Banshee Tree to debut new tunes, light show at New Year's gigs -- plus dozens of other parties ringing in 2023

Kalene McCort, Daily Camera, Boulder, Colo.
9 min read
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Dec. 29—The musicians in Banshee Tree — the beloved Colorado-based indie folk group — don't always do things by the rules.

The skilled quintet is ringing in 2023 early with a New Year's Eve eve show at the Fox Theatre on Friday.

"Since our last show there in April, we have written a bunch of new material," said Thom Lafond, Banshee Tree's lead singer, guitarist and founder. "We are really excited to share. We had the chance to tour most of December, and the new things are feeling really good, musically. We are also bringing on an incredible lighting engineer and renting a bunch of lights."

The upcoming Fox show will also feature an opening performances by The Green House Band, a group that delivers plenty of Americana and soul and B-Love.

"It's our first time investing so much in the production, and we're really excited to put our best foot forward," LaFond said. "We are so grateful for a community that has supported us so much through the years."

Banshee Tree was founded in 2014 as a swing band and has since morphed into a brilliant act that isn't easy to categorize under one genre. Offering old-time appeal, with an upright bass, and never shying away from an all-out high-energy jam session, the group dips into jazz, psychedelic rock, hip hop and even tinges of punk.

"Playing in Boulder is always special, and it's a treat to get to celebrate the end of 2022, and all the crazy transformations we went through as a community," said Michelle Pietrafitta, Banshee Tree's drummer. "We've also hired an amazing (lighting director), and I'm so excited to present this level of production, as well as new music, to our hometown crowd."

On Saturday, Banshee Tree will perform at Gold Hill Inn — the historic and rustically charming venue located in the mountains above Boulder.

Banshee Tree recently wrapped a four-day run at Coast is Clear Music and Arts Festival — in Key West, Fla. — that also featured a lineup of Shakey Graves, Hiss Golden Messenger, Langhorne Slim and many others.

"All the travel has been really inspiring, and I've been writing a lot of songs," LaFond said. "I keep an audio journal of lyric and melodies on my phone. I'm always trying to shave away some of the ideas and make new songs."

"Silvery Waters," released in 2021, is a dreamy song complemented by melodic group vocal harmonies and passionate violin playing that ends with an echoing whistle.

"Spare Me," a longtime favorite, delivers all the lyrical poetry of other imaginative LaFond creations and is always a track that summons folks to the dance floor.

Fans can soon expect fresh tunes to be released.

"Banshee Tree just began recording our second record in November," LaFond said. "It's been a wildly busy year, but I'm really grateful for the pace."

While the pandemic lull of 2020 kept venues mostly shuttered, the time that followed brought about a renaissance of live gigs.

"The shows we have been playing across the country have been really fun," LaFond said. "The overall feel of indoor live music has shifted dramatically over the last year, in a good direction. I hope people are being safe, getting tested and staying isolated when sick. I know we aren't completely in the clear, but it feels right to me to be performing again. It's great to see the seeds we planted last August grow into something."

Banshee Tree also toured in Paris in the summer of 2022.

"2022 was one of the wildest and best years of my life," Pietrafitta said. "I can honestly say that. It's crazy to think that at the beginning of 2022, we were still in a socially distanced landscape. Coming out the other end of the same year, it feels like a whole different world. Banshee Tree had some incredible adventures in the U.S. and Europe, and I have been working on my own songwriting and production working towards a solo release. It has been an exciting, tumultuous and beautiful year."

When not taking stages and crafting originals, LaFond hopes to get some significant shut eye.

"My New Year's resolution is to get better sleep," LaFond said.

"I like to think of them more as plans than resolutions," Pietrafitta added. "The New Year is a great time to zoom out and see your vision, then break it down into a game plan. I'll be doing just that. I'll let the vision itself unfold in real life."

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New Year's Eve Parties

Banshee Tree at the Fox Theatre for eve eve: Celebrate New Year's Eve eve with one of Boulder's most eclectic bands offering a high-energy live show and fabulous dance party; Friday; doors at 8:30 p.m. and show at 9 p.m., Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder; $20-$25; z2ent.com.

Banshee Tree NYE Dance Party at Gold Hill Inn: Rock out with Banshee Tree at one of the Front Range's most charming venues set in the mountains; Special guests include Rob Pate Trio; Saturday, show at 9 p.m.; Gold Hill Inn, 401 Main St., Gold Hill Boulder; doors 6:30 p.m., buffet served 7-9 p.m., music starts at 8 p.m.; $45 light dinner buffet, music, champagne at midnight and beads; goldhillinn.com.

New Year's Eve Bash at Bootstrap Brewing: Ring in the New Year with a performance by Unauthorized Absence, firing up at 9 p.m. Cover includes a free beer, party favors, toast at midnight and a rockin' great dance party; 8:30 p.m. Saturday, Bootstrap Brewing, 142 Pratt St., Longmont; $10; bootstrapbrewing.com.

New Year's Eve at Dry Land: Enjoy delicious food from Rising Tiger Catering, live music, gorgeous cocktails and great conversation. Tickets include three cocktails, entertainment, food throughout the evening and 18% gratuity. Dust off that cocktail dress or suit and tie for the party; 9:30 p.m. Saturday, Dry Land Distillers, 519 Main St., Longmont; $105; drylanddistillers.com.

New Year's Eve at Erie Social Club: Dance, drink, get social and raise a toast to 2023; 8 p.m. Saturday, Erie Social Club, 105 Wells St., Suite 120, Erie; $59; eriesocialclub.com.

'Eternal — A New Years Celebration' at DV8 and Junkyard Social: Take a walk between worlds and experience eternity with DV8 Distillery and Junkyard Social Club. Dance the night away at two different venues, each one designed with circus performances, metaphysical vendors, DJs on multiple stages, art exhibits, go-go dancers, kink tastings, celestial performances and more. Shuttles will be going between the two venues all night long; 8 p.m. Saturday, DV8 Distillery, 2480 49th St., #E, Boulder; $10-$50; eventbrite.com.

New Year's Eve Party at The Rayback: Enjoy live entertainment from Cashmere Sweater, delicious food and a special champagne toast while watching the East Coast ball drop; 7 p.m. Saturday, Rayback Collective, 2775 Valmont Road, Boulder; free; therayback.com.

Lotus at Boulder Theater: Lotus is a five-piece instrumental band formed while members were in college and has evolved and grown over 20 plus years. They were early adopters of fusing electronic beats and sounds from dance music with jam music, but also draw on psych-rock, post-rock, disco, funk and jazz; 8 p.m. Saturday, Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St., Boulder; $35-$80; z2ent.com.

New Year's Eve at WOW!: Ring in the New Year with noisemaker crafts, face painting, balloon animals, kids' karaoke and playtime in the museum; 10 a.m. Saturday, WOW! Children's Museum, 110 N. Harrison Ave., Lafayette; $5-$13; wowchildrensmuseum.org.

Houndmouth at Fox Theater: Houndmouth is an American alternative rock band from Indiana consisting of Matt Myers (guitar, vocals), Sam Filiatreau (bass, vocals), Shane Cody (drums, vocals) and Caleb Hickman (keyboard, vocals); 9 p.m. Saturday, The Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder; $35-$40; z2ent.com.

New Year's Eve at the Velvet Elk: Don your best retro ski attire and travel back to the '80s with this aprés ski party. Shot-skis, lodge eats and endless daffys await. Tickets include two drink tickets, appetizers and a champagne toast at midnight. Goonies hit the stage at 10 p.m.; 8 p.m. Saturday, Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder; $100; velvetelklounge.com.

The Basement Blues Project at BOCO Cider: The Basement Blues Project grew up on blues and classic and southern rock. Fresh out of the basement, the group is putting its shine on some of classic favorites; 5:30 p.m. Saturday, BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder; free; bococider.com.

Drag show and bar crawl: Spirit Hound Distillers and Diner Bar have combined for a mini bar crawl and Drag Show Masquerade for NYE; 7 p.m. Saturday, Spirit Hound Distillers, 4196 Ute Hwy., Lyons; free; facebook.com.

New Years Eve Bash at Avalon Ballroom: Dance the night away in three rooms, each designated for a specific dance style — jazz, salsa and bachata and West Coast swing. Be sure to dress to impress; 7 p.m. Saturday, The Avalon Ballroom, 6185 Arapahoe Road, Boulder; $45-$55; dancelaughlove.com.

New Year's Eve Party with Von Disco: Dance into the new year with this speakeasy party. Dress to impress, and ring in 2023 with live music from Von Disco, champagne toast and late night bites; 8 p.m. Saturday, License No. 1, 2115 13th St., Boulder; $25; cli.re.

New Year's Eve meditation: Enter into 2023 with a heart-centered, peaceful connection to spirit and oneself to celebrate the changing year; 11:15 p.m. Saturday, Unity of Boulder Spiritual Center, 2855 Folsom St., Boulder; free; unityofboulder.com.

2023 New Year's Eve Celebration with Funkiphino: Ring in 2023 with St. Julien and Colorado-based high-energy funk band, Funkiphino. Tickets include open premium bar, passed appetizers, balloon drop and champagne toast; 9 p.m. Saturday, St. Julien Hotel & Spa, 900 Walnut St., Boulder; $125-$175; boulderdowntown.com.

New Year's Eve at Avanti: Ring in 2023 at Avanti, and celebrate with a DJ, dance floor, specialty cocktails and a complimentary champagne toast at midnight; 9 p.m. Saturday, Avanti Boulder, 1401 Pearl St., Boulder; boulderdowntown.com.

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