Reed Foehl isn’t a household name yet. But you’ve probably heard his work just the same. Every song from his last record, 2004’s Spark, and a few tunes from his latest, Stoned Beautiful, have been licensed by a slew of TV shows — everything from Dawson’s Creek and Joan of…
In June 2001, Alex Lemski — then-president, visionary and chief benefactor of Creative Music Works — sent Westword a rather scathing letter in response to a review of Ken Burns’s ten-part Jazz documentary. “If listeners are just as scarce (scared?) as the industry and media are in covering jazz,” he…
Dave Beegle is a guitar virtuoso by all accounts but his own. Although widely regarded as one of the best players by some of the best, Beegle humbly deflects such praise, saying he often views his skill with the guitar as sleight of hand — so to speak. “Because I’ve…
Cary Brothers with Mother Mother and Stars of Track and Field July 21, 2007 The Soiled Dove Underground Better than: The Doobie Brothers Slide Show Made it to the Soiled Dove just as Mother Mother was wrapping up its set and heard just enough to form a vague impression of…
Despite having three songwriters, the Drive-By Truckers have made some remarkably cohesive music. But while songs by Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley are compelling, Jason Isbell’s tunes cut to the core. The tunesmith left his indelible stamp on tracks such as “Goddamn Lonely Love” and “Outfit,” in which he channels…
It’s been a struggle to get over the hump of being a quote-unquote girl band,” declares Hemi Cuda’s Karen Exley. “With our costumes and everything, it’s been hard for people to see the substance. It’s like, ‘Fuck that! I can fucking rock!’ I think being in Nashville Pussy has helped…
It would be nice to say that our July 19 profile of acoustic guitar wizard Leo Kottke was filled with the endless, witty and off-kilter diatribes that act as between-song banter during his concerts. But that’s the trouble with email interviews; the interviewee is less compelled to ramble. Still, as…
For the record, Keller Williams does not sell real estate. He does, however, tour regularly on the jam band circuit, where he routinely impresses audiences with his one-man band approach. With the help of looping technology, Williams constructs his crowd pleasing grooves right on stage, layer by layer, all with…
Slide Show Nick Terranova July 13, 2007 The Church Better than: Most club nights have any right to aspire to be. Before Nick Terranova took over the decks, 2040 residents Matthew Orloff and Bryan Matthew played a fun opening set that got the crowd amped up for the main event…
Andrew Orvedahl Denver comics are coming out swinging once again on Last Comic Standing. Unless you’ve been getting molested under a rock for the past year you already know about local-boy-done-funny Josh Blue winning that title last year, then relentlessly touring the country playing sold-out shows. But if you watched…
I got this shit on lock! I got this shit on lock! Holler, holler at me if you’re on my block! Hours before the members of 3Oh!3 even rapped the opening lines from “Chokechain” on the Hurley Stage at the Warped Tour this past Sunday, it was clear: Sean Foreman…
Gravy Train!!!! July 10, 2007 hi-dive Better than: Watching drag queens lip-synch to Cher. The Gravy Train!!!! show at the hi-dive featured flamingly gay men dressed in tighty-whiteys, plenty of silver lamé and kitschy, juvenile sexuality resulting in the type of campy theatrics rarely seen outside of a drag-queen revue…
A new version of Hairspray is due out in theaters next week. What makes Hollywood think it can outdo the popular Broadway musical based on John Waters’ 1988 film? Well, they’ve got a gimmick: John Travolta in a fat suit. The 53-year-old actor plays Edna, the plump mother of hefty…
Slide Show The Tanukis, Ukulele Loki and Chairlift July 7, 2007 The Larimer Lounge Better Than: Eating dinner. Seriously, I skipped dinner to see this show. Sometimes the best shows are the ones that you go to on a whim, where you’ve never heard any of the bands before and…
Yerkish and Something Underground July 5, 2007 The Soiled Dove Better than: Whatever passes for “Must See TV” these days Slide Show 99.5 the Mountain’s Homegrown Showcase got underway with Yerkish burning through an invigorating set of heavy art rock as a bizarre video reel projected on either side of…
Remember in Almost Famous when Penny Lane recounts the advice she gives to fellow band-aids, that whole bit about not taking things too seriously to avoid getting hurt, and how if they ever get lonely they can always go to the record store and visit their friends? That scene always…
All right, so the biggest thing I learned on my summer vacation — er, I mean, at the Westword Music Showcase, which, though always a trip, is far from a retreat for me — is that it’s truly impossible to categorize all the disparate factions of the local scene. While…
Have y’all heard “Ticks,” that newish Brad Paisley song? Of course you have — what am I thinking? That dang ol’ thing is only played, like, every three or seven minutes. And while it’s tuneful enough, there are some fundamental problems with the chorus. First of all, ticks? I’m no…
“I’d just like to take a second to say ‘Fuck you’ to our sponsors. Fucking rock and roll doesn’t need fucking sponsors. You guys can go suck my dick.” I swear, I just about inhaled my juice box when I heard Aaron Collins from Machine Gun Blues unload that banana…
Slide Shows Part 1 Part 2 Westword Music Showcase June 16, 2007 The Acoma Center Better than: Having to fake any enthusiasm for utterly mainstream bands. Although I made it to the Acoma Center too late to catch Rachael Pollard’s absolutely beautiful, understated songs, I did arrive just in time…
Slide Shows Part 1 Part 2 Westword Music Showcase June 16, 2007 The Shelter Better than: A less eclectic mix of bands would have been for seven hours. Forged in Violet opened the Westword Music Showcase at the Shelter as a two piece. Running backing tracks off of iTunes, the…
Slide Shows Part 1 Part 2 Westword Music Showcase June 16, 2007 Dazzle Better than: Hot sex on a wedding night. After Willie Houston & the Blues Prowlers heated things up at Dazzle, Tempa & the Tantrums raised the temperature a notch and man, the girl got the room cooking…
