Concerts

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…

There’s a sign posted near the front door of the hi-dive that lists Esme Patterson as the headliner. The opener is listed simply as “Friends of Esme.” There have been rumors and even informal announcements about which friends those might be, but all the crowd filling the dark room on…

Ivory Circle’s five-song debut EP, Entropy, was a poignant and heartfelt effort that showcased Connie Hong’s strong songwriting skills while also demonstrating the dynamism of her vocals, which can be wispy and delicate at times and quite powerful at others. Equilateral, the first of a three-EP series to be released,…

It’s evident from the start on Euforquestra’s fourteen-track LP, Fire, that the cats in this sextet are serious about the funk. The Fort Collins-by-way-of-Iowa City act kicks into gear on the up-tempo, groove-heavy opening cut, “The Price Is Right,” and follows up with the sticky funk of the title track…

If IDM artists like Plaid and Squarepusher had access to less complicated equipment and were born in the 1990s, they might come up with something like Lockbox’s Prince Soul Grenade. Is it composition? Cut-and-paste? Sound collage? It sounds like all of the above, with each song constantly shifting in texture,…

Deep Dreams can be viewed as a semi-transitional album for Sara Century, as it was written in part after she started incorporating keyboards and samples into her songwriting. Still intact, however, are the imaginative, demented stories that recall early-’80s Residents records. “iveknownyouforsolonggg” has a somber, spacious quality, like that of…

When Kava Lounge opens at 1915 Broadway in Boulder near the end of April, it will be the first of its kind in Denver’s northwest neighbor. It will be open seven days per week and until 5 a.m. on Thursday through Saturday night (Sunday morning, really). Anyone over 18 years…

I love electronic music. I love the sound, the artists, the parties, the people, the scene — in fact, I’m into pretty much everything about this particular genre of music. But there’s one thing about electronica that I’m really, really not into. At all. It’s the term “EDM.” I hate…

So news is spreading quickly about this year’s Mad Decent Block Party, a fledgling festival tour heretofore specializing in the kinds of hip-hop and dance acts whose members were likely to be wearing floral print hats. It was mostly found in large clubs with outdoor spaces, that sort of thing…

Some of SnowBall’s best artists weren’t even on stage. Among the young and the variably sober in the crowd on Saturday was a small group of artists, busily painting murals. They were situated between the two main stages, putting the eight-by-twelve feet wooden canvases at maximum visibility. The goal was…