Concerts

DEERHUNTER at BLUEBIRD THEATER | 9/7/13 The other members of Deerhunter were set up ready to go when Bradford Cox made his way on stage clad in some kind of vest with a lot of buttons and/or patches. He was also wearing a Cramps T-shirt, and that was fitting because…

MGMT @ FILLMORE AUDITORIUM | 9/6/13 There were two distinct, dramatically different moods to MGMT’s set at the Fillmore, and let’s just say that those who came to hear MGMT’s breakthrough hits — bright and peppy synthpop tunes like “Electric Feel,” “Kids” and “Time to Pretend” — were not disappointed,…

MONDAY | ANIMAL COLLECTIVE at OGDEN THEATRE | 9/9/13 Animal Collective’s unconventional rhythms and effervescent guitar sound can be heard in the music of countless indie acts that sprang up after the band formed in 2000. The band’s latest record, 2012’s Centipede Hz, is hailed as a return to form,…

THE HOWLING HEX @ HI-DIVE | 9/5/13 Neil Michael Hagerty didn’t do too much physical emoting last night at the hi-dive, nor did the rest of the Howling Hex. But Hagerty projected his voice evocatively in an almost cartoonish fashion that matched his unusual guitar tones. Maybe he just EQ’d…

MGMT @ FILLMORE AUDITORIUM | FRI, 9/6/13 Back in 2008, at the peak of their Coachella-studded career, Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser were living one dream (deliciously abstract pop art) and singing about another: one rooted in Paris, heroin, cocaine, “elegant cars” and “models for wives,” to quote their festival-friendly…

ARAABMUZIK @ RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATRE (WITH STS9) | FRI, 9/6/13 When it comes to EDM production these days, it seems like it’s all been done before. Just the same, Rhode Island’s AraabMuzik (aka Abraham Orellana) is doing everything he can to shatter any preconceived notions you might have about dance…

JASON ISBELL @ BLUEBIRD THEATER | 9/4/13 Jason Isbell didn’t demand respect last night, but he certainly commanded it with his music. As he played a blistering set at the Bluebird that spanned two hours, the crowd sang along, hooted and hollered out requests, but on multiple occasions the talkers…

No rules. Pay homage to the song. Don’t do too much or too little. These are the three philosophies that the Royal has adhered to since forming over two years ago. “Whatever is effective for the song, pay homage to the song,” frontman Tyler Hayden explains. “Because if the song…

From his time in the groundbreaking mutant garage-punk band Pussy Galore in the late ’80s to his long-running stint with outlaw experimentalists Royal Trux, Neil Michael Hagerty has long been a pioneering musician in the world of guitar rock. Ever since Trux split in the early part of the last…

Thanks to those Mumford and Avett chaps, donning vests, suspenders, fedoras and derby caps is as fashionable lately as making music with acoustic guitars, mandolins, banjos and fiddles seems to be. But while the members of the Monocle Band seem (based on their press photos) to have a kindred fashion…

F.Lawless, of Foodchain, makes his solo debut on Limbo. This cohesive collection of ambient tones, soulful sounds and soft harmonies provides a relaxing backdrop against which the MC can flex his lyrical abilities. F.Lawless rhymes with a notably cool demeanor on tracks like “For Real Though” and “Riding Shotty,” both…

Looking to make a more professionally produced album that might be more radio-friendly, Elephant Revival teamed up with producer Ryan Hadlock, who’s worked with the Lumineers and Brandi Carlile, to make These Changing Skies. While the thirteen-track album certainly sounds better than previous efforts, the songs are better as well;…

On Skeleton’s title track, Red Fox Run’s songwriting shows considerable growth, displaying a flair for dynamics and bombast and resulting in the kind of power pop made by acts like the Sweet. “Lucky Sevens,” meanwhile, is imbued with jittery energy, sounding like the work of a latter-day post-punk band with…

PENTAGRAM @ SNOWBOARD ON THE BLOCK | SAT, 9/14/13 If you’ve seen Last Days Here, you’re familiar with the frustrating tale of Pentagram. Formed in Virginia in the early ’70s, the pioneering psychedelic metal band should have, by all accounts, realized massive worldwide fame. Instead, success evaded the outfit, thanks…

GOLDRUSH MUSIC FESTIVAL @ SIDEWINDER & CRASH 45 | 9/27-9/28 In its third year, Goldrush Music Festival will again feature some of the most intriguing experimental artists in the world of underground music today, including Noveller, led by Sarah Lipstate, who as a member of Parts & Labor helped usher…

ALT-J @ FILLMORE AUDITORIUM | THURS, 9/5/13 With prime slots at this year’s Coachella and millions of YouTube views, Alt-J is one of the hottest emerging acts in the country right now on the strength of its latest effort, The Lateness of the Hour. Alt-J sold out the Bluebird last…

PHISH @ DICK’S SPORTING GOODS PARK | 9/1/13 One of the best things about Phish playing Dick’s on Labor Day Weekend is that each night you get treated to a good, juicy, late summer, Colorado sunset pre-show, and then you get to see two whole sets of Kuroda’s light show,…

PHISH @ DICK’S SPORTING GOODS PARK | 8/31/13 I guess we do really all love Dick’s. For the first time last night, Phish sold out Dick’s Sporting Goods Stadium, which can hold up to 26,000. Not too bad for some goofy dudes who have never had a hit song. Many…

PHISH @ DICK’S SPORTING GOODS PARK | 8/30/13 The night started with a familiar sight in the Denver skies last night over the Phish show at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park — the airplane that local grow supply store chain Way to Grow usually has flying overhead at concerts with its…

KID CUDI & TYLER, THE CREATOR @ RED ROCKS | MON, 9/16/13 Kid Cudi headlines this all-star lineup fresh off the release of his most recent, polarizing release, Indicud. Though his decision to self-produce has rubbed some the wrong way, he remains one of the premier hookmen in the rap…