News

Westword Music Showcase 2005

Welcome to the eleventh annual Westword Music Showcase. That’s right, boys and girls: On Saturday, June 25, the Showcase officially become a tweenager — which means we’re finally tall enough for the scary rides. To celebrate, we’ve invited all of Denver to our party, the largest celebration of local music in the city, and have even taken pity on not-ready-for-prime-time folk by adding an all-ages venue at Scooter Joe’s and making the Outdoor Stage all-ages, too. There will still be plenty of adult entertainment on that main stage, though, including performances by Love.45, Rose Hill Drive, Matson Jones, Hot IQs and Melissa Ivey.

But this year, all of our stages across the Golden Triangle boast must-see lineups, pulled from the ninety acts that were nominated by a jury of their peers for this year’s Westword Music Showcase Awards. (For the complete list — and to vote for your favorites — see page 23.) Upstairs at Serengeti and on the patio at Vinyl, you’ll find the hip-hop superstars. At all hours, Two AM will feature punk/metal all-stars, while Mootown’s top electronic DJs will throw down at Vinyl. A second stage at Serengeti, as well as perennial favorites La Rumba and Acoma Center, will shine with stellar bands and performers.

In fact, choosing which venue to visit when could be as difficult during the Showcase as it was for Showcase artists to determine who’s more important in the pop-cultural pantheon — Weezer or Winger, Jay-Z or Z-Trip. To make your decision-making process easier, we’ve queried all of the nominating bands about their past and present. The responses of those who will perform at the Showcase (and who sent along their answers) are reprinted below, with minimal editing for clarity and maximum hilarity. (Responses of acts that won’t be at the Showcase are available online.)

See you at the Showcase. APOSTLE
NOMINATED IN HIP-HOP -- MC
3:30 P.M., VINYL PATIO

Website: www.coloradohiphop.org

Personnel:

Intelligent Movement Society (IMS) is the crew.

Native or transplant?

My family is originally from the South, though I've been in Colorado most of my life.

What's in a name, particularly yours?

It's an acronym for: Ascending Power Over Secular Territories Liberating Earthlings or Awesome Presence of Spirit Transforming Living Energy; or Advocating Protesting Officially Serving True Life Equality; or Attributing Progress Offering Solutions to Life's Experience; or Analyzing Proof Observing Scientific Thought Learning Evolution. I could go on, but you get the point. I'm an MC.

When did you form, or, if you're a solo act/DJ, when did you start performing?

Twenty years ago.

Releases/discography:

The Chosen One (1994); Dayz of Darkness (1997); Last of a Dying Breed (2000); Survival Guide for the End of Time (2002, with Heavyweight Dub Champion).

Who or what do you think you sound like?

Old school hip-hop (classic or renaissance style).

What are some of your noteworthy recent feats?

The Colorado Hip-Hop Coalition is in its eighth anniversary year. Our promotional DVD for the CHHC was nominated for a regional Emmy Award in the music category. This year, the CHHC received a grant of $2,500.00 at NBA All-Star festivities from Michael Jordan's Foundation. Youth participants of CHHC were placed in a commercial for next year's All-Star Game in Houston.

What albums have had the biggest impact on you?

I Got Next (KRS-One); It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back (Public Enemy); The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory (Makaveli, aka 2Pac); The 18th Letter (Rakim); The New World Order (Poor Righteous Teachers); and The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.

What artists have had the biggest impact on you?

KRS-One, Rakim, Poor Righteous Teachers, 2Pac, Bob Marley, Sade, Prince, Michael Jackson, Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Trent Reznor, Run DMC, Terence Trent d'Arby, Sly and Robbie, Kraftwerk, Alpha and Omega, Immortal Technique, Johnny Cash, Marvin Gaye, Jimi Hendrix, Bad Brains, James Brown, Queen Latifah, Saul Williams, Michael Franti, Frank Sinatra, Diana Krall and Lauryn Hill.

How do you pay the bills? What is your day job?

Founder and Executive Director, Colorado Hip Hop Coalition.

Finish this sentence: If I didn't have to worry about money, I'd...

Disappear.

Finish this sentence: I'd rather be...

In the studio or on tour.

Who would play you in the screen adaptation of your life?

Dave Chappelle -- or so I hear, these days. "I'm Apostle, bitch!"

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Managing artists or owning a venue, or both.

What's the biggest misconception about you or your band?

That I'm a "Christian rapper."

Give us a random factoid about yourself:

I promoted a show for Tupac Shakur on December 31st 1991 in Sacramento, California.

Weezer or Winger?

Englewood -- represent!

Jay-Z or Z-Trip?

Hova.

Football or foosball?

Which one has cheerleaders?

Parting shot?

Peace to Van Glorious, Seraiah, Illnaughty, Stero Lion, HDC+, DJ SD, Epiphonic Booking, Dominique and Holly (House of Mesha), Cafe Nuba crew, Lady Speech, Panther, Ashara, Ward Churchill, Dustin Craun, Shareef Aleem, and Marilyn Megenity and the whole Mercury Cafe staff and Slam Team. Peace to HOBY, DCLF, Just Media, and the rest of those who believe in me and support me as an artist, educator and activist. IMS. Peace to all the talented artists in Colorado. Respect.

BLACK LAMB
NOMINATED IN METAL/AGGRO
8 P.M., TWO AM

Website: www.blacklambrocks.com

Personnel:

Brian Hagman (vocals); Tim Vigil (bass); Bill Stewart (guitar); Bryon Bean (drums); Benny Lamb (guitar).

Native or transplant?

Native.

What's in a name?

Black is beautiful. Lambs are cuddly.

When did you form/start performing?

January 2000.

Releases/discography:

Morning Star, High and Mighty, Pillar of Salt, The Low Road, Hang the Moon.

Who or what do you think you sound like?

An amalgam of every band of dirtbags that ever slung a Gibson guitar around their necks, shook their asses and pumped their fists.

What are some of your noteworthy recent feats?

Bought a twenty-pack of Natural Ice and a pint of Kentucky Deluxe. Headlining the Lion's Lair (God willing).

What albums have had the biggest impact on you?

Heavy, soulful records since the dawn of time -- the dead ones.

What artists have had the biggest impact on you?

Keith Richards, Bon Scott, John Bonham, Jaco, Randy Rhoads.

How do you pay the bills? What are your day jobs?

Girlfriends, day labor, ho-ing. Be dead already. Our moms read this thing!

What's the biggest misconception about you or your band?

We're nice guys.

Give us a random factoid about yourself or your band:

The only time we aren't drunk or high is when we're in court or asleep.

Elliott Smith or Jack Johnson?

Elliott Smith. We've always had a soft spot for dead guys.

Weezer or Winger?

Weezer, with Kip on bass.

Jay-Z or Z-Trip?

Jay-Z, cause we got 99 problems, but a bitch ain't one!

Football or foosball?

Potato, po-tah-to.

Parting shot?

WHISKEY! (Duh)

BLACK PEGASUS
NOMINATED IN HIP-HOP -- MC
Website: www.black-p.com

Personnel:

Robert Houston II.

Native or transplant:

Native, but a transplant.

What’s in a name?

I wanted a name that stood out amongst the rest.

When did you start performing?

2002.

Releases/discography:

Sexy Video Killah (2002); Black Pegasus (2003); Knuckle UP (2005).

Who or what do you think you sound like?

I sound like the son of a Greek God.

What are some of your noteworthy recent feats?

The first solo rapper to live off my music in Colorado to date.

What albums have had the biggest impact on you?

Monkey Bars (Sean Price)

What artists have had the biggest impact on you?

Wilt Chamberlain.

How do you pay the bills? What is your day job?

Rappin!

Finish this sentence: If I didn’t have to worry about money, I’d . . .

be at the Playboy Mansion getting lap dances all day in the grotto!

Who would play you in the screen adaptation of your life?

Dave Chappelle.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Writing lyrics for Eminem & 50 Cent.

What’s the biggest misconception about you?

That I am not a band, I am a solo artist.

Give us a random factoid about yourself:

My hype man and my DJ get more groupie love then me.

Elliott Smith or Jack Johnson?

Who?

Weezer or Winger?

Weezer.

Jay-Z or Z-Trip?

J-Zilla.

Football or foosball?

Foosball.

Parting shot?

Go to www.black-p.com and buy a CD or three!

BOP SKIZZUM
NOMINATED IN FUNK/SOUL/GROOVE
5 P.M., LA RUMBA

Website: www.bop-skizzum.com

Personnel:

Andy Guerrero (guitar/lead vocals); Josh Kyser (drums); Chris Harris (bass); Serafin Sanchez (saxophone/ keyboard); Joe Ferrone (trumpet); Jeff Valentine (trombone).

Native or transplant?

Denver, Chicago and a touch a Texas make for a spicy mix.

What's in a name?

A rose is a rose, a Skizzum is a Skizzum. It's just a name.

When did you form/start performing?

Andy Guerrero formed the group in 1999. The lineup has changed a lot over the past five years, but Serafin Sanchez and Joe Ferrone have been steady fixtures in the band and help to make the core of our sound.

Releases/discography:

Elastic Funk EP (2000); Reverberating Funk (2002); Waiting For (2003); and Propeller EP (to be released late July 2005. Pick up a copy!).

Who or what do you think you sound like?

Come to a show and tell us what you think we sound like, so we can answer questions like this in the future.

What are some of your noteworthy recent feats?

Being nominated for best funk/soul band in Westword for a second year in a row? Yeah! We won a free tour from MGD, all expenses paid at the Giggling Grizzly's Band on the Run competition. And we finished recording our third EP at Coupe studios in Boulder; it's our best material to date.

What albums have had the biggest impact on you?

Any older Chili Peppers album, Parliament/Funkadelic records, Radiohead. Check out our websites if you're really interested in our multi-dimensional influences.

What artists have had the biggest impact on you?

Michelangelo, Donatello, Leonardo and Raphael.

How do you pay the bills? What are your day jobs?

We will do anything to play the funk: teaching kids to bartend to make some cash.

Finish this sentence: If I didn't have to worry about money, I'd...

Manage and invest an unheard amount of bling to become a philanthropic giant like our hero George Soros. (I laugh when I think about factcheck.com). And we would set up a world tour with a bunch of great bands to promote peace and a solution to the conflict in the Middle East that we're now involved in.

Finish this sentence: "I'd rather be...

In the Fray." Oh, yeah -- that's what our old bass player said!

Who would play you in the screen adaptation of your life?

The entire cast of the Muppets.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Somewhere in Europe or Asia on a world tour.

What's the biggest misconception about you or your band?

We're proud that 50 percent of the band is horns, but that just does not mean people can guess what kind of music we play. We are not ska, and our name is not Bob. Who is Bob, anyway?

Give us a random factoid about yourself or your band:

Andy is in with people at NARAS. Word!

Elliott Smith or Jack Johnson?

Elliott Smith.

Weezer or Winger?

Weezer. And no joke: Andy and Joe both bought the Blue Album the first month it came out and have been fans since.

Jay-Z or Z-Trip?

Z-Trip. Come on. Comparing a DJ to an MC is like comparing Jenny McCarthy to Jenny Jones -- they both do completely different things. Duh!

Football or foosball?

Foosball -- just not in a stadium.

Parting shot?

Can you believe the Pepsi Center doesn't recycle? That's insane! My grandma recycles! Ridiculous!

BORN IN THE FLOOD
NOMINATED IN ROCK
5 P.M., ACOMA CENTER

Website: www.bornintheflood.com

Personnel:

Nathaniel D. Rateliff (vocals/guitar); Joseph B. Pope III (bass); Matt Fox (lead); Mike Hall (percussion).

Native or transplant?

Transplanted from the Midwest

What's in a name?

It has nothing to do with vaginal fluid. The story goes: Once upon a time, there was a flood. During this flood, a woman had a baby. Hence, Born in the Flood.

When did you form/start performing?

First formed ten years ago in Hermann, MO, as "'76 Drown," then flourished to "Born in the Flood" in Denver, 2000.

Releases/discography:

Self-titled EP (2003); The Fear That We May Not Be EP (2005, CD release Friday, July 15, at the hi-dive).

Who or what do you think you sound like?

Like sounding brass, clanging of cymbals and the smashing of vessels.

What are some of your noteworthy recent feats?

Winners of the ManiaTV.com Battle of the Bands video contest for 2005 and being all-around good-time boys.

What albums have had the biggest impact on you?

Songs of Love and Hate, The Basement Tapes (Leonard Cohen); The Band (The Band); O Mench! Gib A Cht (Mahler); OK Computer (Radiohead); Beck, all that early stuff; Loveless (My Bloody Valentine); Mercury (The Prayer Chain); the "White Album" (Beatles).

What artists have had the biggest impact on you?

Please see question 10. Thank you.

How do you pay the bills? What are your day jobs?

Two truckers, one roofer and one halfway-house proctor.

Finish this sentence: If I didn't have to worry about money, I'd...

...play music (become a recluse and never wear any clothes).

Finish this sentence: I'd rather be...

...shooting guns off the back of a chopper.

Who would play you in the screen adaptation of your life?

Nathaniel: the Marx Brothers; Joseph: Helen Keller; Matt: Johnny Depp as Hunter S. Thompson as Matt Fox; Mike: Rob, aka #3 (of the Symptoms).

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Down there.

What's the biggest misconception about you or your band?

There are none (and let's keep it that way).

Give us a random factoid about yourself or your band:

Joseph is a monoclad; Mike can't eat cheese; Matt is actually funny; and Nathaniel does his chores in the nude.

Elliott Smith or Jack Johnson?

Elliott Smith.

Weezer or Winger?

Weezer.

Jay-Z or Z-Trip?

Vol-tron.

Football or foosball?

Hide and Seek with Joe's daughter.

Parting shot?

The bitterness of man will always find weakness in the cracks of our will.

BREAK MECHANICS
NOMINATED IN HIP-HOP -- GROUP
6 P.M., SERENGETI UPSTAIRS

Website: www.breakmechanics.net

Personnel:

Daren Hahn (drums); Greg Raymond (keys); PAAS (vocals); Lo (vocals); Casey Sidwell (bass).

Native or transplant?

Mostly native, except Greg, who is from Rhode Island, and Casey, who is from North Carolina originally.

What's in a name?

PAAS: PAAS is an acronym for Phonically Activated Amped Systems, not like "pause" as in a tape deck.

When did you form/start performing?

About two and a half years ago.

Releases/discography:

Break Mechanics.

Who or what do you think you sound like?

Ourselves.

What are some of your noteworthy recent feats?

Getting to perform with KRS-One, and putting out a record that we all really stand behind as a piece of art.

What albums have had the biggest impact on you?

PAAS: Strictly Business (EPMD); Things Fall Apart (The Roots); and Purple Rain (Prince).

What artists have had the biggest impact on you?

Case: James Jamerson, the Roots, Jimi, Donny Hathaway, D'Angelo, Jay Dee, P-Funk, Coltrane and KRS-One.

How do you pay the bills? What are your day jobs?

We are actually all musicians. Lo's finishing school and works as a security guard, as well.

Finish this sentence: If I didn't have to worry about money, I'd...

Case: I'd be on the road, in Europe or Japan.

Finish this sentence: I'd rather be...

PAAS: Meditating.

Who would play you in the screen adaptation of your life?

PAAS: Russell Jones.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Case: On a very nice bus. I'm talking Willie Nelson-nice bus.

What's the biggest misconception about you or your band?

That we are something other than a hip-hop band.

Give us a random factoid about yourself or your band:

PAAS's son, Nairo Matthews, is one of the coolest kids on the planet

Elliott Smith or Jack Johnson?

Preferably neither.

Weezer or Winger?

Weezer in 1994.

Jay-Z or Z-Trip?

Both.

Football or foosball?

Football. GO, BRONCOS! Can anyone say, "Jerry Rice comeback player of the year 2005?"

Parting shot?

Case: Just because Bush won the election does not mean it's time to just lay down. The need for a strong opposition has become greater than it was before. Secondly, remember: We can still support our troops without supporting the Bush regime.

BRIGHT CHANNEL
NOMINATED IN ROCK

Website: www.flightapproved.com/brightchannel.html

Personnel:

Jeff Suthers (guitars/vocals); Brian Banks (drums); Shannon Stein (bass).

Native or transplant?

Two natives, one alien.

What's in a name?

Bright: Emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts. Channel: a path over which electrical signals can pass.

When did you form/start performing?

June 2002.

Releases/discography:

Bright Channel (2004).

Who or what do you think you sound like?

Nose-diving airplanes in a thunderstorm.

What are some of your noteworthy recent feats?

We ain't done jack shit.

What albums have had the biggest impact on you?

EVOL (Sonic Youth); Closer (Joy Division); Loveless (My Bloody Valentine); Vortura (Bailterspace).

What artists have had the biggest impact on you?

Hendrix, Thurston Moore, Nick Drake, Jason Pearse, Neil Young and Lemmy.

How do you pay the bills? What are your day jobs?

Brian works for the U.S. Forest Service, Jeff is a guitar tech, and Shannon works at a music store.

Finish this sentence: If I didn't have to worry about money, I'd...

...stop selling crack.

Finish this sentence: I'd rather be...

...under the sea in an Octopus's garden, in the shade.

Who would play you in the screen adaptation of your life?

Jeff: Tony Hawk; Brian: Ralph Macchio; Shannon: Joyce DeWitt.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Begging for food and gigs.

What's the biggest misconception about you or your band?

That we don't realize we're too loud.

Give us a random factoid about yourself or your band:

Jeff and Brian once had a choreographed unicycle routine that dazzled its spectators.

Elliott Smith or Jack Johnson?

Jeff votes Elliott Smith.

Weezer or Winger?

Shannon votes Winger.

Jay-Z or Z-Trip?

Brian votes Jay-Z.

Football or foosball?

Foosball.

Parting shot?

Jack Daniel's, if you please.

BUCKNER FUNKEN JAZZ
NOMINATED IN JAZZ/SWING

Website: www.buckylove.com

Native or transplant?

I am a native.

What's in a name?

Rod Buckner (Bucky Love): smooth, love to funk and play jazz, love my brother, Ron Buckner, and I love the rest of the band. It's a family, and it always has been a family, and some people don't really understand that.

When did you form/start performing?

The original band formed in 1998. I started performing in the late '60s and early '70s, but have played music all my life, whether it be in church or youth organizations.

Releases/discography:

Late for School, and working on a new CD.

Who or what do you think you sound like?

We sound like ourselves, (B.F.J) but we do have a lot of jazz, blues and funk influences.

What are some of your noteworthy recent feats?

Playing steady for seven years, sticking to it, no matter what, determination, and not taking no for an answer; having two CPAs working for me to keep the business going; opening up for Maceo, and many others.

What albums have had the biggest impact on you?

Bitches Brew, A Tribue to Jack Johnson and Kind of Blue (Miles Davis); and Mr. Joe Bonner, a local and international talent.

What artists have had the biggest impact on you?

Miles Davis, Dizzy, Ella Fitzgerald, Coltrane, BB King, James Brown, Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, Clifford Brown, and many others who were pioneers in music and made the difference.

How do you pay the bills? What is your day job?

By luck, and by not paying myself. I am a retired, instrumental music instructor for Denver Public Schools and professor.

Finish this sentence: If I didn't have to worry about money, I'd...

...set up an inner city music and arts school for kids who want to play or dance, etc., but don't have the money to afford an instrument to come and learn an instrument, etc.

Finish this sentence: I'd rather be...

...doing what I am doing now, and that's music, and hopefully making it nationally and internationally.

Who would play you in the screen adaptation of you life?

Me, or James Earl Jones or Denzel Washington.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Making music, pleasing the fans.

What's the biggest misconception about you or your band?

People put us in the wrong categories; we are jazz, funk and blues.

Give us a random factoid about yourself or your band:

Brother, all I know is I love doing the Funk, old-school funk, and so does the band. We can sit down at the beginning of a rehearsal and start groovin' -- OOOOOOOOOH, baby, that's what I'm talking about! It's like sitting down to a big plate of ribs and cornbread and coleslaw and some orange Kool-Aid. Makes you warm all over.

Elliott Smith or Jack Johnson?

Jack Johnson. He paid his dues and was a man who stood up and went against the odds. [Editor's note: We weren't referring to that Jack Johnson. Judges? Yes, we'll accept that answer, because Bucky's answer is way cooler that any of us expected. Nice work, Buck.]

BUCKWILD
NOMINATED IN COUNTRY/ROOTS/AMERICANA
3 P.M., TWO AM

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
Next Page »