The latest trend in mainstream country music seems to be Gen X cowboy crooners teaming up with the pop-star likes of Demi Lovato, Elle King and Pink for duets that might endear them to younger audiences. These crossover pairings actually sound pretty good, but the dynamic is creepily Richard Gere-ian,…
The success of Glass Animals’ 2014 debut album Zaba is, in the words of fellow British rocker Nigel Tufnel, a mystery that’s “best to leave it…unsolved.” Through a curious blend of tribal percussion, casually psychedelic lyrics and a transverse connection to both modern rock and electronica, Glass Animals achieves an impressive sonic iconography. Their style…
Back in March, we wrote a feature about Violent J of the Insane Clown Posse, who was about to play a solo show in town. We interviewed J, and, as is the way with the man, he wasn’t short on a thing or two to say. As we noted at…
Denver has been home to many musical acts that perform in costume or under an alias, personas that inform the aesthetic of the songwriting and performance. Sometimes the disguises are meant to take the emphasis off of a specific identity. Sometimes they’re used to create a sense of something special…
After a much-needed two-year hiatus from the madness that is Insane Clown Posse’s annual Gathering of the Juggalos festival, we’re happy to report that this year, we’re going back. L.A. Weekly is off to Thornville, Ohio, for the Gathering, which runs July 20-23, and will be reporting throughout the week on…
Sufjan Stevens headlines Red Rocks tonight while KISS is in Colorado Springs. On Tuesday it’s Korn and Rob Zombie at Fiddler’s Green, Joe Bonamassa at Red Rocks, and Eagles of Death Metal at the Ogden Theatre. Also this week, there’s They Might Be Giants, Portugal. The Man, Woods and Lil Durk. See our…
Twenty thousand people filled Denver’s Pepsi Center last night, the first of two instantly sold-out nights at the arena, yet British singer-songwriter Adele made the room feel as intimate as a barroom cabaret. The gifted vocalist built her performance not on showcasing elaborate set-pieces or her soaring ballads, but on…
Mitski keeps no secrets. At least that what you would be led to believe had you listened to Puberty 2, her much-hyped (and deservedly so) fourth record replete with personal histories of heartbreak, despair, fear and longing. Though restrained, it’s impossible to miss the self-consciously confessional edge within her songwriting,…
The wheels will stop turning for Fort Collins-based music nonprofit SpokesBUZZ. Since 2010, the organization has championed local artists and sought to foster a thriving music community in the region. Its board of directors announced today that it would cease operations on September 1, 2016. “We simply don’t have the…
The String Cheese Incident kicks off a three-night stand at Red Rocks tonight, with Tauk opening tonight, Kamasi Washington tomorrow and Hot Rize on Sunday. Adele plays two nights at the Pepsi Center, while Lyle Lovett and Emmylou Harris team up at Fiddler’s Green. Guster is at the Denver Botanic…
If you put together all of the contributing members of Denver’s newest bar, you would have a pretty amazing band. Matty Clark and Josh Terry, owners of the hi-dive, as well as talent buyer Curtis Wallach are collaborating with fellow musicians Nathaniel Rateliff, Pat Meese and Luke Mossman of Nathaniel…
In June, John Hetlinger gained national notoriety for his performance on America’s Got Talent, when he delivered a spine-raking rendition of hard-rock band Drowning Pool’s hit “Bodies.” The 82-year-old Colorado man’s surprising audition featured his growling the lyrics “Let the bodies hit the floor” before breaking into a roar. Hetlinger…
Korn’s new album — its twelfth full-length in a 23-year career — is recorded and mixed and set for release later in 2016. While no details are available ahead of the release it’s certain that the record will be informed by the band’s diverse musical roots and the thoughtful sensibilities…
The decision to start a record label in 2016 may not be a sound financial one. For most labels, especially at the grassroots level, even breaking even may be an impossible goal. However, if your bottom line has more to do with passion, ethics and a profound love for the…
Party hard and listen up! Andrew W.K. is spreading his message, “The Power of Partying,” through more than music this fall; today he announced a fifty-state speaking tour. Take a look at our “day in the life” of the rock star at 2010’s Warped Tour. The Infamous Stringdusters: Big Top…
Early in Sting and Peter Gabriel’s Pepsi Center show, which was part of their “Rock Paper Scissors” tour, Gabriel told the audience that the set would be “a little like karaoke night in Denver.” Gabriel’s band, dressed in black with red stripes on parts of their clothing, was the red…
In spring 2015, the career of Denver-based hard rock band Space in Time nearly came to a screeching halt. Long-time singer Mike Atencio had stepped down and the rest of Space in Time didn’t know if they could continue without him. Yet all along, one of the band’s early fans…
It was a cover story that could easily scream from today’s supermarket tabloid rack: He was a typical American slob and she was a hot mess. Horace Tabor lucked into wealth, then built a flashy, short-lived empire on it. He dumped his longtime wife for a young, beautiful woman —…
One night in June 2002, Bay Area-based drummer Scott Amendola finished recording the tracks for Cry, his second album as a bandleader. He and guitarist Nels Cline (who would join Wilco two years later) sat in the control room afterward. Commenting on the wide variety of material on Cry, Cline…
Editor’s Note: The Denver Bootleg is a series chronicling the history of local music venues by longtime Denver cartoonist Karl Christian Krumpholz. Visit Krumpholz’s website to see more of his work…
After a dozen years at 1424 Market Street, Mynt Mojito Lounge is re-opening this Friday, July 15, in much bigger digs a few doors down at 1410 Market Street, the former home of Spill Lounge, which opened in 2003 and recently closed. Since the new Mynt spot, which has an upstairs VIP…
Songwriter supergroup case/lang/veirs conspired with the Denver Botanic Gardens last night to produce some pretty bucolic moments. For example: Picture, during a performance of the group’s lovely tribute to the tragic life of Judee Sill, two little kids moving barefoot through some invented ballroom dancing steps before bursting into giggles…
