From 2008 to 2012, Jesse Elliott did not have a permanent home. The musician, best known for his work with These United States and Ark Life, was touring so much that planting his roots in one spot for too long seemed unnecessary. But in 2012 Elliott moved to Colorado, and…
In late 2005, a group of musicians moved into a house at 2155 Franklin Street, blocks from Five Points. The neighborhood, once called the “Harlem of the West” for its thriving jazz scene, had changed a lot by this time, and there were cheap (if neglected) spaces for the young,…
Robert Pollard of Guided by Voices is one of the most prolific songwriters of all time, registering over 1,900 songs in his career. On Saturday night, at the Summit Music Hall, Pollard dug deep into his massive catalogue, performing fifty of those songs with a new Guided by Voices lineup. …
The origins of the tale of Sweeney Todd can be traced back all the way to the 1840s. It was then that the character first made an appearance in the serial short story The String of Pearls. After going through several different amalgamations, the murderous barber finally reached wide acclaim in…
Playing modern blues is a delicate balance between playing original and inventive music while paying homage to the genre’s storied past. What separates the greats from the rest is not so much the structure and composition of the music, but more the attitude and spirit exuded while playing it. Tuesday…
Incite Productions is a relatively unknown collection of artists and theater technicians who leave their mark all over Denver in unique, creative and often bizarre ways. They’ve floated down Delaware Street in a makeshift boat dressed as George Washington. They’ve danced on the steps of the Anthem Blue Cross building…
I have been playing music for twenty years, and in that time have accumulated experiences, both good and bad, that I know would have never happened if I weren’t a musician. I have played shows in Europe, Alaska and Mexico, but none of those prepared me for the experience I…
When David Bowie passed away, anyone with a heart felt it break a little. He influenced fashion, music, culture and philanthropy in profound and important ways, and his passing left a massive hole in the universe that will never quite be filled. Longtime Bowie fan and artist Vincent Comparetto was…
Denver’s population boom has brought all kinds of new industry and opportunities to Denver — and also a steady stream of new musicians. While new bands continue to pop up left and right, the argument surrounding the deficiencies in Denver’s music scene has never been one revolving around lack of…
Last weekend dozens of musicians from Colorado, including myself, traveled to Kansas City for the 2016 Folk Alliance International. Currently in its twenty-eighth year, the conference and festival, draws more than two thousand artists and industry from all over the world. It is five days of performances, classes, lectures, panels and…
In honor of the upcoming Super Bowl, and AFC CHAMPIONS the Denver Broncos, we want to take a timeout to reflect on the strange phenomenon of professional athletes making the decision to test whether their athletic prowess transfers to a career in music. While we are not saying that athletes…
For an inspirational setting to record their forthcoming album (release date TBA) , Dragondeer dug deep into the heart of California’s Topanga Canyon. The idyllic area, located in the Santa Monica Mountains, has long been a safe haven and a place of respite for storied musicians like Bob Dylan, Neil…
We here at Westword are stoked for the year! Originally, this piece was to focus on five 2016 releases by local bands that we were excited for. But as we compiled the list, that number quickly jumped to ten, then 15, then 20…you see a pattern here. While we know that…
Jason Isbell’s story is one of recovery and redemption so it was only fitting that the backdrop he played in front of for Friday night’s show at the Ogden Theatre were large, church-like, stained glass windows. After being ousted by the Drive-By Truckers in 2011, the 36-year-old Alabama native took…
“Can we talk about how in ‘The Devil Went Down to Georgia,’ that the Devil has a better fiddle solo than Charlie Daniels?” Hang Rounders guitarist Curt Wallach says while discussing the finer points of country music. “There’s no way Charlie Daniels should have won!” While the other members of…
Jentry McCombs has a bone to pick. “Your magazine says I’m the ‘self-proclaimed’ best street musician in Denver, but I don’t like that,” McCombs says, semi-jokingly referring to a five-year-old article about Denver’s street musicians. “I am the best street musician, and I am the king of Denver. Who can…
In a 2009 Westword article, Patrick McGuire admitted that, in large part, it was due to a diminishing faith in God that he pursued music. Around that time, he was fronting the band Flashbulb Fires which, until its break-up in late 2014, was a mainstay in the Denver music scene…
The Denver music family is shocked, confused and saddened by the recent passing of Mike “Mikey” Herrera — a veteran Denver musician who fronted numerous bands throughout the years, including One Dying Wish, the Blackout Pact, Sleeper Horse and Tin Horn Prayer (which he and I were in together). Mikey…
Since moving to Denver from Boise, Idaho in 2012, Trevor Uberuaga has fully immersed himself into the Denver music scene. His cassette-only label, Heart in Box Records, has released albums by the Dirty Few, Zebroids, Ned Garthe Explosion and several others. Uberuaga has had a life-long passion for tapes, and…
Ian Cooke pauses and chuckles when asked where his musical career might be right now if he had never met friend and longtime collaborator Ian O’Dougherty. “I think I may have gone to California and tried to score films,” he guesses. “Singing and songwriting was always something I was planning…
Nathaniel Rateliff has been living in the same house in Denver’s Baker neighborhood since 2003. “I wish we had decided to buy it a long time ago,” he says as he strolls through on his way to the back yard. “Now there’s no way we could afford it.” It was…
Saying that Peter Yarrow was influential in folk music would be a profound understatement. Yarrow, due at this weekend’s Rocky Mountain Folks Festival in Lyons, might be one of the most important figures in the genre and his impact can be felt across music of all kinds. A founding member…
