As part of that effort, we asked some of the
Westword Music Showcase 2014: What do Denver musicians wish people knew about our scene? from Voice Media Group on Vimeo.
Let's say you just met someone who is new to the Denver music scene. What piece of advice would you give him or her?
"Make friends with the bartenders and tip them well. They will take care of you." -- Heroic D (Dana), SlaughterHouse Rootz
"Stand up straight and floss five times a day." -- Scot Livingston, The Inactivists
"Please don't be one of those people who just moved here and is excited to "put Denver on the map". Nothing is more offensive to the people already building the music community here, not to mention it's a delusional perspective, since that's not even how music works." -- Dj Low Key
"You are very lucky. Don't blow it or ruin it for anyone else." -- Robdogg, Frontside Five
"You've got to know when to hold 'em/Know when to fold 'em/Know when to walk away Know when to run/You never count your money/When you're sittin' at the table/There'll be time enough for countin'/When the dealin's done." -- Andy Schneider, Boldtype
"Go out, be kind." -- David Rynhart, Churchfire
"We already have enough banjos and macbooks here." -- Adam Brown, Mosey West
"Go to every show that you can and meet the bands and their friends. Go alone to a place you have never been and see bands you have never heard of. Walk up to total strangers and start conversations with them. The networking possibilities are endless, and you never know who you might meet." -- Tay Hamilton, Hot Apostles
"I would advise them to advise me on how The Inactivists can sell a million records while working from home in our pajamas." -- Matt Sumner, The Inactivists
"Plug your ears." -- James Nasi, Jr., I'm a Boy
"Don't be too proud to be a fan of other musicians. Networking and connections can move you along and up quite well (IF you have talent)." -- Providence "The Verse", Reverb And The Verse
"Just Break a couple rules and throw some laws in two. Just raise a glass, slap some ass, and shout 'Who the fuck are you?'" -- Ryan Chipps, Rowdy Shadehouse
"Don't be mean." -- Anthony, Chase Ambler
"You can't judge a bar by its cover, and hire someone to carry your drums up the stairs." --Kelly Prestridge The Inactivists
"Be cool. Denver is too small of a town to burn any bridges." -- Andy Schneider, Calder's Revolvers
"Go to Cervantes' for one week straight, you will get a good taste of what the Denver scene is like." --Res, Fresh Breath Committee
"Tom Murphy will sometimes be the only guy that comes to your show. And that's fine. Tom Murphy is all you need." -- Tiana, CP-208
"Go out to the little bars/venues and see more unknown bands play. If you spend all your time at larger venues, you will miss the really great bands who put a lot of time and effort into making music that matters rather than music made to sell tickets." -- Michael Trundle, DJ Hollow (previously known as boyhollow)
"Don't sleep with anyone in your band." -- Joshua Novak
"Get yourself some sunscreen and keep drinking water. Also, if you have an acoustic guitar, it might be a good idea to buy one of those guitar humidifiers that sit between the strings." -- Gabriel Otto, Pan Astral
"Go to as many shows as you can. Go early every once in a while, because those opening bands can surprise you. Local festivals -- like WMS and UMS -- are great for finding new music, because you can see a ton of bands for a great price. If you're a musician, meet as many other musicians as you can and go to their shows." -- Connie Hong, Ivory Circle
"Get to know the door guy! If you're poor like me." -- Magic man, Magic Cyclops
"Don't be a dick and you'll get along with everyone just fine." -- Justin Hackl, Native Daughters
"Wrap your guitar cables in colored duct tape so you know that they're yours -- just not hot pink, 'cuz that's what I use." -- Gregg Dolan, Kissing Party
"I would tell them to do whatever you want. Do not listen to other people. Do what you do. Being you makes you special. It also makes your music better." -- Turner Jackson
"Give everyone a shot. Make your own opinions about bands here and support them. We are all trying to survive." -- Jeff Martin, Casey James Prestwood and the Burning Angels
"Have fun. Let's start a band." -- Mike King, The Outfit
And here's a bunch more information about the Westword Music Showcase: -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
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