Concerts

Though renowned among fans of bizarro punk rock in the West, Melt Banana is still somewhat unknown in its home of Tokyo, where J-pop still reigns supreme. Early in their career, the members of Melt Banana heard the No New York compilation, and it sparked their collective interest in taking…

Michael Monroe made his name as the charismatic frontman of seminal Finnish glam band Hanoi Rocks. Before the tragic death of drummer Nicholas “Razzle” Dingley in December 1984, Hanoi Rocks had established itself as a powerful live act. With a look and sound that would be superficially familiar to most…

Since time immemorial, art and politics have been locked, like the world’s most hateful couple, in an awkward embrace: Art subverts political establishments, political establishments ban art, repeat. It’s a phenomenon that’s especially pronounced in music, which can not only provide an explicit message, but also, at its best, inspire…

Although JT Nolan and Paul Mullikin appear to be polar opposites — the former was exposed to music through the Chicago bar and club scene at an early age, and the latter is a multi-instrumentalist who plays for the Boulder Philharmonic — Beats Noir! finds them meeting on common ground…

So far, 2011 has been a big year for Jerry Jay Jaramillo, better known for the music he makes as Project Aspect. A veteran of both the Sonic Bloom and Wakarusa music festivals, Jaramillo teased audiences with songs from this EP during his live sets before dropping them as one…

Cola Divalyrics, a self-described “female rapper from the ‘hood, but educated,” churns out simplistic lyrics with a robotic flow on Making It. Displaying vocals with spicy tones but completely devoid of sweetness, Cola’s music differs from the typical “female MC” rap being peddled these days — no cartoonish antics here…

From the jump, the songs on Mombi’s The Wounded Beat sound like they were written during a transitional time of day. Or perhaps during the change from fall to winter, when the cold has already sunk deep inside, inducing a period of deep reflection. These abstract yet organic tunes blur…

If you listen to house music in Denver, then you’ve heard by now of Brett Starr’s House Revival, the regular Funky Buddha nights that showcase three different DJs trading off at the decks, with no sets, just a continuous blend of dance music. There are a couple of exciting aspects…

Global Dance Festival has become a staple in the Colorado dance music scene since launching in 2002. This year the festival grew to three days, hosting more than forty artists on three stages. In partnership with Triad Dragons, executive producer Taj Nahar and directors Gabriel Rovick and Travis Conklin of…

Actually, to be fair, we’ve already seen several world-class techno acts in this fair city during 2011; between Afterhours Anonymous/Mahesh Presents bringing in Dixon, Mother Earth Sound System’s Robag Wruhme show, plus last weekend’s Great American Techno Festival, it’s been a big year for Denver techno. And it’s about to…

DICK DALE at GOTHIC THEATRE | 10/2/11″We just made that shit up,” said surf rock legend Dick Dale after a mid-tempo blues instrumental about a half an hour into Sunday night set at the Gothic. “That’s the story of my life. Everything I do onstage is made up. We never…

JOURNEY at COMFORT DENTAL AMPHITHEATRE | 10/1/11Night Ranger, Foreigner and Journey? And all together? Hellz yeah they were! Last night, these three “ready to rock” bands appeared at the Comfort Dental Amphitheatre and reminded us all just how awesome their music still is…

FURTHUR at RED ROCKS | 10/1/11, NIGHT TWOAfter nearly 50 years of wearing down muscles and tendons in the hands and arms playing the same songs again and again, things have evidently slowed down for the remaining members of the Grateful Dead playing in Furthur. And while you can’t fault…

Spineshank (due Sunday, October 2, at 3 Kings Tavern) started in 1996 as a band that fused industrial sounds and ideas with elements of thrash. With the release of its 1998 debut, Strictly Diesel, Spineshank caught the attention of a wide audience with its blend of melody and hard-edged musicianship…

FURTHUR at RED ROCKS | 9/30/11, Night OneYou know a show at Red Rocks is sold-out when the tow truck drivers are blocking the entrances to the park. Cars, trucks and VW buses lined every road in the park, leaving only a few spaces here and there by 6:15 –…

WOLVES IN THE THRONE ROOM at RHINO After Skully Mammoth’s set, some of us waited patiently, cracking jokes as various people brought in items needed to set up the room for the Wolves in the Throne Room performance, which was held next door at Glob as it’s a bigger room…

Since 2004, Wolves in the Throne Room (due tonight, September 30, at Rhinoceropolis) has established itself as one of the most sonically innovative black metal bands going. Rather than imitate the Viking spirit and aesthetic of its Scandinavian brethren Wolves have written music rooted in the band’s own experiences as…

True to form, there’s no shortage of things to do this weekend in Denver. And as always, there’s tons of variety to choose from. On Friday, the Swayback is playing a free gig at the Larimer, while Electric Six hits up the Bluebird, Wolves in the Throne Room dominate Rhinoceropolis,…

After an almost five-year run, riotous trio Hot White have called it quits. Starting out as a teenage duo from Parker, guitarist Kevin Wesley and drummer Darren Kulback were eventually joined by bassist and vocalist Tiana Bernard, who pushed the band to the next level of sonic chaos. Known for…

INSANE CLOWN POSSE at the OGDEN | 9/29/11Somewhere between the moment someone threw up on me and the moment I realized it had happened, I received first-hand evidence that membership in the juggalo family comes with a small price. Last night’s Insane Clown Posse show began and ended with liberty,…

Without a doubt, the biggest news in dance music this weekend is the inaugural Great American Techno Festival, John Templeton’s brainchild that aims to bring top-tier techno to beer-drinkers and technophiles alike. And there’s plenty more to round out Dance Card this weekend — here’s what’s on our lineup:…