Concerts

The most superfluous smoke machine in the world was employed during Wiz Khalifa’s 4/20 set at Red Rocks. Partway through the Pittsburgh rapper’s performance, someone backstage turned on the thing, and its output was immediately subsumed into the cloud of pot smoke cascading down from the stands. There’s weed at…

Even diehard rap fans will tell you: There’s something about recorded rap music that often doesn’t translate well to the stage. It makes sense for a lot of artists; for those who rely on a carefully chosen vocabulary, much of what makes an artist great can get completely lost in…

OM is often lumped in with the genres of “stoner rock” and “doom metal,” and it seems likely to be not coincidental that its tour ended on April 20th in Colorado. But the band’s 4/20 show did not seem to have either a stoner or doom vibe to it. Washingtonians…

Oakland resident Kimchi Truong was 24. She passed out on the Coachella grounds last weekend, likely due to an overdose. Her death, Thursday, was shocking. But what’s really shocking is that this kind of thing doesn’t happen more often. This story is about very young people doing a shit-ton of…

A year ago, local music icon and ColfaxAvenue.com webmaster Jonny Barber released the first volume of his Colfax-themed compilation that included acts like Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, Five Iron Frenzy and Andy Palmer. Now Barber is set to release the second installment of the Colfax Compilation on Tuesday, April 22,…

Clyfford Still was one of the 20th century’s most innovative artists. That doesn’t mean the artist didn’t have a love for music. Still’s fondness for blues, jazz, classical music and more is part of the inspiration behind the live performance series set to hit his eponymous Denver museum this summer…

Riot Fest expanded its reach to Colorado last year, bringing The Replacements, Guided By Voices, FLAG and many more to May Farms. The Chicago-based festival, celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, will return to Denver this fall with the help of local concert promotion company Soda Jerk Presents. Riot Fest…

As one half of the propulsive rock band In the Whale, Nate Valdez spends his nights moving crowds in darkened bars. But by day, he works as a mortician, preparing bodies for funerals. It’s an occupation once held by his grandfather. Read the rest of his story in this week’s…

Over the weekend, the Summit Music Conference and Showcase took over Casselman’s for a day. A panel consisting of people with ties to Sirius/XM Radio, Warner Music, Atlantic Records and more discussed ways artists in Denver can help the hip-hop scene ascend to new heights. There are those in Denver…

The members of Steele and Colfax are indebted to one of Denver’s most unique stretches of road. Indeed, it only takes looking at the title of the quartet to get a sense of their local roots. The place where the band played their first rehearsals is right there in the…

Colorado has been under the microscope of international media since legalizing recreational marijuana. With that recognition comes the influx of tourism; people flocking to the mile high state to try out some of the tastiest ganja the world has ever seen. But, it also means our celebration on April 20…

Governor John Hickenlooper has been insisting that Denver has more music venues than Austin since he was mayor of Denver. It’s an interesting claim. But is it true? The two cities aren’t bad for comparison’s sake. The population of the city of Denver is a little over 634,000 people, with…

Coachella’s first weekend was amazing this year! Except when it wasn’t. Here are the parts of the festival that rubbed us the wrong way. Saturday Night dust storm (above) Conditions may not have been as bad as they were during last year’s Red Hot Chili Peppers set, but Saturday night’s…

Paul Westerberg wasn’t exactly thrilled to be in the Southern California desert last night. “Headed out to San Francisco, definitely not L.A.,” he once sang. During his latest reunion show with The Replacements – at Coachella – he often mocked the audience, whom he quickly deemed insufficiently familiar with the…

There are some great shows this week. That new Phantogram record is excellent, and Shakey Graves is the Real Deal by most any definition. But let’s not kid ourselves. The main event this week is Sunday. Why Sunday? I can’t figure it out. Easter, I think. Must be Easter. A…

Most music festivals don’t have a specific conceptual guiding principal behind them. But for Communikey 2014, the phrase “Take Time,” which was featured in the well-designed schedule and map. As they explained it, the demands of the modern world have created a climate of artificial boredom, overtaxed reserves of emotional…

Hidden down in a convention hall of a nondescript hotel off the highway north of Denver was a record lover’s paradise this weekend: the Denver Record Collectors Spring Expo. At the convention hall all day Sunday were dozens of vendors, each selling thousands of records, CDs and more. This wasn’t…

As a dusty wind whipped behind her in hazy stage light, Solange and her ultra slick backing band brought serious chops and swagger to the polo fields as nighttime fell over Coachella. And then Beyonce showed up on stage dancing to “Losing You.” It was the first celebrity big surprise…

Did you know that, for some people, Coachella represents a big ol’ Alcoholics Anonymous meeting? Since 2009, New Orleans couple Bob Johnson and Jane Smith (not their real names) have led 12 step meetings on the festival grounds for those who, like themselves, are in recovery. They call their group…

Ever since sunshine acid saturated Woodstock back in 1969, music festivals and recreational pharmaceuticals have gone together like wine and cheese. Which is why we’d like to recommend a few pairings for those so chemically inclined, a fine list of musical acts coupled with good stuff sure to provide complementary…