Jon Solomon

Here's what we're all listening to right now. What's rocking your world this week?

As people who think about, talk about, write about, listen to and make music, it's not surprising that the most common (and favorite) topic of conversation among us is the same: "What are you listening to right now?" Stick a quarter in us, and, boy, wouldn't you know it, off we go, on and on about t ... More >>

Armida's remodels main karaoke room, opens second floor to make room for more singers

When Armida's first started hosting karaoke about two decades ago, it was one night a week. Since then, it's become the Mexican restaurant's main focus seven nights a week. Karaoke has become so popular, in fact, especially on weekends that the spot opened another karaoke room on the second floor an ... More >>

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

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

Smashing Pumpkins at 1STBANK, 10/16/12

SMASHING PUMPKINS @ 1STBANK CENTER | 10/16/12 "So, for those of you who are insiders into our multifaceted world, you know that we're playing our album first tonight, Oceania," Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan told the crowd at 1STBANK Center on Tuesday night. "And then, if I'm in the mood.. ... More >>

Aimee Mann at Ogden Theatre, 10/9/12

AIMEE MANN @ OGDEN THEATRE | 10/9/12 With an interesting mix of middle aged 'Til Tuesday fans reliving their high school heartaches, along with twenty-something feminist-lit majors swaying with their eyes closed, Aimee Mann delivered a refreshing dose of singer/songwriter warmth to the Ogden Theatr ... More >>

Garbage at the Ogden Theatre, 10/6/12

GARBAGE @ OGDEN THEATRE | 10/6/12 After opening the show with a vigorous take on "Automatic System Habit," and then following with the equally charged up "I Think I'm Paranoid" and "Shut Your Mouth," Garbage frontwoman Shirley Manson was greeted by a blast of applause from the sold out frenzied cro ... More >>

Peter Gabriel at Red Rocks, 9/30/12

PETER GABRIEL @ RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATRE | 9/30/12 Shortly before launching into an epic set that spanned nearly three hours at Red Rocks last night, Peter Gabriel took the tack of a well trained maître d', explaining that the program would come in three courses, kicking off with a four-song acousti ... More >>

Andrew Bird at Ogden Theatre, 8/17/12

ANDREW BIRD @ OGDEN THEATRE | 8/17/12 See also: Q&A with Andrew Bird on his songwriting process and his approach to improvising using loops Last night at the Ogden Theatre, singer/violinist/Olympic-grade whistler Andrew Bird performed in front of the most attentive, respectful, rapt crowd the Chi ... More >>

Jane's Addiction at the Fillmore, 5/29/12

JANE'S ADDICTION @ FILLMORE AUDITORIUM | 5/29/12 Before closing out an hour-and-a-half long set last night, Jane's Addiction's frontman Perry Farrell told a packed Fillmore Auditorium: "I read a review of this tour. It was not good. It said, and I say verbatim, 'Jane's Addiction has no reason for ... More >>

Real Estate at Gothic Theatre, 4/27/12

REAL ESTATE @ GOTHIC THEATRE | 4.27.12 See Also: Q&A with Alex Bleeker of Real Estate "That's all from us," Real Estate frontman Martin Courtney told the crowd, which stood nodding before him as the last notes of the encore washed across the Gothic Theatre. His voice conveyed no more or less emoti ... More >>

Review: Drive-By Truckers at the Ogden Theatre, 3/9/12

DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS @ OGDEN THEATRE | 03.09.12 The last time the Drive-By Truckers came through town they wrapped up a leg of a tour with a two-night stand at the Ogden Theatre a year ago. This time around, the guys kicked off a West Coast run at the same venue. Maybe it was having some off the road, ... More >>

Review: Descendents at the Fillmore Auditorium, 1/28/12

DESCENDENTS @ FILLMORE AUDITORIUM | 1/28/12The Descendents were built with the inability to disappoint -- the seminal proprietors of pop punk brought a tried-and-true energy to the Fillmore Auditorium last night, for a appropriately short, two-encore set. Even if the massive venue was far from capa ... More >>

Review: Puscifer at the Paramount Theatre, 11/10/11

​PUSCIFER AT PARAMOUNT THEATRE | 11/10/11This was not Tool. If this point wasn't already clear to those familiar with Puscifer, it was driven home, when Maynard James Keenan appeared on stage dressed like Kenny Chesney, black cowboy hat and all, in front of a goddamn Airstream trailer and barb ... More >>

Bars and clubs roll call for March

Aaron ThackerayThe 1Up, which had a busy weekend, is just one of the places that opened in March.​ From 1up to Stingray, March was a decent month for bar and club openings. A half dozen new joints opened their doors last month. Click through for a full rundown.

Let the games begin! 1Up now open in LoDo

1Up probably isn't empty right now.​One of the last open spots in LoDo is now full: The former Blues on Blake space opened today as 1Up, a vintage video arcade and bar that will also be serving a full bar menu -- next week. For today, the food options are limited but the beverage and game pos ... More >>

Jeff Tweedy at Boulder Theater, 1/8/11

Jon Solomon​ JEFF TWEEDY With The Handsome Family 1.8.2011 | Boulder Theater When Jeff Tweedy opened the second show of his sold out two-night stand at the Boulder Theater with "Sunken Treasure," the venue was amazingly quiet except for a few cheers during high points of the song. With an a ... More >>

Our 55 favorite musical releases of 2010

The Flaming Lips at Belly Up Aspen, 12/27/10

Jon Solomon​ THE FLAMING LIPS With Vitamins 12.27.10 | The Belly Up Aspen A few weeks ago, Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne stopped by the Belly Up to scope out the 450-seat venue. "I wanted to see how much of a Flaming Lips show [we can do] in this small spot here," Coyne said to the sold ... More >>

Moovers and Shakers: Our favorite Denver music releases of 2010

King Khan & the Shrines sent the Bluebird into a frenzy

​ King Khan & the Shrines • Fresh & Onlys • Eyes & Ears 04.08.2010 | Bluebird Theater When King Khan and Shrines played the Larimer Lounge about a year and a half ago, it was a tough show to shake. All those cats were sweaty and crammed on that stage, the cheerleader gal never stopped mo ... More >>

Over the weekend: Acoustic Profanity at Bender's Tavern

Acoustic Profanity Friday, January 8, 2010Bender's Tavern Better than: MTV Unplugged. Acoustic Profanity was about what you'd expect from the name: Get a bunch of punks together and take them out of their element a little by handing them acoustic guitars and sitting them on some stools. Over the co ... More >>

Tough times in Boulder, too

​No one ever said the restaurant business was easy. Most people (the smart ones) would actually say that, short of becoming a medical guinea pig or hand-grenade catcher, the food service-industry is one of the toughest out there. Fun, sure. Exciting. But not the easiest way in the world to m ... More >>

Moovers and Shakers rounds up our favorite local releases of the year

Over the weekend: The Pogues at the Ogden Theatre

Jon Solomon​The Pogues Friday, October 23, 2009Ogden TheatreBetter than: expected. Much better. "Sorry it's taken us awhile to get here," guitarist Philip Chevron said during the Pogues' first show ever in Denver. "Almost thirty years in fact, but we finally got here." But holy Jesus, the epic two ... More >>

Martini Ranch and Hiccups III dry up

The Arizona-based Martini Ranch USA, which owns Martini Ranch clubs in Scottsdale and San Diego, abruptly closed its Denver space at 1317 14th Street at the end of July. "Right now it's in negotiations with the chain ownership and a remodel," Jason Witkes, the venue's marketing coordinator, told Jon ... More >>

Over the Weekend: Sonic Youth at the Ogden Theatre

Jon Solomon​Sonic Youth Friday, July 31, 2009Ogden TheatreThree songs into Sonic Youth's muscular set, Kim Gordon sang, "I want you to levitate me/Don't you love me yet?" during "Sacred Trixter." Although her feet might have still been on the ground, those first three songs, which also included th ... More >>

Over the Weekend: Is the name "Sonic Youth" still working for you guys?

Photo by Jon SolomonThurston Moore of Sonic Youth.​ The weekend is over, but the memories linger. Check out our reviews of the still-loud-but-no-longer-so-youthful Sonic Youth at the Ogden Theatre, as well as Akron/Family at the Bluebird -- and read a Q&A with A/F's Dana Janssen here. There's ... More >>

Last Night: Black Francis at the Walnut Room

Jon Solomon​Black FrancisWednesday July 29, 2009The Walnut RoomBetter than: Seeing him at a much bigger venue. Black Francis (aka Frank Black aka Charles Thompson) doesn't tour in a van. Dude's been riding around the country in a big-ass tour deluxe tour bus, which seemed really out of place parke ... More >>

Westword Music Showcase Awards Wrap Up

David BarberJohn Baxter and Matty Clark in the fleshThe picture above pretty much tells the tale of last night's Westword Music Showcase Awards -- drunk and debaucherous. Everyone (well, we think everyone -- we didn't exactly take a formal poll or anything) had a pretty swell time. Hugs were smiles ... More >>

Bocumast Records showcase tomorrow night

The Natural Selection's Samuel Glover getting all kinds of fierce.Bocumast Records, the authors of this very intriguing Westword Music Showcase-related quiz, not to mention the recording home of distinguished outfits such as Iuengliss, Astrophagus, BDRMPPL and the Natural Selection, is hosting a mos ... More >>

Last night (well, yesterday): Dr. Know at Wax Trax

So before its show last night with the Freeze and Pitch Invasion at 3 Kings Tavern, Nardcore legends Dr. Know played an especially sweaty, late afternoon, show gratis in the back room of Wax Trax. We stopped by and as you can see from the picture above of Brian Hagman from Black Lamb, we were among ... More >>

The Denver Boot: Ghost Buffalo's final show - 05.12.09

A Week ago this evening, the members of Ghost Buffalo played what was presumably their last show ever, at 3 Kings Tavern. While it's barely been even a week, it's safe to say that we already miss them. If you feel like we do, then you'll love this week's edition of the Denver Boot. After the jump we ... More >>

Over the weekend: Gene Ween at the Walnut Room and b.side in Boulder

Walnut Room set shot by Jon Solomon (click to enlarge)Gene Ween Saturday, May 10, The Walnut Room Sunday, May 11, The b.side lounge Better than: Hearing Gene Ween play a bunch of solo songs you don't recognize. Gene Ween (aka Aaron Freeman) perhaps best summarized the dynamic of his trio of Colorad ... More >>

The Westword.com blog shortcut, May 11 edition

Photo by Jon SolomonGene Ween, music machine. Welcome to the working week. Today in Backbeat Online: • Over the weekend: Gene Ween at the Walnut Room and b.side in Boulder. • Rumors of Tickle Me Pink's breakup completely unfounded. • Wentworth Kersey gives away new CD at St. Mark's. • Tech ... More >>

Last Night's Show: Broken Spindles, Born in the Flood, Iuengliss at hi-dive

Photo: Jon SolomonBroken Spindles, Born in the Flood, IuenglissThursday, February 26, 2009hi-diveBetter than: Eating chips and looking at a borrowed book of David Byrne's weird photography of furniture, which is what I would have been doingHere's what was weird about this show: Broken Spindles stole ... More >>

Mezcal cabaret application decision due soon

After dueling meetings with business and neighborhood groups last week, Mezcal's application for a cabaret license went before a hearing officer with the Denver Department of Excise and Licenses on Monday. Supporters of the application -- which would allow owner Jesse Morreale to regularly feature ... More >>

Turkeygate: Sarah Palin's Colorado connection

By now, you've heard of Turkeygate, the Sarah Palin TV interview in which a turkey farm employee sends a couple of gobblers to their gruesome deaths behind the former vice-presidential candidate. But you might have missed the Colorado connection. To find out more, check out Jon Solomon's hilarious ... More >>

Pre-turkey day debauchery

With the holidays officially kicking tomorrow, what better way to start of turkey day with a hangover from a lot of partying tonight. Here are a few Thanksgiving eve suggestions:Rockbar (3015 E. Colfax Avenue) will be dubbed Plymouth Rockbar for its Thanksgiving eve kegger. We're talking five kegs o ... More >>

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