See Also: - Sarah Slater, brainmother of Titwrench Fest, discusses her female-centric music fest - The Lumineers shed light on life in Denver and their evolving sound - Ravi Coltrane's love of music comes naturally - Trace Bundy on the impact of YouTube and getting his start playing metal - Heaven Fest quickly growing into a destination festival - HeavenFest's pure motives
Welcome to the weekend! If you haven't seen what's on tap yet for the next couple of days, well, let's just say the options are virtually endless, regardless of your flavor. The fourth annual Titwrench Festival kicks off tonight at Glob, Kid Ink's over at the Ogden, Ravi Coltrane's at Dazzle, the Smithereens are in Louisville and Greensky Bluegrass is at the Mishawaka -- and that's just tonight. Tomorrow, you've got the Lumineers at Red Rocks with Cake, HeavenFest, the Denver screening of Searching for Elliott Smith, H.R. from Bad Brains and tons more. Page down to get the drop on the weekend's best bets for live music.
See Also: - Sarah Slater, brainmother of Titwrench Fest, discusses her female-centric music fest - Titwrench director Sarah Slater: "Women are creating their own paths in music"
Unless you're tuning in to some kind of specialty show, the number of female voices, literally and otherwise, that you'll hear on the radio or see on TV is criminally small compared to those of their male counterparts. That ratio drops further when you try to find women doing challenging or experimental music. While that dismal record seems unlikely to change soon, Titwrench Fest is bringing together some of the most interesting and innovative avant-garde and experimental female artists performing today in an effort to not only showcase their art but also to encourage trends toward more women being involved in musical expression that includes, and goes far beyond, more conventional female roles in the performing arts. The fourth annual edition of Titwrench kicks off tonight at Glob, with performances from Lady Wu-Tang (above), Kitty Crimes, Bigawatt, Mariposa and more, and runs through the weekend at the Mercury Cafe tomorrow and MCA Denver on Sunday.
RAVI COLTRANE QUARTET @ DAZZLE RESTAURANT & LOUNGE
See Also: Ravi Coltrane's love of music comes naturally
I was always a music fan," Ravi Coltrane says. "I'd get home from school and I'd go right to Mom's station wagon -- that was when you could play the stereo without the car key. So I'd sit in there with my cassettes, listening to music all day after school. Just sitting there by myself, quietly listening to music. That always felt natural to me." The music he listened to? While he was into the Beatles and James Brown and whatever was being played on pop-radio stations during the '70s, he also tuned in to classical music and Charlie Parker. But it wasn't until after his brother, John Jr., died in a car accident in 1982 that he really started paying attention to the music of his father: legendary saxophonist John Coltrane, who'd passed away when Ravi was two years old.
KID INK @ OGDEN THEATRE On the heels of being named as a member XXL Magazine's prestigious Freshman 2012 Class this past spring, alongside Macklemore, Machine Gun Kelly and Hopsin, among others, and fresh off the release of his album, Up & Away, the Los Angeles-based rapper known as Kid Ink returns to Denver again this evening for a show at the Ogden Theatre with Pries, Myke Charles and DJ Chonz. With millions of YouTube views, hundreds of thousands of followers on Facebook and Twitter, Kid's Ink is one rapper worth keeping a very close eye on.
THE SMITHEREENS @ DOWNTOWN LOUISVILLE They didn't truck with shimmery guitar effects, but the Smithereens' late-'80s, early '90s salad days did produce a batch of bristling power-pop anthems that still channel that particular bitter fruit POV on lovin' typical to the post-college rock, pre- grunge malaise. "Only a Memory," from 1988's Green Thoughts, still broods as much as it kicks. More recently, the New Jersey band's output has gone the route of rarities comps, tribute albums, and live one-offs; famously goateed frontman Pat DiNizio continues a solo career.
TANGO RED TAPESTRY (CD RELEASE) @ HI-DIVE Brian Eastin, singer and guitarist for Tango Red Tapestry, met drummer Nicholas Hureau when they were both five and their parents were musicians in the Army -- but the two never really played music together as kids. In high school, Eastin met bassist Dan Snyder and the two formed a band, playing shows inspired by acts like Against Tomorrow's Sky, the Great Redneck Hope and Eyes Caught Fire -- all great Colorado Springs bands from the past decade. When the fledgling outfit parted ways in 2008, Eastin and Snyder got together again and formed Tango Red Tapestry. After two years of figuring out the proper chemistry and lineup, which now includes guitarist Jesse Cotton Stone and Hureau, and a move to Denver in 2011, the band is issuing its second EP, Painter's Picture.
GREENSKY BLUEGRASS @ MISHAWAKA AMPHITHEATRE Greensky Bluegrass is a band best experienced live. Though the group has put out a handful of records in the last decade, its traditional bluegrass instrumentation and jam-like improvisation comes to life outside of the studio. Greensky is well aware of this, encouraging fans to record its shows and trade them with others. The stage is also where the quintet finds itself collaborating with other artists like Railroad Earth and The Hackensaw Boys, creating a unique experience for each performance.
Check out our newly revamped concert calendar for a complete listing of all of tonight's shows. Page down for rundown of tomorrow night's best bets.
THE LUMINEERS @ RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATRE
See Also: The Lumineers shed light on life in Denver and their evolving sound
Fresh off its appearance on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno this past Wednesday, the Lumineers are capping off what must already be a memorable week for the band by performing at Red Rocks tonight with Cake. When this show was booked, the headliner was obviously the star attraction. But since then, this hometown act has risen to promience in its own right on the strength of its ubiquitious hit single "Ho Hey" from its self-titled Dualtone Records debut, which has ruled radio and is featured prominently in Bing commercial. This show is most certainly worth checking out, as the next time this outfit plays at Red Rocks, it will be headlining its own show.
SEARCHING FOR ELLIOT SMITH @ ORIENTAL THEATER Elliott Smith was one of those rare artists whose music was so poignant and evocative that it genuinely felt like he was pouring his heart out just to you. He wasn't, of course, but it sure felt that way. He had friends and fans all over the world, and the news of his death sent us all reeling. In the intervening years, there have been a number of articles and albums and books about Smith, and now there's a film, Gil Reyes's documentary, Searching for Elliot Smith, which is slated to be screened tonight at the Oriental Theater,followed by a Q&A with Reyes and performance by Mary Lou Lord, who will be heading up a bill that also includes a number of esteemed locals, I'm With Her, the Raven & The Writing Desk, Chella Negro, eldren, Kyle James Hauser, Poet's Row, Straight Nerdy Like a Cool Kid and Nicholas Schmidt performing Smith's songs.
HEAVENFEST @ THE RANCH IN LOVELAND
See Also: - Trace Bundy on the impact of YouTube and getting his start playing metal - Heaven Fest quickly growing into a destination festival - HeavenFest's pure motives
Since first launching in 2008 at Northern Hills Christian Church, HeavenFest has steadily grown into one of the biggest festivals in the region. The lineup continues to improve each year as the crowds continue to grow. Some of the biggest names in Christian music, including Switchfoot, Jeremy Camp, Underoath, Thousand Foot Krutch, Superchick, are among the more than fifty acts slated to perform on seven stages. Admission is $35 for adults, $19 for kids six to twelve, and the fest is free to those five and under. All of the proceeds will be donated to charity. Gates open at 11 a.m. and the fest runs through midnight, with an afterparty from midnight to 2 a.m. (HeavenFest.com for more info)
TITWRENCH FESTIVAL @ MERCURY CAFE
See Also: - Sarah Slater, brainmother of Titwrench Fest, discusses her female-centric music fest - Titwrench director Sarah Slater: "Women are creating their own paths in music"
Unless you're tuning in to some kind of specialty show, the number of female voices, literally and otherwise, that you'll hear on the radio or see on TV is criminally small compared to those of their male counterparts. That ratio drops further when you try to find women doing challenging or experimental music. While that dismal record seems unlikely to change soon, Titwrench Fest is bringing together some of the most interesting and innovative avant-garde and experimental female artists performing today in an effort to not only showcase their art but also to encourage trends toward more women being involved in musical expression that includes, and goes far beyond, more conventional female roles in the performing arts.
LOS LOBOS @ ARVADA CENTER FOR THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES Is any band in America more revered or respected than East Los Angeles roots vatos Los Lobos? The core members of this American musical treasure -- David Hidalgo, Cesar Rosas, Steve Berlin, Louis Perez and Conrad Lozano -- have produced nineteen albums and played everywhere from an Angeleno quinceañera to Farm Aid to the White House. Their sound spans virtually all aspects of American music, from blues, zydeco, soul and kick-you-in-the-head rock and roll to various Latino styles, including cumbia, norteño and Tex-Mex. Critics turn handstands whenever they drop an album, and their fans follow them like Deadheads. It's ironic that one of the most important acts of the late twentieth century is best known for its cover of "La Bamba." Their first truly significant album, 1984's T Bone Burnett-produced Will The Wolf Survive?, asked the question, and these guys answer in the affirmative every time they step onto a stage. Viva Los Lobos.
DAVID WILCOX @ MISHAWAKA AMPHITHEATRE In richly intimate songs, David Wilcox creates audio tapestries that blend intricate arrangements and warmly appealing tunes with the musician's ongoing personal growth. Whether recording in a log cabin -- as he did for the 1997 release Turning Point -- or experimenting with unconventional guitar techniques, the introspective Wilcox has produced quality tracks for almost thirty years' worth of albums filled with poetic purity. He credits his singular style -- folk standards woven with scraps of jazz and pop, rootsy arrangements often flecked with remnants of his brief classical training -- to the rustic influences of Joni Mitchell and James Taylor, but it's his own intense lyrical clarity that makes both his studio and his stage performances unforgettable.
H.R. OF BAD BRAINS @ BLUEBIRD THEATER One of the most volatile and acclaimed bands to rise out of the Washington, D.C., hardcore punk scene in the early '80s, Bad Brains overcame novelty status (four men of color playing punk) by mixing blazing speed and virtuosity with reggae riddims and social consciousness. Fronted by the often unpredictable HR Hudson, the band has been more on again, off again than a light switch over the years. While Bad Brains delivered the punk, HR on his own tends to favor the reggae and dub.
Check out our newly revamped concert calendar for a complete listing of all of tonight's shows. Page down for rundown of tomorrow night's best bets.
CARBON LEAF @ MISHAWAKA AMPHITHEATER After almost two decades together, Carbon Leaf has effectively created its own brand of accessible bluegrass. But the Virginia natives can't be pinned to a single genre -- the band has an ostensible pop side, one that best translates live through Carbon Leaf's varying stringed instrumentation. Last year's Live, Acoustic... And In Cinemascope! perfectly captures the group's on-stage cohesiveness, while showcasing Barry Privett's sunny vocals as he leads Carbon Leaf fans through a look back at the band's long and steady career.
TITWRENCH FESTIVAL @ MCA DENVER
See Also: - Sarah Slater, brainmother of Titwrench Fest, discusses her female-centric music fest - Titwrench director Sarah Slater: "Women are creating their own paths in music"
Unless you're tuning in to some kind of specialty show, the number of female voices, literally and otherwise, that you'll hear on the radio or see on TV is criminally small compared to those of their male counterparts. That ratio drops further when you try to find women doing challenging or experimental music. While that dismal record seems unlikely to change soon, Titwrench Fest is bringing together some of the most interesting and innovative avant-garde and experimental female artists performing today in an effort to not only showcase their art but also to encourage trends toward more women being involved in musical expression that includes, and goes far beyond, more conventional female roles in the performing arts.
THE FLATLANDERS @ L2 ARTS AND CULTURE CENTER Joe Ely (the rocker), Jimmie Dale Gilmore (the silver-throated spiritualist), and Butch Hancock (the artsy revelation) grew up playing music and eating peyote together in Lubbock, Texas. More a Legend Than a Band, recorded in 1972, is simply one of the best alt-country albums ever. And 2009's Hills and Valley is an equally stellar collection of golden harmonies and wild, windy tunes for troubled times.
Check out our newly revamped concert calendar for a complete listing of all of tonight's shows.
