Second Story Garage: Dead Orchids perform ‘Blue Elvis’

Dead Orchids perform “Blue Elvis” at Second Story Garage.

Talk about grabbing your attention. “In Voluptas Mors,” aka “Voluptuous Death,” is an arresting photograph by Salvador Dali and Philippe Halsman that is a skull formed by naked women. The effect is immediate, forceful and bold.

The same might be said about Denver rock band Dead Orchids. The Orchids use the Dali image, boldly, as an emblem on T-shirts, and, as we found when the quartet visited the Garage, it’s a fitting image.

The Orchids play rock that erupts from emotional depths but spews like a light show. It exists both below and above ground — you can contemplate the meaning of it all in “Love the Man,” “Blue Elvis” and “Manipulator,” or you can step up to the railing with the rest of the group and just let yourself be wowed.

In a sign of the band’s ambitions, the members talk about writing a rock opera. Who talks about that anymore? When the Orchids do — watch the interview with Quentin — they manage not to sound pretentious. We hope they follow through with that project, because we’d love to hear it.

What they brought us: A T-shirt with the Dali-Halsman image and an urn containing, the band swears, the ashes of a relative.

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