See Also: - Q&A with Jim James of My Morning Jacket - Profile: Joy Subtraction, 8/2/12 - Q&A with Angry Hand of God
Welcome to the weekend! Aren't you glad you hung in there? Your hard work grinding it out this week is about to rewarded handsomely by a pair of back-to-back shows from My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses tonight and tomorrow night, followed by another two-night stand from Neil Young & Crazy Horse with the Alabama Shakes. Well that in itself would be more than enough to make any weekend memorable, but this being Denver, there's plenty of other musical options for you this weekend, including a CD release show featuring Joy Subtraction and much more. Page down for the weekend's best live music options.
MY MORNING JACKET @ RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATRE
See Also: Q&A with Jim James of My Morning Jacket
Having formed in the late '90s, Louisville, Kentucky's My Morning Jacket has continued to evolve over the course of six studio albums. At the same time, the band has managed to hang on to that reverb-drenched magnetism that fueled the first two albums -- 1999's The Tennessee Fire and 2001's At Dawn. With last year's Circuital, the band proved that it was trying something different, especially on the very un-metal-sounding "Holdin' On to Black Metal," which employs a loop of a Thai pop song from the '60s, and the Beach Boys-inspired "Outta My System."
ANGRY HAND OF GOD @ BENDER'S TAVERN
See Also: Q&A with Angry Hand of God
In 2006, Angry Hand of God (due at Bender's Tavern on Friday, August 3) came together when founding members Mark Pilloud and Pat Dixon met on StonerRock.com and started jamming. They eventually recruited Brian Kennedy and Garrett McGaugh and starting playing out around Denver, sharing gigs with like-minded acts such as the Bronze and the Nod. Dixon and the band parted amicably, and Ezana Negash stepped in on vocal duties. The psych-tinged, bluesy metal that is the core of Angry Hand's sound seemed to go out of vogue for a few years, but with the renewed interest in sludgy, heavy rock like that of Sleep and Electric Wizard, the group seems even more relevant than when it started. Its new album, Revelations from Rock Bottom, is a nuanced display of sonic heft worthy of its influences.
KOTTONMOUTH KINGS @ FOX THEATRE Of all the bands borne of an obsession with ganja, Kottonmouth Kings epitomize the spirit of the 420 holiday with utter Orange County, white-boy swagger. From their apt moniker describing the phenomenon one experiences when smoking the devil's lettuce to their chill reggae/hip-hop rhymes meets punk ethos, Kottonmouth Kings were made to spark a way of life in the land of citrus, and they've been at it since the mid-'90s. Maybe there's a correlation between silly smoke and longevity.
DEMON HUNTER @ SUMMIT MUSIC HALL In support of the band's newly released album, True Defiance, Seattle natives Demon Hunter hit the stage tonight with a vengeance. Don't be surprised if your neck hurts in the morning, because with tunes as heavy as Demon Hunter's, you won't be able to stop banging your head, vigorously.
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.
