When the Legends Die: Speakeasy Tiger

Today, I want to talk to you about my all-time Favorite band from Colorado, Speakeasy Tiger. The band rose to prominence in the local scene about a year ago, and quickly gained a massive following with their energetic, dance-able pop-rock. Most praised was the emotive and unique voice of Kyle Simmons, the groups original vocalist. However, the band also had the appeal of Pete Schmidt's keytar and it's retro-modern synth lines, Lucas Gordon's tight, dance-able beats, Tavis Alley's dynamic guitar playing and Lauren Gale's aggressive bass thump.
This group of 20-something musicians became bona-fide local legends. They played Monolith festival, they were critically lauded by Westword, our local culture and news magazine, which often can make or break new acts around Denver.

But disaster struck the band earlier this year when Simmons exited the band at the height of their ascension, and right before a crucial stint on the 2010 Warped Tour. Both sides tell a slightly different story, but the heart of the matter is that Speakeasy Tiger was no longer a band Kyle Simmons wanted to be a part of. Nasty things have been said by former fans and die-hards alike, but for the most part, the band and Simmons seem to be on amicable, if not friendly, terms.

Kyle was replaced by singer Katrina Stone, who filled the lead vocal slot for the band on it's Warped Tour dates. The band was in the middle of recording new demos when Stone and Schmidt abruptly left the band. This came as a shock to many fans (myslef included) and the band has made no decisions as far as how they will go forward.

I'm very depressed by all this, because Speakeasy was a shining beacon for Denver as a scene that produced music with style AND substance. Speakeasy Tiger was more lively and exciting than the Fray, and deeper and smarter than 3Oh!3. They might have been the band to really put this cow-town on the map. Now, I'm not sure. Sometimes you capture lightning in a bottle and if it escapes, your best option is to let it go and move on to trying to catch different lightning in a different bottle. If Speakeasy Tiger continues, I hope it will live up to it's promising debut, but it's possible that without all of the elements that made it great, the band will eventually fade out.
That makes me very sad to write, because I really wanted to see these guys (and girls) succeed.
Nevertheless, what they accomplished in such a short time is incredible and a testament to the skill and appeal of everyone involved. I'm looking forward to Kyle Simmon's new group, Boys, and seeing what the other ex-members of the group do on their own. I also hope that Lauren, Tavis and Lucas will land on their feet with a new, even better Speakeasy Tiger or a completely new band that will be even bigger.

No matter what happens, this band has made a huge impact on me and many other people in Colorado and the rest of the world. And no one can ever take that from them.

Go check out their music now!