Riot Fest is back in 2015, with a new location: the National Western Complex. This will be the third home for the festival in its three years in Colorado. The Fest, which started in Chicago in 2005, features a decidedly non-standard lineup — last year’s Denver installment included Slayer, the…
The Raven and The Writing Desk is the same band Denver has known for the past four years in name only. Spouses Scott Conroy and Julia Libassi are still the band leaders, and they are still clinging to the literary name of Raven and The Writing Desk. But beyond that,…
On the advice of the following reader comment left on the story about Wax Trax not participating in Record Store Day, we ended up at the iconic 13th Avenue record store yesterday. I work over at Wax Trax Records and I just wanted to mention one thing that didn’t get…
In 2002, a group of then bandmates and I drove all the way from Grand Junction to Boulder to witness Pinhead Circus’ “last” show. It was an emotional moment for us, as the band, fronted by the larger than life personality Scooter James, was a huge inspiration to us musically,…
Adam Rojo and Nick Salmon aren’t the kind of people that would beat you over the head with their importance or even much push their music on you. It’s nothing new as evidenced by the fact that their previous projects are cult bands at best in certain circles in Denver…
If there was a takeaway from Snoop’s Wellness Retreat, Denver’s now-annual celebration of rap and cannabis, it was this: it can be very, very hard to get people excited when they’re stoned and cold. In between songs and professions of love for Colorado weed, Snoop Dogg and opener A$AP Rocky…
A colorful array of Denverites packed the block for Cervantes 4/20 In The Streets. Following a weekend where police issued 160 citations at 4/20-related events, the security was tight, making people caught smoking immediately put out their joint or pipe. One security guard told the audience they had to stop…
On April 21, the Denver-based electronic-music producer Michal Menert will release his third album, Space Jazz, on the label he recently founded, Super Best Records. The fifteen-track effort will be available as a free download via michalmenert.com. Menert, whose work has been mostly inspired by soul and funk music, has…
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…
New York-based Twin Shadow was scheduled to perform tonight at the Bluebird Theater in Denver. The act’s two tour buses were near E-470 on I-70 early this morning when the one holding crew members collided with a semi tractor trailer. The Aurora Police Department reports that rescue workers took twelve…
Coachella is always thinking of clever ways to make us pick up our damn trash. Their bright-colored, well-labeled trash and recycle bins are everywhere. And in the past, any do-gooder or broke festival-goer could pick up a standard amount of 10 water bottles to trade for a new one to…
Colfax, 4/20 weekend, The Replacements pretty much just got out nearby and there didn’t seem to be much in the way of rowdy after carousing. Other than some curious daytime rush hour action Denver’s streets were pretty mellow and mild with temperatures in the 40s when the time for the…
It’s no secret that Coachella has become a playground for bros, celebutantes and music elitists, but laced within the throngs of entitlement are the survivors who represent the positive side of Coachella culture. Considering the unrepentant cynicism that surrounds Coachella these days, it’s not surprising that our quest took some…
The first Bluebird District Music Festival will take place July 10 to 12 at Bluebird Theater, Goosetown Tavern, Park House, Lost Lake and Southside Bar and Kitchen. This morning, the festival announced its first 22 bands, including a handful of heavy-hitting locals. You can see the list below. A limited number…
Smack!…Smack!….Smack! “Woooo! Coachellaaaaaaaahhh! Gimmie five!” That’s the sound of a loud, burly Kentucky man high-fiving his way through the sunburned Sunday crowd on weekend one of Coachella. Though he appears to be just another dude with a GA wristband, right now he’s feeling more like one of the beloved performers…
Hey! Everyone that just got back from Coachella! Did you have a great time? Did you hear a ton of excellent music? Did you hit up a bunch of hip pool parties, make out with that mega-babe you met in the beer garden, get your new Reformation outfit onto the…
The Disco Biscuits are setting up camp in Denver this weekend, with shows last night, tonight and Saturday at the Ogden and another one at Red Rocks on Friday. That kind of residency is possible thanks to an exceedingly dedicated fan base, which was out in force for the debut…
SXSW is behind us, along with one weekend of Coachella. But the bulk of festival season lies ahead, including several blowout events this week in Denver in honor of 4/20. We were hoping to have a living, breathing fashion expert talk to us about the really fashionable things you’re supposed…
The eighth and final edition of Communikey Festival gets underway starting at 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 16th beginning with Colorado-based ambient artist Radere performing a DJ set at eTown Hall in Boulder. The music and visual art offerings for this year’s festival seems to be something of an amalgam…
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…
University of Colorado student Jannick Anderson was hit by a train outside the grounds of the Coachella music festival over the weekend. He died early Saturday morning, according to the Riverside County Coroner’s Office. Anderson, who was 23 years old, was enrolled in a “non-degree unclassified” program at CU. The…
Wax Trax, an iconic record store here in Denver, will have more vinyl than you can browse through this Saturday, but nothing in stock will be an exclusive Record Store Day release. Because the store sold an exclusive release online for Black Friday, they were contacted by the head of Record…
