Everclear’s Art Alexakis Gives a Damn About His Lyrics

When Art Alexakis’s Everclear formed in 1991 in Portland, Oregon, just three hours from Seattle, the alt-rock band was inevitably lumped in with the grunge scene. And sure, there were superficial similarities, from Alexakis’s gaunt demeanor and drug stories to the fashion, but there was very little grunge in Everclear’s…

Paramore, Mary J. Blige and Every New Denver Concert Announcement

Paramore, which released its new album After Laughter last week, brings its Tour Two to Bellco Theatre on, Thursday, September 21 with Best Coast opening. Tickets ($38.50-$59.50) go on sale on Wednesday, May 24, at 10 a.m. Mary J. Blige’s Strength of a Woman North American tour stops at Bellco Theatre on Wednesday, September 6. Lalah Hathaway will open. Tickets ($49-$150) go on sale on Friday, May 19, at 10 a.m. HARD Red Rocks returns to the venue on Friday, July 28, with Dillon Francis, DJ Mustard, Destructo, AC Slater, Wax Motif and Kittens. Tickets ($49.75-$99.75) go on sale on Friday, May 19, at 10 a.m.

A Storm’s Brewing: Alaska Thunderfuck Croons About Makeup and, Um, Anuses

Fans of Emmy Award-winning reality show RuPaul’s Drag Race know all too well the legend of drag oddity Alaska Thunderfuck whose bizarre take on the classic art form charmed audiences as she broke all the rules. Well, buckle up, Denver. Thunderfuck is coming back to town this Saturday with a batch of songs and a live band, and it’s going to be a bumpy night.

Here Are Fifty More Bands Playing Westword Music Showcase 2017

Westword Music Showcase is right around the corner, and the lineup keeps getting better. Earlier this year, we announced the national acts gracing our main stage – Shakey Graves, the Revivalists, Cut Copy, Bob Moses, COIN and A R I Z O N A – as well as a handful of the locals who will be playing. Today, we’re announcing fifty more local acts who will perform at venues throughout the Golden Triangle.

Three Decades Later, Primus Still Sucks

Waiting in a line that spanned almost two Boulder blocks before Primus’s sold-out show at the Fox Theatre last night – part of the renowned Boulder venue’s twentieth-anniversary celebration – I heard a guy in his mid 20s tell a friend incredulously, “My cousin said he’s never heard of Primus. He didn’t even know fucking ‘John The Fisherman!’”

Five Red Rocks Security-Line Hacks

Have you ever been stuck waiting to go through security at Red Rocks Amphitheatre? Depending on what time you choose to venture inside, the security line can seem to stretch on for an eternity. Many people grumble about security’s snail-pace, but the reality is the speed of the line depends on all of us.

The Best Concerts in Denver This Week

It’s a great week for fans of Les Claypool as he’ll be with Primus at the Fox Theatre for a sold-out show tonight, at Red Rocks tomorrow, and with Sean Lennon as part of the the Claypool-Lennon Delirium on Wednesday.

The Ten Greatest Mom Songs of All Time

Mother’s Day is here, and it’s time to celebrate (and/or mourn) all things mom related. If you’re looking for some mommy-themed tunes to party to, weep to or reflect on, we’ve got you covered. Sit back, enjoy and send a shout-out to the mothers you love.

Com Truise’s Iteration Concludes His Science-Fiction Trilogy

The new Com Truise album Iteration, due out June 16, marks the conclusion of a loosely science-fiction themed trilogy that began with the project’s 2011 debut Galactic Melt. Without lyrics, the themes may not be as obvious, but song titles like “Ether Drift,” “Dreambender” and “Ephemeron” conjure visions of a retro-futurist aesthetic embodied by films like Blade Runner and the more recent Beyond the Black Rainbow.

The Best Concerts in Denver This Weekend, May 12-14

While there have been a few shows at Red Rocks over the last few weeks, the summer season at the storied venue kicks into gear this weekend with Bonobo and Nick Murphy (Chet Faker) tonight and Lettuce tomorrow night. Swallow Hill’s Denver Ukefest continues tonight and tomorrow night and Denver All Day Fest III is at multiple venues on South Broadway. Also on tap this weekend are Flogging Molly at the Fillmore Auditorium, Old Crow Medicine Show performing Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde at the Paramount Theatre and Son Volt at the Fox Theatre and Gothic Theatre.

Playing Colorado Isn’t All Roses for Jethro Tull’s Ian Anderson

On May 26, English folk-rock veterans Jethro Tull will play a show with the Colorado Symphony at Red Rocks. The beloved amphitheater was, of course, the venue for an infamous riot in the summer of ’71 that resulted in a cloud of tear gas, 28 serious injuries, and the cancellation of the remainder of the venue’s 1971 summer program.