These days, buying a ticket to a Lauryn Hill concert is basically like buying a lottery ticket-you’re either going to end up a little more broke and a little more bitter than yesterday, or you’re going to strike gold. No question, Ms. Lauryn Hill is volatile. Her tours from recent…
There’s been some discussion as to what to label Cloud Nothings. Punk, noise-rock, garage-rock, grunge and even emo have been tossed around when referring to the Ohio-based trio. But to put it into one of these labels would be a disservice. As the band proved at the Larimer Lounge last…
Weezer is the official band of AOL Instant Messenger. The years between 1996 and 2001, in which they went from well-reviewed one-hit-wonder to (briefly) unimpeachable generational touchstone, were peak-Buddy-List; in 2002 they demoed a song called “Private Message,” which is exactly what it sounds like. At some point every word…
Monika McMahon goes to a lot of concerts — hundreds each year, by her estimation. And although she doesn’t remember the specific show she first put in ear plugs, she remembers the last show she didn’t. It was a Bad Religion show at the Fillmore which caused her ears to…
Real life stops at Ride festival . Sheer rock faces in the distance and a heavily forested backdrop for the small wooden stage make it easy to feel a sense of escape for a weekend. No wi-fi signal, no cell phones out, with the focus on music and the people…
In support of its seventeenth album, Redeemer of Souls, released July 8, the legendary Judas Priest brings its fall North American tour to the 1ST Bank Center on Wednesday, November 19 with Steel Panther opening. General admission and reserved tickets ($45 to $65) go on sale on Friday, July 18…
Rockstar Energy’s Taste Of Mayhem Fest gave Denver’s metal community the chance to see the bulk of bands on tour at an indoor venue, separate from main stage headliners, which will play tonight at Red Rocks. The supposed undercard for this year’s fest nevertheless sold out as fans clamored to…
Despite the closure of Broadway south of Alameda, it wasn’t too difficult to find one’s way over to Syntax Physic Opera on opening weekend. Walking through the front door felt like exiting Broadway in Denver on a hot July evening and entering a ’50s jazz lounge or after-hours club, with…
See also: Rufus Baxter sleeps in his car…
It’s a particularly good week at Red Rocks, with something like half of our recommended shows taking place at the World’s Sexiest Natural Ampitheatre. There is a particularly appealing collection of Colorado talent taking that stage on Thursday, when DeVotchKa joins the symphony orchestra for what is becoming an annual…
UPDATE: Riot Fest’s organizers announced plans on July 18 to move the festival to the grounds of Sports Authority Field. In addition, organizers said they would offer any Byers residents interested in attending Riot Fest free admission, as well as free shuttle service to the venue. “Simply, we were duped,”…
The neighborhood surrounding Dryer Plug Studios, along a strip of current and former light industrial buildings on 43rd Avenue, isn’t exactly quiet. Freight trains run at semi-regular intervals less than two blocks away. Next door is a church, and across the street are some houses. The entrance is on the…
Another several-night stand at Red Rocks this weekend: The Avett Brothers play three shows at the World’s Only Natural Amphitheater. Elsewhere, Ms. Lauryn Hill will confound you with a bunch of songs that sound absolutely nothing like the hits your remember. And Joan Baez goes from Denver to Fort Collins…
I love music. I really do. But I need to get something out in the air: I have been guilty of not giving all genres of music a chance. Because of that, I have never been to a serious metal show before. That all changed a few weeks ago when…
Terry Cole is the founder and owner of Colemine Records, an independent label headquartered in Ohio, began after he and a band mate wanted to release an album under a legitimate looking label, and has now left a wake of 30 different 45s and a twenty-track compilation CD of Motown…
A new music festival called Chive Fest is coming to Denver this August, and the lineup is no small affair. It features Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes, Cold War Kids, Talib Kweli and more. The full roster is below. The festival is a collaboration between photo website The Chive…
Every good Coloradan knows that everything is better in the mountains. Sports, views, air and even music festivals. One reason our state has been able to draw fans and bands from around the nation (and world) is the same reason we’re able to attract so many tourists. Telluride, Colorado, hosts…
Jonathan Bitz says the process of opening Syntax Physic Opera has been heavy, it’s been emotional and it’s been by far the hardest thing he’s ever done. He was hoping to have his music venue and eatery at 554 South Broadway (which most recently housed the Bar and the Atrium)…
All good bands must come to an end. And when they do, it can be rather bittersweet. It certainly is for Tyler Ludwick. On Tuesday, he announced via Facebook that his longtime experimental chamber pop project, Princess Music, will be breaking up after one last show on August 28 at…
Stopped clocks are right twice a day. Geoffrey Arend is married to Christina Hendricks. Performance artists get federal funding. Canada is south of Detroit. People wear Google Glass and think they look awesome. Some things you just can’t explain, like how really shitty bands occasionally luck into recording splendid songs…
Thirty years after the release of Prince’s most famous album, it can still only be heard in the original mastering, which sounds terrible. In this week’s music feature, now posted on the Backbeat blog, Alan Scherstuhl discusses what makes Purple Rain’s music so powerful and why it never got the…
On stage, the vocalist for local metal-core band As the Sky Darkens is the definition of intimidating. Jon Vela isn’t very tall and has an affinity for cuffed jeans and black TOMS that contrast with a stage presence resembling that of an angry, caged animal. Shoulders hunched, he stalks across…
