Adam Perry

The Yawpers' deep thoughts come through on Capon Crusade

Jolie Holland at the Walnut Room, 5/26/12

JOLIE HOLLAND @ WALNUT ROOM | 5.26.12 After the applause died down following her final song last night, Jolie Holland offered to pay someone in the crowd for gas if they could drive her to her next gig in Colorado Springs. It's a shame that she was forced to ask, and also rather bittersweet for fan ... More >>

Review: DJ Spooky at Astroland, 7/8/11

DJ Spooky at Astroland​DJ SPOOKY at ASTROLAND, BOULDER | 7/8/11On the last day of this year's version of Naropa's almost forty-year-old Summer Writing Program, started by Anne Waldman and Allen Ginsberg in the 1970s, two visiting instructors among the summer faculty signing books and chatting ... More >>

The Black Angels at the Fox Theatre, 5/5/11

Adam PerryThe Black Angels in the midst of their mayhem last night at the Fox THE BLACK ANGELS With Sleepy Sun 05.11.11 | Fox Theatre Last night at Boulder's Fox Theatre, as Austin's Black Angels shrieked, stomped, thrashed and pounded, my mind kept curiously dragging me back to the old-school AC/ ... More >>

2011 Westword Music Showcase Ballot

​Seventeen years! It's hard to believe we've been doing the Westword Music Showcase for that long. I can still remember being at the first one in LoDo nearly two decades ago. And when I think back, it seems like that cold, rainy Sunday night was just a few years ago.

Broken Social Scene at the Boulder Theater, 3/19/11

Photo: Adam PerryKevin Drew of Broken Social Scene.BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE With Houses Boulder Theater
 | Saturday March 19, 2011 
Better Than: Learning just hours before the show that our armed forces had entered yet another war with a small Middle-Eastern nation rich with natural resources. Dres ... More >>

Trey Anastasio Band at the Ogden, 03/01/11

Adam Perry​ TREY ANASTASIO BAND 03.01.11 |Ogden Theatre Whenever I think of Phish singer/guitarist/composer Trey Anastasio's most powerful solo work, my mind always turns to "orchestral funk" -- the term Anthony Keidis used to describe the Talking Heads' large-band era (with Adrian Belew on ... More >>

The Decemberists at the Boulder Theater, 2/9/11

Editor's note: Two of our writers were at the Decemberists show last night in Boulder, and so today we present you with two different accounts of the show from two different perspectives. Two for the price of, uh, none, as it were -- well, unless you count the cost your Internet connection. Adam Pe ... More >>

Pretty Lights, Ween and Jay-Z filled our playlists this week

​As people who think about, talk about, listen to and make music, the most common question we encounter is, "What are you listening to right now?" Whether you're looking for recommendations, trying to get a feel for our individual sensibilities, or are just curious, we've compiled a list of al ... More >>

The National, Bassnectar, Sleigh Bells, the Slits filled our playlists this past week

​As people who think about, talk about, listen to and make music, the most common question we encounter is, "What are you listening to right now?" Whether you're looking for recommendations, trying to get a feel for our individual sensibilities, or are just curious, we've compiled a list of al ... More >>

Signal Path, Of Montreal and Emancipator filled our playlists this past week

​As people who think about, talk about, listen to and make music, the most common question we encounter is, "What are you listening to right now?" Whether you're looking for recommendations, trying to get a feel for our individual sensibilities, or are just curious, we've compiled a list of al ... More >>

Of Montreal, Kayne West and Air Dubai fill our playlists this week

​As people who think about, talk about, listen to and make music, the most common question we encounter is, "What are you listening to right now?" So whether you're looking for recommendations, trying to get a feel for our individual sensibilities, or are just curious, we've compiled a list of ... More >>

Grinderman, RJD2 and Dismemberment Plan fill our playlists this week

​As people who think about, talk about, listen to and make music, the most common question we encounter is, "What are you listening to right now?" So whether you're looking for recommendations, trying to get a feel for our individual sensibilities, or are just curious, we've compiled a list of ... More >>

Cee Lo Green's inescapably charming (and shamelessly profane) kiss off tops our playlists

​As people who think about, talk about, listen to and make music, the most persistent question we encounter is: "What are you listening to right now?" So whether you're looking for recommendations, trying to get a feel for our individual sensibilities, or are just curious, we've compiled a lis ... More >>

Danielle Ate the Sandwich, Otis Taylor and Trace Bundy top our weekly playlists

​As people who think about, talk about, listen to and make music, the most common question we encounter is, "What are you listening to right now?" So whether you're looking for recommendations, trying to get a feel for our individual sensibilities, or are just curious, we've compiled a list of ... More >>

Presenting the 2010 Westword Music Showcase Ballot

​ This past February, when we started putting together the 2010 Westword Music Showcase, we posted an item asking you how we could improve our annual music festival, this year set for Saturday, June 19, in the Golden Triangle (if you haven't already purchased your tickets, you can still buy d ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of March 8, 2010

​As music critics -- and people who generally think about, talk about, listen to and make music -- the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to right now?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation. ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of February 1, 2010

​As music critics -- and people who generally think about, talk about, listen to and make music -- the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to right now?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation. ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of December 7, 2009

​As music critics -- and people who generally think about, talk about, listen to and make music -- the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to right now?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation. For t ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of November 23, 2009

​As music critics -- and people who generally think about, talk about, listen to and make music -- the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to right now?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation. For t ... More >>

Last Night: Pixies at the Fillmore Auditorium (bonus review)

For those with tickets to tonight's Pixies show, here's a bonus review with another perspective, to give you a clear idea of exactly what to expect this evening. If you haven't already check out Jon Solomon's review.Adam Perry​PixiesFillmore AuditoriumMonday, November 16, 2009Better than: having w ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of November 9, 2009

​As music critics, the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation. For the benefit of those who happen to be curious, we've compiled a list of all the things we'r ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of October 12, 2009

​As music critics, the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation, our latest feature. For the benefit of those who happen to be curious, we've compiled a list of ... More >>

Over the weekend: Jolie Holland at the Walnut Room

Adam Perry​Jolie Holland, with Matt Bauer The Walnut Room Saturday, October 10, 2009 Better Than: Walking from Market St. Station to Walnut & 31st in the cold No one shines like Brooklyn-based indie-folk goddess Jolie Holland. Just as Neil Young was the depth and edge of CSNY, Holland was the ... More >>

Meet the New Model Army, same as the Old Model Army

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of October 5, 2009

​​As music critics, the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation, our latest feature. For the benefit of those who happen to be curious, we've compiled a list ... More >>

Q&A with Justin Sullivan of New Model Army

​These days, a real punk band (sorry, Green Day) can almost never find its way onto the pop charts. But back in the day (see: mid-'80s), England's New Model Army released political punk that didn't merely sell to left-wing extremists. Almost thirty years ago, frontman/mastermind Justin Sullivan, w ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of August 24, 2009

​As music critics, the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation, our latest feature. For the benefit of those who happen to be curious, we've compiled a list of ... More >>

Over the weekend: The Flaming Lips at Red Rocks (bonus review)

It was a series of firsts last night for Adam Perry: In was his first show at Red Rocks and his first time seeing the Flaming Lips. Given the profound, momentous nature of that combination, we thought we'd share his experience, and as a result you get a bonus review of the show today.Adam Perry​Th ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of August 17, 2009

​As music critics, the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation, our latest feature. For the benefit of those who happen to be curious, we've compiled a list of ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of August 10, 2009

​As music critics, the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation, our latest feature. For the benefit of those who happen to be curious, we've compiled a list of ... More >>

Heavy Rotation, our top spins for the week of August 3, 2009

As music critics, the most common question we get asked (and ask each other, for that matter) is, "What are you listening to?" The pervasiveness of this query is precisely what inspired Heavy Rotation, our latest feature. For the benefit of those who happen to be curious, we've compiled a list of al ... More >>

Last night: The Dead at the Pepsi Center

Photo: Adam PerryThe DeadThursday, May 7, 2009Pepsi CenterBetter than: a Grateful Dead cover band but at times worse than some of Phil Lesh's bands -- wait, the Dead kind of is a Grateful Dead cover band.Singer/guitarist Bob Weir, always the wild-eyed youngster in the Grateful Dead, was in his late ... More >>

The Westword.com blog shortcut, May 8, 2009

Photo by Adam PerryThey're not quite Dead... Big as life. Today in Backbeat Online: • Last night: The Dead at the Pepsi Center. • The 38th annual CHUN Capitol Hill People's Fair line-up announced. • 3OH!3 breaks top ten on Billboard Hot 100. • Freaky Friday: "Obama Flashback" -- Autotune t ... More >>

Unspoken Words

Musician and writer Adam Perry lays out Three Seasons of Poetry.