Spirits in the Distance
“A mixture of psychedelic oddities, big horns, soulful vocals, and uncomfortable time signatures.”
I wasn't sure if I could publish a piece this week, as I only started writing from 30,000 feet in the air late last night on my way home from Denver. Coupled with frequent network outages at home, it’s been a time-consuming post to put together.
2024 has sadly underscored the importance of cherishing each day. The loss of two friends, the chaos in the world that surrounds us all, the relentless warnings of impending doom shoved down our throats, and the stark truth that the only guarantee in life is that none of us are going to get out alive serve as a powerful reminder to embrace each moment and truly savor the time we are given.
When my favorite current band announced they were playing several headline shows, but Portland wasn’t listed, my wife and I jokingly said to one another, “What about going to see them?” A couple of drinks later, we looked at flights for both the Denver and Chicago dates and decided, in the spirit of our dear friend Diana, whose last words to us were, “Live each day as if it’s your last!” we decided to fly to Denver this weekend to see Ghost Funk Orchestra.
“A mixture of psychedelic oddities, big horns, soulful vocals, and uncomfortable time signatures.”
I first wrote about Ghost Funk Orchestra on February 26, 2024 (here). Their latest album, ‘A Trip To The Moon,’ had just been released, and I was excited to share it with my subscribers.
On Saturday, August 10th, still bleary-eyed from waking ridiculously early, we caught a 7:30 a.m. flight from Portland to Denver. As we are both vegan, knowing the food options at PDX airport that early were limited, we packed some snacks, fruit, and a couple of avocado and hummus wraps for the flight. None of these made it through the initial X-ray, and my bag was set aside for inspection. Realizing I wasn't packing contraband, I was allowed to proceed to our gate with my vegan goodies.
I love the power of live music. The immersive experience of being amongst artists creating in front of you is electrifying and good for my soul. When the band is completely in sync with one another, their chemistry igniting and drawing energy from the audience, it creates an experience that is simply unparalleled.
As I wrote in my original piece, Ghost Funk Orchestra creates a mind-bending array of sonic layers that sculpt a hypnotic soundscape straddling multiple genres of music. What bubbles to the top is their love for ‘70s library music, exotica, and lounge music that’s given a trippy dose of fuzzy, psychedelic, reverb-heavy surf guitar garnished with lovely female harmonies and a healthy sprinkling of soulful Latin jazz-funk. Their albums are a heady yet lush mixture of deep aural intoxication and impeccable production.
Live, however, they transform into a ten-piece band. Despite the impressive size of the live band, they are the brainchild of writer, producer, arranger, guitarist, and, as dubbed by vocalist Romi Hanoch, their “fearless leader,” Seth Applebaum.
Arriving in Denver after a slot at the Telluride Jazz Festival and several dates into their westbound tour (minus any shows on the West Coast), GFO was stoked and ready to lay it down for their first-ever gig in the Mile High City.
Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom is an interesting venue that consists of two separate spaces adjacent to each other. The 1000-capacity main stage, the Masterpiece Ballroom, is complemented by a smaller room called the Other Side, which holds approximately 450. On Saturday, a Grateful Dead tribute band called The Terrapin Family Band was at the Masterpiece Ballroom, while GFO rocked the stage at the Other Side. There is also a patio that both venues can access, where Pennsylvania jazz funk band Yam Yam was laying down some tasty pre-gig licks that included a groovy version of Les McCann and Eddie Harris’ classic ‘Compared to What,’ as well as Donald Byrd’s ‘Stepping Into Tomorrow,’ followed by the always fun and funky ‘Stayin’ Alive’ that had the mix of Ghost Funk fans dancing alongside the older tie-dye crowd there for the Dead tribute.
After an uninspiring local Indie act called Fresh Fruit finished their set, we eagerly made our way front and center, excited to see Ghost Funk for the third time.
The band stepped onto the stage just before 10 p.m., launching into one of their signature atmospheric, psych-infused surf lounge instrumentals. As the tempo eased, Romi and Julia, stepped onto the stage to an enthusiastic welcome. The band effortlessly transitioned into one of their earliest tracks, ‘Evil Minds’, which flowed seamlessly into the stunning ‘Why’, highlighting Julia's exceptional vocal range.
Over the years, the one thing we have noticed with GFO is the female singers for the touring band are very fluid. However, Romi Hanoch has been a regular since we first saw the band in 2021. Her expressive facial expressions, energetic rock-out moments, playful dance routines, and stunning soulful vocals can easily explode into full-tilt boogie mode at any given moment.
Moving into the breathtaking ‘Again,’ a standout track from ‘A Trip To The Moon,’ Romi delivered her most powerful vocal performance of the night as she continuously belted out “I'll never fall in love again!” through her shredded lungs with incendiary passion.
After pouring her heart and soul into the performance, Romi exited the stage as the band launched into three David Axelrod & Janko Nilovic-inspired loungey, psychedelic instrumentals that included some improvised solo jams from the eight musicians on the stage.
Julia and Romi returned to the stage for a few older numbers, culminating in a powerful performance of ‘Your Man's No Good,’ the opening track from ‘A New Kind of Love.’ This electrifying number gave the incredible baritone saxophonist, Stephen Chen, the chance to deliver an insanely rocking and mind-blowing sax solo that left the band and audience in awe. Standing just inches away, I could almost touch the sonic energy radiating from him, flowing through his saxophone and filling the air around us. It was as if sound itself were being born right before our eyes (and ears).
Giving Chen a moment to catch his breath in the thin mountain air, Applebaum introduced the members of the band, allowing them to play another brief solo before closing the show with a raucous performance of one of their earliest singles, ‘Walk Like a Motherfucker.’
Throughout the concert, Seth was notably chattier than in the past gigs I’ve seen. His enthusiasm was palpable as he expressed his excitement about finally bringing the band to Denver. He mentioned several times that it was the city he had been most looking forward to performing in as Denver fans have been particularly pushy on his social media, urging the band to come here.
Before we left the show, we went to the stage to shake Seth's hand and let him know we had traveled 1,240 miles from Portland to see this concert. We thanked him for the music and incredible performance and urged him to return to Portland. Stepping out into the dark streets we saw a Lime scooter and a city bike parked at the corner. We scanned the codes, hopped on, and rode back to our hotel, feeling the cool, refreshing Rocky Mountain midnight air against our skin and the euphoria of an unforgettable show still buzzing in our hearts and coursing through our veins.
Waking up on Sunday, we knew we had witnessed a special gig. Not only did the band enjoy themselves immensely but they also poured their hearts into the performance. The audience was fully engaged, loving every note as they danced with huge smiles throughout the evening.
As the band pushes its way back east, they have eight more shows across the Midwest and Canada. In October, they'll be playing a few dates in California and Nevada, but sadly, Portland and Seattle won't be on this short West Coast fall tour. If anybody reading this has the opportunity to catch this band live, I wholeheartedly encourage you to do so. Seeing and hearing Ghost Funk Orchestra on stage is as good as live music gets.
This rules. I love that the two of you were able to jump on a plane and see one of your favorite bands. As for GFO, I'd heard of them, but not sure I'd heard them until now? "Eyes of Love" is playing as I type this, and man, have I been missing out!
Great band - need to see them live. Cheers for the next best thing!