Mac Miller Seeks The Divine Feminine and Finds Himself

If you scroll back a couple of weeks on Mac Miller’s Instagram, past the concert shots and fashion portraits, you’ll find a photo diary of the Pittsburgh rapper’s recent trip to South Africa. There, nestled among photos of beautiful beaches, mossy mountains, the Mandela House and zebras, is a minute-long…

How a Four-Year-Old Fan Melted Producer Giraffage’s ‘Icy Heart’

San Francisco-based producer Charlie Yin, who performs as Giraffage, keeps things playful, including his upbeat, electronic pop songs and R&B remixes. Scroll through his recent Facebook entries, and you’ll find a photo of Yin eating grapes, an announcement that he’s working on a new album, and stream-of-consciousness musings on his About page, including thoughts…

The Pretenders Will Play an Acoustic Set at Twist & Shout Tomorrow

Last week, the Pretenders released the Dan Auerbach-produced album Alone, the band’s first album since 2008’s Break Up the Concrete. Fans who purchase the album at Twist & Shout (at the in-store register, not online) can get a wristband to see the Pretenders play an acoustic set at the store at 7…

Elle King Officiates On-Stage Wedding in Denver

Pop star Elle King passed through Denver last weekend and changed lives — not through her performance but through marriage. King, best known for her infectious 2015 single “Ex’s and Oh’s,” is currently playing a run of dates called the Ministry Tour, and she’s offered to officiate a wedding during…

The 2016 Guide to Live Music in the Mountains

The leaves are changing and temperatures are dropping, which can only mean that ski season is quickly approaching. And while skis and snowboards are getting dug out of closets and storage units all over the Front Range, the mountains are about to be alive with the sound of music.Yes even…

Charlie Puth Cancels Denver Date, Tour Due to Illness

Be still, tween hearts across the Front Range. No, really, be still. Charlie Puth, the pop singer-songwriter behind the single “Marvin Gaye” and the hook of massive Wiz Khalifa hit “See You Again,” has fallen ill and cancelled the rest of his current tour — including his scheduled show on…

Open Music Session: Jux County Sings About Cruising Down Colfax

On Friday, November 4, the Open Media Foundation hosts its next monthly free Open Music Session event, which will feature musical guests the Hang Rounders and comedian Timmi Lasley. Last month, the October 2016 Open Music Session welcomed Jux County, a band recently profiled in Westword and self-described as “punktry.”…

Stevie Nicks and the Best Shows in Denver This Week

While there are a pair of huge shows at the Pepsi Center — Tool and Stevie Nicks — this week, there are a lot of other shows on tap this week that are just as worthy, whether it be Nelly, Margo Price, Meshuggah, Marillion or LVL UP. See our full list…

Progressive-Rock Band Marillion Pioneered Crowdfunding

Marillion may not be a name familiar to a lot of people who didn’t pay attention to progressive rock in the 1980s and 1990s. However, the veteran progressive-rock band pioneered the concept of crowdfunding for tours and albums starting in the late ’90s. Marillion released its earliest recordings in 1982…

Pantyraid’s Martin Folb on South Africa and Whether Trap Is Dead

Last weekend, MartyParty’s fast set rocked the otherwise laid-back Block Festival in downtown Denver, and afterward, Westword got to chat with Martin David Folb, the sole DJ behind MartyParty and one half of the duo known as Pantyraid. MartyParty, which Folb describes as “drum and bass, which has now turned into halftime…

Elle King, Schoolboy Q and the Best Concerts in Denver This Weekend

While there’s a diverse lineup of acts performing this weekend, tonight is particularly varied, with Shpongle, Straight No Chaser, Esme Patterson, John Gorka and LCD Soundsystem’s Nancy Whang. Also on tap are Elle King at the Ogden Theatre on Saturday, Schoolboy Q at the Fillmore Auditorium on Sunday, and Five Finger…

Joey Bada$$ and Five More Rappers You Can Watch on TV

On October 23, rapper Joey Bada$$ is playing at the Fillmore Auditorium with Schoolboy Q. But if you can’t make it out, you can always catch him on season two of Mr. Robot, in which Joey plays the philosophical, Seinfeld-obsessed sidekick to main character Elliot. The role garnered him some…

Autograf: The Art Installation That Became a Band

When attending a live show, an artist’s visual component can prove to be just as important as the sounds coming from the speakers. Brightly colored lights, lasers and graphic visuals projected on a screen are commonly seen, but how often are the artists actually building their own stage aesthetic with their own hands? Chicago-based…

Kanye West Coming to Denver Pepsi Center With Saint Pablo Tour

Kanye West just added a second leg to his Saint Pablo tour, including a date in Denver: November 28, 2016 at the Pepsi Center. Tickets go on sale Saturday, October 22, at 10 a.m., online at www.AltitudeTickets.com, www.livenation.com and by phone at 303.893.TIXS. Tickets are $129.50 for GA floor, and $29.50-$129.50…

Native Daughters on Guilty Pleasures

Playing in beloved bygone bands like Only Thunder and the Blackout Pact, Justin Hackl has been a pillar in the Denver music scene for over two decades. Nowadays he is the owner and operator of Hackl Guitars, in addition to playing with the beautifully brutal Native Daughters and raising a daughter…