Concerts

[jump] 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 YOUTH IS WASTED. Last Week’s episode • BACKBEAT’S GREATEST…

Willie Lewis was a wild musical legend, a collector of supernatural talent, a label head of uncompromising values and, by some estimations, the best rockabilly singer of his generation. The Colorado native died earlier this year, and at his funeral, friends were still at a loss for words to capture…

Unlike a few of the other area record stores, Black & Read doesn’t have many shows. So when a band does play at the store, it’s kind of a special occasion, especially when it features legendary ’70s psychedelic hard rock band Medusa. This was one of only a handful of…

Halfway through the Pizza Underground’s set at the packed Marquis Theater, something strange happened. Most of the band departed the stage and flannel-clad one member stepped up, and started playing straight Nirvana covers. The songs might have contained some wordplay or puns, like all The Pizza Underground songs do (which…

Thanksgiving. A holiday full of food, football, family fights about politics and awkward run-ins with high-school exes. It’s a wonderful American tradition. But this year, instead of waiting until midday Thursday to bond and drink and eventually argue with your relatives, take your great aunt, step-uncle and second cousin to…

Kevie Durham (aka KL Tha General) was making strides in Denver’s hip-hop scene. This week, in fact, he was headed to Atlanta to work with some artists and industry people there. But that’s a trip he’ll never take: Durham’s life was cut short Saturday night in a shooting outsideThe Beach…

A few hours after the Broncos barely beat the Dolphins, The Beach Nightclub just a stone’s throw from Mile High Stadium is mostly empty. The tailgaters and fans and revelers have all departed, leaving just under a dozen Manning jersey-clad people all huddled in one part of the spacious club…

When bands take to the road to tour in support of a new album, they play a lot of shows in a lot of different venues –some small, some cavernous, all of them unique. The trick is to adapt to the room, so that the songs connect with the audience…

[jump] 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 YOUTH IS WASTED. Last Week’s episode! • BACKBEAT’S GREATEST…

You may remember the shirt-disappearing epidemic we reported on toward the end of the summer. We have, of course, been monitoring the situation, but it appeared to be contained in Morrison. Canadian “ClubStep” duo Adventure Club made a stop at the 1STBANK Center over the weekend. AND GUESS WHAT HAPPENED?…

Solid weekend of shows here in town, with legends like Death From Above 1979 playing in Boulder and Dinosaur Jr.’s J. Mascis playing a pair of nights at Larmier Lounge. The rest of our picks follow. See also: 50 Photos That Prove Red Rocks Is the Most Beautiful Venue on…

Goosetown Tavern has a new owner: Chris Swank, who has a long history in Denver music. He’s taking over the bar from the Wynkoop Brewing Company, and he did a “low-key remodel,” adding a stage and sound system installed by Event Production Services in the back room where local bands…

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 soundtrack is officially out in anticipation of the film release Friday. As is increasingly common practice for these types of blockbusters, it features a ridiculous array of music talent — Lorde, Stromae, Pusha T, Q-Tip and HAIM are all on the first track. But…

After spending a couple of years at Beauty Bar, the long-tenured monthly Mile High Soul Club has found a new home at Syntax Physic Opera. Syntax Physic Opera is a much different aesthetic than Beauty Bar, but the space has been hosting music nights and performances ever since it opened…

[jump] 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 YOUTH IS WASTED. Last Week’s Episode of Rufus Baxter…

Fresh off a two-week tour, Itchy-O was still clearly in well-toned performance condition on Saturday night at the Mercury Cafe. The band has always had a strong physical presence, and that, coupled with its mysterious, musical cultist appearance, means the thirty-plus member outfit is impossible to ignore or forget. But…

Before Shovels and Rope performed Saturday night at the Ogden Theatre, the crowd there was trying to claim them. There was plenty of discussion about the potential Colorado roots of husband-and-wife-duo Michael Trent and Carry Ann Herst, who champion Charleston, South Carolina as their hometown. See also: Eleven Famous Musicians…

Weather is happening, people. We won’t bore you with it — you can figure that stuff out pretty easily. But there are some excellent shows, including the release of Snake Rattle Rattle Snake’s excellent new one, Totem. You can also see Dance Party Time Machine at the Ogden and a…

The Black Keys returned to Denver last night and took over the Pepsi Center for an hour of pop-infused rock and blues. The Black Keys have rocketed from playing small clubs to playing arenas in the past couple of years, mostly driven by the highly deserved success of their 2010…

Michal Menert is called the Godfather of Pretty Lights Music by his fans. When he is on stage, he sports a Henley Fedora hat and a suit jacket. On special occasions, a three-piece full suit will come out complete with a vest. “If I’m going to make music that I…