Get to Know Voight: A Great Denver Band in the Making

Adam Rojo and Nick Salmon aren’t the kind of people that would beat you over the head with their importance or even much push their music on you. It’s nothing new as evidenced by the fact that their previous projects are cult bands at best in certain circles in Denver…

The Denver Music Summit Aims for Creative Harmony

This year’s Denver Music Summit — the third iteration of the gathering — will be about more than just good music. There will be live performances by local and national artists, yes, but there will also be networking, panels about industry trends and brand enhancement, a presentation by Martin Atkins…

Why I Stopped Drinking at Shows

There weren’t that many instances in my career as a drunk in which I was asked to leave an establishment, but the last time I was 86’d from a bar was definitely the most embarrassing. It was also the most memorable, partly because I wasn’t quite blacked out. Back when…

Has the Novelty of Snoop Dogg’s 4/20 Concerts Worn Off?

If there was a takeaway from Snoop’s Wellness Retreat, Denver’s now-annual celebration of rap and cannabis, it was this: it can be very, very hard to get people excited when they’re stoned and cold. In between songs and professions of love for Colorado weed, Snoop Dogg and opener A$AP Rocky…

The Ten Types of People You Meet at 4/20 in the Streets

A colorful array of Denverites packed the block for Cervantes 4/20 In The Streets. Following a weekend where police issued 160 citations at 4/20-related events, the security was tight, making people caught smoking immediately put out their joint or pipe. One security guard told the audience they had to stop…

The New Albums From EDM Trailblazer Michal Menert Is Out Now

On April 21, the Denver-based electronic-music producer Michal Menert will release his third album, Space Jazz, on the label he recently founded, Super Best Records. The fifteen-track effort will be available as a free download via michalmenert.com. Menert, whose work has been mostly inspired by soul and funk music, has…

Rufus Baxter Could Save the Show

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 SAINT COLE from Fantagraphics books. Last Week’s episode of Rufus…

The Best 4/20 Concerts in Denver

420 in the Streets 12:00pm @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom Jose Gonzalez 8:00pm @ Gothic Theatre Lee “Scratch” Perry 10:30pm @ Cervantes’ Other Side The Infamous Stringdusters 7:00pm @ Boulder Theater Saul Williams 7:00pm @ Marquis Theater Snoop Dogg 5:30pm @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre Billy & the Kids 8:30pm @ Ogden…

Coachella Turned Me Into a Garbage Man

Coachella is always thinking of clever ways to make us pick up our damn trash. Their bright-colored, well-labeled trash and recycle bins are everywhere. And in the past, any do-gooder or broke festival-goer could pick up a standard amount of 10 water bottles to trade for a new one to…

A Quiet Little Colorado 4/20 With a Stoner Metal Legend

Colfax, 4/20 weekend, The Replacements pretty much just got out nearby and there didn’t seem to be much in the way of rowdy after carousing. Other than some curious daytime rush hour action Denver’s streets were pretty mellow and mild with temperatures in the 40s when the time for the…

Meet the Best People at Coachella

It’s no secret that Coachella has become a playground for bros, celebutantes and music elitists, but laced within the throngs of entitlement are the survivors who represent the positive side of Coachella culture. Considering the unrepentant cynicism that surrounds Coachella these days, it’s not surprising that our quest took some…

Bluebird District Music Festival: Initial Lineup Announcement

The first Bluebird District Music Festival will take place July 10 to 12 at Bluebird Theater, Goosetown Tavern, Park House, Lost Lake and Southside Bar and Kitchen. This morning, the festival announced its first 22 bands, including a handful of heavy-hitting locals. You can see the list below. A limited number…

The Sixteen Best Concerts on 4/20 Weekend

Look, not every concert in Denver this weekend is happening because of 4/20. But a hell of a lot are, and some that aren’t directly affiliated with our newfound state plant are…more than coincidental. Either way, it’s a spectacular weekend of live music here in Colorado. Our picks follow.  FRIDAY,…

Meet the Truck-Driving Trio on a Coachella High Five Quest

Smack!…Smack!….Smack! “Woooo! Coachellaaaaaaaahhh! Gimmie five!” That’s the sound of a loud, burly Kentucky man high-fiving his way through the sunburned Sunday crowd on weekend one of Coachella. Though he appears to be just another dude with a GA wristband, right now he’s feeling more like one of the beloved performers…

Why Coachella Weekend Two is Way Better Than Weekend One

Hey! Everyone that just got back from Coachella! Did you have a great time? Did you hear a ton of excellent music? Did you hit up a bunch of hip pool parties, make out with that mega-babe you met in the beer garden, get your new Reformation outfit onto the…

The Short Life of Hot White: One of Denver’s Greatest Bands

Darren Kulback and Kevin Wesley had to be bored living in Parker, Colorado as teenagers. But both were aware of truly underground music from a young age. When Kulback was eleven years old he saw that legendary 2002 tour that featured Lighting Bolt, Arab On Radar, The Locust and Blood…

Photos: The Fans of the Disco Biscuits

The Disco Biscuits are setting up camp in Denver this weekend, with shows last night, tonight and Saturday at the Ogden and another one at Red Rocks on Friday. That kind of residency is possible thanks to an exceedingly dedicated fan base, which was out in force for the debut…

Every New Colorado Concert Announcement

This year’s Mayhem Festival line-up at Red Rocks on Sunday, July 5 includes Slayer, King Diamond, Hellyeah, the Devil Wears Prada, Whitechapel and They Art is Murder. Tickets ($33.33-$99.99) go on sale on Friday, April 17 at 10 a.m.  The KOOL Concert returns to Fiddler’s Green on Sunday, June 14…

The Cynic’s Guide to Music Festival Fashion

SXSW is behind us, along with one weekend of Coachella. But the bulk of festival season lies ahead, including several blowout events this week in Denver in honor of 4/20. We were hoping to have a living, breathing fashion expert talk to us about the really fashionable things you’re supposed…

A Guide to the Final Communikey Festival

The eighth and final edition of Communikey Festival gets underway starting at 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 16th beginning with Colorado-based ambient artist Radere performing a DJ set at eTown Hall in Boulder. The music and visual art offerings for this year’s festival seems to be something of an amalgam…