Meet a Westword Music Showcase Band: La Pompe

Seventy of Denver's best hometown acts will be playing Westword Music Showcase along with a slate of national acts, including Shakey Graves, the Revivalists, Cut Copy, Bob Moses, COIN and A R I Z O N A, Saturday, June 24.

By John Nicholl

June 23, 2017

La Pompe

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Seventy of Denver's best hometown bands will play the Westword Music Showcase along with national acts Shakey Graves, the Revivalists, Cut Copy, Bob Moses, COIN and A R I Z O N A, on Saturday, June 24. We reached out to the local outfits to learn more about their music and their relationship to Denver.

Here's what La Pompe had to say:

Westword: How would you describe your sound?

La Pompe: Our style has deep roots in Parisian "Hot-Club" music that was popularized by Django Reinhardt in the 1930s and ’40s. Our sound traverses upbeat American jazz standards, gypsy folk tunes, French ballads and soulful originals.

How has Denver influenced your sound?

Denver's awesome bluegrass and folk scene has influenced our originals to take on a more down-home groove. For some songs, we moved away from traditional 32-bar forms and have looked at simpler approaches that let the lyrics breathe.

What could Denver do to better support musicians?

This is a hard one. Denver has been really good to us.

Will you stay in Denver or will you leave? Why?

We definitely plan on staying in Denver. I love the city and the proximity to the mountains. Plus, for most of us in the band, our families are here.

Westword Music Showcase, Saturday, June 24, Golden Triangle neighborhood. For tickets and more information, go to westwordshowcase.com.

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