Nitecap at Cervantes' Other Side

Nitecap
Cervantes' Other Side
Denver, Colorado
May 9, 2025

Nitecap has often been described as a 'supergroup'—and rightly so. Each member brings a rich musical pedigree, collectively representing involvement in at least a dozen other bands, likely more, where they have each made a name for themselves. Tracking the comings and goings of these musicians—and the resulting band permutations—is a bit like watching professional sports teams shuffle players and rework their lineups. Fortunately, musicians aren't bound by draft picks, salary caps or trade deadlines. They are free to collaborate as they choose. The biggest challenge? Juggling busy schedules.

Based in Denver, the members of Nitecap began casually jamming around the onset of the pandemic. Probably the best-known member is drummer Adam Deitch (Lettuce, Break Science, Adam Deitch, Pretty Lights, Bttrfly Quintet). He is joined by bassist Josh Fairman (SunSquabi, Analog Son) and keyboardist-synth wizard Ian Gilley (Diastrata, Flamingosis). Originally a trio, the band expanded to include guitarist Drew Birch, who also plays with Gilley in Diastrata and Flamingosis.

On a Friday night at Cervantes' Other Side, Nitecap hosted an album release party celebrating their record, Things of That Nature (Perception Records, 2025). True to the album, their live performance was a deep, layered journey through grooves infused with soul and jazz fusion. They played the entire album live, with a few choice covers sprinkled in for good measure.

Though primarily an instrumental band, Things of That Nature features three tracks with guest vocalists: Jarrod Lawson, Nigel Hall (of Lettuce), Colin Miller and Brittany Beckett. On that evening, Portland, Oregon-based Lawson—winner of Jazz FM's "Soul Artist of the Year"—took a break from his East Coast tour to join Nitecap on stage in Denver. In addition to lending his rich vocals, he played the Rhodes electric piano on about a third of the songs, adding even more soul to the already deep set.

Beckett also appeared that Friday, providing backing vocals whenever Lawson was on stage. She is affiliated with Watermelon Funk, a band that draws inspiration (and band members) from Parliament Funkadelic , making her a perfect fit for the night's sonic palette.

When the pandemic hit, Nitecap's members—usually on the road with their various projects—found themselves with unexpected downtime. Jam sessions became the obvious way to fill the new void. Fairman and Gilley were housemates at the time; Fairman and Deitch had a long history, and Gilley and Birch had been collaborators for years. A full-fledged project was practically inevitable.

During the show, Gilley focused primarily on synthesizers, crafting lush textures and layered tones that hovered above the churning, ever-evolving rhythms. Birch, the newest member, appears on only about half the album's tracks, but that night he was fully integrated. He wielded his guitar like a trenching tool to carve out deep grooves and add energy with soaring solos. Fairman provided a rock-solid foundation with his five-string electric bass, occasionally switching to a mini-synth to handle the low end.

Anchoring it all was Deitch. Widely regarded as one of the top drummers in the genre, he spent the night conjuring intricate polyrhythms, adding funky flourishes and percussive doodads and fiddly bits throughout. One of his cymbals, bent like it had been run over by a truck, sounded like a trash can lid—and was used to great effect during the set.

The main set concluded with "Last Dayes," the album's final track—a dark, moody piece that built to a dark frenzy. Not wanting to end the night on such a heavy note, the band returned for a quasi-encore: a soulful rendition of "Can't Hide Love," featuring Lawson once again on vocals and Rhodes, with Beckett on backing vocals. It was a fitting nightcap for the evening.

Deitch has described Nitecap's sound as "drippy synth funk/future R&B/UK electro jazz." In other words: a genre-blurring mashup. But in the hands of this group of virtuosos, the blend is seamless—and utterly captivating.

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