Sole Launches a New DIY Label in Denver

It’s been five years since MC and activist Tim Holland, aka Sole, parted ways with the seminal hip-hop label Anticon, which he co-founded. In the interim, he moved to Denver and has been focusing on his own music. But now he’s back with a new imprint: Black Box Tapes. Holland…

Every New Denver Concert Announcement

Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals, who will reunite for the tour in seven years, will be at Red Rocks on Tuesday, September 15. Tickets ($45-$55) go on sale on Friday, February 27 at 10 a.m.  Four-time Grammy winner Sam Smith, who headlined 1STBANK Center last month, will play at…

A Golden Era For Creativity in Colorado

City Hall was packed this weekend for Westword’s Artopia, which featured highlights from the Denver art, fashion and music scene. On four stages throughout the venue, musicians ranging from the Reminders to members of the Colorado Symphony Orchestra.  The event showcased the collaboration between artists, both within Denver and outside…

Cody ChesnuTT Will Debut a Denver Collaboration at Artopia

Artopia, Westword’s annual celebration of art, culture and fashion, returns to City Hall this Saturday, February 21. In addition to plenty of visual artists and the Whiteout fashion show, the event will feature some highlights from Colorado’s music scene — this year, over a dozen groups and artists will perform on four…

Denver Music TV Series Aims to Capture “Intimate and Inspiring” Moments

Now Playing, a multi-media collaboration between Denver Film Company, Black Shirt Brewing and several Denver musicians, premiers Saturday, Feb. 21 at 10 PM on CPTV 12.  The debut show will be thirty minutes long and feature Denver band Covenhoven. Future episodes will feature Sawmill Joe, R.L. Cole, Haunted Wind Chimes, Glowing House, The Centennial, Strange Americans,…

The Ten Best Concerts in Denver This Weekend

We’re celebrating all that makes Denver’s art scene this weekend with Artopia. Other great shows this weekend include the second night of the Dirty Few’s release show at the hi-dive, Motion City Soundtrack at the Gothic and more.  The rest of our picks follow.  Nicholas Payton Trio When: Thu., Feb. 19…

Live @ Higher Ground Is More Than a Music Video Series

When Jahna and Jason Eichel opened Fort Collin’s first rehearsal space, Higher Ground Rehearsal Studios, in November, they  envisioned a collaboration with a production company to create “behind the scenes” videos from the music studio. And now, they’ve done just that. This weekend, the third episode of Live @ Higher Ground…

Interview: Dr. Dog Explains How It Stays Scrappy

Dr. Dog rolls into Denver to play the Ogden Theater on Thursday, February 19 in the thick of a three-month tour that began January 9 with “4×4,” an eight-show Brooklyn and Manhattan run. The energetic and soulful Philadelphia indie-rock stalwart, whose best tunes juxtapose the Beatles and the Band, is…

Pitbull and His Pelvis Outshine Enrique Iglesias in Denver

It makes no sense to me that I love Pitbull so much — he’s this lizard-like pop star, a dude who, over the last decade, has made a name for himself by throwing gnarly verses about not-very-consensual-sounding sex acts with women into the middle of mindless, often bland club-bangers. Yet…

Legendary Guitarist Jorma Kaukonen on the Value of Making Mistakes

Jorma Kaukonen helped shape the sound of early West Coast psychedelic rock with his innovative guitar work. As a founding member of Jefferson Airplane, he brought a delicacy of feeling to the music that gave the songwriting greater depth. But he didn’t start out very confident in his abilities. “When…

New Band Practice Spaces Coming to Fort Collins

Fort Collins bands will soon have a new place to practice. Cohere Bandwidth, at 265 Linden Street in Old Town, comprises 24/7 rent-by-the-hour rehearsal spaces that were inspired by the creativity and camaraderie found in music. They were also inspired by thieves. In December 2012, Shane Zweygardt of the Fort…

DJ J’Adore on Artopia and Why We’re Lucky to Be in Denver

Artopia, Westword’s annual celebration of art, culture and fashion, returns to City Hall on February 21. In addition to plenty of visual artists and the Whiteout fashion show, the event will feature some highlights from Colorado’s music scene — this year, over a dozen groups and artists will perform on four stages…

Swallow Hill Music Opens New Satellite Location in the Highlands

Swallow Hill Music announced this month its expansion into the Highlands neighborhood in northwest Denver. With classes to be held in Highlands United Methodist Church at 3131 Osceola Street, starting March 2nd, Swallow Hill is holding an open house on Thursday, February 26th from 4 to 7 p.m.. The revered…

Red Rocks Is (Almost) a National Historic Landmark

In all likelihood, Red Rocks will soon be a National Historic Landmark. That would be particularly gratifying for the group Friends of Red Rocks., which has been trying to get the designation for the park since 1999. “People thought it was a historic landmark already because it has been treated that way,”…

When a Stranger Offers Exposure in the Woods

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. …