After over a decade away, White Denim returned to The Sinclair for a roaring ripper of a Saturday night in Cambridge. The Texas-bred quintet, led by founding guitarist and singer, James Petralli, rolled out two hours of nearly non-stop, hard-driving modern rock, spotlighting the band’s more recent fare, including the latest LP, 12. For those tightly packed-in fans anticipating a performance to match the July heat in the Hub, they certainly got one.

It was 2014 when White Denim last played the favored club tucked away on the backstreet of Harvard University. In the interim time, the ensemble has seen several lineup shifts, with Petralli remaining as its lone charter member. Still, and maybe more so, this unit sizzles as one of the more exceptionally potent artists touring today. 

Spearheaded by the two-pronged guitar attack of Petralli and his mate, Cat Clemons, the five-piece was intent on opening the show with some serious firepower. Tempos elevated, guitars articulate, yet underpinned in distortion, drums stampeding in lockstep, the group tore off the lid with “Had 2 Know (Personal),” a fitting harbinger for what was to follow. There was a bopping “Backstreet Driver,” and a sharp-angled “Moves On,” to mark a flashy and formidable first stretch. Yet, the five found their firmest footing when dipping back for “Distant Relative Salute,” and a stomping “Pretty Green” that drew cheers of recognition from the faithful.

From there, the quintet loosened as it tightened, thrilling on a thundering “At Night in Dreams,” and the always-tantalizing “At the Farm,” the latter showcasing the limb-tastic drumming of Matt Young, and symbiotic swirls from Petralli and Clemons. There was a placid “Street Joy,” an ebullient “Anvil Everything,” and a contemplative, newer entry, “Hand Out Giving.” And, that was just the first hour.

The second-half was as energetic, if more varied, finding spots for deeper cuts, “Corsicana Lemonade,” and “River to Consider,” while offering an as-of-yet unreleased, reggae-inflected “Keep Calling Me Baby.” Petralli was conscious of the time, asking if it was okay to push the set right up until the 11th hour. Given the okay, that’s just what White Denim did, forgoing any encore and instead running the engine wide-open until the finish. Notable, to say the least, it was the finale that displayed the Denim at the fullest of throttles, blazing through “Ha Ha Ha Ha (Yeah).”

While side projects and the pandemic may have detoured White Denim, at times, over the past decade, the quintet’s return to The Sinclair, if nothing else, showed a band hungry, cohesive, and undeniably talented. It’s the kind of artist in performance that makes the prospect of live music more vibrant, captivating, and real; an especially comforting thought in the face of an AI-affected future of the industry. Late in the set, the group served up its slice of Texas groove with “Come Back.” Let’s hope White Denim has, too, come back to stay.