Review: Punks Go Solo at Summit Music Hall

When a singer decides to go “go solo,” one can’t help but wonder about the circumstances surrounding the decision. Was there bad blood with the performer’s former bandmates? Were there financial problems? Or was it simply a decision to branch out musically, allowing them to stretch their musical capabilities? Monday…

You Voted! Here Are the 2016 Westword Music Award Winners

Last Saturday, June 25, marked the biggest festival in the 22-year history of the Westword Music Showcase, which spanned more than a dozen stages around Denver’s Golden Triangle and featured nearly 100 local bands and artists across many genres. This lineup was drawn from the finalist nominees for the 2016…

The Best Concerts for Fourth of July Weekend in Denver

If there ever was a weekend to embrace your inner hippie, this Fourth of July weekend is it. While there’s big shows like Dead & Company and Umphrey’s McGee (each in town for two-night stands), there’s also Dead tribute acts Dark Star Orchestra and Shakedown Street as well as Blues Traveler’s…

Big City Drugs Is All Comedians but No Joke

After the final open-mic comedy night at the Squire Lounge this past Tuesday, June 28, Big City Drugs hit the stage and played frayed punk rock with a shambolic energy worthy of The Exploding Hearts. Add to that a mutant rock hybrid sound suggests influences like Reatards, Dead Boys and…

Peter, Björn and John and Sound of Ceres Share a Pop Connection

Though Swedish pop group Peter, Björn and John took a five-year hiatus from making music, only to return with the new Breakin’ Point, they were still hard at work during their break. In those five years they created a collective art space called INGRID, formerly home to a studio where one…

Son Little: Loneliness Is Different in America

Son Little, aka Aaron Livingston, has created a sound that many have called “genre-bending.” It canvases notes of old soul, and Livingston’s vintage vocals breathe life into a style reminiscent of Otis Redding. He steps into the political sphere of Crosby, Stills & Nash’s “Four Dead in Ohio” on songs…

Ten Up-and-Coming Outdoor Colorado Music Venues

If there are two major growth industries in Colorado right now, they are marijuana and music festivals. The scene has exploded, and many small towns are following the long-ago lead of places such as Telluride, Vail and Aspen by creating a calendar of events to draw visitors and boost their…

The 2016 Westword Music Showcase in 22 Words or Fewer

The 22nd Westword Music Showcase, on Saturday, June 25, was one for the ages, featuring for the first time two main stages, as well as nearly 100 local bands who played hard through power outages and a short rain in the Golden Triangle. With so much to hear, see and…

Lita Ford, the Babys and the Sweet Resurrected at Hudson Gardens

Lita Ford, the Babys and the Sweet — the three sets of musicians that made up Sunday night’s killer bill at the Hudson Gardens, the fourth show in this year’s summer concert series, have stories coming out of their collective wazoos. From splits and reunions to abusive relationships to the…

Modest Mouse, Ringo Starr and the Best Concerts in Denver This Week

On Tuesday, Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals return to Red Rocks, while Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band (featuring Todd Rundgren, Steve Lukather, Richard Page, Gregg Rolie, Warren Ham and Gregg Bissonnette) play at the Paramount. Brand New and Modest Mouse co-headline Red Rocks on Wednesday, and Zeds Dead…

Here’s Your Westword Music Showcase 2016 Survival Guide

Heads up! The 2016 Westword Music Showcase is tomorrow, Saturday, June 25! If you want to buy a ticket the day of the show, prices increase to $55 for General Admission and $125 for VIP. Now here’s how to survive the day of fun and exhausted eardrums: We’ve all been…

Westword Music Showcase by Venue: Bar Standard

Bar Standard, located at 1037 Broadway, will host a range of local Denver musicians at the 2016 Westword Music Showcase. This modern-day speakeasy is known as a popular spot to hear some of Denver’s best DJs on the weekends while enjoying the view of Denver’s skyline from its two patios…

Westword Music Showcase Lineup by Venue: Vinyl

Club Vinyl, one of Denver’s hottest nightclubs, will be featuring music on both its main stage as well as its rooftop patio for this year’s Westword Music Showcase. The club is known for its four levels, each of which present its own vibe and style of music. The rooftop area…

The End: The Epilogues Call it Quits

Twelve years, in the life cycle of band, is practically an eternity. This summer, the Epilogues’ celebration of their twelfth year as a band will be a bittersweet one, as singer/guitarist Chris Heckman, recently announced on his facebook page, that he will be leaving the group to attend Berklee College of…

Ivory Circle Is on the Cusp of a New EP — and Stealing Your Heart

Denver natives and indie-alternative darlings Ivory Circle are scheduled to perform at the 2016 Westword Music Showcase on the City Hall Main Stage. They’re currently working on a new EP, the third and final in a series that started with the release of Equilateral in 2014. With the second, Isosceles,…