Every year, the Westword Music Showcase brings some of the city's best acts to venues throughout the Golden Triangle neighborhood. To find out more about some of the acts that will be performing at the Showcase on Saturday, June 23, we sent them a questionnaire that includes questions about the local music scene.
Here's what blues and Americana artist Mr. David Booker had to say.
Westword: What do you want readers to know about your music?
Mr. David Booker: I want readers to know that they will see and hear an act that has humor and musicianship and a roots-based sound. If they like New Orleans, R&B, a little Grateful Dead, some Johnny Cash and some swampy, funky originals, they are in the right place. The focus on the Showcase is a coupla' my tunes and a couple of NOLA classics — loose as a goose!
How has Denver influenced your sound?
I'd like to think that my sound has influenced Denver. There was very little blues and roots music here in the ’80s when I moved here, and I was a featured Radio DJ on a blues radio show (KJJZ AM 1390 The Red Hot Blues Show) on Saturdays. There are blues acts and jams every night of the week nowadays.
What are the biggest issues Denver musicians face in 2018 — good and bad?
The big issues for me are pay. There is very little of it around, and the scale is less now than 25 years ago.
If you could change anything about Denver's music scene, what would it be?
More venues, especially Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday live music nights, please! And less hassle from BMI/ASCAP forcing venues to discontinue live music. In my case, it's just a single guy in the corner, for god's sake, playin' a few tunes. Small, limited for-pay bars and venues cannot afford to pay their licensed banditry fees. I have therefore had countless unique gigs go by the wayside.
What has you most excited about playing the 2018 Westword Music Showcase?
Well, I was gonna do it solo, but I have assembled an all-star band of seasoned friends to play. On drums, we have Eugene Smith of Dusty Drapes and Jr. Brown fame, visiting from Wyoming, so I put him in the lineup! We go back a ways to the AlleyGators and the original lineup of my swing band, Mr. David Booker Swingtet. There are other guests and surprises, and we got conga!
The most exciting thing of all is to be selected for this year's Showcase after many years of playing in the trenches seven nights a week!
Mr. David Booker will perform at the Westword Music Showcase at 12:00 p.m. Saturday, June 23, at Stoney's South, 1111 Lincoln Street. Get more information and tickets at westwordshowcase.com.