This weekend brought one of the hottest days of the year, coupled with heavy evening rains. That seemed an apt environment for Synesthesia 2015 — the contrast in weather reflected much of the music on offer. The strange energy was compounded by an effort to shut down or curb the…
In 1999, I was working at a toy store in the mall called the Learningsmith. As it went in “education”-oriented mall retailers of the time, we sold “For Dummies” books, yo-yos, Hoberman Spheres, telescopes, Thomas the Tank Engine swag and basically anything that could be even mildly classified as a…
It’s August, the hottest month of the summer! Now, whether your summer began when school let out in May, or at the equinox in June or the day after the 4th of July when you could really relax, chances are all the summer fun you’ve been expecting is now in…
Saying that Peter Yarrow was influential in folk music would be a profound understatement. Yarrow, due at this weekend’s Rocky Mountain Folks Festival in Lyons, might be one of the most important figures in the genre and his impact can be felt across music of all kinds. A founding member…
It’s a huge weekend in live music in Colorado. Brandi Carlile headlines Red Rocks, Jason Isbell and Sufjan Stevens are among the many artists featured at Folks Festival and the Foo Fighters stop by Fiddler’s Green on Sunday. There’s plenty more — let’s get straight to our picks: ALL WEEKEND…
Back in September, on the set of the N.W.A biopic Straight Outta Compton, cameras rolled in the parking lot of the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium as actors playing prudish protesters hoisted signs (“Crap Rap N.W.A”) and ran over a pile of the group’s records with a steamroller. A little later,…
Miguel, the L.A,-based singer/songwriter, R&B crooner and hip-hop dabbler, has three albums, all of which have received critical acclaim. With his latest effort, Wildheart, it appears the singer is focused on himself as a human, a lover and an artist. It’s about your basest desires, your insecurities, your swagger and…
When Synesthesia debuted in Denver’s RiNo district a couple years ago, it was a Spartan affair at the Meadowlark and Larimer Lounge, attracting just 200 people. Now, the Larimer’s Bart Dahl says he’s happy to see what was formerly called Denver Psych Fest “flourish in our neighborhood” — this year’s…
“I’ve never understood the concept of writer’s block,” says Eric Bliss, lead guitarist for the Denver band Mako 1972. “When I sit down to write it’s easy. It’s not always good, but it’s easy. You’ve got this instrument in your hands that makes noise. Fuck around on it.” Bliss and…
Next weekend, Mumford & Sons will bring their small-town festival tour to Salida, where preparations have been underway for some time now. The Gentlemen of the Road Stopover also features performances from the Flaming Lips, Jenny Lewis, Dawes and many more, and now the full schedule has been released. The…
Shinedown and Breaking Benjamin headline 106.7 KBPI Saints & Sinners Halloween Ball on Halloween, Sat., Oct. 31. Tickets ($39.75-$45) go on sale on Friday, August 14 at 10 a.m The Wonder Years and Motion City Soundtrack co-headline the Ogden Theatre on Tuesday, October 27 with State Champs and You Blew It!…
Synesthesia 2015 is upon us. The yearly festival dedicated to psychedelic music in its various manifestations takes place from 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. across five venues near 27th and Larimer St. on Saturday, August 15. The line-up features local and underground national bands of some note including headliners Moon…
Underground genres rarely make the transition to the mainstream with their original ideas intact. Punk started in back alleys and small pubs as an original form of expression, but is so often seen as the overpriced, heavily marketed phenomenon that is pop punk. Death metal recently became popular through the…
It would be easy to dismiss Nick Cageao as a hired gun. After all, he didn’t join Mutoid Man, the psych-metal side project-turned-full-time-stunner from guitarist Steve Brodsky and drummer Ben Koller, until after the band released its blistering, ornate debut EP, Helium Head. But even the fact that Cageao is…
Danielle de Picciotto is a multimedia artist who co-founded Berlin’s long-running and highly influential Love Parade electronic-music festival. Her husband, Alexander Hacke, is the bassist for legendary and foundational industrial band Einstürzende Neubauten. The two are currently touring together, presenting a unique combination of music, film, visual art and literature…
Pretty Lights played a pair of packed shows at Red Rocks over the weekend. It’s been a short trip to huge crowds for the DJ/producer born Derek Vincent Smit, who was playing relatively small opening slots just five years ago. Now, he’s got a worldwide fan base, his own label…
An inevitable phenomenon in any music community where there are newspapers, weekly magazines and ‘zines with coverage of local music is that of the the writer and musician. Naturally, due to reasons of a conflict of interest, if you do happen to fall into both categories, there’s a great chance…
We’re big believers in that everyone should be able to enjoy any concert in any manner they’d like. That said, there’s one stipulation: Your enjoyment of a concert shouldn’t directly interfere with someone else’s enjoyment. That’s it. It’s pretty simple, there’s only one rule of this concert-going Fight Club, and…
The homeless folk who amass at the doors of the Denver Public Library at 14th and Broadway will have something besides books and air conditioning to look forward to the morning of Tuesday, September 8. That’s the date the DPL plans to roll out what it’s calling “Sunrise Concerts,” a…
At Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats’ free concert Friday night on The Hill in Boulder, amid the annual Triple-A radio-industry conference and a general welcoming of University of Colorado students, Albums On the Hill owner Andy Schneidkraut argued that calling Rateliff’s incredible, game-changing performance on The Tonight Show two days…
This week’s best concerts includes Nicki Minaj’s much-discussed Pinkprint Tour, as well as an appearance by Iron and Wine at Red Rocks and a pair of impressive shows at Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox. The full list of our picks follows. MONDAY, AUGUST 10 Iron & Wine $45-$65 8:00PM Red Rocks Amphitheatre…
Henderson, Colorado is not exactly the place where you’d expect to see live music, much less from a known figure like Reverend Dead Eye. North of Commerce City, Henderson isn’t necessarily easy to get to or find despite its proximity to the city. Broken Shovels Farm, the venue for this…
