B.J.’s Port, a cozy neighborhood bar in Five Points, features jazz only on Sundays, from 4 to 8 p.m. But what music! Pat Bianchi, a hard-driving young jazz organist, leads a smokin’ trio composed of the fine Boulder guitarist Bill Kopper and drummer Tony Black, a whirling dervish with the…
Not much has changed at El Chapultepec over the past couple of decades — not the interior, not the food menu (the beef-and-bean burritos go surprisingly well with bebop), not the fact that the place is packed like a submarine on Saturday nights. Owner Jerry Krantz knows there’s simply no…
When jazz saxophonist Laura Newman took over Herb’s Hideout at the beginning of the year, she created a welcome den for live music on the fringes of LoDo. Though Herb’s has always opened its stages to area players, it’s now a bona fide venue nearly every night of the week,…
For players who are accustomed to competing with the bar-room din at many music venues, Daniels Hall can be a tough room to tackle. The loyal legions who attend concerts in the small, intimate space inside Swallow Hill hang on every lyric and lick and honor performers by giving them…
Most of the time, the Skylark Lounge is just a bar — albeit a great one, with an old-fashioned atmosphere (checkered floor, vinyl booths and soda-fountain-style bar stools) that draws the hipsterati from the Baker neighborhood and beyond. But on Thursday and Saturday nights, the staff clears a few tables…
Held the first Friday of every month, the Barn Dance has quickly become an event worth looking forward to — a family-oriented, music-heavy and just plain fun community happening. Because its organizers know grownups sometimes have a hard time rocking into the late-night hours, the Barn Dance starts and ends…
Though Sevilla recently relocated from its cavernous corner on Wynkoop Street to new digs in the Denver Pavilions, nothing was lost in the move. It still provides the most appealing environment for south-of-the-border musical expeditions, with a huge dance floor, exotic decor and a stimulating menu of live and DJ…
Earlier this year, the Fox Theatre notched its tenth anniversary — but it also celebrated its tenth year as the best-sounding room of its type in the area. Since its 1992 birth on the Hill in Boulder, the space has become a favorite of both artists and fans. Simply put,…
When he bought the Gothic in 1999, owner Steve Schalk, a former Hollywood set designer, poured his vision (and his bank account) into salvaging the south Broadway space from its formerly sorry existence. The result was a magnificent house with old-world charm, great sound and a progressive booking policy. Beyond…
With above-average bar grub and a stage that plays host to the area’s heaviest bands, Sports Field Roxxx offers patrons the chance to fill up their stomachs and blow out their eardrums in one sitting. Sports Field has recently expanded its entertainment menu to include punk and rock acts in…
Bands wade into the deep each night at Golden’s legendary Buffalo Rose: The bar’s music room is built on top of what used to be the City of Golden’s municipal pool. The stage itself sits right over the pool’s now-empty deep end, adding an extra measure of bottom boom to…
Whether they are truly talented or simply interested in using music as a bludgeon, untested Denver bands have long had a wide-open outlet for their art at Cricket on the Hill. Sure, the place is far from cuddly, but management understands the bar’s symbiosis with local rock. The standard deal…
You don’t have to be terribly accomplished to secure some stage time during the New Talent Showcase at Herman’s Hideaway. In fact, the whole point of the Wednesday-night series is to give fledgling acts a chance to test the waters of the live-music experience, even if they only play to…
Technically, Tulagi is not a punk club. About half the time, the smallish space — which celebrated its 25th anniversary last year — is booked by the staff that operates the Fox Theatre next door. But a couple nights a week, the calendar belongs to indie promoter Mike Barsch, who…
When the owners of Quixote’s True Blue moved into the old 7 South space on Broadway, they began redecorating with a vengeance — and a vision. Colorful and kaleidoscopic, the entire room is a museum of musical memorabilia and art (including plenty of original posters and photographs) that also serves…
Scott Campbell and Jason Cotter, booking managers for the 15th Street Tavern, must have a psychic grasp of which artists are about to break out: Many of the bands that play their club wind up on the cover of the College Music Journal or headlining a showcase at the South…
Getting more than 100 people into the Soiled Dove to discuss Denver’s music scene with Monday morning looming is no small feat. However, the 1,000-member Colorado Music Association routinely does so on the third Sunday of each month. Popular features include member introductions and a free spread, courtesy of the…
The Nashville Songwriters Association International’s Denver chapter meets the first Monday of every month at the Academy of the Arts. There, good ol’ boys and girls explore the intricacies of songwriting in a friendly setting. Group members come to have their work critiqued by peers, a process that can generate…
Take an oversized Ronald McDonald, Tron-inspired costume design, giant plastic lobster claws, low-budget martial arts and moon boots. Throw in some warped synthetic ditties dedicated to the Atari classic from which it derives its name, and you’re just scratching the surface of the city’s strangest multimedia phenomenon, Mr. Pacman. The…
Skulls, devils and pentagrams are not involved, but the Bobby Collins Death Metal Armada’s fashion sense perfectly complements its spacey, nitrous pop. The Armada’s revolving wardrobe includes jumpsuits, milkman duds, cardigans, cheesy Christmas sweaters, space-age fabrics, 3-D glasses and beanies. Rumor has it that bubble-wrap coveralls might be in the…
If Bio-Bitch doesn’t pique your interest — or at least elicit a chuckle — then the terrorists really have won…
Moving from singer-songwriter-style pop to intricate noise rock, Worm Trouble bridges the chasm between wispy melodies and blistering riffs with ease. A typical set weaves dozens of radically different sonic threads into a slew of textures that range from delicate to explosive, melancholy to sarcastic. Despite its name, there’s no…
