Westword Music Showcase

The five best concerts in Denver this week

Another week, another swell roster of music in the Mile High City. From the bacchanalian throwback debauchery of the Darkness, who will be invading the Summit Music Hall, to the lyrical thriftiness of Macklemore, who is set to headline Icelantic's second annual edition of Winter on the Rocks, there ... More >>

Ten best concerts of the summer

Summer's over -- well, at least according to the time-tested, seasonal benchmark, the annual passing of Labor Day. Of course it still feels like we might burst into flames at any moment, but whatever. The Taste of Colorado has foist its parade of also-rans upon us and Phish has now come and gone, bo ... More >>

Animated GIFs of the coolest concert security guard in the world, who works at Red Rocks

See also: - Break Dancing! Animated GIFS will pop and lock your day - Rusko's Dubstep Workout Routine from Red Rocks - Ten Coachella dance-move GIFs to make you feel good about yourself - Ten awkward Electric Daisy Carnival dance moves from this past weekend in Las Vegas - Enjoy these dancing GIFs o ... More >>

Win tickets to Dish with the Swayback

See also: - The Swayback reflects on a decade of going for the musical nectar - The Swayback Raises the Bar Once again it's on! Dish, the foodie equivalent of the Westword Music Showcase, is going down on Thursday, September 6 in Sculpture Park at the Denver Performing Arts Complex. If you've been ... More >>

Tonight: Free BLKHRTS show at the Bluebird Theater for the 2012 #WMS Awards party

See Also: - 2012 Westword Music Showcase winners - Photos: Locals only! 2012 Westword Music Showcase - Set recaps by Westword music writers - Photos: The people of Westword Music Showcase In case you missed their blistering performance at this year's Showcase or you just want to relive the mayhem ... More >>

Macklemore on his new record and what rap album he'd take with him on the mothership

The last time we caught up with Seattle rapper Macklemore (due tomorrow at the Westword Music Showcase on the mainstage), he was working on his latest album with such fervor, he chose to skip SXSW. That, combined with having been inducted into XXL's prestigious 2012 Freshman class and performances a ... More >>

Our complete guide to the June 23 Westword Music Showcase

See also: Twelve types of Denver musicians

Rachel James & the Kings win Ford's Gimme the Gig honors and record track with Don Was

Looks like props are due Rachel James & the Kings (due at this weekend's Westword Music Showcase), who have been named as the winner of Ford's second annual Gimme the Gig competition. The outfit, which recently added Tickle Me Pink vets Joey Barba and Stefan Runstrom to the fold, and whose profile h ... More >>

Summer Guide 2012: Things to do June 21-27

We released our 2012 Summer Guide in June, including hundreds of events and opportunities to escape both in the city and in the great outdoors. Each Thursday, we'll roll out the best things to do this week, making it easier for you to plan your summer. Among this week's listings are the Westword Mus ... More >>

The twelve types of Denver musicians

In honor of our annual Westword Music Showcase this weekend, we tapped Backbeat's resident genius, cartoonist Noah Van Sciver, to consult the vast empirical recesses of his memory banks to assemble this helpful taxonomy. Prepare to be enlightened, astounded and perhaps, if you're a little sensitive, ... More >>

Win a VIP upgrade to this year's Westword Music Showcase for you and a guest

Update: Congrats to Alexis Puttmann, winner of round one! The challenge questions for round two are below!Welcome to round one of this year's VIP upgrade contest Westword Music Showcase -- June 23 in the Golden Triangle -- in which we'll give two people VIP upgrades (totaling $150) for the festival. ... More >>

Macklemore: "I'd rather take my time and put out something I'm truly proud of."

Macklemore, one of the headliners at this year's Westword Music Showcase, is playing two sold-out shows at the Fox Theatre this week on Wednesday, April 11 and Thursday, April 12. The rapper and Seattle native, also known as Ben Haggerty, has truckloads of momentum right now. From being featured in ... More >>

Baywood added to Westword Music Showcase

The date for this year's Westword Music Showcase is coming up fast, and while we're still putting together the all-star local lineup (seriously, this is shaping up to be the best one yet), we have another headliner to announce: Baywood, the funtastical duo featuring former Single File bassist, Joe G ... More >>

Hindershot shoots video for "Curse Us All"

Erica Beegle gets gooed in the name of Hindershot​Sure, we were all exhausted and hungover from Saturday's Westword Music Showcase (the biggest one to date, and it felt like it in the most awesome way possible) but Hindershot didn't care. The band took advantage of yesterday's gorgeous weather ... More >>

Westword Music Showcase Awards ceremony this Thursday night at the Bluebird Theater

Photo by Kate LevyAll right, now that the festival portion of the Westword Music Showcase is in the books, it's time to hand out the awards. As far as that goes, we're tallying the votes right now and the winners in each individual category will be announced at a special ceremony this Thursday, June ... More >>

Review: Chromeo at 2011 Westword Music Showcase, 6/18/11

​CHROMEO at WESTWORD SHOWCASE | 06.18.11"Two songs in and it was clear: Dave and P came to party. There wasn't much in the way of segues or throwaway banter between tunes. Chromeo let the music speak for itself and went straight for the hipbone."

Top ten tweets from Westword Music Showcase, a.k.a. #wms11

The Sword ​You can't be everywhere at once, especially during events like Saturday's Westword Music Showcase, with more than a dozen venues across a few blocks in the Golden Triangle. Thankfully, we've got Twitter to read about people complaining and dancing and high-fiving across the festival ... More >>

Oh baby! In case you missed it: Fez Garcia in front of the infamous O.J. Simpson crime scene

​Once upon a time, long before Fez Garcia was the drummer for half the bands in Denver (or at the moment, just Fingers of the Sun, Bury My Bones and Night of Joy), he was a goofy kid with glasses. When we put the call out for earlier this week for childhood photos of our favorite local musicia ... More >>

Vote for a Showcase nominee to win a recording package from Rocky Mountain Recorders

So if you picked up the paper this week, you've noticed that we added a line to the Westword Music Showcase ballot. It's a biggie. This year, one lucky local artist will be chosen to be awarded an EP recording package from Rocky Mountain Recorders, the renown local studio that has recorded several c ... More >>

A first listen to "Forecasts" by the Epilogues

​Ah, what a pleasant way to end the week: How about a brand spanking new track from The Epilogues? Thank you, sir. Don't mind if I do. Still hot to the touch, the song was just posted minutes ago, and offers an interesting side of the band that we don't get to see all that often. Drained of al ... More >>

Win a ticket to see the Sword at Westword Music Showcase

Mike Mezeul for the Dallas ObserverThe Sword in February in Dallas.​If you haven't read the news today, Austin metal band the Sword is playing this year's Westword Music Showcase. You can win a ticket to see them -- plus all the other acts on this year's line-up -- by entering in our ticket-of ... More >>

FoCoMx announces lineup for next month's fest

​It's a bittersweet day for music fans in Northern Colorado. Today our neighbors to the north are mourning the loss of two of their own, DJ Jimmy Hands and Kyle Dyas, KUNC's music director, who both passed away unexpectedly over the weekend. The sad news comes in just as we're getting word f ... More >>

Epilogues earn slot to perform at this year's Mile High Music Festival

Andy Mellen​Great news for The Epilogues: Not only did they win a Westword Music Showcase award last night, but we've tallied the votes and they've also earned a slot at this year's Mile High Music Festival. The outfit is slated to play on Sunday, August 15. Congrats, gentlemen!

Westword Music Showcase 2010 reminder: Today's the last day to vote!

Aaron ThackerayWestword Music Showcase: Oh, oh, it's Magic!​ As you can see from the pictures, this year's Showcase was played in the key of awesome. Relive the whole thing with us. Over the course of the day as we get our wits about us, a few of our writers will share their thoughts on what ... More >>

Westword Music Showcase 2010: Tickle Me Pink - Backbeat presents an exclusive download

Aaron ThackerayTickle Me Pink frontman Sean Kennedy​ As promised, thanks to our good pal Lance Stack at The Flat Response, here's the first of four exclusive Denver Boot downloads: Tickle Me Pink getting its rocks off at the 16th Annual Westword Music Showcase. Have at it. 

The Weekend Show Down: All Westword, all the time

​ We all know that every single weekend in Denver is like a confectionery of delicious shows: Too many choices, too little time. But if you have a hard time with that status quo, you're going to be ripping your hair out with indecision this weekend, because it's finally here, the Westword Mus ... More >>

Ghostand Observatory, Jonathan Tyler on 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 >>

Hunks (in the former Zen space on Lincoln) junks old name in favor of new handle: Chique

​The space at 940 Lincoln Street that had been Zen, and was known as Hunks for a few days last month, has now changed its name to Chique. And it's not just the name that has changed. According to owner Bonnie King, the club's concept has changed, as well. For starters, she's added some gals to ... More >>

Win tickets to our special VIP pre-party with BoomBox

Tobin Voggesser​ Got your tickets to the Westword Music Showcase yet? Yeah? Nice work! Here's some news just for you: We're throwing a very special VIP pre-party just before the Showcase on Thursday, June 17, featuring BoomBox, who will be playing a private DJ set, Ginger Perry and Peter Blac ... More >>

Westword Music Showcase local lineup revealed

Gabriel Rovick And Ryan James (Focus 4 Design)​ The complete lineup for Showcase has been finalized, and all that's left to do now is countdown the days until the sixteenth annual Westword Music Showcase takes place on Saturday, June 19. Nearly a hundred local acts (well over a hundred if y ... More >>

Westword Music Showcase 2010 headliners announced

Mark our words: This year's Westword Music Showcase is going to be absolutely SICK! SICK! -- we tell you! Yesterday on KTCL, as you might have heard, we revealed part of the line-up. The best local acts spread out over ten stages across the Golden Triangle? Of course -- that's a given. But we've a ... More >>

After Rock the Bells tonight, make your way to Mario's Double Daughter Salotto for the Beat Cave

Shawn KeithBoon Doc​After rocking with folks like Nas, Reflection Eternal, Damian Marley and a host of other legendary hip-hop artists at the Rock the Bells concert tonight, be sure to make a stop at Mario's Double Daughter Salotto (1632 Market Street) for the Beat Cave, an event showcasing the st ... More >>

Flobots check in from the Blasting Room to hype the Bowling Ball

In case you've been wondering where Flobots have been for the past six months or so, we've got the drop: Apparently, besides cropping up periodically at various events across town such as the Westword Music Showcase this past summer and attending to the launch of their non-profit Flobots.org, headq ... More >>

When DJ Dragon wins, everybody wins!

This past Monday at the Gothic Theatre, DJ Dragon took home honors at the Westword Music Showcase Awards. To express his gratitude, tomorrow night at Beta, he's giving out some free tickets to the Global Dance Festival this Saturday, July 18 at Red Rocks, featuring Benny Benassi, Markus Schulz, John ... 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 >>

The Westword.com blog shortcut, July 14 edition

Photo by David BarberJohn Baxter and Matty Clark play skins and skins. In the flesh. Today in Backbeat Online: • Westword Music Showcase Awards Wrap Up. • Q&A with Asher Roth. • Deejay Diabolic competing to spin at Lollapalooza. • Fake Problems cancels Larimer Lounge date. • Tickle Me Pi ... More >>

The Westword.com blog shortcut, June 25 edition

The kings of poppers. Greetings and salutations. Today in Cafe Society: • Denver's Ritz-Carlton is puttin' on a happy hour! • Today: A celebrity cook-off, wine-tasting event and the kick-off to Telluride's wine festival. • Red Trolley rewards you for your ice-cream gluttony. • A closer loo ... More >>

Westword Music Showcase: How I saw thirty bands in five hours and lived to tell about it

Photo by Bert Ross For this year's Saturday's Westword Music Showcase, I told myself I was going to take it easy. No running around like an idiot, trying to see as many acts as possible. Instead, I would move at a leisurely pace, sampling and savoring instead of trying to gorge myself on as much mu ... More >>

Over the Weekend: Showcasing the Westword Music Showcase

Aaron ThackerayWreaking Havok -- or is that reeking Havok? Did you know that this year's Westword Music Showcase took place on Saturday? If not, you can pretend that you knew, and attended, by clicking through slideshows keyed to acts that played a slew of venues: Broadways, Bannock St. Garage, Cur ... More >>

A band-by-band guide to the 2009 Westword Music Showcase

Mini Q&A with the Fluid's John Robinson

The Fluid's John Robinson live at the Bluebird Theater last June. In addition to an appearance by profile and Q&A subject Built to Spill, this Saturday's Westword Music Showcase (click here for details) will include another bonus: an appearance by the Fluid, among the best bands and most influentia ... More >>

The Westword.com blog shortcut, June 8 edition

Baker St. Pub. Click it or ticket. Today in Cafe Society: • Baker St. Pub moves into former Nine75. • Gelazzi's gelatinis are unwrapped tonight on the Food Network. • Milking It: Golden Grahams. • The Gin Mill adds the Barn Out Back. • Colore Pizzeria Moderna set to heat up South Broadwa ... 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 >>

Ride 'Em, Councilman

The Beatdown

Local DJs bring more than just tunes to their respective 'tables.

Backwash

Local musicians learn to play ball in a town that prefers sports to songs.

Backwash

Goodbye, Dolly! COMA’s president steps down as a new guard moves in.

Backwash

The skies opened up on the Westword Music Showcase. But the bands played on.

Backwash

Cabaret Diosa puts its surf-mambo sound on celluloid.

Backwash

Have you heard that more than thirty bands are playing at the Westword Music Awards Showcase in LoDo?