Email Author Dave Herrera

2008 Stories by Dave Herrera

• Moovers & Shakers 2008: Backbeat scribes weigh in on their favorite local releases of the year

  published December 18, 2008

  Last week on Mile High Fidelity, my new show on 101.5 FM, I marveled at how we'd seamlessly segued from the station's regular... More >>

• Brave Saint Saturn

  published December 11, 2008

  In the shadow of Five Iron Frenzy, Brave Saint Saturn seemed a quaint, tuneful distraction. With the former now laid to rest, the music of... More >>

• There really is no place like home

  published December 11, 2008

  We were driving toward Hollywood to catch Shwayze at the Roxy. Atmosphere was playing in the background, and my son was grumbling... More >>

• Jimmy Gnecco's sound is all Ours

  published November 27, 2008

  Jimmy Gnecco isn't a tortured artist. Despite how he's been portrayed by critics and perceived by fans, the Ours frontman isn't particularly in... More >>

• Backyard Politics

  published November 6, 2008

  We first noticed the change in the mammoth LED billboard on I-25 near 50th Avenue during an afternoon rush hour in late October. The marquee,... More >>

• Has the scene peaked? Have we hit a lull? Or have our expectations just been raised?

  published October 23, 2008

  Has the Denver music scene peaked, or are we in a temporary lull? I've been wrestling with this question for several weeks. Because while I've... More >>

• No Plot Kill is killing it, critics be damned

  published September 25, 2008

  Dave Bartz and I are best friends. We grew up in the same 'hood, went to the same high school (Bartz a few years behind me), share the same... More >>

• The glass was half full at Red Rocks' Monolith

  published September 18, 2008

  Watching DeVotchKa take the stage at Monolith on Saturday night in front of a half-empty Red Rocks Amphitheatre was a bit deflating. But... More >>

• The members of DeVotchKa found success by following their own muse

  published September 11, 2008

  For the bulk of their band's career, the members of DeVotchKa have been viewed as curious outsiders because of their unorthodox instrumentation... More >>

• If you're a music fan, you'll be at Monolith this weekend — and this is what should be on your must-see list

  published September 11, 2008

  What are you doing this weekend? If you're a music fan, I'm guessing you'll be at Red Rocks for Monolith. And if you're not planning on heading... More >>

• The always fiery Fear Before the March of Flames finishes its fourth record and prepares to return home -- on the road

  published September 4, 2008

  Four years ago, when we last checked in with the members of Fear Before the March of Flames, arguably one of Colorado's most compelling bands,... More >>

• Poison/Dokken

  published September 4, 2008

  Is anyone else here astounded that these two groups still have enough cachet to fill amphitheaters? Wait — allow me to revise that... More >>

• The celebrity-starved Denver media is all Twitterpated during the DNC

  published August 28, 2008

  Good grief, man! Can you believe the amount of star-fucking going on in this town right now? Seriously, it's pathetic. Are we really so... More >>

• The DNC cheat sheet: From Rage to Flav, Backbeat has you covered

  published August 21, 2008

  Pssst... this just in: The Democratic National Convention kicks off next week here in Denver. After nineteen months of hyperventilation in all... More >>

• 3OH!3

  published August 7, 2008

  3OH!3 is a group you either love or loathe. Judging from the response the act has gotten both here and across the country, most listeners land... More >>

• As Mile High Music Fest proved, all the scene needs is a little exposure

  published August 7, 2008

  Do you remember when people used to say that Denver was a sports town, that music here was an afterthought and that's all it ever would be?... More >>

• Coming to Terms With Tickle Me Pink's Loss

  published July 10, 2008

  The birth of my youngest child. Witnessing my son and daughter take their very first steps. Hearing them utter their first words. Seeing them... More >>

• And the Winners Are...

  published July 3, 2008

  The 14th annual Westword Music Showcase Awards is now in the books. Holy crap! What a party! We haven't seen that many inebriated folks in one... More >>

• The Classic Crime

  published June 26, 2008

  The Classic Crime is perfect for those who prefer their rock slightly edgy and perfectly groomed, with soaring, uber-melodic choruses. In this... More >>

• The Classic Crime

  published June 26, 2008

  The Classic Crime is perfect for those who prefer their rock slightly edgy and perfectly groomed, with soaring, uber-melodic choruses. In this... More >>

• Road Kill

  published June 26, 2008

  I've been thinking about getting a scooter. Quit laughing. My friends — perhaps mortified at the thought of seeing a gorilla like me... More >>

• Ours

  published June 19, 2008

  There are a handful of male vocalists in the modern era who possess truly breathtaking voices: Andrea Bocelli, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and... More >>

• Show Business

  published June 12, 2008

  Flobots were on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno last week. And Last Call With Carson Daly before that. Yeah, I know — old... More >>

• Set Forth

  published June 5, 2008

  If writing obscenely accessible pop is a crime, Set Forth should get the chair. Radio-friendly? Hell, these guys might as well send BFF... More >>

• Ellison Park

  published June 5, 2008

  Driving eastbound on I-70, Ellison Park has one hand on the wheel while the other navigates an iPod mounted to his dash. Scrolling through the... More >>