Palace — Ogden Theater in Denver, CO — June 20, 2023

I walk into the Ogden Theater on a Tuesday night to a packed house. London based indie rock band Palace is in the midst of a second sold out North American tour– the first being a 2022 run supporting their most recent record, Shoals, an expansive and lush follow up to 2019’s Life After and 2016’s debut So Long Forever. Palace always seemed to me one of those bands that so many people know without realizing it. Their top song on Spotify, Live Well, has racked up over 87 million streams. The people that have dug beyond the top hits form a dedicated fan base on this side of the pond, shouting along to nearly every song for the full hour-and-change that Palace takes the stage. Their performance is one of the rare kinds where it brings together everything you love about how they sound on a record and the natural charisma of people who genuinely love playing the music that they make. Everyone is having fun, everyone is locked in together. You leave the show invigorated and wanting more, compelled to throw the whole discography on shuffle to blast in your ears for the trek home, not ready for the vibes to end.

Word & Photography: Lee Dubin