The Ogden Theatre was packed on Saturday, and everyone was anxiously waiting to marvel at the psychedelic sounds of the subdued machine known as Tame Impala. Before the five-piece band walked the stage, its roadies took to work assembling every pedal, cable, and instrument to one another while conferring an…
The Red Rocks season continues to bring big names to Colorado: Cage the Elephant, Old Crow Medicine Show and Ryan Adams this week. Elsewhere, Old 97’s plays the Gothic and Arcade Fire’s Will Butler is playing Larimer Lounge. The full list of our picks follows! MONDAY, JUNE 1 Cage the…
I remember once, an old bandmate’s boyfriend told me “a rock star plays their bass like this” (motioning to an imaginary low-slung guitar hitting around the waist) and “a real musician plays their bass like this” (plucking the strings of an invisible instrument at his chest.) He was implying that…
Last night, the Colorado Symphony Orchestra debuted its Turn Over the Keys series, wherein the ensemble serves as the backing band for a handful of local artists. The inaugural roster included Ian Cooke, Land Lines and Megan Burtt. We’ll have much more on the event in the coming days, but…
This weekend brings (another) massive EDM party to Red Rocks. Elsewhere, check out Bully and Speedy Ortiz at Lost Lake and Larimer Lounges, respectively, and the enduring Neil Diamond. The full list of our picks follows. FRIDAY, MAY 29 Bassnectar$47.50-$55 7:00PM Red Rocks Amphitheatre All That Remains$10.67 7:00PM Fillmore Auditorium…
When Trevor Yawner moved into Rhinoceropolis in 2012 he brought some of his connections in the then on the rise garage rock underground movement to Rhino and along with John Gross’s long-running involvement in noise locally and far beyond, Rhinoceropolis had some of the key elements needed to bring something…
We all know that Colorado is home to many renowned bands, and the annual Westword Music Showcase celebrates our local music scene like no other. We’ve paired 100 bands alongside some pretty serious national talent (Flume, the Black Angels, MisterWives, Roadkill Ghost Choir, Robert DeLong and Wave Racer, to be…
There’s no talking about a storied DIY venue in Denver history without taking a look back at the fliers for shows at Rhinoceropolis. Sometimes these works were a collaboration between a visual artist and musicians; other times the pieces were made by musicians themselves. But fleirs have always been a…
DeVotchKa’s Tom Hagerman has been working with the Colorado Symphony, helping the group with writing the orchestrations for the music of various bands, since his own group’s first show with them in February, 2012. DeVotchKa’s lush orchestration and arrangements make them an ideal band for a symphony to collaborate with, and…
Run the Jewels will be at the Ogden Theatre for a two-night stand on Tuesday, October 20 and Wednesday, October 21, and tickets ($30.99) go on sale on Friday, May 29 at 10 a.m. There are also a limited number of two-day passes available for for $49.98 for a limited…
One summer evening in 2012, the 16th Street Mall was filled with tourists and shoppers dining on outdoor patios and reveling in the agreeable weather. Mark Patterson had a different mission. The street musician was searching for a spot along the promenade to play his guitar. The plan was to…
Shock waves rippled through the tight-knit Denver metal community late last month when the news came that Shawn Tyler Chavez had passed away in Las Vegas. A Denver native, Chavez played a fundamental role in the formation of legendary local thrash-metal band Havok.“Next to me, he was in the band…
The Boulder home known as Goss House, which also functions as a music venue, studio and art gallery, is closing down. The house’s residents are being forced to leave, as the landlord elected not to renew their lease this summer. Come July, Goss House will join Astroland and Dead Leaf…
Australia’s Courtney Barnett, who’s opening for the Decemberists and Spoon at Red Rocks on May 27, may have earned more raves during this still young year than any other artists. And she’s done so in a thoroughly unconventional way. Barnett’s new album, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I…
If you haven’t been to Lost Lake in a little while, it’s very different inside. Where once the black-walled room and the small stage stood is the bar with a shelved wall lit up with small lights where the bottles of alcohol sit like they would at a place that…
The Colorado Symphony Orchestra debuts its new Turn Over the Keys series on Thursday (the organization will play alongside a handful of local bands). Also this week: Chromeo and the Decemberists at Red Rocks (different shows) and more. The full list of our picks follows. TUESDAY, MAY 26 Chromeo$39.95-$44.50 6:30PM…
On Wednesday, May 27th, The Decemberists perform at Red Rocks with Spoon and Courtney Barnett. In certain circles, it’s de riguer to refer to Portland, Oregon’s the Decemberists as a pretentious hipster band. Let’s first dispense with the term “hipster.” Hasn’t it lost its currency as a criticism at this…
Sunday: A day that, especially on a late-May three-day weekend, is made for beer, friends, music and the hope that the deluge of rain will let up for one afternoon. If you didn’t spend your Sunday evening at the Larimer Lounge, surrounded by packs of Denverites, draft beers and the…
For a few years around 2011, it seemed like not as many touring bands were coming through on the DIY venues circuit as there had been. Many bands were going through booking agents at that time and most DIY venues aren’t likely to give a guarantee even though certain bands would…
Editor’s note: Each week, illustrator Noah Van Sciver shares his ongoing story of an 80s rocker on a road trip through his past with the readers of Backbeat. You can see more of Van Sciver’s work in his new book SAINT COLE from Fantagraphics books. Last Week’s Episode Of Rufus…
This weekend, one of Colorado’s most celebrated dance clubs will celebrate seven years of operation. In that time, Beta has won accolades both locally and nationally for its impressive roster of talent and its exceptional Funktion One sound system. The creator of that system, Tony Andrews, was in town this week…
It’s a great weekend for music in Colorado: Film on the Rocks kicks off its summer season tomorrow and a trio of festivals focus on the best of our state’s music. Be sure to check out the release of Tuyet Nguyen’s Nothing Without Providence at the hi-dive, as well.FRIDAY, MAY…
