Cody ChesnuTT Will Debut a Denver Collaboration at Artopia

Artopia, Westword’s annual celebration of art, culture and fashion, returns to City Hall this Saturday, February 21. In addition to plenty of visual artists and the Whiteout fashion show, the event will feature some highlights from Colorado’s music scene — this year, over a dozen groups and artists will perform on four…

Denver Music TV Series Aims to Capture “Intimate and Inspiring” Moments

Now Playing, a multi-media collaboration between Denver Film Company, Black Shirt Brewing and several Denver musicians, premiers Saturday, Feb. 21 at 10 PM on CPTV 12.  The debut show will be thirty minutes long and feature Denver band Covenhoven. Future episodes will feature Sawmill Joe, R.L. Cole, Haunted Wind Chimes, Glowing House, The Centennial, Strange Americans,…

The Ten Best Concerts in Denver This Weekend

We’re celebrating all that makes Denver’s art scene this weekend with Artopia. Other great shows this weekend include the second night of the Dirty Few’s release show at the hi-dive, Motion City Soundtrack at the Gothic and more.  The rest of our picks follow.  Nicholas Payton Trio When: Thu., Feb. 19…

Live @ Higher Ground Is More Than a Music Video Series

When Jahna and Jason Eichel opened Fort Collin’s first rehearsal space, Higher Ground Rehearsal Studios, in November, they  envisioned a collaboration with a production company to create “behind the scenes” videos from the music studio. And now, they’ve done just that. This weekend, the third episode of Live @ Higher Ground…

Interview: Dr. Dog Explains How It Stays Scrappy

Dr. Dog rolls into Denver to play the Ogden Theater on Thursday, February 19 in the thick of a three-month tour that began January 9 with “4×4,” an eight-show Brooklyn and Manhattan run. The energetic and soulful Philadelphia indie-rock stalwart, whose best tunes juxtapose the Beatles and the Band, is…

Pitbull and His Pelvis Outshine Enrique Iglesias in Denver

It makes no sense to me that I love Pitbull so much — he’s this lizard-like pop star, a dude who, over the last decade, has made a name for himself by throwing gnarly verses about not-very-consensual-sounding sex acts with women into the middle of mindless, often bland club-bangers. Yet…

Legendary Guitarist Jorma Kaukonen on the Value of Making Mistakes

Jorma Kaukonen helped shape the sound of early West Coast psychedelic rock with his innovative guitar work. As a founding member of Jefferson Airplane, he brought a delicacy of feeling to the music that gave the songwriting greater depth. But he didn’t start out very confident in his abilities. “When…

New Band Practice Spaces Coming to Fort Collins

Fort Collins bands will soon have a new place to practice. Cohere Bandwidth, at 265 Linden Street in Old Town, comprises 24/7 rent-by-the-hour rehearsal spaces that were inspired by the creativity and camaraderie found in music. They were also inspired by thieves. In December 2012, Shane Zweygardt of the Fort…

DJ J’Adore on Artopia and Why We’re Lucky to Be in Denver

Artopia, Westword’s annual celebration of art, culture and fashion, returns to City Hall on February 21. In addition to plenty of visual artists and the Whiteout fashion show, the event will feature some highlights from Colorado’s music scene — this year, over a dozen groups and artists will perform on four stages…

Swallow Hill Music Opens New Satellite Location in the Highlands

Swallow Hill Music announced this month its expansion into the Highlands neighborhood in northwest Denver. With classes to be held in Highlands United Methodist Church at 3131 Osceola Street, starting March 2nd, Swallow Hill is holding an open house on Thursday, February 26th from 4 to 7 p.m.. The revered…

Red Rocks Is (Almost) a National Historic Landmark

In all likelihood, Red Rocks will soon be a National Historic Landmark. That would be particularly gratifying for the group Friends of Red Rocks., which has been trying to get the designation for the park since 1999. “People thought it was a historic landmark already because it has been treated that way,”…

When a Stranger Offers Exposure in the Woods

Editor’s note: Each week, illustrator Noah Van Sciver shares his ongoing story of an 80’s rocker on a road trip through his past with the readers of Backbeat. You can see more of Van Sciver’s work in his new book YOUTH IS WASTED. …

A Complete List of This Week’s Denver Concert Announcements

Def Leppard stops at the Pepsi Center on Saturday, September 26 with Styx and Tesla as part of the band’s extensive North American tour that hits nearly fifty cities. Tickets ($29.50-$125) for the general public go on sale on Friday, February 20 at 10 a.m. but Citi cardmembers will have…

A Cancer Diagnosis Convinced Amy Kress to Share Her Music

Amy Kress played music secretly for years. But when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she decided it was time to share what she’d written. It was a nerve-wrecking for her to tell people about her music, let alone perform in front of others. Many of her friends didn’t even…

Meet the Couple Who Got Married Onstage at the Borgore Show

Last week, Chris Banks, a.k.a. Jackal, and Amelia Coen got married at a Borgore concert, and it was totally legal and totally planned. Banks and Coen have been together for four years, and they’ve been ready to get married for some time, but they needed one more thing before they…

DJ AWHAT!! on Artopia and What the Denver Scene Needs

Artopia, Westword’s annual celebration of art, culture and fashion, returns to City Hall on February 21. In addition to plenty of visual artists and the Whiteout fashion show, the event will feature some highlights from Colorado’s music scene — this year, over a dozen groups and artists will perform on four stages. …

The Eleven Best Concerts in Denver This Week

Hey! Snow! Winter still exists, which is kind of a relief. The shows continue, obviously, because this is Colorado. So put on the fleece and go see Pitbull at the Pepsi Center, Machine Head at Summit Music Hall or any number of other good ones. Our other picks follow.  Joe…

The Thirteen Best Shows in Denver: Valentine’s Weekend

There’s plenty to do this Valentine’s Day weekend, no matter what kind of love (or whatever) you’re celebrating. There’s Ariel Pink for the weirdos and Hellyeah for the cynics and Chris Daniels and the Kings for the funky. The rest of our picks follow.  Josh Gracin When: 8:30 p.m. Friday, February…