Concerts

It is no secret that rent in Denver is climbing rapidly — so much so, in fact, that some artists feel they can no longer afford to live in the city. The Arts & Venues department of the city’s government wants to help. Together with the Minneapolis-based nonprofit Artspace, it…

The last time we talked to Guy Gerber (in 2012), the up-and-coming electronic music producer and DJ told us about his new project with P.Diddy, 11:11 — which was just released this year. Gerber will be back in Denver to play a show at Beta this Saturday night, December 20;…

The last major electronic show I attended was Porter Robinson’s World’s tour. The 21-year-old DJ used to be known for his wild drops and ultra-fast techno sounds, as heard in his 2011 hit single Spitfire. But in his newest album, he uses sampling to thread together beautiful melodies with gut-wrentching…

On November 17, Denver City Council passed an ordinance establishing AXS, a ticketing company co-owned by Anschutz Entertainment Group, as the exclusive ticketing provider from January 1, 2015, until December 31, 2019, for venues owned by the City of Denver. You can read all 47 thrilling pages of the agreement…

More changes are coming to Globeville’s nightlife scene. Just a few weeks after the Sidewinder Tavern went on the market, Crash 45 announced last night that this would be its last few days in operation. The bar, which was the Portulaca Cafe and then the White Owl before metal artist…

Stage security has been a contentious issue in the decade since the death of Pantera guitarist “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott. Lamb Of God vocalist Randy Blythe was famously cleared of manslaughter in Czech Republic after a fan died from complications of a stage diving injury in 2010. More recently, NOFX vocalist…

It’s another big week for live music in Denver. Be sure to catch Esme Patterson at the Bluebird on Wednesday, and head back the next night for Minneapolis rapper P.O.S. The rest of our picks follow. See also: 50 Ways to Support Your DIY Music Community…

Kicking off early with relatively short sets from Youth Code, Haujobb and Front Line Assembly, this weekend’s Skinny Puppy show at the Ogden Theater seemed refreshingly succinct. And everyone, crowd and performers alike, seemed in good spirits. It was mostly electronic music, but what sets these particular artists apart from…

Halfway through Shakey Graves’s final Denver show of the weekend, he decided to bring out “a local badass” by the name of Gregory Alan Isakov. Together, with local fiddler Jeb Bows, they performed a cover of Townes Van Zandt’s “Colorado Girl” that left few dry eyes in the sold-out Bluebird…

[jump] Editor’s note: Each week, illustrator Noah Van Sciver shares his ongoing story of an 80’s 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 YOUTH IS WASTED. Last week’s episode of Rufus Baxter…

Another huge weekend in Denver, including the second and third sold-out Shakey Graves shows at the Bluebird. Elsewhere, pop god Fleetwood Mac plays the Pepsi Center and doom hero Pallbearer is in town on Sunday. The rest of our picks follow…

Yesterday brought upon us the birthday of the late, great, sir Donald Byrd. Mr. Byrd passed away on February 4th, 2013 at the age of 80. He is celebrated as one of the most influential jazz trumpeters to emerge from the bebop era, and his career spanned more than forty…

Giants & Pilgrims is one part music, one part artwork, one part online community. But the easiest way to understand the project is to think of it as the Coons family scrapbook. “There were times in my life where I felt giant, I felt mountainous, I felt big,” says Tim…

Beloved Denver band Flashbulb Fires is officially no more. “Today is the end of an era for us,” the band wrote on their Facebook page and web site early yesterday morning. See also: Quickly Rising Colorado Band You, Me & Apollo Is Breaking Up…

Spoon is a Texas band, meaning it carries with it a certain pride and ambition that never really allows it to settle down. Britt Daniel and his bandmates produce the kind of music in which every pop, squeak, cymbal hit and second of silence matters. Every noise and lack thereof…

[jump] Editor’s note: Each week, illustrator Noah Van Sciver shares his ongoing story of an 80’s 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 YOUTH IS WASTED. Last Week’s episode! • BACKBEAT’S GREATEST…

Shakey Graves’ remarkable three nights of sold-out shows at the Bluebird kicks off midway through this week. There are plenty more good ones to tide you over before a busy weekend, including Suicidal Tendencies and Blackalicious. Our picks follow. See also: 50 Photos That Prove Red Rocks Is the Most…

Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom became a music venue in 2003, but the building is much older, having served as the “Casino Cabernet” as early as the 1920s. In the years since it started hosting bands, it has expanded with an additional stage, known as The Other Side, an outdoor patio, all…

What are you doing New Year’s Eve? Our annual New Year’s Guide, coming in the December 18 issue of Westword, will be full of suggestions for how to ring in the new year with style — and, with any luck, some great music. This is our last call for information…

When the subterranean club Wicked Garden opened in 2008 it felt like a New Orleans mansion with its darkly baroque decor, but after Corridor 44 owner Brian Siffermann took over the spot he gave it a significant makeover in decor and layout. Tonight, he’s opening it has the Crimson Room:…