Photos & review: Emily Shuey (Instagram)
VIEW THE FULL PHOTO GALLERY HERE.
Singer and Producer Zachary William “Bill” Dess, more commonly known as Two Feet, sold out The Summit at his second Denver performance since the start of his career. His Denver debut was at Bar Standard in 2017 (only a year after his EP release in 2016), a small nightclub with lines wrapped around the street corner and crowds piled in shoulder to shoulder. Since then, Two Feet has performed in a variety of settings including Late Night with Stephen Colbert, Bonnaroo, and is scheduled for Lollapalooza next year in Brazil. As a multi-talented artist, we’ve watched him evolve musically through his producing, singing, and songwriting, and now performing as a 3-piece band including Geoffrey Hufford and a member on drums.
Bill’s creative evolution has been inspiring to say the least, but what has been frontward in his image is his transparency with fans in regard to his mental health. The music industry’s attitude on the subject is definitely becoming less stigmatized through the presence of more depression/anxiety-centered lyrics and further straight forward and honest conversations with musicians and roadies alike, but we still have a long way to go. For all of us, I think this is new territory and we’re collectively testing the its limits on all platforms from social media, candid interviews, and most importantly, the music itself.
Bill has taken to Twitter specifically, being genuine and transparent about his mental struggles, but has also been unapologetically sincere about how much his fans feel like family to him, which has set the scene for an exceptionally bonded fan-base that was distinctly apparent at his show in Denver.
His transparency has definitely allowed his shows to evolve into an intimate production, where viewers can witness an artist who has put their soul and emotional energy into every aspect of their performance. Along with the connection he is able to foster with his crowds, Two Feet is iconically known for his infectious, bass heavy guitar riffs that span from slow and lingering to bluesy and exhilarating.
Two Feet seemed to have played almost every song in their repertoire, including his hit singles, “I Feel Like I’m Drowning”, “Back of My Mind”, and “Go Fuck Yourself”, along with a few pieces of unreleased music, making it apparent how much time he’s devoted to creating this year.
The sound quality was flawless, from the photo pit, to the balcony, which considering the bass heavy roots of his music, its rare occasion to find that kind of continuity. Bill interacted with the crowd between songs, thanking them for coming out, answering fans in a playful but genuine dialogue, and highlighting the fact that this was their first headlining show of 2019 and that they have many more projects in the works.
In terms of stage presence, Bill reaches a deep level of creative mediation with his music that I have only been lucky enough to witness with a small handful of artists (Tash Sultana, John Butler). During some of his longer solos, Bill would play his guitar like an extension of his body, slowly rocking his head back, closing his eyes, and immersing himself fully in his craft.
As I left the venue, I couldn’t help but feel overcome with this idea that I had just witnessed Two Feet in the smallest venue he will ever play from here on out. His music is unique, spanning across multiple genres, and his raw stage presence sets him apart making comparison almost impossible.