics and the band has been cranking its indie Americana all over Boulder, and out around the Midwest.

"You know, it's been kind of a hurricane ride so far and we're excited that we're getting all the opportunities we have and hopefully we can keep the momentum going," frontman Nate Cook said.

It doesn't seem like they'll have any trouble doing that. Here's what's new and noteworthy.

This month, they'll play a couple unofficial parties at the week long Austin festival South By Southwest (SXSW). The word "unofficial" makes it sound sort of weak, but the unofficial showcases are an important part of the SXSW scene, drawing tons of industry bigwigs and new ears for the music. So far, they're confirmed for two shows and there's potential for a third. And for Cook, the trip to Austin is especially exciting.

"It should be pretty fun. I'm from right near there and I haven't been back in probably nine or 10 years," he said. "It'll be kind of like a homecoming for me."

Leading up to the big week, they'll be busy touring around Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma and Nebraska.

That includes The Yawpers' first headlining show at The Walnut Room this Saturday, and an appearance at Frozen Dead Guy Days tonight in Nederland. They'll play an after-party type show at the Pioneer Inn.

The Yawpers are also planning to return to the studio later in March to record a full-length album. Rather than taking a break to relax, they want to get straight to the studio while they're on a roll.

"That's always the best time to record, right after you beat up that material," Cook said.

Last thing: In April The Yawpers will take a shot at a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

With somewhere between six and 10 shows on April 21, they'll take the record for Most Performances in Record Stores on Record Store Day. They've registered to make the attempt and so far they've scheduled shows in Boulder at Absolute Vinyl and Albums on the Hill, and in Denver at Atomic Records, Black and Read and Independent Records. The whole thing will be tracked by a film crew, and the band is renting a van to help get fans around.

Clearly we're not the only ones who can't ignore The Yawpers. It's always cool to see a local band blow up, so check them out here in town and see what all the buzz is about.


- Colorado Daily

The press has given The Yawpers a lot of love lately, and it's hard not to at the rate they're blowing up.

Back in November, the band had only been around for three months and already had a deal with Adventure Records and an EP ready for release. In the following three months, the "Savage Blue" EP has been praised by critics and the band has been cranking its indie Americana all over Boulder, and out around the Midwest.

"You know, it's been kind of a hurricane ride so far and we're excited that we're getting all the opportunities we have and hopefully we can keep the momentum going," frontman Nate Cook said.

It doesn't seem like they'll have any trouble doing that. Here's what's new and noteworthy.

This month, they'll play a couple unofficial parties at the week long Austin festival South By Southwest (SXSW). The word "unofficial" makes it sound sort of weak, but the unofficial showcases are an important part of the SXSW scene, drawing tons of industry bigwigs and new ears for the music. So far, they're confirmed for two shows and there's potential for a third. And for Cook, the trip to Austin is especially exciting.

"It should be pretty fun. I'm from right near there and I haven't been back in probably nine or 10 years," he said. "It'll be kind of like a homecoming for me."

Leading up to the big week, they'll be busy touring around Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma and Nebraska.

That includes The Yawpers' first headlining show at The Walnut Room this Saturday, and an appearance at Frozen Dead Guy Days tonight in Nederland. They'll play an after-party type show at the Pioneer Inn.

The Yawpers are also planning to return to the studio later in March to record a full-length album. Rather than taking a break to relax, they want to get straight to the studio while they're on a roll.

"That's always the best time to record, right after you beat up that material," Cook said.

Last thing: In April The Yawpers will take a shot at a place in the Guinness Book of World Records.

With somewhere between six and 10 shows on April 21, they'll take the record for Most Performances in Record Stores on Record Store Day. They've registered to make the attempt and so far they've scheduled shows in Boulder at Absolute Vinyl and Albums on the Hill, and in Denver at Atomic Records, Black and Read and Independent Records. The whole thing will be tracked by a film crew, and the band is renting a van to help get fans around.

Clearly we're not the only ones who can't ignore The Yawpers. It's always cool to see a local band blow up, so check them out here in town and see what all the buzz is about.


- Colorado Daily

Auntie Mae’s Parlor, long time purveyor of musically poignant practitioners, is serving up two “Mighty Fine” treats this week and you’ been crazy to miss either one!

First up on Thursday at 9pm, The Yawpers from Boulder, CO bring their unique blend of indie-country and rock N roll to satisfy even the most jaded alt-country palates. This ain’t your common hipster hooch; these folks pack bonafide Whitman-esque yawps crafted by singer-songwriter Nate Cook. Listening to their debut album Savage Blue, I hear many voices, impressions; ranging from Steve Earle to Bob Dylan. I know the phrase “stripped down” is so ground into our ears that it had ceased to mean anything, but the Yawpers are just that. No roaring guitars or booming bass; just two acoustics backed by a conservative, subtle trap set. Thru pedals the flat tops occasionally get over-driven, but the sound is still very clean and honest. Vocally, the dynamics hearken to the Allman Brothers, minus a few parts.



On tunes like “Jesus Car”, Cook weaves metaphors in with colorful storytelling set against strong instrumental hooks to create the same smoky effect as staring across an open bonfire late at night, whisky-breathed words whirling as spit sizzles across popping logs. Primal is the boring word I would use here; that brand of honest, epic grit that makes me love late nights at Winfield and porch song practitioners. Excellent pick work and good harmonies are the parallels between all the tracks, be they quick and tipsy like “Heart on a String” or the slow and soft “Runner” (which kicks off with an audible cough from someone in the band, which made me love it all the more).

I can already see the Yawpers, very much a home, nestled beneath the rafters of Mae’s parlor. I’m there already, just from the scant sampling of five tunes off of Savage Blue. On Thursday, you should join me; we’ll get the room spinning a bit and just listen to the gorgeous unfold.

The next course of board beatin, foot stompin goodness on the docket at Mae’s this week are the fabulous Phaetons on Saturday at 8pm. There are two types of bands in my world; bands I go and see because I love them and bands I go and see while wearing a purple, double-breasted suit because I frickin adore them. The Phaetons are in the latter category and thus I will be fulfilling my semi-annual attempt to “outdress” Jeff, the leader of the band. If you love finger lickin’ blues so hot they sting and swingin’ all the way to the ceilin’ then The Phaetons are your band.

Live at Mae’s:

The Yawpers Thurs. at 9pm. $4 cover
The Phaetons Sat. at 8pm. $3 cover.
Between bass riding theatrics and Jeff’s simmering slide guitar, The Phaetons are a crowd pleasing machine. Many songs are hilarious, from the epic “Pig Mobile”, a tale of police interaction, to the Cash parody “I’ve Had Everything” the boys will have you laughing just as hard as your rocking. Bring your dancing shoes too; they throw down one hell of a beat.

You have no excuse to miss these great bands this week, each one costing you less than a gallon of gas for cover but fueling your spirits with the musical equivalent of grade A rocket fuel!
- The Hype Weekly

At first, Boulder, Colorado, seems like an unlikely place for a band to exist in the capacity that they do. With roots in the Americana scene, I picture the stretched-out landscape of the Texarkana or mesa to mesa of New Mexico. Barefoot on Kentucky bluegrass or just that antique smell of a battered down front porch, it’s all of these things combined.

But The Yawpers prove that they can fit right in with the rocky mountaintops. The Yawpers play music that is down and dirty. Every song practically starts out the same. It’s like they are hand cranking an engine and trying to rev it up. Some mild picking leads to high brow bluegrass tinged countrified rock, and Savage Blue is a collection of gritty songs, not as untamed as Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, but not too far from the comparison.

They know where to bend the notes as they know just the right moment to open up the choke and let the music carry you off. You want to sing along, you want to boot scoot, and most importantly, you want to rock out.

Part Paul Simon sincerity, part Beggars Banquet layered within Let It Bleed era Stones, “Heart On A String” is revivalist passion nestled in barroom flavor. The three can kick up dust while proving they can sound genuine doing so.

And really that is what their album is all about, digging into the grit and pulling out a fiesty country tonk album that is worth taking notice. The picking, the twang, the salt of the earth, it’s a fantastic experience by a band who blend great songwriting and talent together.

I just want to turn these songs up loud. - ZapTown Magazine

At first, Boulder, Colorado, seems like an unlikely place for a band to exist in the capacity that they do. With roots in the Americana scene, I picture the stretched-out landscape of the Texarkana or mesa to mesa of New Mexico. Barefoot on Kentucky bluegrass or just that antique smell of a battered down front porch, it’s all of these things combined.

But The Yawpers prove that they can fit right in with the rocky mountaintops. The Yawpers play music that is down and dirty. Every song practically starts out the same. It’s like they are hand cranking an engine and trying to rev it up. Some mild picking leads to high brow bluegrass tinged countrified rock, and Savage Blue is a collection of gritty songs, not as untamed as Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, but not too far from the comparison.

They know where to bend the notes as they know just the right moment to open up the choke and let the music carry you off. You want to sing along, you want to boot scoot, and most importantly, you want to rock out.

Part Paul Simon sincerity, part Beggars Banquet layered within Let It Bleed era Stones, “Heart On A String” is revivalist passion nestled in barroom flavor. The three can kick up dust while proving they can sound genuine doing so.

And really that is what their album is all about, digging into the grit and pulling out a fiesty country tonk album that is worth taking notice. The picking, the twang, the salt of the earth, it’s a fantastic experience by a band who blend great songwriting and talent together.

I just want to turn these songs up loud. - ZapTown Magazine

The Yawpers, a three-piece band from Boulder, Co., released their first short-length album Nov. 29. Only five songs in length, but not claiming EP status, “Savage Blue” attempts to provide song quality rather than quantity.

With original and intriguing artwork, a clean cover design and an interesting band name, The Yawpers are sure to draw your attention for one reason or another.

If you’re not familiar with the term “yawper,” never fear; it isn’t commonly used in ordinary conversation. When typing the word “yawper” into Google Chrome, it insisted it wasn’t a word, but www.dictionary.com provided the standard definition: “to shout, cry, or talk noisily.” If you’re still curious about where this word emerged, you can thank Mr. Whitman for that. The Yawpers’ Facebook explains where the band name came from: “[The Yawpers are] named after Walt Whitman’s promise to ‘sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.’”

This well-read, literary-savvy trio begins with “Jesus Car,” emitting subtle hints of country in the instrumental guitar intro.

This isn’t the twangy, whiney country you’d expect from a band called “The Yawpers.” Nate Cook, the lead singer, doesn’t sport a Southern accent and whine about how his tractor broke down.

The Yawpers defy a listener’s traditional notion of country and almost reform the genre with rough, unmelodic vocals. Unmelodic shouldn’t carry a negative connotation, however. He may not swap pitches frequently enough to be considered an incredible singer, but he certainly isn’t talentless. The driving back-beat makes it easy for any listener to bob his or her head, and the recurring guitar line is original and likeable.

If occasional profanity is reprehensible in your book, this may not be your ideal album. “Jesus Car” has a momentary curse, but it’s tasteful nonetheless. This is the most innovative and enjoyable form of country to which I’ve ever been exposed.

The second song, “Heart on a String,” keeps the driving tempo of the five-track album, plowing ahead with exciting guitar lines. The acoustic lays the foundation for the chords, and another guitar layers over it with a more melodic guitar line.

During the chorus, Cook repeats (or rather, shouts), “I’ve got your heart on a string,” just as the title suggests. It’s an enjoyable tune with enough variation on the guitar to make it interesting.

“Angel Wings,” the third track, keeps the gruffly characteristic vocals. There’s more twang in a few guitar lines in this song, but it’s expertly executed; any country fan would appreciate this album, and non-country fans like myself would consider themselves halfway converted to the genre.

This song features an instrumental break, again highlighting easy-going guitar lines. A pleasant bass line also sees an opportunity to shine through. “Angel Wings” may not be an uppity and feel-good as the previous two tracks, but it’s still musically interesting nonetheless.

“Runner,” the fourth song, slows down the tempo and provides an acoustic intro over which Cook layers his vocals. His singing ability is demonstrated more heavily in this song compared to the gruff shouts heard in the first few songs.

Vocally, this song is undoubtedly the strongest and the most pleasant. Shouting would undo the pleasantry of the gentle acoustic and various percussion instruments clanking in the background, and Cook is certainly intelligent for recognizing that.

The last track, “Worthless,” picks the tempo right back up to speed. Clapping is featured in the background on top of rapid and steady guitar, along with quarter notes on the bass pedal. These qualities provide the grounds for an ambitious and fun-loving tempo.

With only a five-track album, The Yawpers have nearly reformed the country/indie genre as a whole, melding them together and creating a stunning hybrid as a result. Even with a minimal number of songs, The Yawpers were able to demonstrate steady and innovative guitars, gruff and original vocals, flawless tempo fluctuation and the necessary ability to stand out from the vast crowd of blossoming musicians.

Instead of tossing together mediocre melodies, basic acoustic chords and a questionably tone-deaf singer characteristic of emerging bands today, The Yawpers stand a fighting chance for the band’s talent to surface. It undeniably takes talent for a band to mix and mold genres together while still converting fans who are partial to neither genre. - UMKC University News

The Yawpers, a three-piece band from Boulder, Co., released their first short-length album Nov. 29. Only five songs in length, but not claiming EP status, “Savage Blue” attempts to provide song quality rather than quantity.

With original and intriguing artwork, a clean cover design and an interesting band name, The Yawpers are sure to draw your attention for one reason or another.

If you’re not familiar with the term “yawper,” never fear; it isn’t commonly used in ordinary conversation. When typing the word “yawper” into Google Chrome, it insisted it wasn’t a word, but www.dictionary.com provided the standard definition: “to shout, cry, or talk noisily.” If you’re still curious about where this word emerged, you can thank Mr. Whitman for that. The Yawpers’ Facebook explains where the band name came from: “[The Yawpers are] named after Walt Whitman’s promise to ‘sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world.’”

This well-read, literary-savvy trio begins with “Jesus Car,” emitting subtle hints of country in the instrumental guitar intro.

This isn’t the twangy, whiney country you’d expect from a band called “The Yawpers.” Nate Cook, the lead singer, doesn’t sport a Southern accent and whine about how his tractor broke down.

The Yawpers defy a listener’s traditional notion of country and almost reform the genre with rough, unmelodic vocals. Unmelodic shouldn’t carry a negative connotation, however. He may not swap pitches frequently enough to be considered an incredible singer, but he certainly isn’t talentless. The driving back-beat makes it easy for any listener to bob his or her head, and the recurring guitar line is original and likeable.

If occasional profanity is reprehensible in your book, this may not be your ideal album. “Jesus Car” has a momentary curse, but it’s tasteful nonetheless. This is the most innovative and enjoyable form of country to which I’ve ever been exposed.

The second song, “Heart on a String,” keeps the driving tempo of the five-track album, plowing ahead with exciting guitar lines. The acoustic lays the foundation for the chords, and another guitar layers over it with a more melodic guitar line.

During the chorus, Cook repeats (or rather, shouts), “I’ve got your heart on a string,” just as the title suggests. It’s an enjoyable tune with enough variation on the guitar to make it interesting.

“Angel Wings,” the third track, keeps the gruffly characteristic vocals. There’s more twang in a few guitar lines in this song, but it’s expertly executed; any country fan would appreciate this album, and non-country fans like myself would consider themselves halfway converted to the genre.

This song features an instrumental break, again highlighting easy-going guitar lines. A pleasant bass line also sees an opportunity to shine through. “Angel Wings” may not be an uppity and feel-good as the previous two tracks, but it’s still musically interesting nonetheless.

“Runner,” the fourth song, slows down the tempo and provides an acoustic intro over which Cook layers his vocals. His singing ability is demonstrated more heavily in this song compared to the gruff shouts heard in the first few songs.

Vocally, this song is undoubtedly the strongest and the most pleasant. Shouting would undo the pleasantry of the gentle acoustic and various percussion instruments clanking in the background, and Cook is certainly intelligent for recognizing that.

The last track, “Worthless,” picks the tempo right back up to speed. Clapping is featured in the background on top of rapid and steady guitar, along with quarter notes on the bass pedal. These qualities provide the grounds for an ambitious and fun-loving tempo.

With only a five-track album, The Yawpers have nearly reformed the country/indie genre as a whole, melding them together and creating a stunning hybrid as a result. Even with a minimal number of songs, The Yawpers were able to demonstrate steady and innovative guitars, gruff and original vocals, flawless tempo fluctuation and the necessary ability to stand out from the vast crowd of blossoming musicians.

Instead of tossing together mediocre melodies, basic acoustic chords and a questionably tone-deaf singer characteristic of emerging bands today, The Yawpers stand a fighting chance for the band’s talent to surface. It undeniably takes talent for a band to mix and mold genres together while still converting fans who are partial to neither genre. - UMKC University News

Here at Reverb, we know how difficult it can be to shake off that turkey coma and return to work today. Steal This Track is here to help you kickstart your Monday with a free download of fresh Colorado music. The Yawpers will release their debut EP on Friday at Shug’s in Boulder, but we’re giving you a sneak preview right now. Steal it.
Though the Yawpers officially debuted just four months ago in Boulder, the band members go way back. Songwriting visionary Nate Cook and guitarist/bassist Jesse Parmet have played together for many years, and began developing the songs that would become the Yawpers’ ouevre about a year ago. When longtime friend Adam Perry and his drum kit shoved their way onto the stage at a show in June of this year, the band was born, and christened Shug’s stage in July.

Cook’s songs draw inspiration from the newest generation of troubadours who have taken their cues from Wilco and Son Volt, but also look back to the Romantic poets, Waylon and Willie, and even the venerable Velvet Underground. With a rough-and-tumble aesthetic and a raw immediacy, the songs on the band’s debut, “Savage Blue,” sometimes sound like they haven’t been fully baked yet, but that’s all part of the trio’s plan. Songs like “Angel Wings” and “Worthless” showcase Cook’s penchant for heartbreaking metaphors and self-pity, as well as his bandmates’ ability to bring life to even the saddest of songs, while the unpolished production gives the tracks the itchy feeling of a rusty razor on a week of stubble.

The Yawpers have been on tour for the past couple weeks, but they’ll return home this week. You can get your hands on “Savage Blue” when they take the stage, once again, at Shug’s for the CD release party. To get yourself ready, steal “Jesus Car,” the band’s reverent tribute to that great American messiah, the automobile. - Denver Post

Here at Reverb, we know how difficult it can be to shake off that turkey coma and return to work today. Steal This Track is here to help you kickstart your Monday with a free download of fresh Colorado music. The Yawpers will release their debut EP on Friday at Shug’s in Boulder, but we’re giving you a sneak preview right now. Steal it.
Though the Yawpers officially debuted just four months ago in Boulder, the band members go way back. Songwriting visionary Nate Cook and guitarist/bassist Jesse Parmet have played together for many years, and began developing the songs that would become the Yawpers’ ouevre about a year ago. When longtime friend Adam Perry and his drum kit shoved their way onto the stage at a show in June of this year, the band was born, and christened Shug’s stage in July.

Cook’s songs draw inspiration from the newest generation of troubadours who have taken their cues from Wilco and Son Volt, but also look back to the Romantic poets, Waylon and Willie, and even the venerable Velvet Underground. With a rough-and-tumble aesthetic and a raw immediacy, the songs on the band’s debut, “Savage Blue,” sometimes sound like they haven’t been fully baked yet, but that’s all part of the trio’s plan. Songs like “Angel Wings” and “Worthless” showcase Cook’s penchant for heartbreaking metaphors and self-pity, as well as his bandmates’ ability to bring life to even the saddest of songs, while the unpolished production gives the tracks the itchy feeling of a rusty razor on a week of stubble.

The Yawpers have been on tour for the past couple weeks, but they’ll return home this week. You can get your hands on “Savage Blue” when they take the stage, once again, at Shug’s for the CD release party. To get yourself ready, steal “Jesus Car,” the band’s reverent tribute to that great American messiah, the automobile. - Denver Post

Anyone can record an album and call it indie. As indie-country group The Yawpers demonstrates, it takes something special to compose songs with worthwhile stories and convert the country-wary into fans.
"Savage Blue," the band's debut EP with Adventure Records, blends country influence with just enough of the soulful, rocking edge that its name promises.
Less than half an hour long and with five well-written songs on the track list, the EP entertains more than many full-length CDs.
The Yawpers, a trio from Boulder, is composed of singer-songwriter and guitarist Nate Cook, lead guitarist Jesse Parmet and drummer Adam Perry.
Cook and Parmet were in Ego vs. Id until the band broke up in 2011, after which they returned with The Yawpers.
According to The Yawpers' Facebook page, the band's name stems from Walt Whitman's openly narcissistic "Song of Myself" and his promise to "sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world."
The Yawpers falls short of barbarism, but its rock ‘n' roll infused country and folk demands to be heard – if not over the roofs of the world, then at least over those in Colorado.
Not any band can compose a song about how Jesus Christ makes his second coming as a Chevrolet, drop a few profanities throughout and still make you want to crank up the volume, but The Yawpers execute all with style in "Jesus Car."
"He's my fuel-injected savior, and he's feared from coast to coast," sings Cook before he lowers his voice to utter, "He's my '67 Nova and he is the Holy Ghost," and the guitars launch into a frenzy that's sure to get feet thumping.
The other songs are similarly solid and catchy, although Cook's voice in "Angel Wings" sounds especially strained and a bit off-putting during the first half of the track.
Regardless, his rough tone, which momentarily softens in "Heart on a String," and the sound of a throat clearing before "Runner" mostly contribute to the charm of "Savage Blue."
When the guitar strumming is at its most intense before the saucy last track, "Worthless," ends, it feels like a teaser of an introduction but an overall satisfying end to the EP.
With more and more artists relying on computers to mask their imperfections and any hints there's a human behind the microphone, it's nice to finally listen to three young, talented guys just jamming. - UCCS Scribe

The Yawpers, Savage Blue, Adventure Records, 4 out of 5 stars - The Marquee

Defying the odds, Boulder country-rock band is riding hard - Boulder Weekly

Ex-Ego vs. Id members to kick off Shug's Low Country Cuisine music schedule
By Wendy Kale For the Colorado Daily
07/13/2011

Shug's Low Country Cuisine has a vision of creating a unique restaurant/concert-going experience and developing a sense of community in downtown Boulder.

The new supper club recently opened with its Southern cuisine, live music roster and down-home vibe. This is the kind of place that makes patrons feel welcome.

Shug's is located at 2017 13th -- the former sites of Trilogy and the b.side Lounge. The supper club recently added live music to its re-vamped backroom and dubbed the venue Shug's Shack.

Saturday, Shug's Shack debuts its first band night with a free show by The Yawpers, the Boulder act that emerged after Ego vs. Id disbanded.

Shug's plans to match its musical concept with its food. The venue features Low Country Cuisine from a vast region of the South, and the music coming into the club will compliment the food and the atmosphere.

"We have two distinct parts of Shug's Low Country Cuisine," manager Ron Neuenschwander said. "The front part is a casual supper club, and the back part that used to be the b.side will continue with the music concept."

Locals will be pleasantly surprised to see the back room's transformation.

The music portion of the venue had been dark and sparsely furnished for its last two incarnations. Now the room has a welcoming feel with light wood paneling and community tables. Shug's Shack is set up, so locals can share food and music.

The room can also be adjusted depending upon the concert. Yes, that includes creating an instant dance floor.

The property has always featured a backroom music set-up, so Shug's was geared for live music.

"Live music was part of our original concept," Neuenschwander said. "It was dictated by the venue and music was always a part of our vision.

"If you look at the culture of the Deep South, you find a music community has been part of that culture."

Shug's Shack is hoping to put its stamp on the downtown music scene, by featuring acts that fit with the restaurant's concept.

"We are looking to create a venue where artists want to come and play," Neuenschwander said. "We're looking to have music that fits with the culture of the south -- soul, R&B, jazz and Cajun."

The venue will also book local artists and traveling singer-songwriters. In addition, Shug's will book regional and national touring acts that make sense for the venue.

"We're looking to create a venue where a variety of people can enjoy good music in an intimate setting," Neuenschwander said.

"We're looking to provide a variety of genres, and a room where people can feel comfortable getting into the music and having a good time."

The back room will also host community events, where locals will have the chance to mingle and get to know each other.

Shug's Shack is still in its beginning stages, so look for new additions to the schedule. For now, the best way to find out about events is to go to facebook.com/Shugs-Low-Country-Cuisine.

The Yawpers are excited to make their Shug's Shack debut.

The new band features former Ego vs. Id players Nate Cook and Jesse Parmet, plus new drummer Adam Perry.

"We've been woodshedding our songs, but this is our debut performance," guitarist Cook said. "We really wanted to make the focus on songwriting. We wanted the songs to be succinct and have a bare-bones aesthetic.

"We were going for a country rock aesthetic. It's American roots music with a contemporary rock 'n' roll edge.

The Yawpers have a wide catalogue of music, so locals can look forward to hearing new songs, covers and Ego. vs. Id material.

"It's going to be a fun night with an upbeat set," Cook said. "This is definitely more danceable than Ego vs. Id and this show will be a celebratory experience."

Cook and his bandmates are happy to see music return to the 2017 13th location. Ego vs. Id actually played its debut show at Trilogy.

"When the b.side shut down it was a real heartbreak to lose a mid-size venue in Boulder," Cook said. "This has been one of my favorite rooms and I'm so glad it's opened again.

"This location has always been an incubator for music in this community and I'm glad to see somebody's giving it another shot. I give Shug's my full support and hope it sticks." - Colorado Daily

Thursday, September 1,2011
By David Accomazzo

The demise of Nate Cook’s old band, local favorites Ego Vs Id, did little to derail the 25-year-old’s musical momentum.

Ego Vs Id’s first and only album, Taste, came out to generally favorable reviews last November, a product of 18 months in the studio, but, perhaps a sign of brewing portents, Cook says none of the band members were particularly happy with the record.

“It was a bad marriage. We all loved each other, but we couldn’t make it work out,” Cook says of his previous band.

EVI has finalized the divorce papers, and the band played its last show in March. Now, just six months later, Cook has a brand new project, Yawpers, that is off to a red hot start — they are already in talks with a blues and rock label in Florida that wants to record and distribute their debut EP, they just booked their first Denver show at the Larimer Lounge on Sept. 7, and they have a mini-tour of the Southwest planned for November. For Cook, the sudden-onset success is a welcome lurch forward.

“[Ego Vs Id] spun our wheels for so fucking long,” Cook says. “And it was such a big draw for [Yawpers’] first show.”

Cook must be ecstatic. For all its early success, Yawpers, a name inspired by Walt Whitman’s proclamation to “sound my barbaric yawp over the roofs of the world,” hasn’t even reached its infancy as a band. According to Cook, the band is still “embryonic.”

Yawpers is still developing its sonic identity, but the band appears to being heading towards a more country-rock sound, as opposed to Ego Vs Id’s rock ’n’ roll tendencies.

“For me as a performer, I find I identify more with country. … What feels more honest to me is when I’m singing country,” Cook says. “It’s funny, Ego Vs Id got accused of being too country for a rock ’n’ roll crowd and too rock ’n’ roll for the country crowd.

“Yawpers is more country.

More than that, though, it’s Americana. It’s stripped down. It’s four-on-the-floor, rather than intricate arrangements.”

At the band’s first-ever show at Shug’s Low Country Cuisine this July, Yawpers was nothing more than Cook on rhythmic acoustic guitar, Adam Perry (a Boulder Weekly contributor) on drums and EVI alum Jesse Parmet on lead acoustic guitar. Despite the unconventional, bass-less lineup, the turnout was strong — no doubt thanks to the clout Cook developed during his time in EVI — and Yawpers has played Shug’s several times since.

The back room of Shug’s, a roughly 90-person concert space they’re calling The Shack, has special meaning for Cook, as his old band got its first gigs at the b.side Lounge, which shut down in December 2009. Yawpers’ first gig was at the same location, though under different ownership and disguise, and it’s also where they got their big break. At this August’s annual Adult Album Alternative conference in Boulder, where radio industry-types gather to talk about which Dave Matthews Band songs to play on stations like KBCO, Yawpers got the chance to play one of the showcases, and Cook says they were approached by several radio insiders interested in the band. Contacts they made at the showcase led to their pending record deal.

Cook feels more fulfilled playing in Yawpers than he did in Ego Vs Id. For one, he is the main songwriter and singer, where in Ego Vs Id the duties were spread more evenly. EVI’s music asked him to play guitar leads and solos, which he was never really comfortable with. In Yawpers, Parmet, a fantastic lead guitar player, handles almost all the soloing duties.

The band only has two songs available online, “Heart on a String” and “Runner.” Both are simple, uptempo, driving country-rock tunes with infectious hooks, anchored by Perry’s driving four-on-the-floor kick drum. “Heart on a String” got some airtime on KGNU and is proving to be popular, but Cook stresses that the lightly produced demo of the song is far from the final product. He likes the progress so far but is excited for things to come.

“It surprises me because it sounds like it was recorded in the top tank of a toilet,” Cook says. “It’s a good song, but I like to have a lot of quality control.” - Boulder Weekly