Plastic Daggers

Plastic Daggers were up first. Bassist/vocalist Keaton Kidder we think lived up to his surname by saying that the band’s vocalist and lead guitarist had quit that very day, leaving them to have to scramble together to do the gig as a duo. Nice one. Actually, these guys (completed by drummer/vocalist Jordan Palmer) made a lot of great noise. The lack of guitar forces Kidder to get some wild sounds from his bass, while Palmer plays like a man possessed. The large Hi-Dive crowd was well into it all, allowing Kidder to take a stage-dive, and the duo ended by smashing up the drum kit. Nice. - Yellowscene Magazine

Plastic Daggers
The duo of Keaton Kidder and Jordan Palmer have tried to find suitable bandmates to round out their raucous rock-and-roll troupe, but they’ve been left disappointed time and time again. So what do you do? Fuck it: Like Fleetwood Mac said, you can go your own way. They don’t need anybody else; as a two-piece, they’re making enough uncompromising noise to match bands with way more members. And the thing with being uncompromising is, you don’t have to compromise. - Westword Magazine

"Every song is its own animal,” Denver duo Plastic Daggers shared with AXS recently. “We start with something simple like a bass line, drumbeat or a melody and just kind of run with it. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. We try not to give ourselves too many limitations when writing music, as we are already limited inherently being a two-piece.” The two-piece outfit, originally from Michigan, is in the process of developing their debut EP with a tentative release date next spring or early summer. The garage punk twosome are set to perform on Saturday, October 10 at Club Scum in Denver’s RiNo District. Keaton Kidder (bass, vocals) and Jordan Palmer (drums, vocals) discussed all things Plastic Daggers in this exclusive Q&A.

AXS: Are you Denver natives? If not, where is everyone originally from?
PLASTIC DAGGERS: No, we are from northern Michigan originally. The area we are from was completely devoid of any kind of music scene. We grew up playing in bands together as kids and went our separate ways for a few years. We moved to Denver about four years ago and never looked back!

AXS: What brought Plastic Daggers together?
PD: We wanted to make music again. Keaton had been DJ’ing and producing electronic music for years and decided he needed to get back to rock and roll. We spent some time messing around and looking for other members, (guitarist, singer, etc.) but then we said f*ck it and just did it ourselves. A neighbor literally walked into our garage while we were re-learning our instruments and asked us to play a show with him. We said yes and wrote a set as Plastic Daggers.

AXS: How long has Plastic Daggers been together? What have you learned during that time?
PD: We’ve officially been a band for a year. We’ve learned a lot about ourselves in the process. Our limit in band members has pushed us to learn and provide to each song that we create, especially with vocals. Playing shows has been a really cathartic experience for us.

AXS: Where was your first show in Denver, and what was the experience like? Who else did you play with at the show?
PD: Our first show was for the Mile High Battle after party at Sidewinder Tavern, almost exactly a year ago. The Ned Garthe Explosion were doing their Teenage Acid Party thing, so they had this huge translucent blow up cube with trippy lights inside it that took up half the room. Best Creeps were there, as well as our friend Dan who was doing a crazy electronic live set. It was definitely an eclectic mix of music. I’m pretty sure half the crowd was on LSD, but they were super pumped!

AXS: Have any Denver musicians inspired Plastic Daggers?
PD: There are so many great musicians and bands in Denver. The local rock scene has really taken off in recent years. Some of our favorite bands to watch/play with are Colfax Speed Queen, In The Whale, the Party or Don’t crew, Brother Sister Hex, Lords of Fuzz, to name a few.

AXS: What projects are Plastic Daggers currently working on?
PD: We are finishing up the writing process for our debut EP to be released this spring/early summer, and we’re planning a tour to coincide.

AXS: What else is Plastic Daggers involved in locally, either as individuals or as a group?
PD: We JUST started working with other artists from Denver on an art/music collective. We have a beautiful space just off of South Broadway that we’re excited to premiere very soon. We’re hoping to do an in-studio video series with local bands, throw our own shows, that sort of thing.

AXS: Does Plastic Daggers have a goal in mind for the sound the band produces? Are there certain influences or themes the band tries to inject into its own music?
PD: Every song is its own animal. We start with something simple like a bass line, drumbeat or a melody and just kind of run with it. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. We try not to give ourselves too many limitations when writing music, as we are already limited inherently being a two-piece.

AXS: For someone who has never seen or heard Plastic Daggers, what would you tell them to entice them to watch your set?
PD: We always bring a big air cannon full of Taco bell and $100 bills that we shoot at the crowd. At our last show, there was a male stripper in a banana suit. That was pretty cool.

AXS: What would your ideal live show look like? Where would it take place? Any particular time of year? Would a specific band/musician share the bill with or open for Plastic Daggers?
PD: We love any show where the crowd is energetic. We prefer a smaller venue where we can really interact with the audience.

AXS: What shows are you looking forward to over the next few months?
PD: Well, we’re playing a show on October 10 with Colfax Speed Queen and RipRats at Club Scum. It should be insane!

AXS: What do you enjoy most about Denver’s music scene, and why?
PD: Our favorite part so far has been how supportive all the bands and people involved have been. Denver’s music scene has definitely always been a grassroots thing, but seeing bands that we’ve played with/known getting more attention on a national level is really inspiring. Overall, meeting cool people and playing with great bands has been awesome for us.
As for the folk and jam band scene, it simply adds fuel to the punk rock fire. - AXS.com

The first thing you need to know about Plastic Daggers is that it is a duo, bass and drums. While it’s true that duos are no longer novel, they are still interesting, especially when they are doing something other than garage blues rock.

Plastic Daggers are interesting. First, a duo that is bass and drums, rather than guitar and drums, is a rare species that must be approached with caution. It makes sense, really, since the bassist and drummer usually have a special low-end bond. But that’s just it, it would be all low end. Well, Plastic Daggers has bassist Keaton Kidder who plays bass as if it were a guitar. The things he has to overcome to do this are outstanding. If you hadn’t just read that spoiler, you would at first think it was a guitar.

Second, duos almost always have to play louder and more aggressive than other bands to compensate for the lack of other instruments contributing to the fullness of sound. Here, Plastic Daggers oblige. They are loud, they are in your face, they create a wall of sound, but they are also lovable and super fun. They exist at the crossroads of punk and blues, and that’s an intersection most rock fans can hang out at.

On December 10, they will release their EP, “Shotgun,” at the Hi Dive with a show they are marketing as “Make America Deaf Again.” The EP is being released on Sailor Records, which is a reliable source for Colorado music with a kick — check out all their bands. Below, steal an exclusive download of “Fireline” and listen how the opening bass line builds into a song. - Denver Post

Album release party will be held at Hi-Dive on Sat. Dec 10th with Colfax Speed
Queen, Muscle Beach and RipRats

Plastic Daggers is releasing their debut album Shotgun EP on Sailor Records Dec. 9th . The new 6-song EP will be available digitally on Spotify, Apple Music, iTunes, and other various online retailers, and as a limited edition 10” vinyl on the bands website and in stores throughout the Denver area. They’ll also be showcasing the new album and celebrating its release at the infamous rock and roll institution Hi-Dive on Sat. Dec. 10th supported by Colfax Speed Queen,

Muscle Beach and RipRats. Tickets are on sale now at http://ticketf.ly/2eC2Hn0 .
A hard-hitting drum and bass duo, Plastic Daggers fuse a punk rock attitude with fast paced rock n’ roll sounds, high-energy vocals and raucous live show. Members Keaton Kidder (bass/vocals) and Jordan Palmer (drums/vocals), think less is more. Recently featured in Westword Magazine’s article, The Eight Denver Bands That Should Break Nationally — 2016 Edition, writer Brett Callwood said, "They don’t need anybody else; as a two-piece, they’re making enough uncompromising noise to match bands with way more members.”

After spending the last year writing the album, polishing their sound and playing a constant
stream of live shows, the band is ecstatic to bring their finished work to their awaiting audience. “We can’t wait to show everyone what we’ve been working so hard toward,” said Keaton Kidder. The new album was recorded with Nick Sullivan at The Keep in Denver, CO and mastered by April Golden at Golden Mastering in Ventura, CA. - Sailor Records