Bonobo at the Ogden Theatre, 4/26/13

BONOBO @ OGDEN THEATRE | 4/26/13 A capacity crowd filled the Ogden to see Bonobo this past weekend. However, words like “sold out” and “capacity” don’t accurately describe the electric scene inside and outside the theater. Every nook and cranny of the theater from the rafters to the rear of…

The best concerts to see in Denver this week

KVELERTAK @ LARIMER LOUNGE | 4/30/13 With a name that translates roughly to “stranglehold” in Norwegian, this sextet has spent the last six years cultivating a sound that feels like a mixture of black metal and the Stooges, Cave In and Converge. Fittingly, the frontman of that last act, Kurt…

R.I.P., Barry Fey

Just received some harrowing news: Barry Fey has passed away. As anyone who’s lived in Denver for any amount of time knows, Barry was a legendary and revered figure worldwide, but especially here in the Colorado music scene. We’ll have much more in-depth coverage about Barry and his life in…

The Matchbox celebrates its second anniversary

This weekend, the Matchbox at 2625 Larimer is celebrating its second anniversary. When the owners first opened the bar two years ago, they made a decision to make the space available for various nonprofits. That decision has clearly paid off. The concept of “doing well by doing good,” says co-owner…

The ten best concerts in Denver this weekend

SPEAKEASY TIGER @ MARQUIS THEATER | SAT, 4/27/13 Half a decade ago, Speakeasy Tiger seemed to be in the right place at the right time, with a kind of electro-rock that was equal parts Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the Gossip, only gone in a more pop direction. The group got…

The best EDM shows in Denver this weekend

BONOBO @ OGDEN THEATRE | FRI, 4/26/13 Simon Green’s Bonobo project has taken chilled-out downtempo on a meandering journey through complex syncopation, sweeping strings and heavy bass lines since 1999, when he released the single “Terrapin” on the Tru Thoughts label. Since then, Green has created four full-length albums for…

Men in Burka defies convention with purpose and promise

It’s influenced by everything I grew up on, from American traditions to the Middle Eastern traditions of my father,” says Men in Burka’s Kamran Khan, describing his group’s sound. “I didn’t grow up in a mosque. I didn’t grow up a Muslim, but I was definitely influenced by that culture…

Speakeasy Tiger reunites its original lineup at the Marquis

Half a decade ago, Speakeasy Tiger (due this Saturday, April 27, at the Marquis Theater) seemed to be in the right place at the right time, with a kind of electro-rock that was equal parts Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the Gossip, only gone in a more pop direction. The group…

Catch the master at work when Dieselboy hits Beta

Whether he’s producing the fastest, tightest, most insistent drum-and-bass tracks you’ve ever heard or dropping a set that’s pure whomp-based dubstep, it’s clear that Damian Higgins selected an appropriate moniker when he started making music as Dieselboy. His sound is immediately identifiable — slick, dark and powerful, with an underlying…

Har Mar Superstar

In the ’90s, Sean Tillman performed in both noise-rock band Calvin Krime and the more pop-oriented Sean Na Na while still a teenager in the Minneapolis area. Around the turn of this century, he created Har Mar Superstar, a bombastic hip-hop/R&B persona that delivers suitably single-entendre lyrics. The act is…

Kvelertak

With a name that translates roughly to “stranglehold” in Norwegian, this sextet has spent the last six years cultivating a sound that feels like a mixture of black metal and the Stooges, Cave In and Converge. Fittingly, the frontman of that last act, Kurt Ballou, produced Kvelertak’s latest album, 2013’s…

KING

Perhaps taking a cue from his pal Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic, who’s written and produced songs for an array of top-shelf pop acts, Fray guitarist Joe King has been steadily making a name for himself as a burgeoning songwriter in his own right. Prior to working on his own solo…

Radkey

Radkey is a band of brothers. No, really — that’s not a figure of speech: They’re blood relations. They’re also completely badass. Once you listen to the siblings — Dee, the oldest at nineteen, sings and plays guitar; Isaiah, seventeen, sings and plays bass; and Solomon, fifteen, plays drums —…

Thief River

Thief River is essentially a reconfigured version of Rexway with longtime King Rat guitarist Mike Makkay and bassist Geoff Orwiler. In fact, Thief River essentially picks up where that band left off before parting ways a number of years back, seamlessly fusing the most anthemic moments of late-’80s pop metal…

Ryan Chrys

As frontman for the Demon Funkies, Ryan Chrys has demonstrated that he knows his way around the groove, but on 2011’s The Ambivalent Justice Of…, he showed that he’s also well versed in a number of other genres. And from the first few cuts of his latest release, A Lick…

Dan Treanor & Code Blue

With more than 45 years of playing under his belt, Dan Treanor is a master of the blues. His Afrosippi band recently came in third out of 220 bands at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis, but his Code Blue band, which features a different lineup, is just as impressive…

Shady Elders

“In the Waves,” the opening track on the new Shady Elders EP, has a lonely, almost wistful breeziness, with crystalline guitar tones cutting a simple figure while another guitar sound flutters and swells around them. “Schoolmate,” meanwhile, features ethereal guitar work with notes that ring out and melodies that recall…

Tryst owner to take over club in Jet Hotel

At one time, the Jet Entertainment Group ran a number of spots in town, including Wicked Garden, two Purple Martini locations (one of which was later dubbed Jet South) and the Jet Lounge, located on the main floor of the Jet Hotel, which opened in 2006 at 1612 Wazee Street…

The Firehouse Tavern in Thornton has closed

Another closure to let you know about: The Firehouse Tavern has closed. The Thornton bar, which opened in 2009, went dark recently after a three-and-a-half-year run. A two-story suburban outpost housed in the former Holly North space at 10369 Quivas Street, the Firehouse was a choice destination up north for…