Update (8/25): Just got the drop on a late night party hosted by MySpace at Mile High Station featuring Nelly. Hold on. Before you start Googling Mile High Station, you should know that this event, a salute to the screen actor's guild, is another invite-only shindig.
Update (8/22): Welp, looks like the rumors were true. Flobots and the Railbenders are indeed performing at the DNC Media Party at Elitch's. The "as-yet-to-be-determined act" mentioned below: Debajo Del Agua. Kanye West is reportedly slated to perform on Tuesday night at a function sponsored by the One campaign and the RIAA at the Exdo Events Center. Oh, and, finally, this isn't necessarily event related, but it's still pretty cool: Just found out Bun B will be in Denver, live blogging for MTV and assisting BET with voter registration.
Update (8/21): Okkerville River, MURS and Jill Sobule have been added to Monday night's Cinemocracy bill at Red Rocks. We've also received word from the Boulder Theater that Public Enemy's show has been moved to Wednesday night. That's according to promoter, Mad Society Project, whose reportedly hashing out details with the band. Both daily fishwraps, however, are reporting that PE will be a no show next week altogether (straight from the lips of Chuck D. himself, evidently), including Tuesday's performance at Civic Center. Stay tuned. We'll post more details as they become available.
In this week's issue, we put together a partial list of DNC-related events. After the jump, we've compiled a more comprehensive rundown of what's going down next week. Keep checking back as we'll be updating this space continually with any new information or events. -- Dave Herrera
SATURDAY, AUGUST 23
What: DNC Media Party Where: Elitch Gardens Details: We've heard that this kickoff event will feature performances by the Flobots, the Railbenders and a third, as-yet-to-be-determined act -- though city officials refuse to confirm this. Odds of Getting In: Slim and none, unless you’re one of the 15,000 credentialed members of the media, 6,000 delegates, alternates or assorted Democratic VIPs
What: After 5 Jazz & Blues Festival Where: Five Points (26th & Welton streets) Details: This multi-day festival, which runs from Saturday, August 23, through Friday, August 29, is geared toward smooth-jazz fans and boasts a lineup that includes Gerald Albright, George Duke, Hugh Masakela, Warren Hill, Kirk Whalum, Walter Beasley, Pieces of a Dream, Jeffrey Osborne, Jonathan Butler, Maysa and Kurt Carr, among many others. (For more information, go to DenverJazzFestival2008.com.) Odds of Getting In: Excellent. Tickets range from $59 to $119. If you’ve got the dough, you should be good to go.
What: Slim Cessna’s Auto Club and Ghost Buffalo Where: Bluebird Theater, 9 p.m. Details: Aside from distinguished social agitator and Boulder alum Jello Biafra as the MC, this show doesn’t really have anything to do with the DNC, near as we can tell. Even so, with Slim and Munly and the boys playing songs from their exceptional new record, Cipher, this could be the closest you can come to having a religious experience in the Mile High City without scoring tickets to see Obama make his acceptance speech at Invesco. Odds of Getting In: Excellent, unless it sells out.
What: DISCOBAMA Where: Shag Lounge, 9 p.m. Nightly through Saturday, August 30 Details: This weeklong party runs from Saturday through Saturday and will feature performances from DJs Hot to Death (aka Matt Fecher, Monolith curator), Michael Trundle, Tyler Jacobson, Soup, as well as live music from Young Coyotes, Joshua Novak, the Chain Gang of 1974, Cat-A-Tac, the Everything Absent or Distorted all-stars), Rabbit is a Sphere, Magic Mice, Laylights, the Kissing Party and other guests TBA. (For more information, visit: MySpace.com/discobama Odds of Getting In: Excellent. This is where the in-the-know locals will most likely congregate during the DNC.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 24
What: Funk the War Where: City of Cuernavaca Park (20th Street and Little Raven), 5-7:30 p.m. Details: This is the first in a series of events being put together by the Tent State folks. Starting from four points of the city at 1 p.m. (Union Station, the MEP center on 19th and Stout, the Denver Skate Park and Curtis Park), activists will make their way to the 16th Street Mall, where they’ll dance and play instruments as a way of expressing their opposition to current war efforts, then head to City of Cuernavaca Park for a concert featuring Ryan Harvey, Fulcrum, David Rovics and Son of Nun. Odds of Getting In: Excellent. All of Tent State’s events are free.
What: Friends of New Orleans All-Star Jam-Balaya Where: Fillmore Auditorium, 7 p.m. Details: Great googly moogly, this is one stellar lineup! After playing a private DNC welcome party at the convention center earlier in the day, Tab Benoit’s Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars will share a bill with a reconstituted Meters featuring Zigaboo Modeliste, George Porter Jr. and Leo Nocentelli, bolstered by guests Allen Toussaint, Terrance Blanchard, Henry Butler, Walter “Wolfman” Washington and Randy Newman. Harry Shearer will host the event, and Victor Dixon will also be on hand to offer up a few selections from the musical Brother Ray: The Life, the Loves and the Music of Ray Charles, which is set to debut on Broadway next year. Odds of Getting In: Got a spare $500? This is a fundraiser, and that’s how much loot you’ll have to part with for the distinct privilege of seeing this incredible show. Given the lineup, there’s bound to be an unbelievably high demand for tickets. Go to www.FriendsOfNewOrleans.org to see if you can still get some.
MONDAY, AUGUST 25
What: Festival of Democracy Where: Civic Center Park (Broadway and Bannock), 3 p.m. Details: This free concert will feature performances from Savage Family, Dinigunim, DJ Cavern, Moetavation, DJ Asar Heru, Karma, Whiskey Blanket, Midstate Music and Dario Rosa. The event, as with all of the others sponsored by Re-create 68, will also include some guest speakers and poets (Isis, Ladyspeech, Bianca, Lucifury, Allende and Bobby LeFebre), as well as offering free food, free institution building and political training and access to a free 24-hour medical clinic. Odds of Getting In: Excellent. It’s free and open to the public.
What: Cinemocracy Rocks Where: Red Rocks, 6 p.m. Details: Presented by GOOD magazine and sponsored by the Denver 2008 Host Committee, the Denver Film Society and the Denver Office of Cultural Affairs, Cinemocracy Rocks will offer a batch of the best films submitted by independent filmmakers, as well as perfromances from those amiable friends of The Colbert Report and masters of pop, the Apples in Stereo. Okkerville River, MURS and Jill Sobule. Odds of Getting In: Excellent. If you’re willing to part with $20, you’ll gain entry to the festival, as well as one-year subscription to GOOD. All proceeds will benefit the Denver Film Society; go to www.cinemocracy.org for more info.
What: Rock the Vote Ballot Bash Where: Ellie Caulkins Opera House, 10 p.m. Details: This is probably the week’s most pop-star-studded bill, with a lineup that includes Fall Out Boy, N.E.R.D. and Jakob Dylan. (Wyclef Jean was initially touted as confirmed for this show but is no longer included in any mentions of it by Rock the Vote’s publicist and isn’t listed on the website.) After the show, Nick Cannon will man the decks at an after-party in the Grant Chambers salon in the basement of the Ellie. Odds of Getting In: Moderate to difficult? Ticket information is scarce. We do know that this is a fundraiser, and there’s ample use of the term “lucky” on the website with regard to attending. For what it’s worth, when we requested credentials several weeks ago, we were told that while we couldn’t be guaranteed a seat, we were on the list. Whatever that means. To see if you can get lucky, visit www.RockTheVote.com/rocktheconvention.
What: Women for Peace Concert Where: Cuernavaca Park, 6:30 p.m. Details: Women for Peace is presented by Code Pink, an insurgent, grassroots, female-centric organization united in its opposition of the war in Iraq, working toward peace and social justice. Fittingly, this show comprises a cast of strong, iconoclastic female performers led by Michelle Shocked and Jill Sobule, with (local fans take note) the return of Melissa Ivey. Odds of Getting In: Excellent. Like all of the other Tent State events, it’s free.
What: Invitation Only Event Sponsored by Headcount.org Where: Ogden Theatre Details: As indicated above, this is an invite-only event that will feature performances from Robert Randolf and Matthew Moon. Odds of Getting In: Um, yeah, probably not.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 26
What: Etown Where: Temple Hoyne Buell Theater Details: If you're familiar with the normal incarnation of ETown, this is just like that -- only on steroids. Nick and Helen Forster's guests for this extremely special, up-close and personal edition of the show includes Irma Thomas, Tom Morello, James Taylor, David Crosby, Graham Nash and Ani DiFranco. Odds of Getting In: None. This event is sold out.
What: Festival of Democracy Where: Civic Center Park (Broadway and Bannock), 2 p.m. Details: This free concert will feature performances from Public Enemy, Debajo del Agua, DKO, Melanie Susaras Band, Rebel Diaz, the Night Kitchen, From the Depths and Black Sheep Brigade. The event, as with all of the others sponsored by Re-create 68, will also include some guest speakers and poets (Isis, Ladyspeech, Bianca, Lucifury, Allende and Bobby LeFebre), as well as offering free food, free institution building and political training and access to a free 24-hour medical clinic. Odds of Getting In: Excellent. It’s free and open to the public.
What: Rock to Win Where: Fillmore Auditorium, 7:30 p.m. Details: Being billed as a celebration of GLBT equality, Rock to Win is the brainchild of Cyndi Lauper, who will perform at the Fillmore alongside Melissa Etheridge, Rufus Wainwright and Thelma Houston. The whole impetus of the Human Rights Campaign-sponsored concert is to educate and inspire folks on the importance of taking part in the political process (which seems to be a popular sentiment this week, for whatever reason), especially when it comes to making their voices heard regarding human rights. Odds of Getting In: Good. Rock to Win is open to the public. Tickets, which range from $98 for general admission to $500 for VIP can be purchased through Ticketmaster.
What: GRAMMYs Rock the Convention Where: The Church, 10 p.m. Details: Next to the Rock the Vote Ballot Bash, this could be the week’s biggest show — at least in terms of pop-star power. Being billed as an up-close-and-personal acoustic evening, it’s slated to feature Daughtry, Everclear and the Flobots (in their second of three DNC appearances). Curious how this lineup was conceived — at a wedding, perhaps? Something old, something new, something…uh, Daughtry? Odds of Getting In: Dunno. Got $500? That’s how much individual tickets are going for.
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27
What: Tent State Music Festival to End the War Where: Denver Coliseum, 11 a.m. Details: This show, presented by Iraq Veterans Against the War and Tent State, is the most eagerly anticipated, hands down. Last Thursday, when the news came that noted firebrands Rage Against the Machine had been added to the bill (which includes likeminded acts the Flobots, the Coup, State Radio and the MC5’s Wayne Kramer), word spread across the blogosphere like a Malibu wildfire. Rage was an obvious addition. The band’s inclusion bridges the Flobots, which Rage presaged, to MC5, Kramer’s former outfit, which begat (at least ideologically) Rage. Besides that, every revolution needs a bomb track, and Zack de la Rocha and company are DNC veterans, having performed on the streets of Los Angeles during 2000. (I seem to recall RATM playing around that same time at the Coliseum during its Battle of Los Angeles tour. Coincidence?) Odds of Getting In: Decent, or at least as good as anybody else’s. Tickets to the event are free, but will only be available by lottery. To be eligible, you need to make your way to City of Cuernavaca Park with a photo ID between the hours of 11 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. between August 24 and August 26. Those selected will be notified via e-mail. Presumably to curtail potential scalping, the lucky lottery winner and his/her guest will both need to be on hand to pick up the tickets at the Coliseum on August 27, and must then immediately enter the venue (doors open at 9 a.m.). Any unclaimed tickets will be made available to the public after noon on a first-come, first-served basis.
What: Unconventional ’08 Where: Andenken Gallery Outdoor Stage (2990 Larimer), 6 p.m. Details: Presented by Manifest Hope and San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsome, Unconventional ’08 features a slew of indie-rock acts such as the Silversun Pickups, Cold War Kids, Nada Surf, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, as well as a performance by DJ Z-Trip. The event is being produced in tandem with Manifest Hope Gallery, an exhibition of visual artists including Shepard Fairey, Sam Flores and Ron English, among others, that runs from Sunday, August 24, through Thursday, August 28, at Andenken. Odds of Getting In: Slim and none, unless you’re among the fortunate few that have been “pre-allocated” tickets. Ditto the VIP show on Wednesday that will feature performances from Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie), Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley), Zooey Deschanel (She and Him), Matthew Caws (Nada Surf) and Jonathan Rice.
What: The Creative Coalition Concert and Party Where: Fillmore Auditorium, 9 p.m. Details: This fundraiser features a performance from the Black Eyed Peas. Odds of Getting In: None, as far as we can tell, unless you purchase a corporate sponsorship package, which range from $10k to $100k.
What: Democratic National Party Fundraiser Where: The Church, 9 p.m. Details: Moby will be on-hand spinning a DJ set for this party, which is as we’ve noted above is a fundraiser for the Dems. Odds of Getting In: Great. Tickets are available for $30 through GrooveTickets.com.
What: Floyd’s 99 DNC Party Where: Floyd’s 99 Barbershop (16th and Champa) Details: This party, according to Rob O’Brien, Floyd’s 99 co-founder, is especially for the locals and will feature performances from Hot IQs and the Epilogues. There will be complimentary appetizers and live tattooing on site. Odds of Getting In: Excellent. It’s free and open to the public.
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28
What: The War for the White House Gala Where: La Rumba, 8 p.m. Details: Presented by the Onion, this bill rivals Unconventional ’08 in terms of the cool factor. Headlined by alt-comedy yucksters Eugene Mirman and Neil Hamburger, the War for the White House Gala will also feature a steady dose of pure indie rock from the venerable Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, as well as DJ sets from Lipgloss residents Tyler Jacobson and Michael Trundle. Make laughs, not war. Odds of Getting In: Excellent. Tickets are free and available by sending an RSVP to [email protected].
What: DJ Jazzy Jeff Where: The Church, 9 p.m. Details: Although the ad for this event, which features a DJ set from DJ Jazzy Jeff, touts the Church as being the perfect place to celebrate after the historic DNC acceptance speech, this peformance doesn’t appear to be sponsored by any particular organization. Odds of Getting In: Excellent. Tickets are available for $15 through GrooveTickets.com.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 29
What: Rock the Vote Denver 2008 Where: Denver Performing Arts Sculpture Park, 10 p.m. Details: Yes, the DNC will have packed up by the time this concert takes place, but we’re still here — and the local scene is reason to party all year long. Starting now. Kicking off at noon in the Sculpture Park on Speer Boulevard, Rock the Vote Denver 2008 will go until midnight with performances by ALL, Rose Hill Drive, the Heyday, Kinetix, Animo, Photo Atlas, the Mansfields, Meniskus, American Relay, Spools of Dark Thread and more. Odds of Getting In: As good as Obama’s chances of securing the Democratic nomination the night before.
