“Back Down (demo)”
Welcome back and welcome home to all music Lovers in the greater Wilmington area. For this week’s Song of the Week I may have to ask more of you than I have before, and I know that’s saying something considering that these don’t seem to be getting any shorter, but there’s some salvation at the end of the road here. I’d like to make a bit of an ode to the particular joy of discovery found in the live music sphere. To have that ode answer the purpose of giving space to express my appreciation for another local favorite. Without any further delay we present Back Down (demo) by La Veta Pass.
Review and Exposition
We believe and have often referred to music discovery as a communal endeavor here. Though we geographically define our locality as the dimensions fixed between two great masses of water, we can appreciate the relative ease of immersing ourselves in the music streaming world relatively free from physical borders (if we aren’t counting a monthly fee or access to the internet as explicit borders, but therein lies a debate for another time). We can engage with our capacities to expand horizons by rummaging endless catalogs and browsing the forever libraries contained within these musical archives, available almost effortlessly to us. Still, there always remains a singular cathartic deliverance found precisely in the presence of a transformative live performance. “Back Down” is a demo posted on La Veta Pass’ website that allows the opportunity for a sampling of their immense sound as we await any future releases or contributions. Dualistically, it serves as an invitation to come join the hike.
“Hold on to your hat/ When you cross La Veta Pass/ The wind blows strong in Colorado.” If we are to speak about musical experiments in this port city, we must go on in hushed tones and stupendous roars that both echo our reverence for the exports of La Veta Pass. On any given stage, they can take the appearance of all the routine parts of a traditional three or four piece band. I often find the true nature of La Veta Pass as an expansive demonstration of the shared power of the collective that opens itself to all possibilities. Danny Crapanzano, Olivia Gillaspie, Josh Wilkinson and Aaron Keener form the nucleus of the band and at times they are backed by a small, yet commanding choir. Each member shares a playful fascination to learn different instruments and impart their individual artistic summations into the whole, cultivating a rare fluidity giving rise to memorably unpredictable live performances. “Who else is wandering? Who else is lost? If I found them out here, can I carry their stuff?” Danny Crapanzano is lovingly referred to as a cult leader, a sentiment intimately displayed as he leads us through this number. Danny could sell sleep to the dead, bread to a field of wheat, water to a well and would lend the last ounce of his strength to carry both you and your baggage up any tiresome mountain pass. His compassion for both his work and the lives of others leak into all aspects of the music as it meets in beautiful harmony with the force of his surrounding members. “Back Down” does not overtly feature the totality of awe that arises when Danny’s distinctly kinetic, ponderous impression intertwines with Olivia Gillaspie’s luminously transcendent voice in a spirited duet. But, as Danny lyrically contemplates earthly direction and the purpose found in exploration over the track, Olivia’s voice subtly creates an emotional resonance with the choir’s movement as it ascends the underlying current. The timing and tone of the song are crafted by these symphonic injections as an almost call and response act giving way to the choir before returning to the band’s own resounding movements. “Why did I bring all my supplies/ I had no plans to stay overnight/ Just look at the sky/ It’s opening up now,” the air behind Danny’s singing in this line is rich with a hopeful relief emerging as he gazes into the vast infinities that reflect back our impermanence.
Olivia Gillaspie would say that all songs are love songs, despite whatever the overbearing emotional impetus of the song may be. The experience of a La Veta Pass show is probably the closest I have come to church in living memory and have spoken to a more genuine love than some of the churches of a distant youth. Regardless, the ability they possess to occupy a space and orchestrate their reach astounds me. When an artist approaches their work from places deeply embedded within themselves, the product is bound by the same fibers as its maker, for La Veta Pass this means they’re going to take the lot of us for a hike up their trail of wonder, guided by their shared love ethic.
What’s Next
The advance of streaming services like Spotify and Apple have made access to discovering new music a mass convenience and no doubt serve an important role in the connection and persisting inscription of local music scenes. You’ll have to follow alongside their progress on instagram @lavetapassband or share some kind words with them at a show for updates on future happenings and opportunities to take part in this truly beloved, uplifting experience. I look forward to getting Back Down on the path for all future hikes with La Veta, the enchanting parts of its whole, and the rest of you I hope to see along the way.
Ben “Danger” Matthews | PCE
Chief Word Person
The Port City Experiment 