Science Partner and In the Whale will play the Westword Music Showcase pre-party on June 6

Let’s keep it simple for a moment: Science Partner and In the Whale are playing a show next Friday, June 6 at Stoney’s, and it’s free. Doors open at 7 p.m. and it’ll be over by 10.

“Science Partner all is about the bounce and the sigh” wrote Jason Heller in a review of the band’s 2009 three-song debut demo. Since then, the six-piece has mastered songs that do both — witness their opening set for The Congress at the Bluebird last month, which had the relatively cavernous theater in unanimous smile and sway.

In the Whale used a pair of sweaty, shout-along shows at the hi-dive in mid-April to launch a national tour in support of its new EP Nate. The songs found on it are frantic and catchy as hell.

Alright, here’s why this thing is happening: The Westword Music Showcase is on June 21. 140-some Denver bands will play more than a dozen venues in the Golden Triangle. We’re excited. So excited, in fact, that we’re hosting some tangential events, including a social hour today from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., and this official pre-party on June 6.

All three events, along with the Westword Music Awards, are designed to give us a chance to step aside and let Colorado bands demonstrate the vitality of the scene here. In the Whale and Science Partner are both nominees for those awards, as are all of the local bands who will play the Showcase on the 21st. We will continue to write about these artists all year long (and we’ve said plenty about these particular two bands — see below), but for now we invite you to just see for yourself. Nothing we could ever say will be as valuable as a connection you make with a musician on a stage.

Previous coverage of In the Whale: Death is a constant presence in the life of In the Whale’s Nate Valdez, by Courtney Harrell

Previous coverage of Science Partner: Tyler Despres of Science Partner on how a really good melody should be like a nursery rhyme, by Tom Murphy

Westword Music Showcase Pre-Party
Featuring Science Partner, In the Whale and more
Friday, June 6
Stoney’s on 11th and Lincoln
7 p.m.
Free

And here’s a bunch of information about the Westword Music Showcase:
–The Westword Music Showcase lineup is here!
–The 36 best songs you might hear on the main stage at this year’s Westword Music Showcase
–The 2014 Westword Music Awards nominees
–The people of Westword Music Showcase 2013
–Ticket page for this year’s Showcase