Eleven of the Best Local Rock Bands You Need to Check Out

When it comes to rock and roll, perhaps Patti Smith put it best in her memoir, Just Kids.

“We feared that the music which had given us sustenance was in danger of spiritual starvation," she wrote. "We feared it losing its sense of purpose, we feared it falling into fattened hands, we feared it floundering in a mire of spectacle, finance, and vapid technical complexity. We would call forth in our minds the image of Paul Revere, riding through the American night, petitioning the people to wake up, to take up arms. We too would take up arms, the arms of our generation, the electric guitar and the microphone.”

Many musicians have followed Smith's spirited path, keeping the spirit of rock ablaze. And we're thankful for that, because where would we be without it? For starters, Denver would be short countless bands that have made our music scene so lively. The genre, innovated by Black musicians starting in the 1940s and ’50s, has evolved throughout the decades to spawn dozens of subgenres and inspire new ones, including metal, punk, post-punk and so much more. And we're in the Mile High City, where rock and roll is alive and well in a myriad of local bands both old and new.

With such a breadth of local talent, it would be impossible to name every great rock band in town, but we've narrowed it down to eleven. Take a listen to the following bands (listed in alphabetical order; we're not picking favorites here), save them to your streaming platforms, and keep your eyes out for upcoming shows.
Boot Gun
Boot Gun has been making quintessential, old-fashioned rock and roll since 2018, when the band booked a show before it had even practiced. Since then, the group — Davie Landry (lead vocals and bass), Keith Lawrence (lead vocals and guitar), Cody Hart (drums) and Jeremy Baugh (guitar and harmonica) — has been making moves in the Mile High City. Boot Gun released its debut album, Take What You Got, in 2020, which was just followed up by One for the Willing in February. From opening track "Everybody's Talkin'" to the steady banger "Heartbreaks and Hipshakes" and the jammy "Get Movin'," Boot Gun makes it clear the band has honed its sound to perfection, with cascading keys from Steve Terry, a steady and rumbling beat, storytelling lyrics and the buildups and breakdowns that make for a good rock song. Each track is a standout in its own right, and in the live setting, Boot Gun shows its wild presence isn't limited to the studio.
The Born Readies
If you're a fan of ’70s power pop and '80s glam rock, then the Born Readies are the crew for you, though the band is sure to note that its music is "just rock and roll." Bret Hagen (guitar), Dan Putrino (bass), Chris Rhea (guitar/vocals) and Andrew James (drums) don't mess around when it comes to making headbanger songs that make you stomp your Doc Martens until the sole is thinner than paper. The bandmates are focused on raw, in-your-face rock that evokes the likes of Cheap Trick, Slade and Johnny Thunders; if you're lucky, you've seen them sharing their sound at such venues as the Crypt, the Marquis, 100 Nickel and more. They're also working on new music, but in between shows, you can whet your whistle with the band's previous singles and 2018 debut album, Its Just Rock & Roll, on streaming platforms.
Cleaner
If you miss the Dirty Few, a Denver garage-punk band that whipped up many a pit before ending its run in 2019, then you probably know that member Kim Phat has a new rock project in Cleaner, alongside Arj Narayan and Lisandro Gutierrez (also of Fast Eddy), Matthew Lou, and Justin Sanderson (of Muscle Beach, Colfax Speed Queen and more). The local musicians are making heavy, fuzzed-out psychedelic rock with this act — a sight to behold meant for cramped venues with sticky floors and cheap beer. The group conveys the exact type of energy that Patti Smith was talking about in the quote above, taking up the torch with a DIY ethos and unmeasurable grit; it's a sound that might have come from the stage at hallowed New York club CBGB in the ’70s. And now Denver has its own version: Catch Cleaner at the hi-dive on April 22, opening for Sheer Mag alongside Flora de la Luna and DJs Glimmer of Hope.
Colfax Speed Queen
Colfax Speed Queen may not have released any music recently, but the rock band is a Denver mainstay and continues to share new material at live shows. Reminiscent of the Cramps (Speed Queen covered that group's "Human Fly"), this five-piece blends Western twang, garage rock and punk into rock and roll for a sound that's still classic, but with a twist. The band got started in 2010 as a college project of singer/guitarist Matthew Loui, and Colfax Speed Queen played countless shows since at venues such as the hi-dive, Larimer Lounge and Lost Lake Lounge, where it rang in the new year this past December with a raucous concert full of pure, palpable rock-and-roll energy. You want to make a ruckus? Then head to a Colfax Speed Queen show; the band will be at the upcoming Rocky Mountain Ripper festival. The Crooked Rugs
The Crooked Rugs call their music "mysterious noise from Fort Collins," and it's true that each album from the band has various inflections, from shoegaze and surf-rock to prog rock and indie; think a Colorado version of Thee Oh Sees. But it's all firmly rooted in the rock ethos, as evidenced by the band's concerts, which you can catch around the metro area. We were blown away by the Crooked Rugs set at the Underground Music Showcase this past year, and the band will be taking to the road to share its sound with more listeners this year.
Fast Eddy
Fresh off a tour, Fast Eddy just released a bone-shaking album, To the Stars, that will have you running to its next concert. Formed from members of the Dirty Few and the masked drum troupe itchy-O, with Arj Narayan on drums, Micah Morris handling guitar and vocals, Lisandro Gutierrez on guitar and Devon Francy on bass, Fast Eddy has brought the power of rock to stages around Denver since 2014. The band encapsulates the riotous, hedonist heydays of the music scene in both its sound and lyrics, pumping with adrenaline and an intoxicating rush that makes you feel as though lighting a match at a show might burn the whole venue down. This band isn't chasing fame or accolades — just following the ethos of rock.
Ipecac
The natural-born rock stars of Ipecac are taking Denver by storm. The act just released its self-titled debut EP via Sailor Records last September, but was already on the music scene's radar thanks to constant concerts at both venues and local festivals, with each performance a consistent display of the group's unyielding talent. Ipecac shows put the strengths of each bandmember — Ariadnee Ziady (guitar), Isabella Osborne (vocals), Tayte Eubanks (bass) and Kanyon Dickerson (drums) — on display, from powerful vocals, heavy guitar and bass and snappy drums to an incomparable stage presence. Seriously, after just one concert you'll be chasing more, and listening to Ipecac's discography in between. Don't sleep on this band, and catch it before it inevitably hits the big time.
Jesus Christ Taxi Driver
If you frequent shows at local rock venues, you've likely come across the music of Jesus Christ Taxi Driver, whose sound the band likes to describe as "joyfully irreverent noise." The shows have a Wild West vibe that begets a fast and furious night of dancing, and the three-piece is often performing alongside similar acts that carry that ethos through the evening. After forming in 2022, Jesus Christ Taxi Driver released a handful of singles and, more recently, its debut album, Lick My Soul. Taking a cue from such greats as the Velvet Underground, Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones and more classic-rock groups, the band has created a completely cohesive work that showcases a pure rock-and-roll sound, from ballads to bangers. While you take in the album, search for shows around town, and be sure to catch the crew at the Coast in Fort Collins on Sunday, May 12.
Pink Fuzz
If you're more into fast-paced rock and roll, then turn to the tunes of Pink Fuzz, which describes its music as "high-speed desert rock." This trio of drummer Forest Raup and brother and sister John and Lulu Demitro has nailed its sound with soaring guitar solos, impassioned vocals and headbang-inducing drums. It's grainy, fuzzed-out, raw rock with an overall ethos to match that you have to witness at this band's live shows. There's a psychedelic tinge to the tunes, which beckon many a repeat listen. Pure talent is on display in this trio, and after kicking off the year with a tour and a sold-out show at the Bluebird, we can't wait to hear more. Pink Fuzz has now completed five national tours, including playing SXSW five times and Treefort Music Fest four times.
Shady Oaks
Shady Oaks makes straight-up rock and roll served with a healthy sampling of heavy riffs and storytelling, with relatable lyrics sung in Loren Dorland's husky vocals. Think the Allman Brothers meets Creedence Clearwater Revival, and you'll have an idea of the band's sound, which evokes other rock greats including Jack White. You can often catch this Denver band around town, but in between shows, listen to the singles it's been releasing of late: The bluesy guitar licks will transport you to honky-tonk heaven while you're listening through your headphones at work or driving back from the mountains. It's a very Colorado sound, and we see Shady Oaks as the perfect rock-and-roll ambassadors for the state.
Velvet Daydream
The guys in Velvet Daydream are relative newcomers to the rock scene, but they look as if they just stepped out of a time machine straight from the ’70s. That's how their music sounds, too. Having just released their eponymous debut album in October, Nick Schwartz (drums/keys/vocals), Ryder King (guitar/vocals), Jude Pfanstiel (bass/vocals) and Kaeden Keys (guitar/vocals) are already making it clear they have the talent to take their band far. A much-needed revival of classic rock, Velvet Daydream evokes the likes of Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath and the Stones, with a glam-rock flair, to boot. The group's live shows are always a rockin' good time, a true rock-and-roll experience that hits refresh on the golden age of the genre. Keep your eye out for the band's upcoming single, which will release sometime in May, and read more about the Velvet Daydream here.