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…
There’s a lot of distinct sounds echoing through a vast warehouse hidden at the end of residential street in Englewood: the scraping of wood against metal, the gut-wrenching thud of bodies hitting plywood, the rolling of wheels on concrete, and on a raised stage, the voice of the lead singer…
Many months ago I was hired by a national music magazine to write a feature on Old Man Gloom, a supergroup of sorts featuring members of Converge, Cave In, Zozobra, Doomriders, Isis, Mammifer and more. I agreed and called the appropriate PR person to get a copy of their upcoming…
Back in June, it was announced that part of the Ruby Hill Park revitalization project was to turn part of the space into a 7,500-person ampitheater. In a public-private partnership, the City of Denver and Levitt Pavilion Denver (one of several philanthropy projects supported by the Levitt Foundation, which has…
Pollstar is the most well-known trade publication for the live music industry, so its annual awards are worth taking seriously. So congratulations to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Brown Note Productions, the two Colorado representatives on this year’s ballot. Telluride is up for Music Festival of the Year, and Brown…
When I was first asked if I wanted to cover a Weedmaps event at which Afroman was the featured guest, thirteen-year-old Taylor died a little bit on the inside. I was taken back to the good old days of middle school, and recalled the first time I ever smoked weed,…
Surfside 7 has been a staple in the Fort Collins bar and music scene for the past fifteen years. The Old Town haunt is a favorite for local musicians and thirsty patrons alike, but after the new year, they’ll have to find the venue in its new location, “just around…
In 1973, Gram Parsons went on tour with his band, the Fallen Angels. That tour, which only lasted six weeks, has become something of a legend for fans of authentic country music. Local musician Casey James Prestwood, and his backing band The Burning Angels, paid tribute to the tour, song…
The hi-dive is the kind of place where you’ll be chatting with your friend near the bar and turn to see that the guitar player from the stage has decided to play his solo right behind you. It’s the kind of place where a band will hand out inflatable swords…
John Dwyer is a pioneer. He forged his way through the wilderness of the West so we could drive across it years later with ease. We may not think of him as we careen down I-70, but his footprints are there. We couldn’t have done it without him. That may…
[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. • BACKBEAT’S GREATEST HITS • -…
Once again, we bring you a selection of live music events happening in or around Denver, selected not completely randomly from the many excellent choices. Go out and watch some bands. It’s good for the body and soul. See also: Denver’s Ten Best Small Venues…
Chimney Choir is in the middle of an indiegogo campaign to help fund the recording of its new album. But instead of posting Facebook statuses asking friends and strangers for a few bucks, the band, true to their experimental pop nature, decided to get creative. See also: Seven of Denver’s…
Denver is a music haven, there’s no debating it. The city is constantly referred to when people talk about vibrant music scenes and collaborative spirits, and is full of some damn good artists. It even has more venues than “live music capital of the world” Austin, TX. The benefit of…
The Misfits may not have Glen Danzig anymore, but Jerry Only manages alright with a re-formed version of the band, which brought out a wide array of horror-movie punk fans to Summit Music Hall last night. Photographer Eric Gruneisen was there to capture smiles and scowls alike. See also: Ten…
The Loudwire Music Festival, named for the rock site of the same name, will launch next June in Grand Junction. Linkin Park will headline, and promoter Townsquare Media, which also owns Loudwire, promises a lineup featuring “all genres of rock — hard, classic, alternative, metal and indie.” See also: 25…
Last week we brought you the news that a bust of John Denver, on loan to the Colorado Music Hall of Fame by the legendary singer’s estate, had been stolen from the 1STBANK Center. When security at the venue realized the bust was missing, they filed a report with the…
For the past few months, we’ve been working on a comic strip story here and in the pages of Westword titled “Rufus Baxter: The Oldest Unknown Rock Star.” The story took a leap forward with the full-page installment found in this week’s issue of the newspaper, and when it is…
One of Boulder’s most promising new art spaces is Dead Leaf, founded by Tom Abraham and Colin Wilcox. Abraham is soft-spoken, every careful word seeming to come from an organized mind that, in the case of setting up events at Dead Leaf, is focused on smoothness and detail. In contrast,…
[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…
