Steven Tyler

And the season 11 winner of American Idol is...

Five months of auditions, live performances and rounds and rounds of voting led to last night's big moment. Who would be crowned the American Idol champion after so much anticipation? Who deserved to win? Phillip Phillips. Beating Jessica Sanchez, the season's runner-up, in a record-breaking 132 m ... More >>

American Idol recap: Phillip Phillips will sail through to the final, but who will join him?

It's down to the wire now. Last night's performances will determine which of the three remaining Idol contestants will make it through to the final and ultimately win the entire competition, which, with the elimination of Hollie Cavanagh last week, is anyone's game at this point. The contestants eac ... More >>

Eric Church's beef is outdated...and lacking taste

It's down to the wire now. Last night's performances will determine which of the three remaining Idol contestants will make it through to the final and ultimately win the entire competition, which, with the elimination of Hollie Cavanagh last week, is anyone's game at this point. The contestants eac ... More >>

Pierced Arrows at Hi-Dive, 4/21/12

PIERCED ARROWS @ HI-DIVE | 4/21/12As the last notes of "The Wait" ended, they blended into the Toody Cole's familiar bass pulse that introduced Pierced Arrows' epic, and much beloved, "Paranoia." Fred Cole tapped the Bigsby on his Guild Polara to modulate the feedback before heading into one of the ... More >>

Aerosmith, Cheap Trick at Pepsi Center on 8/1

After touring South America and Japan, Aerosmith brings its Global Warming Tour to the States, starting in Minneapolis in June and stopping at the Pepsi Center on Wednesday, August 1, with Cheap Trick opening the show. While tickets go on sale on to the public on Friday, March 31, pre-sale tickets f ... More >>

American Idol recap: Jermaine Jones booted when producers discover his criminal past

Even before the contestants performed last night, one had been eliminated. Jermaine Jones, the "gentle giant" of this season's American Idol, was forced to leave the show after Idol staff's discovery of his criminal activity -- oh, and him lying to Idol producers about the whole thing didn't help th ... More >>

American Idol Top 12: Jessica Sanchez makes Whitney Houston proud

Last night's episode of American Idol wasn't nearly as awkward as we had anticipated. With the ladies required to perform songs from the late Whitney Houston's catalog (and the men required to do Stevie Wonder), we expected there to be more sensitivity surrounding the singer and her recent passing. ... More >>

American Idol: From 25 to the Top 13

After weeks of anticipation, the top thirteen contestants of American Idol were revealed. Last night's episode, however seemingly straightforward, wasn't short of Adele-drenched drama, though. Spoilers: Jen Hirsh, Reed Grimm and Brielle Von Hugel all had to sing for their lives -- and all fell flat ... More >>

Magic Cyclops dishes on his American Idol tryouts

After weeks of anticipation, the top thirteen contestants of American Idol were revealed. Last night's episode, however seemingly straightforward, wasn't short of Adele-drenched drama, though. Spoilers: Jen Hirsh, Reed Grimm and Brielle Von Hugel all had to sing for their lives -- and all fell flat ... More >>

American Idol Live Show: 3 of 13 men shine during the first live round

The first of the live rounds, last night's episode of American Idol was a welcomed return to true form. We saw all of the male contestants in the Top 24 perform, including the thirteenth contender who was brought back to compete live, Jermaine Jones, the appropriately dubbed "gentle giant" with a st ... More >>

American Idol Top 24: Steven Tyler takes his clothes off to welcome the Top 23

Of all the American Idol judges in the show's history to dive off the deep end, we didn't expect it from Steven Tyler so early in his tenure -- and we're not talking figuratively, either. During last night's episode, the second in a two-episode reveal of the Top 24 contestants, Tyler stripped down t ... More >>

American Idol Top 24: Stop toying with us, Randy Jackson

Fourteen of the 24 semifinalists were revealed last night on American Idol. For most of these, it was fairly predictable whom was going to be sent on and whom was going to be cut, but that didn't stop Randy Jackson from again having his fun with the contestants' emotions. The format to last night's ... More >>

American Idol Hollywood Round 3: fear and illness hit the groups hard

American Idol is really coming down to the wire now. As last night marked the last episode of Hollywood week, we saw many contestants fold under the pressure -- a pressure which plagued the episode as either stage fright or actual illness. And while the judges managed to stay clear of the contagion, ... More >>

American Idol Hollywood round two: Symone Black is okay, but the show is limping along

Symone Black's plummet from the stage doesn't compare to the decline in viewers Idol will see next week if it doesn't focus more on singing and less on drama.​Listen here, American Idol producers: Spending a large majority of last night's show, the second part of the Hollywood round, on anythi ... More >>

American Idol: Hollywood auditions, round 1

Last night's first Hollywood round of auditions on American Idol played like a rapid fire of hopes and dreams realized and shattered and realized and shattered, like an endless loop of Aerosmith songs -- at times, entertaining; at others, it dragged on. Even so, the three judges, Randy Jackson, Jen ... More >>

American Idol in St. Louis: When the contestants are good, they're really good

Ah, the last of the auditions round of American Idol . With mediocre expectations of the talent going into the Hollywood round, there aren't more than ten contestants who truly blew us away thus far in the competition. However, in last night's St. Louis episode, a few contestants managed to at least ... More >>

America Idol in Portland: The judges were spot on, but the contestants were a mixed bag

If you're going to take on Freddie Mercury's vocal prowess on "Somebody To Love" and use it as an audition piece for American Idol, you better be able to hit those notes. Unfortunately for the baby-faced Ben Harrison, 28, none of the judges loved his take. The falsetto, on blast, would have made Mer ... More >>

American Idol in Galveston: Just like the good ol' days

Last night's episode of American Idol offered us a few strong contenders and an out-of-place space shuttle opening sequence. Houston, we have a problem: we're not actually in Houston -- despite misleading promos, we're in Galveston, Texas. Don't be deceived, people. Skylar Laine, a sweet seventeen ... More >>

American Idol in Aspen: Magic Cyclops befriends Steven Tyler... 'nuf said

​The fourth episode of American Idol auditions took us four hours from the Mile High City to Aspen, where we saw many a Denver hopeful either break through to the Hollywood round or get the good ol' Randy Jackson boot. Unlike previous audition episodes thus far in the season, last night we fi ... More >>

American Idol in Pittsburgh: Judges still too soft

American Idol glided through Pittsburgh last night without blemish. There weren't any major breakdowns, nor letdowns, nor catty digs at Steven Tyler's wacky facial expressions. No, the Steel City produced a cornucopia of talented, Hollywood-bound contestants -- a whopping 38 in total, with big ambit ... More >>

American Idol is back, with a new host of hopefuls

If the hat Steven Tyler wore during last night's premiere of American Idol is anything to go by, it's going to be an interesting season.​Nearly eight months since Scotty McCreery became America's latest Idol in May 2011, it's good to have the cast of American Idol 2.0 back in action. To wit, R ... More >>

Barry Fey on that time that he held a gun to Axl Rose's head and how the business has changed

​For years, Barry Fey says, music fans have been needling him to write a book. "You know, people have been saying 'When's the book? When's the book?' for fifteen years," Fey notes. "It was daily, wherever I would go out... 'When's the book? Come on, you've got to write a book!'" Well, he final ... More >>

The Steven Tyler Cabbage Patch Kid is as creepy as you'd expect

​For years, Barry Fey says, music fans have been needling him to write a book. "You know, people have been saying 'When's the book? When's the book?' for fifteen years," Fey notes. "It was daily, wherever I would go out... 'When's the book? Come on, you've got to write a book!'" Well, he final ... More >>

Former band geek Ke$ha explains the $ in her name

​For years, Barry Fey says, music fans have been needling him to write a book. "You know, people have been saying 'When's the book? When's the book?' for fifteen years," Fey notes. "It was daily, wherever I would go out... 'When's the book? Come on, you've got to write a book!'" Well, he final ... More >>

New music marketed to old people: AARP Internet radio

​For years, Barry Fey says, music fans have been needling him to write a book. "You know, people have been saying 'When's the book? When's the book?' for fifteen years," Fey notes. "It was daily, wherever I would go out... 'When's the book? Come on, you've got to write a book!'" Well, he final ... More >>

Feather earrings annoy fishermen looking for lures

​For years, Barry Fey says, music fans have been needling him to write a book. "You know, people have been saying 'When's the book? When's the book?' for fifteen years," Fey notes. "It was daily, wherever I would go out... 'When's the book? Come on, you've got to write a book!'" Well, he final ... More >>

A first look at Adam Baumeister of Bad Weather California's warped Aerosmith video trilogy

​Remember in the '90s when Aerosmith was really old, but somehow still popular? Adam Baumeister of Bad Weather California is helping us all relive those days with a trilogy of re-worked videos from the Get A Grip-era. Only he's made these gratuitously awkward scenes actually tolerable by setti ... More >>

Five better things for JLo to cry about than American Idol

​JLo couldn't handle the dream crushing on last week's American Idol. Apparently, she was under the impression that this show consisted of judges telling people how inspiring their life stories are. She shed some tears and questioned her future on the show, but despite the manufactured drama, ... More >>

American Idol: Emma Henry's quest ends, while Julie Zorrilla's continues

Julie Zorrilla​The headline pretty much says it all. If you didn't happen to catch American Idol last night, you missed JLO's dour assessment of Emma Henry's prospects in the competition ringing true. Henry was sent packing after her group, the Deep V's -- which included James Durbin, that ann ... More >>

American Idol is dead. What's next?

​Well, that was fun while it lasted. American Idol had its worst season premiere ever, coming off the heels of its first season where winning didn't translate to commercial pop success. Turns out J-Lo and fossilized Steven Tyler are pushovers trying to make their own careers as much as anyone ... More >>

The Ratcracker and ten other sad endings to Christmas stories

​Everyone knows The Nutcracker, but few people know the story -- and that's for a good reason: It's is so slight, it's almost incoherent. Yeah, there's a pseudo-plot in the first act about a battle with a Rat King or something, but that's all wrapped up by the second act, which is devoted pret ... More >>

Seven Reasons American Idol Should Be Cancelled

​American Idol has been around for eight years and going on ten seasons. And really, anything has a natural lifespan, and television shows, for the most part, live theirs in close to dog years. Like Great Dane years. Which means, essentially, that American Idol is long in the tooth. It's blind ... More >>

John Haney: City Council District 1 showdown, part 4

John Haney​Over the past several years, northwest Denver has been the site of heated clashes over new development, struggling schools and other hot-button issues -- and the political pot got stirred into a frenzy when Denver City Council District representative Rick Garcia split for a gig with ... More >>

Last Night: Evangelicals at the Hi-Dive

Evangelicals​ Evangelicals, Holiday Shores, Candy Claws Monday, November 9 The Hi-Dive Better Than: (Sorry about this) The Broncos offense Maybe it's a low blow, but Josh Jones of Evangelicals was responsible for tingling more spines than Brandon Marshall on Monday night, despite the fact th ... More >>

Nearly four decades of rocking has taken its toll on Joe Perry and Aerosmith

Evangelicals​ Evangelicals, Holiday Shores, Candy Claws Monday, November 9 The Hi-Dive Better Than: (Sorry about this) The Broncos offense Maybe it's a low blow, but Josh Jones of Evangelicals was responsible for tingling more spines than Brandon Marshall on Monday night, despite the fact th ... More >>

Q&A with Joe Perry of Aerosmith

Photo by Ross HalfinJoe Perry, right, and his Aerosmith brethren, between hospital visits. In Rolling Stone's list of the greatest guitarists of all-time, Aerosmith's Joe Perry placed 48th -- a ranking capable of slackening the jaw of any true rock-and-roll fan. This former Toxic Twin has penned on ... More >>

Shelter

Behold the Renaissance

Best Bitch

It's a dog-eat-dog world at the Rocky Mountain Cluster.

Aerosmith

Monday, January 30, Pepsi Center, 303-830-8497.

Santana

All That I Am (Arista)

Season's Bleatings

Thanks to these CDs, it's beginning to sound a lot like Christmas.

This Week's Day-by-Day Picks

Thanks to these CDs, it's beginning to sound a lot like Christmas.

An Explosion of Flavors

Now in a new home, Bang! still does a bang-up job.

Queens of the Stone Age

Rated R
(Interscope Records)

Anthony B / Bob Marley

Seven Seals
(VP Records)

Chant Down Babylon
(Tuff Gong/Island)

More Songs of the Century

Part two of a pre-millennial trek through a hundred years of pop music.

Playlist

Part two of a pre-millennial trek through a hundred years of pop music.

Letters

Part two of a pre-millennial trek through a hundred years of pop music.

Rock of Ages

An Aerosmith concert begs the question: If rock and roll is rebellious, why do your mom and dad like it, too?

THE UGLY TRUTH

THE ROCK-AND-ROLLERS WHOSE FACES COULD STOP A CLOCK. UGLY A LOOK AT THE MOST FRIGHTENING FACES IN ROCK AND ROLL.