BY ZACH TIMBERLAKE
Denver got a little closer to the stars when New Constellations rolled into town for their mile high stop of their North American tour. Coming off an already remarkable 2026, marked by festival appearances at Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits, the Portland based dream-pop duo of Harlee and Josh are taking their first album, “It Comes in Waves” on the road. The record is already living up to its name and making waves, as they played to a completely sold out Denver crowd.
I arrived at the venue shortly before the opener, Vox Rea, made their start, and the place was already a packed house. Meow Wolf is such a unique venue, and a complete match made in heaven for this show. Their one-of-a-kind cathedral lighting installation was a perfect backdrop for the ethereal atmosphere of New Constellations signature sound.
Vancouver based, indie pop duo, Vox Rea kicked off the night. Their layered vocals and harmonies were a standout, creating such a dreamy atmosphere. Their diverse sound kept the set fresh, moving easily between sounds and moods. Electronic driven tracks like “Dissociate” got the floor moving, while the transition into “Hard,” a moving ballad with violin and all, brought the room to a gentle sway.
New Constellations stepped onto the stage to a thunderous welcome, with Vox Rea joining the stage too on keys and backup vocals. Harlee and Josh wasted no time and got right into it, playing songs from their new record. “Dandelion”, with its infectious chorus, and “Believe Again” with its powerful message were some noteworthy standouts. Josh proved as always that he’s one of the most talented guitar players in the scene, weaving inventive and captivating solos into the ends of song after song. Harlee delivered 10/10 vocal performances on track after track, hitting some extremely high moments. The dreamy ‘80s-inspired “Think it Over” and “Say That You Will” off their new record, had me and the rest of the crowd in awe.
Before their final song, Josh took a moment to speak about the importance of basic human rights. He spoke passionately about how everyone should have bodily autonomy, every LGBTQ person has the right to exist, people of Palestine should be able to feel safe in their own homes, and our country should be making no room for ICE. The outpour of love set the mood as the cheers mixed in with the synths and guitars of the intro to their mega hit “Hot Blooded.”
As the first verse began to swell, the entire venue exploded into the song’s unmistakable hook: “Just a little bit more.” The holy aesthetics of the stage, the harmonizing from Vox Rea, the booming echo of the crowd, and Harlee’s soaring vocal performance, pushed that moment into a complete euphoric and spiritual experience, easily the standout concert moment of the year for me personally.
This is the third time I’ve seen new Constellations live, and they keep raising the bar with every performance. This is a band you should not take your eyes off, clearly no one else is, as their devoted fanbase continues to show up show after show wanting just a little bit more.
