Photo: Jim Narcy Flobots We poured ourselves into the Mile High Music Fest with a passion, and the results filled two extensive blog posts and two slide shows. Here’s a handy guide to everything we saw, shot and wrote at the inaugural edition of this world-class musical bonanza. Live Blog…
The Police and Elvis Costello & the Imposters Monday, July 22, 2008 Red Rocks Amphiteatre Better than: Any show I’ve seen in a long time. Nearly three decades after the Police’s first Denver gig at the Rainbow Music Hall, the band finally made it up to Red Rocks for the…
Click here for a slide show of the event. Global Dance Fest July 19, 2008 Red Rocks Better Than: Drinking the juice from a glowstick Global Dance Fest is evidence that despite dance music’s low profile on the pop culture radar, it’s still a big deal. The festival easily sold…
Photo: Tom Murphy Gata Negra Gata Negra and Hot Robots Sunday, July 20, 2008 Larimer Lounge, Denver Better Than: I thought relatively straight ahead guitar rock could sound. Unfortunately I made it to the Larimer Lounge fairly late due to practicing with my own band so I missed Only Thunder,…
Wadirum Wadirum, Elizabeth Rose, Benyaro Saturday, July 19, 2008, Meadowlark Better than: The weather this weekend. First a bit of confusion; sitting at the downstairs bar, The Meadowlark, we see what could ostensibly be the stage. Granted, the show tonight was going to be of the singer-songwriter variety, so a…
Photo: Tom Murphy Valomierda Fanatics w/Valiomierda Saturday, July 19, 2008 Carioca Café, Denver Better Than: Any hardcore show that I’ve seen for nearly a decade. Finding this show really was something of an odyssey. A couple of weeks ago, Tim Vigil told me about the reunion of legendary Pueblo punk/grindcore…
Photo: Tom Murphy Andy Falconetti Andy Falconetti, Rotaree and John Porcellino Saturday, July 19, 2008 Wax Trax, Denver Better Than: Seeing a show like this at a bar. Andy Falconetti, while tall, is an unprepossessing and utterly unpretentious performer. Normally you’ll see him fronting indie pop legends, Breezy Porticos. But…
Photo: Tom Murphy Yerkish Yerkish, The Skivies and New Ancient Astronauts Friday, July 18, 2008 The Falcon, Denver Better Than: Having to wait even longer to see The Skivies again. Though this bill wasn’t touted as a D.A.R.C. gig, that’s essentially what it was and that was fine with me…
Porlolo, Bad Weather California, Wentworth Kersey, Team Firefox and Sorelina Friday, July 18, 2008 hi-dive Better than: Unicorns and fuzzy blankets. At one point in Porlolo’s delightful set, singer Erin Roberts said she was asked why her she didn’t play last since it was her CD release show. “It’s my…
It’s shaping up to be another banner day at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Today’s lineup at the Mile High Music Fest is considerably stronger than yesterday’s, with anticipated performances from Flobots, the Roots, the Black Crowes, Pinback and Dave Matthews Band, a perennial Colorado favorite. Even the under card is…
Holy mother of God! It is hotter than July out here at the Mile High Music Fest. Oh, right, it is July. Let me put this another way: Imagine being trapped in a port-o-let in the middle of a Texas inferno. Yeah. It’s like that, only hotter. I can literally…
Here’s a convenient one-stop guide to all the great content you might have missed this week on Backbeat Online while you were anxiously exercising your fingers in anticipation of Jimi Hendrix’s announced contributions to an upcoming installment of the Guitar Hero series…..
Things have really been heating up Sutra (1109 Lincoln Street) since the club pumped it up its sexy factor last year by installing a stripper pole, a swing and mini-stages. But the place will most likely be hitting the boiling point when the Girls Gone Wild crew rolls into the…
Steely Dan Thursday, July 17, 2008 Red Rocks Better than: Singing alone in the rain. After the Joey DeFrancesco trio warmed things up, the Steely boys (and girls) kicked off their set with “The Royal Scam,” and then went into “Show Biz Kids,” where the lead saxophonist shredded his alto…
Curtis Fuller Thursday, July 17, 2008 (second set) Dazzle Better Than: Fishing with some really good bait. John Coltrane’s Blue Train was one of the most celebrated albums Curtis Fuller played on, so it seemed fitting for the trombonist to open up the set with “Maze,” a song he wrote…
Bella Morte, Torso, the Siren Project Thursday, July 17, 2008 Oriental Theater Better Than: The stuff that most of the Goths seem to be into these days. I’m not sure if they’ve upgraded the sound system or just have better sound guys or what, but last night, the Oriental sounded…
Update: Click here and here for live blog coverage of the entire event. Well, it’s finally here, the inaugural edition of the much ballyhooed Mile High Music Festival. On Saturday and Sunday, we’ll be holed up at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in the lovely environs of South Commerce City covering…
As the old saying goes, you should always be careful what you ask for – because you just might get it. Last weekend, on the heels of my column about finding ways to include kids in the world of live music – and just after catching the life-changing, rule-shattering live…
Previously located in a basement near 2nd Avenue and Fillmore Street in Cherry Creek, RooBar could be hard to find your first time there. But once inside the subterranean spot, it felt like a secret speakeasy of sorts. Knute Hanson, who owned the bar for the last decade, had to…
Low Wednesday, July 16, 2008 Bluebird Theater Better than: The nap I needed to take earlier in the day. Halfway through Low’s set Wednesday night, she turned to me said that they sound “angelic.” I laugh at this because what does that even mean? The word I kept thinking of…
Gravy Train!!!!, the Pseudo Dates, Triangle Forest and Agent Alejandro Wednesday, July 16, 2008 hi-dive Better Than: A straight-laced dance music show. Triangle Forest had driven a thousand miles and made it to the hi-dive around 8:30 p.m., the time they were supposed to play. Normally when this happens, your…
Rodrigo Sanchez really wants you to like heavy metal. “Sometimes people don’t even have a minute for metal,” the guitarist notes. “They think it’s too loud, or whatever stupid thing they think.” As one half of Rodrigo y Gabriela — the dynamic Mexican duo who became international world-music superstars with…
