Jon Solomon

Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds at Ogden, 4/3/13

NICK CAVE & THE BAD SEEDS @ OGDEN THEATRE | 4/3/13 The most mythical moment of Nick Cave's set last night at the Ogden Theatre came at the end when the band performed "Stagger Lee," a re-casting of the Mississippi John Hurt classic "The Ballad of Stagger Lee." With lurid lighting and theatrical flo ... More >>

Local Bar @ Highland now open in former Arabian Bar space

After decades as the Arabian Bar, one of Denver's classic dives, the LoHi address got a major facelift --everything in it is new -- and opened yesterday as Local Bar @ Highland. While we'd reported last October that Barry Zadikoff, owner of Barry's on Broadway, had plans to essentially turn it into ... More >>

Moovers and Shakers 2012: Backbeat writers praise the year's best local albums

See also: Backbeat writers sound off on the year's best national albums

Ten best (and sweetest) rock beards in Denver

See also: - Animated GIFs of the coolest concert security guard in the world - Dubstep for dummies, a primer for newly-minted dubstep fans - Ten best places for pre/post-show eats on Colfax - Ten records we treasure - Denver's ten best jukeboxes Last April, our Show & Tell blog ran an infographic a ... More >>

Grizzly Rock grand opening this Saturday

See Also: Grizzly Rock opening in former After the Gold Rush/Club Arriba spot Voice Places: The Grizzly Rose Voice Places: The Grizzly Rock When Grizzly Rose owner Scott Durland took over the former After the Gold Rush space last year, he was originally hoping to open Grizzly Rock in its place by ... More >>

Review: Lucero at the Bluebird Theater, with Larry and His Flask, 3/31/12

LUCERO @ BLUEBIRD THEATER | 3.31.12 Early in Lucero's set for a sold-out crowd at the Bluebird on Saturday night, frontman Ben Nichols detailed the toll of the band's latest stint in Colorado. Between the band's appearance at the Aggie Theatre in Fort Collins on Friday, the pair of shows at the Blu ... More >>

Harry Tuft and Barry Fey officially inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame

Update (2/24/12): Barry Fey video montage added below. All is right with the universe this morning. We have a pair of Grammy winners in our midst, and as it should be, Harry Tuft and Barry Fey are now officially part of the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. While we didn't stick around until the very en ... More >>

Review: The Reverend Horton Heat at the Odgen, 1/28/12

THE REVEREND HORTON HEAT @ OGDEN THEATRE | 1/28/12 Just in case anyone forgot how long the Reverend Horton Heat has been around, he reminded everyone during the first 45 minutes of his show the Ogden Theatre Saturday night by playing a song from each of his albums in chronological order, from 1991' ... More >>

Review: Wilco at the Fillmore, 1/19/12

Jon SolomonWilco's Jeff Tweedy last night at the Fillmore Auditorium. WILCO @ FILLMORE AUDITORIUM | 1/19/12 "I'd like to thank the Fillmore for having us back," Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy told a capacity crowd last night. "It's a pretty sweet joint you got here. It's a good rock and roll joint wit ... More >>

The best national music releases of 2011

Denver's best music releases of 2011

Review: Nathaniel Rateliff at the Gothic, 11/25

NATHANIEL RATELIFF AT THE GOTHIC | 11/25/11There aren't a whole lot of singers with a magnetism capable of completely hushing a room the size of the Gothic, but Nathaniel Rateliff did just that near the end of his set on Friday night during his annual holiday show. Sure, there were some energetic mo ... More >>

Review: Sting at the Wells Fargo Theatre, 11/20/11

STING at WELLS FARGO THEATRE | 11/20/11Sting's list of endearing anecdotes is almost as long as his lineup of inexplicably bizarre ones -- which, in turn, is almost as big as his ego. The former Police frontman and pouty-lipped crooner remains fearless in the face of a staid solo career (heavy on Po ... More >>

Photo: Chloe Lounge preview party pictures

Photo: Jon Solomon​So Chloe's a lounge and a "fictitious, jet-setting socialite," according to this week's Bar Back column, and this photo carries on that marketing concept. The writing's on the wall -- the above lines are supposed to be from the Chloe's journal. We've got more photos below fr ... More >>

Hearing new songs versus old songs in concert: Buzzkill or invigorating part of the experience?

Jon Solomon​Welcome to Hot Topic, our latest feature, which is precisely what it sounds like. We present you with a topic that is, well, hot, and then we ask you to weigh in with your opinion. Today our inquiring minds want to know: When you part with your hard-earned loot to see your favorite ... More >>

Review: Mumford & Sons at Fillmore, 6/15/11

Jon SolomonMumford & Sons last night at the FillmoreMUMFORD & SONS at the FILLMORE | 06.15.11"Mumford and his mates certainly did their best to show the crowd one of the greatest shows they have seen in recent memory."

Review: Peter Gabriel at Red Rocks, 6/13/01

Peter Gabriel got all sorts of orchestral last night at Red RocksPETER GABRIEL at RED ROCKS | 06.13.11"The rain started to fall in earnest, and lyrics like "Be afraid of the cold" and "After me comes the flood" were punctuated with peals of thunder and the dance of lighting bolts on the distant hori ... More >>

U2 at Invesco Field 360° Tour: The stage is set

Photo by Jon SolomonThe Claw has landed at Invesco for U2's 360 Tour on Saturday night If the weather gods are to be believed, this string of shitty weather we've endured for the past few days will be but a distant memory by the time U2 takes the stage at Invesco with the Fray on Saturday. Temps ar ... More >>

Vivian Girls with No Joy and School Knights at Larimer Lounge, 5/12/11

Photo: Jon SolomonVivian Girls last night at Larimer Lounge.VIVIAN GIRLS No Joy * School Knights 05.12.11 | Larimer Lounge It isn't the worst thing that can happen to you when you're on stage, but breaking a string without having an immediate replacement or a back-up guitar can induce the kind of re ... More >>

Fan clubs to essay contests: five most effective ways ticket scalpers have been thwarted

​For years, ticket scalpers have been the bane of existence for artists and venues. Directly and indirectly, they've been blamed for everything from rising ticket costs to fewer tours. Over the last few years, though, artists have started to fight back, and they've employed some interesting wa ... More >>

Photos: Night one of Pure Sunshine at the Bluebird Theater, 3/25/11

Jon Solomon Last night at the Bluebird was night one of Pure Sunshine, the aptly named Rick Kulwicki celebration and benefit. Among Kulwicki's family, friends, fans and many admirers (with Rick, it seems, none of those terms are mutually exclusive), all of the remaining members of the Fluid were of ... More >>

DeVotchKa with Mariachi el Bronx at the Fillmore, 2/12/11

Photo: Jon SolomonDEVOTCHKA With Mariachi El Bronx | Gregory Alan Isakov 2.12.12 | Fillmore Auditorium On this night, Colorado native, Gregory Alan Isakov, played the roll of conquering hero -- stepping out onto the massive Fillmore Auditorium stage and looking pleased at the sea of people floodin ... More >>

Letters: Reader: "I blame the liberal media for the death of our nation"

Gogol Bordello at the Boulder Theater, 10/27/10

Jon Solomon GOGOL BORDELLO Forro in the Dark 10.27.10 | Boulder Theater, Boulder, CO In some regards, a Gogol Bordello show is kind of like sex: It's a sweaty and exhausting experience, one that you can't really fully comprehend until you're balls-deep in it. Sure, you can sneak peeks at your dad' ... More >>

Interpol at the Ogden Theatre, 10/25/2010

Jon Solomon​ INTERPOL With White Rabbits 10.25.10 | Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO Colorado went from summer to winter in one momentary movement yesterday (complete with a rainbow early in the day), and, as usual, that season other states call "fall" was skipped altogether. Interpol's show at the ... More >>

Gorillaz at Wells Fargo, 10/24/10

Jon SolomonDamon Albarn of Gorillaz​ GORILLAZ With N.E.R.D. 10.24.10 | Wells Fargo Theatre In what will probably now become a legendary appearance at Wells Fargo Theatre last night, Gorillaz brought out a Colorado crowd in its truest form -- Dads, ravers, white people with dreads, babies, br ... More >>

The Apples in Stereo at the Bluebird Theater, 10/22/10

Jon Solomon​ THE APPLES IN STEREO With Fol Chen 10.22.10 | Bluebird Theater Apples in Stereo frontman Robert Schneider has described the band's latest effort, Travellers in Space and Time, as "retro-futuristic super-pop," a tag which could just as easily be applied to some of the band's ear ... More >>

LCD Soundsystem at the Fillmore, 10/20/10

Jon SolomonJames Murphy of LCD Soundsystem​ LCD SOUNDSYSTEM With Hot Chip 10.20.10 | Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, CO It's surprising that Hot Chip isn't more popular in Colorado. Priming the stage for LCD Soundsystem last night at the Fillmore, the U.K. band's music is definitely electronic ... More >>

The National at Fillmore Auditorium, 10/18/10

Jon Solomon​ THE NATIONAL 10.18.10 | Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, CO In a New York Times piece written on the National last April, R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe explained how he took his bandmate Mike Mills to see the group in London. It took half a song for Mills to say it was the most amaz ... More >>

Vinefield Agency showcase at Casselman's, 10/15/10

Jon SolomonMonroe Monroe​ VINEFIELD AGENCY SHOWCASE 10.16.2010 | Casselman's Bar & Venue It's an ambitious task fitting close to a dozen diverse acts into a five and a half-hour show, but the folks at the Vinefield Agency pulled it off as part of new company's launch party and showcase. Loca ... More >>

The Yard Dogs Road Show at the Ogden Theatre, 10/8/10

Jon Solomon​The Yard Dogs Road Show With Devil Makes Three 10.8.10 | Ogden Theatre View slideshow of the Yard Dogs at the Ogden Outside of the Ogden last night, there were a few punks sporting foot-high Mohawks and wearing studded leather jackets standing next to hippies and guys wearing in v ... More >>

Sonic Youth at Ogden Theatre - 10/04/10

Jon Solomon​ SONIC YOUTH With Caldera Lakes 10.04.10 | Ogden Theatre The thing about seeing Sonic Youth is, no matter what else is going on in the venue, the city or even the world at that very moment, there is no question the show will be staggeringly beautiful. It won't be flashy or dramat ... More >>

Wilco at Jazz Aspen Snowmass - 09.03.10

Jon Solomon​ WILCO 09.03.10 | Jazz Aspen Snowmass "Don't even think about yelling, 'Freebird," Wilco's frontman Jeff Tweedy replied to the guy in the crowd who screamed out the Lynyrd Skynyrd tune early in Wilco's ambitious two-hour set at the Jazz Aspen Snowmass labor day festival. "You can ... More >>

UMS Night One Travelogue: The Swayback at 3 Kings, Candy Claws at Skylark and more

Jon SolomonThe Swayback at 3 Kings​ UMS Travelogue, Day One 07.22.10 | Baker District, South Broadway A guy with a pint of hooch in his back pocket was stumbling and struggling to make it across street toward Famous Pizza. After he made it across the street, he paused for a moment and leaned ... More >>

Nathaniel Rateliff gives the Bluebird something to talk about

Jon Solomon​ Nathaniel Rateliff • The Tallest Man on Earth 05.19.10 | Bluebird Theater "Shut up!" demanded one rather surly fellow somewhere in the balcony. In a classic case of the cure being worse than the disease, the indignant exhortation came during the opening strains of "When You' ... More >>

The Epilogues win Westword's Best of the West competition

Jon SolomonThe Epilogues​After Thirty-two bands faced off over the last three months, the Epilogues took the top prize from Yerkish, Forth Yeer and Goldie & the Bears during the finals of Westword's Best of the West competition Friday at Herman's Hideaway. At the end of the night, the Epilogue ... More >>

Star Bar future looks dim

Jon SolomonSign of the times on Star Bar​For the first time in decades, the Star Bar -- one of the very last classic dives left on Larimer Street (at 2137 Larimer, to be exact) -- was dark this weekend, with a sign posted on the door that it's been closed because of liquor-code violations. N ... More >>

Backbeat writers weigh in on the year's best national releases

Over the Weekend: The Flaming Lips at Red Rocks

Jon Solomon​The Flaming Lips, Explosions in the Sky, Stardeath & White DwarfsRed Rocks AmphitheatreSunday, August 23, 2009Better than: The last time the Flaming Lips played Red RocksI know it's not the most manly thing to admit, but I was almost cried a few times during the Flaming Lips set la ... More >>

Last Night: Ghost Buffalo at 3 Kings Tavern

Ghost Buffalo, one last time as seen through the lens of Jon SolomonGhost Buffalo, Eyes and Ears, Brian Hartley, Sonic Vomit Tuesday, May 12, 2009 3 Kings Tavern Better than: The death of a person -- that just sucks. Out of the death of a band, at least there came a great show The night was bitters ... More >>

Last Night: Mogwai at the Bluebird

Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite as seen through the lens of Jon SolomonMogwai, Women Tuesday, May 12, 2009 Bluebird Theater Better than: Listening to layered and nuanced instrumental music as background. Instrumental music is not dead. For all the prominence of vocal-driven music in the modern pop scen ... More >>

Last Night: Lily Allen at the Ogden Theatre

Jon Solomon Lily AllenThursday, April 9, 2009Ogden TheatreSome lyricists bury a song's meaning in metaphors or subtleties, which sometimes leaves a lot more room for interpretation. Lily Allen, on the other hand, shoots from the hip. She's blunt and she'll tell you what's what in plain English, whet ... More >>

Reno Divorce at the Ogden Theatre

I was shuttling between the hi-dive and the Larimer Lounge on Friday night, so unfortunately, I didn't catch Reno Divorce and Slim Cessna heating things up for Reverend Horton Heat at the Ogden. But from the sounds of it -- Jon Solomon was at the show -- both acts tore it up, and although it took th ... More >>

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

Gang Gang Dance and Marnie Stern at Larimer Lounge

Over the Weekend: Modern Drunkards (and other assorted drunkards) do Denver

Meet Us on Alameda ... But Not at Valverde Yacht Club

Mini-Reviews

Moovers and Shakers 2007

Backbeat scribes sound off on their favorite local releases of the year.

Moovers and Shakers 2007

Backbeat scribes sound off on their favorite local releases of the year.