The “wicked shit” is thriving in Denver and other places all over the world, and a lot of the credit goes to Detroit rapper Esham. Since releasing his first album in 1986 at the age of thirteen, Esham’s personalized style of acid rap has influenced rappers like Tech N9ne and…
John Baizley, singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist for Baroness, which is part of the Project Pabst lineup on Saturday, May 21, is among the most fascinating figures in contemporary music: smart, complex, conflicted, inquisitive and piercingly articulate. Just as important, his band’s twist on progressive metal operates within the traditions of…
Ben Folds teams up with the chamber ensemble yMusic, who have also worked with Jose Gonzalez and Dirty Projectors, tonight at the Paramount Theatre while Brian Jonestown Massacre returns to the Bluebird Theater tomorrow. Disclosure headlines Red Rocks on Tuesday, Titus Andronicus is at the Marquis Theater, and renowned jazz…
The 22nd annual Westword Music Showcase is just six weeks away, and close to 100 local bands have now been confirmed to perform on a dozen stages across the Golden Triangle neighborhood on Saturday, June 25. The first round of Denver-based bands — including synth-rock band the Epilogues and rap artist Bianca Mikahn —…
Sometimes a music lover has to stay home and get her fix from her own sound system. But buying music — even if it’s not in the form of concert tickets — takes dollars, so what’s a broke music fan to do? We’re here to help with a few tips…
At a certain point in Denver’s musical tribute to Prince last night at Red Rocks, 115 members of the Denver Gay Men’s Chorus assembled on-stage and sang an a cappella rendition of Queen’s “Who Wants To Live Forever.” The song, performed after a dozen popular local bands paid rollicking homage…
On a recent tour stop in Vancouver, Lucius singers Holly Laessig and Jess Wolfe were walking through a sketchy area of town, dressed in their trademark matching outfits and coiffed hairdos. A man stopped them on the street and looked back and forth, from one to the other, over and…
Thievery Corporation headlines Red Rocks tonight and the venue hosts the Global Dub Festival (featuring Datsik, Bro Safari, Slander, Ghastly and more) on Saturday, as well as Bad Company and Joe Walsh on Sunday. The Denver Uke Fest runs through Saturday at Swallow Hill and Lucius is at the Gothic…
Festivals abound in and around Denver, and while the massive something-for-everyone events start to look the same, there’s still room for music festivals for more specialized audiences. Enter the hip-hop-centric Queen City Music Festival, presented by New Wave LLC, which will happen Friday, August 12 and Saturday, August 13, at…
Punk icons the Misfits come through Denver fairly often; it’s just that the original members never appear on stage together. Frontman Glenn Danzig played the Boulder Theater last fall; Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein spoke with us about building his own guitars before a gig at the Marquis; and a version of…
In February, we predicted a big year for former You, Me and Apollo singer Brent Cowles. And it wasn’t only us. In that same article, Cowles himself said, “I haven’t been this excited in a long time. Just about everything that’s happening. I have this feeling under my skin that it’s…
Willie Nelson and Family headlines Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre on Saturday, July 30 with Kacey Musgraves opening. Tickets ($27.50-$149.50) go on sale on Friday, May 13 at 10 a.m. Pitbull brings the Bad Man Tour to the Pepsi Center on Thursday, August 18 with Prince Royce and special guests. Tickets ($29.95-$139.95) go…
Of all the taco joints in Denver…you might want to walk in to the new Illegal Pete’s location at 2001 East Colfax Avenue, which is opening this week with festivities that include not only food but local music. The big opening day is Friday, May 13, when the restaurant opens…
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,…
It’s a dreary, overcast Friday morning, and the windows of the Youth Media Studio are already gathering condensation. The hive of musical activity inside is contained within three storefronts occupied by Youth on Record, which officially opened in this new home last spring. In partnership with the Denver Housing Authority,…
We know summer’s here when the festival bills and outdoor series lineups start to get announced, and as is the norm, the Hudson Garden Series is offering some wonderful bills for those partial to nostalgia-based classic rock and soul. Here are ten of the highlights. 10. Jefferson Starship Sunday, June…
If it was necessary to describe BØRNS’ show last night at the Gothic Theatre in just three words, they’d be: Best Case Scenario. As the first of two back-to-back sold-out shows in Denver, BØRNS put on a performance that rivaled the energy of a Super Bowl half-time show. The show, however, was free…
Once upon a time, I had a close, personal encounter with Prince. But not nearly as close as the one Colorado inmate Carlin Qar’Tune Williams, 39, says his mom had with the Purple One in 1976. Williams maintains that he is Prince’s sole heir. And he wants to take a DNA…
Editor’s Note: The Denver Bootleg is a series chronicling the history of local music venues by longtime Denver cartoonist Karl Christian Krumpholz. Visit Krumpholz’s website to see more of his work…
Iwakura is definitely a hardcore band, but it’s changing the face of the genre, exemplifying an individual vision of what it’s like today. What sets Iwakura apart on first impression is that the act’s performances lack the tough-guy persona that many hardcore bands adopt, even for the purpose of mocking…
When you’re in a band, starting at the bottom and perhaps still learning your trade, few things are more rewarding than gaining the respect of your peers. If one of those peers happens to run a record label and wants to sign you, then all the better. That’s pretty much,…
I may not remember much of my first rave, but I do know it was complicated to get there. In Denver in 1995, getting to a rave was much more complicated than going to a concert, something I had mastered by the age of fifteen. Concerts were easy to find and…
