OM’s 4/20 show wasn’t about the weed, surprisingly

OM is often lumped in with the genres of “stoner rock” and “doom metal,” and it seems likely to be not coincidental that its tour ended on April 20th in Colorado. But the band’s 4/20 show did not seem to have either a stoner or doom vibe to it. Washingtonians…

Inside the drug culture at Coachella

Oakland resident Kimchi Truong was 24. She passed out on the Coachella grounds last weekend, likely due to an overdose. Her death, Thursday, was shocking. But what’s really shocking is that this kind of thing doesn’t happen more often. This story is about very young people doing a shit-ton of…

Is Record Store Day worth it?

Record Store Day is once again upon us, with its candy-colored vinyl and improbably in-store performances and endless lines. Like anything that becomes popular, the holiday is starting to develop detractors among music fans who see it as everything from a pain in the ass to a gimmicky, patronizing tourist…

The seven best songs about resurrection for Easter

Easter is upon us. The holiday celebrating the death and resurrection of the Christian messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. Pontius Pilate washed his hands, the Roman emperor Tiberius probably heard nothing about the incident from a far-off province of the empire. To Pliny the Younger, Tacitus and Josephus he was not…

A compilation to benefit homeless families on Colfax is out next week

A year ago, local music icon and ColfaxAvenue.com webmaster Jonny Barber released the first volume of his Colfax-themed compilation that included acts like Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, Five Iron Frenzy and Andy Palmer. Now Barber is set to release the second installment of the Colfax Compilation on Tuesday, April 22,…

The Clyfford Still Museum summer concert series lineup

Clyfford Still was one of the 20th century’s most innovative artists. That doesn’t mean the artist didn’t have a love for music. Still’s fondness for blues, jazz, classical music and more is part of the inspiration behind the live performance series set to hit his eponymous Denver museum this summer…

Riot Fest returns to Denver September 19 to 21

Riot Fest expanded its reach to Colorado last year, bringing The Replacements, Guided By Voices, FLAG and many more to May Farms. The Chicago-based festival, celebrating its tenth anniversary this year, will return to Denver this fall with the help of local concert promotion company Soda Jerk Presents. Riot Fest…

The ten best stoner metal bands

No other musical genre (aside from reggae) has a stronger connection to the cannabis lifestyle than heavy metal, hence the term ‘stoner metal.’ But of course, this term describes a subgenre that can encompass different types of metal music and mean different things to different folks; whether you’re into that…

In the Whale’s Nate Valdez has a day job to die for

As one half of the propulsive rock band In the Whale, Nate Valdez spends his nights moving crowds in darkened bars. But by day, he works as a mortician, preparing bodies for funerals. It’s an occupation once held by his grandfather. Read the rest of his story in this week’s…

Six of the most underrated songs

The world continues to burn, propelling artists such as Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus and La Bouche to the top of the charts. Meanwhile, some of the most brilliant artists sit silently in obscurity. Sometimes people discover them years later and bring them to light through covers, or a hip-hop artist…

The nine best 4/20 shows in Denver

Colorado has been under the microscope of international media since legalizing recreational marijuana. With that recognition comes the influx of tourism; people flocking to the mile high state to try out some of the tastiest ganja the world has ever seen. But, it also means our celebration on April 20…

Denver has more live music venues than Austin. Does it matter?

Governor John Hickenlooper has been insisting that Denver has more music venues than Austin since he was mayor of Denver. It’s an interesting claim. But is it true? The two cities aren’t bad for comparison’s sake. The population of the city of Denver is a little over 634,000 people, with…

How Hole shaped what I know about rock & roll and sexuality

Everyone loves “Doll Parts.” At least that’s the song the comes up any time I speak about Hole to a non-Hole fan. I’m not complaining. “Doll Parts” is arguably a better point of reference for the band than the other common conversation piece regarding Hole, which is the comment that…

STS9, Blake Shelton, Warren Haynes on sale this weekend

STS9 returns to Red Rocks for a two-night stand on Friday, September 5 and Saturday, September 6 and general admission tickets ($39.75/$45) go on sale on Friday, April 18 at 10 a.m.. A limited number of two-day passes ($50) go on sale on Wednesday, April 16 at 10 a.m. through…

The nine worst things about Coachella 2014

Coachella’s first weekend was amazing this year! Except when it wasn’t. Here are the parts of the festival that rubbed us the wrong way. Saturday Night dust storm (above) Conditions may not have been as bad as they were during last year’s Red Hot Chili Peppers set, but Saturday night’s…