Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Around town 9/1

The Chemical Brothers @ The Fillmore

Birds & Batteries w/ Vitamins, Fingers of the Sun @ Hi-Dive

John Mayer w/ Owl City @ Red Rocks

Slash, Taking Dawn @ Ogden

Tree Bites Man, Lazy Spacemen, The Madhouse Act, Traveling Electric Chair @ Larimer

Headrush @ Funky Buddha

What's Been Used, Mega Peach, Pulse (Masters of Rock), & Cherry Veil @ Herman's Hideaway

The Mission Creeps @ 3 Kings

Denver Joe & The Saddle Tramps @ Benders

Fizakat w/ The Grenettes @ Cervantes Other Side

Beres Hammond w/ Culture feat. Kenyatta Hill, Inner Circle, Lenya Wilkes & DJ Inferno @ Cervantes


Lots going on tomorrow, but I will have to recommend the Birds and Batteries show at the Hi-Dive with Fingers of the Sun. FotS know how to throw down and it promises to be a good time. The other choice would be Slash just because he's Slash. Have fun out there.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Around town tonight and tomorrow

tonight

Denver does Denver @ Meadowlark

Green Day / AFI @ Fiddlers Green

Cracker/ Camper Van Beethoven @ Bluebird

Lazer Sword, Eprom, Opiuo w/ Fresh2Death, Dan K @ Cervantes

The Photo Atlas w/ My Body Sings Electric, Fire In The Asylum @ Moes

Reggae on the Rocks @ Red Rocks

Cobraconda, The Don't & Be Carefuls, The Silent Treatment @ Summit Music Hall

Sarah Jaffe w/ Jen Korte and the Loss @ Hi-Dive

China Venture / Spokeshaver / The Uncertain Sea @ Club 404

The Outfit @ Parker Library

All Capitals w/ Jaded Poet, Able Archer @ 3 Kings

Umconscious w/ Made Fresh Daily, E.P.O. @ Herman's Hideaway

Young Cities, The Alan Baird Project, Vegas Crimes, The May Kit @ Larimer Lounge

Angry Hand Of God, Cure For Pain. Old Curtis Street Pub

Lipbone Redding and the Lipbone Orchestra w/Gene Morris @ Benders

Burn!Horus!Burn w/ Alice Needs an Alibi, The Green Screen Effect, Gypsy's Curse, Good Day In A Bad Town @ Marquis

Bryon Friedman w/ Douglas Cameron @ Soiled Dove

The Pretty Sure / U-47 / Robbers @ Lions Lair

Kosmos w/ Naked Turtle & Banned in Japan @ Walnut Room

Brethren Fast @ Ziggies

A Heavy Metal Wedding w/Ploy for Extinction, 9/10s of the Law, thiC, Iconocaust,Osyluth @ Gothic

Tage Plantell & The Dusty Radio, Pierce Murcpy Trio, Reckless Red, Smokestack Relics @ Toad Tavern

Ginger Perry w/ Chase Dobson, CacheFlowe (Plastic Sound Supply), The Sunset Curse, and Cap'n Fresh & Legit G @ Cervantes Other Side



Tomorrow
Black Crowes @ Fillmore

Reno Divorce BBQ w/ Boldtype, Potato Pirates, DB and the Catastrophe, The Varmits, Dirty Backseat Lovers @ Larimer Lounge

Traveling Electric Chair, Dum Spiro Spero, Fiction Is Fun @ Cervantes Other Side

Denvers Longest Standing Blues Jam @ Ziggies

Afton Showcase w/ Jay-K, Family Tree, Flowalition & Campaign, WildShot Ent, Unknown, Tha Fantastic 3, Robin Samples, MEKCEE, ES, Branden Abeyta, Carl Carrell, Def Ch!ld Produx, Mya Rose, outo the lerical, Ashley Fedorchak, Jo skar @ Cervantes

Fire Pon de Patio @ Funky Buddha

Doc Brown Blues Band, The Big Motif, The Informants, The Jaguars, The Rhythm Allstars, Rachel Jane & Hurricane @ Toad Tavern

Ese w/ Sons of Disobedience, The Insomniaxe @ 3 Kings

Birds Of Ares / The Royal Dead / @ Lions Lair

Triple Cobra w/ The Sunset Curse @ Walnut Room

Sam Hamilton And Metal Rouge w/ Epileptinomicon @ Rhinoceropolis



For tonight the choice is a tough one. Cracker is going to be amazing, Reckless Red always puts on a great show, Bretheren Fast always brings their A Game, Denver Plays Denver is a great idea too (20+ local bands covering other local bands) and All Capitals will be a great show. I say check out Cracker or Denver Does Denver tonight.


Tomorrow just head to Larimer Lounge for Reno Divorce. If you love Social Distortion, these guys are Denver's answer to them. After that, head on over to the Fillmore for Black Crowes. They are doing both electric and acoustic sets there.

Be sure to look for my review of Green Day (yeah, I know....my little sister is in town, what could I do?)

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Just announced

The following shows were just announced around the area

Phish at 1st Bank Center October 10-12

Margot & The Nuclear So and So's at Bluebird November 22nd

The Gracious Few at Bluebird November 9th

Best Coast at Bluebird November 3rd

Phantogram w/ Josiah Wolf at Bluebird October 19th

Surfer Blood / The Drums at Bluebird October 10th

The Futureheads at Bluebird October 9th

James McMurtry w/ Jonny Burke at Bluebird October 6th

Bonobo at the Ogden November 24th

Josh Ritter at the Ogden November 11th

Kate Nash at Ogden November 6th

Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77 at Ogden October 26th

Radio 1190's Basementalism Presents: Andre Nickatina at Ogden October 15th

B.o.B at Ogden October 10th

Joe Satriani with special guest Ned Evett and Triple Double at Paramount Theater December 31st

Around town 8-25

B.B. KIng with Al Green & Buddy Guy @ Red Rocks

Slayer and Megadeth with Testament @ Magness Arena

Gentleman Jesse and His Men, Thee Goochi Boyz, The Barreracudas, Lust Cats of the Gutter @ Larimer Lounge

Brain Drill w/ Flesh Consumed, Arkaik @ Marquis

Vincent Minor, Fast Food Junkies @ Cervantes Other Side

Headrush @ Funky Buddha

The Dropskots & The Dollyrots w/Hunter Valentine, The Cliks @ Benders

Otto's Daughter, Like Pianos Crashing, Hollow Vixen, Traveling Electric Chair, & Nick O'Connor The Pilgrim Road @ Herman's Hideaway

Te Vaka w/ A Performance by the Halau Hula O Na Mauna Pohaku Dance Troupe @ Cervantes

Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin w/ The Informants @ Soiled Dove

Justice Australia, Page 27 @ Old Curtis St Pub

Listener w/ Munster Boogie @ Summit Music Hall

Nathen Maxwell & The Original Bunny Gang w/ Tatanka @ Bluebird

the Black (ex-Trail of Dead, Voxtrot) w/ Jon Boland @ Hi-Dive

Danielle Ate The Sandwich and Cody Crump @ Four Mile Historic Park


While I'm not really a fan of Danielle Ate The Sandwich, you should go see Cody Crump once again. That guy is awesome. I was actually listening to his CD today on the way home from work and was thinking to myself that damn, this guy is pretty talented. Though, Cody is local and BB King is getting up there in years. You should probably go to Red Rocks and catch the legendary BB King with Buddy Guy before he can't tour anymore. Plus, it's BB King.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Around town 8/23

Lower Dens, Gangcharger, Hot White @ Larimer Lounge

Aenka @ Dazzle

Enthroned w/ Destroyer 666, Pathology @ Marquis

American Idol Live! @ Fiddlers Green

Yuzo Nieto @ City Hall

Panties at the Bar-Ooh Lala Burlesque w/ Pawn Ticket Trio @ 3 Kings


It's a slow day for music around town, but that doesn't mean it's not a tough choice to where you should put your money. Gangcharger at the Larimer Lounge is always a great choice, and if their style doesn't grab you then head to 3 Kings for Pawn Ticket Trio and some Burlesque.

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Around town 8/22

Snake Rattle Rattle Snake BBQ w/ Blue Million Miles, Gauntlet Hair, Achille Lauro, 200 Million Years, Wire Faces, Eyes & Ears, Hearts in Space, and The Microdots @ Larimer Lounge

Chiddy Bang, Air Dubai, XV, DJ Chonz @ Ogden Theater

Rasputina @ Bluebird

Mitya @ Star Bar

Afton Showcase w/ Sarah Wrede, Media Jones, Becca Krueger, Watch for Wildlife, Stevie B. Wolf, Discount Cinema, Colfax Cowboys, Tanya Reeve, Kita Hudson, Tommy Freed @ Cervantes

"Family Night" With The Soc Hop Band @ Toad Tavern

Volbeat w/ DOMMIN, Anew Revolution @ Marquis

Levi Allen Sinner / The Harmed Brothers / Calamity Cubes / The Alder Street All Stars @Lions Lair

Denver's longest standing Blues Jam @ Ziggies

Fire Pon de Patio @ Funky Buddha

The Radiators @ Moe's

Asleep at the Wheel @ Arvada Center



You are in luck today everyone. The recommendation of the day is to head to Larimer Lounge to get your faces rocked off by Snake Rattle Rattle Snake, eat up some BBQ, and when you are done go to the Bluebird for Rasputina. If you aren't familiar with them, they are two women who play cello and a drummer. They happen to be the first act I've ever seen in Denver and quite the memorable one. Go to these shows and you are guaranteed to have a great time, and if you don't then you have no soul. Just kidding on that, but seriously go.

Rodrigo Y Gabriela at Red Rocks

When most people think of the best guitarist of all time, you usually get a standard list of people including Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, and Eddie Van Halen. While I will give credit where credit is due to the talent of all of these guys, a new generation of guitarist is here and they have upped the playing field. I just got back from witnessing guitar playing like I've never seen it played before. Rodrigo Y Gabriela practically reinvented how to play the acoustic guitar, making two guitars sound like a full band at times. They played a lot of material off their new CD titled 11 11 which pays tribute to 11 artists through 11 songs. For 2 and a half hours they shredded the guitars, making everyone in the crowd realize that they could probably never achieve their dreams of being a talented guitarist. They are that good. They have a blistering speed with their fingers that sometimes its like their hands aren't even moving. Tonight they brought out 3 guests during the show, a violin player, Zach De La Rocha of Rage Against The Machine, and the guy that inspired them to play years ago. The piece of music they played with the person that inspired them (I wish to God I would have been able to understand his name) rates up there with a piece from Bach or Mozart in that time. This show was so amazing I have to recommend that everyone see them the next time they come to town. It's not often you get a guitar lesson like that. In fact, here is a Youtube video just so you can see how awesome they are for yourselves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUibjcu2L_s&feature=search

Around town 8/21

Buckingham Squares, Light Travels Faster, The Blackouts @ Rockaway Tavern
Flashbulb Fires (formerly fiance) w/ The Still City, Rocket Comme Ca @ Hi Dive
The Hollyfelds w/ Sunday Girl @ Skylark
I Sank Molly Brown, Ukulele Loki w/ Radical Knitting Circle @ Moe's
Jonathan and BPro, Boys, Boyhollow, DJ Ginger Perry @ Larimer Lounge
Chopper Show with Drag The River @ 3 Kings
97.3 KBCO Presents Toad The Wet Sprocket @ Chataqua
Wentworth Kersey w/ Kal Cahoone & The Dirty Pretty @ Mercury Cafe
Exodus @ Bluebird
Jantsen, Crowdrock aka Jason Roth, Omega, Calvertron, Cold Blank w/ klosterFobe, KentDub, Flexx, Vinnie Maniscalco, Whodafux @ Cervantes
Bane w/ Trapped Under Ice, Cruel Hand, Alpha & Omega, Bankrobber @ Marquis
Hypnautix And Pork Products Album Release W::sole And The Skyrider Band, Swimming With Models, Pictureplane, Egadz!, MmcIII @ Rhinoceropolis
Chingaso & King Rat @ 12 Volt Tavern
Nightshark, I Know You Rider, Trout @ Meadowlark
Bad Engrish CD Release / Tour Kick Off w/ Mtba @ Wasteland
1964 - The Tribute @ Red Rocks
Meatbikini / Leeches Of Lore / World Club @ Lions Lair
Irie Still w/ Balance & the Jah Disciples, Atomic Americans and Primo Blend @ Herman's Hideaway
Blister 66, Audio Flux, Sanity's Edge, Cimmerian Shade, Pulse, God's Of Pain @ Toad Tavern
Casey James Prestwood & the Burning Angels,The Denver City Saltlicks w/ Bonnie & the Clydes @ Benders
Glyphic w/ Rachel James & Brighton Boulevard, Prominence, Cypher & Otto's Daughter @ Walnut Room
John Pizzarelli @ Soiled Dove
Terry Quiett Band @ Ziggies
The Broadway w/ Regret Night, Saving Verona, The Stellar Atlas @ Summit Music Hall



With so much going on you have to wonder, how can you pick just one? That's easy. Rockaway Tavern is lighting up the stage for the second night in a row with The Blackouts. I've said it once and I will say it again, this band rocks. Once again, if metal isn't your thing, head over to check out the Hollyfelds with Sunday Girl at Skylark. Two solid choices for your money. I will personally be at Toad the Wet Sprocket in Boulder getting my 90s on. If you are going to hit any major touring act, I recommend Toad just because Glen Philips is a humble person and they don't tour very often anymore, so this is a rare treat.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Mile High Music Fest Day 2 review

I didn't go to day 1 of Mile High, though I heard it was awesome. I did make it to day 2 on my birthday and had a great time. When we got there we headed straight to see TR3. If you don't know TR3, this is Tim Reynolds band when he isn't touring with the Dave Matthews Band. It was great seeing him play his own music. He is a completely different person when he's playing in his band than with DMB. He sings, he dances around, and he acts like a big dork the entire time, all while showcasing his amazing guitar skills. At one point in the show they had people dancing around in costumes while he played a song about being high. Tons of fun and a great way to start the day out. After that we got some food and headed to catch Train. What a way to bring the vibe down. While I enjoy the song Drops of Jupiter, the rest of their songs fall in the way of sucking giant horse cock. They bored the piss out of us and the lead singer tried desperately to use every rock and roll trick to get the crowd going, right down to the say yeah bs. Lame. Next.

From Train we listened to Jimmy Cliff on the main stage. That man is both a musical legend, and seriously talented. I was glad we got to catch some of his set. While he didn't do anything special to get the crowd going, he just rocked the house. Check him out if you can.

After Jimmy Cliff, we walked around a bit and came across Punch Brothers. They are a bluegrass type of band that were just fun to listen to. They were jamming out for a while and we had a blast listening to them. I can't say I knew any of their music but I walked away wishing they had CDs for sale after they were done.

After Punch Brothers we headed over to see Weezer and got close to the front, which is right where you want to be for them. If you have never seen Weezer before, do yourself a favor and go. They are a lot of fun and it's obvious they love what they do. Rivers Cuomo is like a kid with ADHD and is all over the place. He was hanging on speaker cords, throwing water and toilet paper into the crowd, taking pictures with one of the photographers cameras near the stage, and at one point he even got into the crowd and walked around the entire stage area. These guys are a treat to watch. I loved every second of the show, and damn they have a lot of hits too.

After Weezer we hit the main stage for Dave Matthews Band. See my review of all the DMB shows combined to see why they are one of my favorite bands of all time. I think I got the order in which I watched the bands wrong, but the reviews are still correct. This concludes the massive update for the day, now please go out and see some shows.

Scorpions, Tesla, and Jackyl in Salt Lake City

Were you able to catch the Scorpions? I hope so, since this is their farewell tour. Since we had no plans for Monday night in Utah, we decided to go see Scorpions, Tesla, and Jackyl and meet up with my awesome cousin. After seeing so many great bands in two weeks, we were counting on this to be the ho hum show that probably wouldn't meet anyone's expectations. Luckily, we were surprised. Jackyl took the stage at 630 and annoyed the shit out of us for about 30 minutes. I was surprised at just how many songs they had that were famous, though I couldn't get past the lead singers desperate screams for attention between each and every song. There was even a point in the show where their guitarist played Star Spangled Banner and it sounded like he was playing on a kazoo. Seriously, give it up guys. You sucked in the 80s and you still suck today.

Thankfully, Tesla was next. I've seen these guys 6 times now (though only once as a headliner) and they still have the same energy they did back in the day. They rocked out all their hits like Little Suzie, Modern Day Cowboy, Signs, and Love Song. At one point the guitarist decided to show Jackyl just how the Star Spangled Banner should be played and basically played it Jimi style. These boys are still awesome. They have a new record coming out soon that I think I may just buy.

Finally, the Scorpions came out. I wasn't really expecting much from them since they had to follow up Tesla but damn they still know how to rock a crowd. They had giant video screens that played a bit of Scorpions history, a drummer that is incredibly talented and could easily make the case for a top 20 drummer of all time, and a ton of hit songs. After 90 minutes, they closed their set with No One Like You and Rock You Like a Hurricane leaving the crowd wanting more. This show was definitely a surprisingly great time, though hopefully there will never be a time I have to sit through Jackyl again.

Dave Matthews Band review x3

I got the chance to jump on the Dave Matthews Band tour for three shows, one in Wichita, one in Commerce City, and one in Salt Lake City and couldn't be more thrilled. DMB is one of my favorite bands of all time because of their live show. They can turn a mediocre song into greatness just by playing it live, and these three days re-solidified my love with them.

The last time I saw DMB was right before Leroi Moore died (Rip Roi) and Jeff Coffin was only filling in and not a regular member. Now that he is a regular member, he has stepped into Roi's roll nicely. He has taken several songs of DMBs and made them his own. During Lying in the Hands of God he played one of the most incredible sax pieces I've heard in my life. It turned what is normally a slow, sad song into a 15 minute jam. He brought the energy of a depressing song into something the entire crowd started dancing to. It was also great to see songs that I've heard them play live several times like Crush, and Ants Marching go through yet new progressions and not be played the same old way they have for years. In Utah, they closed the show with Two Step and rocked that song harder than ever before. Each time you thought it was done, the jam picked up again. The entire crowd were on their feet screaming for more. During Jimi Thing, they added a bit of Prince's Sexy Motherfucker into it just to add a bit more awesomeness to the song.

Another great addition to the band was having Tim Reynolds be a permanent touring member. His guitar skills are the best I've ever heard. I would honestly love to have someone find a better guitarist than him anywhere in the world. I really don't think it can be done. He is amazing and humble at the same time, which is really hard to find these days.

I've seen Dave Matthews Band 17 times now and must say that they are playing with more energy now than they have ever. They have elevated their playing to new levels and basically recreated themselves. If you have a chance to see them, go spend the money to do so. This is the way music should sound.

Bob Dylan in Casper Wyoming

I was really excited to find out that Bob Dylan was touring this year since I missed him last year. Sadly, he wasn't coming to Denver on this leg of his tour, so we had to head out to Casper, Wyoming to see him. It was definitely worth the drive. John Mellencamp opened the show and was absolutely awesome. I had a chance to see him at Farm Aid too, and he still sounds great. He opened with Pink Houses, sang Scarecrow, and a bunch of other hits packed into his 50 minute set. His band is solid and their fiddle player is top notch. The only concern I have is for his health. This is the second time in a year that I got to see him and he looked tired and couldn't stop coughing. This means one thing. See him now before he is no longer touring. You will be glad you did.

After Mellencamps set ended, it was time for the legendary Bob Dylan. Bob fucking Dylan. On the way to the show I told my fiance that I really wanted to hear two songs...Rainy Day Women and All Along the Watchtower. Dylan opened with Rainy Day Women and closed with Watchtower. He also played Highway 65, Lay Lady Lay, Lovesick, and several others in a way only Dylan can. Oh, and somehow we were about 10 feet away from the stage. Dylan rocked on organ, harmonica, and guitar and made me feel thankful to be witnessing such a legend so closely. Dylan to me is a once in a lifetime event, and anyone that gets the chance to see him should be thankful to be witnessing the greatest songwriter to ever grace a stage. I do have to warn you though, if you go to his show do not expect to hear his songs the way they were played on the radio. Dylan plays songs the way HE wants to play them at that moment, not the way they were recorded. It keeps each song fresh for him. I really can't blame him, I mean would YOU want to sing Like A Rolling Stone the exact same way for 50 years and thousands of shows? Probably not. This show was one of the biggest honors of my life and I am grateful to witness such greatness so close. That memory will last a lifetime for sure.

Review of Social Distortion

I got a chance to go see Social Distortion in Boulder last week and let me tell you, that show was the true definition of a rock show. Mike Ness has so much charisma on stage you can't help but be drawn in to his snarl. He constantly got right up to the end of the stage and sang to whomever was in the front, shaking hands and getting the crowd going. He blasted through songs like Ball and Chain, Nickels and Dimes, and closed with Ring of Fire. The energy was high for the entire 90 minutes they were onstage. My only complaint with this show is that they didn't play Story of my Life. Oh well, there is always one of the two Fillmore shows in October. If you wanted to see them and missed out in Boulder, you can see them then. Social D had two opening bands and neither of them were memorable. I'd go into further detail, but there was just too much great music that I witnessed to fully remember this show.

Around town 8/20

It's been a while since I've been able to update. I hope you were able to find things to do in my departure. I'm back now, and here is what's going on around town tomorrow.


Chromeo, Holy Ghost @ Ogden
Rodrigo y Gabriela with Xavier Rudd & Izintaba @ Red Rocks
Cotton Jones, The Fruit Bats w/ the Parson Red Heads @ Hi-Dive
The Mighty 18 Wheeler, Murder Ranks and The Threatened @ Rockaway Tavern
Dan Craig CD Release, Churchill, a Mouthful of Thunder @ Bluebird
Soft Steps, Hideous Men, No Funeral, Mib @ Rhinoceropolis
Shawn Colvin & Loudon Wainwright III @ Denver Botanical Gardens
Platte River Killers, Mourned by Flies, Bury Manifold, Stillwatersburn, Gestapo Pussy Ranch @ Larimer Lounge
Forth Yeer Tour Welcome Home Show @3 Kings
Jay J Matott and the Arctic, Consider the Raven, Mike Marchant's Outerspace Party Unit, CrooksCoat @ Meadowlark
The Inactivists, Yerkish, Goy @ Open Tap
SuperSeed, The Matt Nasi Band, The Reformers, & The McRae @ Hermans Hideaway
sub.bass Beat Down with Evol Intent, Propa Tingz, Fury (MC Dino), Sick N Twisted @ Casselmans
Peaceful Peaches w/ Iluminado, A Billion Ernies, Colors @ Moe's
FREE SHOW!! w/ Eminence Ensemble, Frequent C & Sensory Dispensary @ Cervantes
Harmonious Junk @ Ziggies
The Birthday Massacre w/ Disaffected, Beryl Beloved @ The Marquis
The Red Fire Fly Book/Soundtrack CD Release Party w/Tequila Mockingbird, Trailer Park Playboys, Andy Ard, and Ricky and the Radios @ Benders
Midnight Vine, Losing Juliet, Julia Bryan Band, Steve Law @Toad Tavern
Minivan Blues Band w/ Shotgun Party, Sky Island @ Cervantes Other Side
The Carnivores / Conjugal Visits / White Drugs @ Lions Lair
Daddy Yankee @ Denver Coliseum
Chris Young @ Grizzly Rose
STOIC w/ Made Fresh Daily, Sick Illutions, ILL-7 & DJ Rashka @ Walnut Room
Codi Jordan Band w/ Mike Maurer @ Summit Music Hall
Mindi Abair @ Soiled Dove
The Larva Ink w/ Special Guests f/ members of Air Dubai and Petals of Spain @ Bar Standard
Dose, Gata Negra @ Old Curtis Street



If you don't already have tickets for anyone else (like I do) you should make your way to the new Rockaway Tavern and check out Mighty 18 Wheeler, The Threatened, and Murder Ranks. This show is going to be the most rocking show you could go to all year. If you are unfamiliar, Murder Ranks just played with the legendary Warlock Pinchers, The Threatened were up for Best Band in Denver, and Mighty 18 Wheeler were listed as one of the must see acts at the Denver UMS. When all three are on one bill you are promised chaos and a great time.

Though, if metal is not your thing (and it's not everyone's thing) get your ass down to Red Rocks for Rodrigo Y Gabriela. These two are an amazing team and two of the most underrated guitarists in the world. Incredible talents. This is the show I will be at personally. If you decide to go, find me and buy me a beer. :)

Stay tuned for some concert reviews so you can understand where the hell I've been for the last week and a half.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Phish @ Telluride

This weekend was the weekend that Phish was in Telluride. I've been hearing about Phish for years and always just associated them as a "dirty hippie band" and never really gave them a fair shot. My opinion had always been, who cares? It's just a bunch of people getting stoned all day. Their music is nothing special. When I started dating my fiance, I found out she was a huge Phish fan. Not a big deal, everyone has things they like that I don't. The one thing that this did though was introduce me to Phish. While I was still guarded about them as a band, I gave their music a shot. I got a hold of a copy of their latest CD Joy and put that on my Zune. Low and behold, there were a couple of awesome songs on it. Of course, her response to me was "to really appreciate them, you need to see them in concert" Fair enough. I've said that about Dave Matthews Band to everyone that would give them shit. Finally, I got my chance to see Phish live with my fiance in Telluride. This is the experience from start to finish.


We left out of Denver on Sunday morning at 9 AM to drive to Telluride. On the way there, we had a flat tire and CDOT was there within minutes of the blowout. Incredible. I could already feel the positive vibes for the next couple days. Once we got to Telluride, we pulled up to the campsite which was a middle/high school ground. We needed to leave right after night 2 so we could be sure to get back here for a show tonight. They parked us in a place that wasn't being saved for people camping. We got the hook up immediately. That was positive thing number 2 of the weekend. While getting set up, people came to offer to help carry things that I was struggling with. This was awesome, even though it wasn't necessary to do, these people went out of their way to be kind. The crazy thing, this wasn't a one off. The entire Phish community is like a family that actually cares about each others well being. While I'm sure that there may be the one off person who sucks, every person that I had the pleasure of speaking to was friendly, excited to be there, and just a good person overall. I have never felt that kind of community anywhere.

The city of Telluride also opened their tiny town to us lovingly. The school where we were camped at offered us hot showers every day as well as brunch. The locals were incredibly happy to see us and treated everyone with the same respect they were treated with. The entire town was filled with 11k awesome people.(population and Phish fans combined) The entire experience of camping with Phish fans and being in Telluride was an awesome combination but it doesn't mean that the music is going to be any good. I still kept a bit of my defenses up just to be sure I could get an honest opinion of how I felt and not how someone else wanted me to feel about this band. This is what I took away from the two nights of their music.

Phish is one tight band musically. You can tell they have been playing for years and years and love what they are doing. They aren't a flashy band that needs to do a lot of crowd banter, they are just there to melt your faces off while they play. Lyrically, there are some songs that are just so goofy you don't understand why people would be excited to hear them live...until they start jamming out during the songs. I do have to say that anytime their bass player was focused more, I loved the show even more. Mike beat that bass down like Ike beat Tina. He owned it. Listening to him play honestly made me feel like a kid again when I heard something so incredible I wanted to tell the world. Hearing the live CDs does nothing to convey this mans talent. I can honestly say that he is probably one of the best bass players to ever grace a stage. Their drummer was decent, but nowhere near the top 5 drummers of all time. Trey was awesome on guitar, you can tell that he is having fun every second he is on stage. He is constantly smiling and you can tell he is appreciative just to have people see him play. Their piano player was also good, but usually when they were focusing on his playing I lost a bit of interest. He didn't bring it like Trey and Mike did. He was talented, but for me he wasn't the high point of the show.

Overall though, the two nights they played were rocking. The entire crowd was dancing and having a great time. Each set they did was just a little better than the set before. They can turn a quick 4 minute song into a 15 minute mindblowing experience without really trying too hard. They did great covers of the Beatles, Dylan, Ween, and a couple other songs as well. After this weekend I have gone from someone who was giving them a shot because my fiance loved them and I wanted to experience why she loved a band so much to being a won over fan. Thank you Phish and the beautiful town of Telluride for such a great evening.


Forgive all the grammatical errors in this, I'm still a bit out of it from lack of a lot of sleep and massive sunburn. It was worth every second.

Saturday, August 7, 2010

Around town tonight and tomorrow, and highlights for the rest of the week

I've been busy and haven't been able to get this updated like I wanted to, but here are some of the highlights of what is going on tonight and tomorrow.


Tonight,

Chris Isaak @ Arvada Center
Warlock Pinchers 2010 w/ Melvins Lite, Tauntaun, @ Gothic
Makeout Point, China Venture, The Conjugal Visits @ Meadowlark
Mechanical Dan's CD Release Show...With Demon Funkies @ Toad Tavern


Lots more, but these are the highlights of tonight. All of these shows are worth the money, but honestly either Demon Funkies @ Toad Tavern or Chris Isaak at the Arvada Center are perfect choices. The Arvada Center holds about 1200 people at their amphitheater and every seat is super close. Demon Funkies are just phenomenal. Great funk.



Tomorrow

Vans Warped Tour @ Invesco Field
Bob Log III BBQ, Lust-Cats of the Gutters @ Larimer Lounge
Chris Isaak @ Chataqua


Lots more going on, but head on down to Larimer Lounge for yet another awesome BBQ show. Larimer has been on point with this series this year. Week after week they have been featuring the best of Denver on Sunday Funday. Check it out. The music starts at 3 and goes until late. You really don't want to go to work sober on Monday anyway.


I will be heading out of town for Phish, when I get back be sure to read up on Chris Isaak, Phish, and Social Distortion.


Check out Fingers of the Sun at 3 Kings on Tuesday, and Necromantix at the Bluebird on Wednesday. If I were in town I know I would be at both of those.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Around town 8/6

Warlock Pinchers 2010 w/ Dressy Bessy, Murder Ranks @ Gothic Theater
Achille Lauro Tour Sendoff, Candy Claws CD Release w/ Vitamins Hi-Dive
The Gamits (Reunion Show!), Only Thunder, Lion Sized @ Bluebird
Hot Congress Show @ Skylark
Oblio's Arrow w/ Bone Orchard Revival, Sun Red [formerly (die) Pilot], Ross Etherton & the Chariots of Judah @ Moe's
Jackyl @ Grizzly Rose
Our Last Night, The Bled w/ I Am Abomination, Veara @ Marquis
3 Blue Teardrops w/ Johnny and the Blades, High Gear Daddies @ 3 Kings
MRK1 w/ TRUTH and Sub.Mission Residents @ Cervantes
Solar Bear, An Aesthetic Anaesthetic @ Summit Music Hall
Coles Whalen with Sarah Slaton & Kyle Simmons @ Casselman's
See-I Featuring Members Of Thievery Corporation w/ Mikey Thunder @ Cervantes Other Side
Ottmar Liebert and Luna Negra @ Soiled Dove
Huttinany (Sf) / Pineross (Ms) @ Lions Lair
Stonehaven, Orgy For Satan, Pletys Mografia, Kastigation, Suppress The Delusion @Old Curtis Street Pub
Tequila Mockingbird, Red Hot Blues Catz, Revolver (A Beatles Tribute)@ Toad Tavern
Ordstro(CA), No Thought, Circle of Defeat @ Blast O Mat
Bonnie & the Beard, Cody Crump, The Tanukis, Chris McGarry @ Meadowlark
HOT 32 SEMI FINALS 1 feat: At The Forefront, Undeclared, Project I.F.F. & White Leather @ Herman's Hideaway
Teresa Lynne Band @ Ziggies
Glitter Trash with Beryl Beloved @ Benders



The choice tomorrow is an easy one. Warlock Pinchers and Dressy Bessy are already sold out so you don't have to bother with that one. Instead, get on down to the Meadowlark. Cody Crump is awesome. At UMS I was able to get a hold of what he calls The Greatest CD On Earth, and I have to say....while the title may be a bit of an exaggeration, it's pretty damned great. Also, his show is made for the awesome acoustics of the Meadowlark. If you don't want to go for his music, go for his sense of humor. Really, just go for the fact that he will not disappoint you, unless good music disappoints you. Then, you are basically fucked anyway.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Band of the day- Legendary River Drifters

I emailed Cyrus Green of the Legendary River Drifters and asked him three questions, and am I ever glad I did. What I got back from him were awesome reasons to see these guys and what their music is all about. If you missed them earlier this week, be sure to check them out on the dates mentioned at the end of this, and if they can resurrect the dead....see them on that tour as well.


"Tell Me a bit about your band."

The River Drifters formed four years ago out of a desire to play in a band whose members could win in a fight against any other local band. That's also why Suzanne took up the musical saw: to have easy access to a deadly weapon on stage. Joe Burkins got put on mandolin because he can play every instrument in the band better than the member playing that instrument. He had never played mandolin before, so we all voted and the mandolin is what we settled on. Cyrus said, "Let's see if he can play this retarded violin." Of course he could, and if he gets any better at it, we may have to switch him to slide whistle.

We're a folk group that veers into heavy metal sometimes. Matthew has a wheat intolerance. That's our main weakness, especially during beer drinking competitions, but Cyrus can drink his weight in beer, so that makes up for it. If Olivia exposed her breasts more, we all think we'd get better press. Darrick and Curtis both look a little like David Koresh, which is probably inhibiting us from getting national attention. We all remember the last time national attention turned to David Koresh.

Speaking of press, we stopped doing straight-faced interviews after we spoke to the Westword about the religious undertones in our music, and they labeled Suzanne a Catholic. She'll take whiskey over worship, as they say, and that's pretty evident in most of our songs, penned by Suzanne or not.

"What do you believe sets you guys apart from all the other bands in Denver?"

We are a cult and there are seven of us. Actually, we are a group of religious zealots, though none of us share a common religion. In this sense, we are a pantheistic cult/band and this fact sets us apart greatly from other Denver "bands." Suzanne is a devout Catholic, can often be seen with rosary in-hand, and who according to Denver's Westword has "...struggled with her faith." Curtis is of the Jewish persuasion and in 2007 briefly flirted with Hasidism, even growing his payot to full-Abrahamic regulation length. Matthew is a recent convert to the Denver chapter of ISKCON (The International Society of Krishna Consciousness) and supplies the rest of the band with an unlimited supply of sesame candies, for which the we are very grateful. Olivia is a born-again Zoroastrian and when not busy keeping the fire alive at temple, divides her time between the River Drifters and bee-keeping. Cyrus is a card-carrying member of the American Atheists and can often be seen wearing an Atheist tee-shirt depicting a mulish praying mantis. Joe is an arm-chair Buddhist and whilst "faux-meditating" in his armchair often meditates about how attachment is a "bummer." Last but not least, Darrick recently told the rest of the band that he is becoming a member of the Church of Later Day Saints and that the real reason he agreed to go with the band on summer tour is so that he could catch a ride to SLC.

"What are your upcoming shows so people can check you out?"

We're heading out on tour so not much in Denver for the next month. We'll be playing the Sunnyside Music Fest in Chaffe park on September 11 and we'll be opening for the always fascinatingly hypnotic Faun Fables at Bender's Tavern on October 5th. We've also been asked to participate in a concert that will be called Dead Rockers Tour and will some really great musicians including Johny Cash, Darby Crash, Joe Strummmer, Keith Richards and Barry White. It's not confirmed yet, but once they figure out the logistics of raising the dead, it's on.



Seriously though, these guys are awesome and incredibly talented. They don't give you a single reason to hate them, in fact after this, I love them that much more.

Around town 8/5

Sorry I didn't update yesterday, I was a bit under the weather. Lucky for you all, nothing really exciting was going on at all. It was a quiet day in music. Tomorrow is a different story. Look what we got coming up:


The Knew w/ Statewide Emergency, Rocket Comme Ca @ Summit Music Hall
Jimmy Stofer CD Release Show w/ 200 Million Years, Caleb Slade @ Hi Dive
Hideous Men Benefit: Hollagramz, Flashlights, Via @ Meadowlark
Leo Kottke & Sam Bush @ Denver Botanical Gardens
Potcheen Folk Band, Hillbilly Inferno w/ High Race Vine @ Moe's
Dr. Sunshines X-Ray Machine, The Stationary Set, Glass Homes, The Other Russia @ Larimer Lounge
Novus Folium Video Release w/ The Crimson Red, Whiskey King Coalition, Break Through Beautiful, Like Pianos Crashing @ Gothic Theater
Such Gold w/ Sheridan, Heart Says Collapse @ Marquis
Jackson Browne with David Lindley @ Red Rocks
iluminado / Colors / From Caverns / Can't Leave On A Whale @ Blast O Mat
Mandi Rae & Hillbilly Inferno @ Moes
Fei Fei @ Beta
Reelfoot w/ Dirk Quinn Band @ Cervantes Other Side
Whiskey Tango, Han Ho, Mojolifters, & Zach Heckendorf @ Herman's Hideaway
Michael Hornbuckle @ Ziggies
The Outta Controllers w/ Redbush, Borzaya @ 3 Kings
Action Friend / Veronica @ Lion's Lair



Lot's of shows to choose from and the show to see tomorrow is Potcheen Folk Band. These guys are a Celtic pirate band with a singer that speaks with a fake Irish accent and wants you to believe that it's real. Honestly though, they are a ton of fun and sing a lot of classic Irish jigs that will make everyone get out of their seats and want to dance.

If that doesn't do it for you, check out The Knew. These guys are coming off a great show at UMS and are ready to rock another venue. From what I hear, each show gets better and better. I tried to see them at UMS but it was so packed you couldn't even get in the door. Now that's a big following.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Around town 8/3

Tokyo Police Club, Freelance Whales, Arkells @ Bluebird
Film On the Rocks - The Lost Boys w/Snake Rattle Rattle Snake @ Red Rocks
Joan Armatrading w/ Karla Bonoff @ Denver Botanical Gardens
36 Crazy Fists w/ Dirge Within, Straight Line Stitch, Kill Syndicate @ Gothic
Free Moral Agents (feat Ikey Ownes of the Mars Volta) w/ Nocando, Rubedo @ Hi Dive
Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real w/ The Reflectables, Mandi Rae & Hillbilly Inferno @ Benders
Black Veil Brides w/ Vampires Everywhere, Modern Day Escape, Get Scared @ Marquis


The choice is an obvious one this time. Head to Benders and check out the future generation of the Nelson family. (No, not Ozzy and Harriet and Ricky Nelson....Willie Nelson) I had a chance to catch Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real at Farm Aid last year and was just blown away the second he started singing. He has Willie's voice. Micah Nelson plays with the Reflectables also. You get two Nelsons for just $10. I guess if you aren't a fan of Willie Nelson or his kids, you can always head up to Red Rocks to see Snake Rattle Rattle Snake throw down before the greatest vampire movie of all time. (Sorry kids, Twilight doesn't even have actual vampires....just poser bitches that whine for hours on end, I'm talking about the Lost Boys) Where else can you relive famous lines as "Death by Stereo" and "My own brother, a goddamn shit sucking vampire....you wait til Mom finds out" You also have not one but TWO Corey's. A living and a dead one, and Keifer Sutherland before legal issues. Tomorrow is actually a pretty cool night to do things around town.


If you were able to make it to either of these, please let me know how it was. I'll be laid up in bed all day.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Around town 8/2

Denver's Best Jazz Jam @ Meadowlark
Girl Wreck Presents: Hexen Vs. Hexen! Hexen (La) / Rattlehead (La) / Hexen (Denver) / Arthur Dodge @ Lions Lair
Roadside Graves w/ Legendary River Drifters @ Larimer Lounge
Tony Lucca w/ Ernie Halter, Alexis Babini & Trent Hancock @ Walnut room
Panties at the Bar-Ooh Lala Burlesque w/ Pawn Ticket Trio @ 3 Kings



Tonight is the easy choice for recommendation. Legendary River Drifters are playing at the Larimer Lounge and you should be sure to treat yourself. They play a little bit of Americana with a lead singer that can only be described by a Tenacious D lyric. She does not need, a microphone....her voice is fucking powerful. Seriously, I saw these guys play at the Irish Rover during UMS and I swear to Christ that the bar could not contain her vocals. They are that powerful and that awesome.

Review of Michael Franti and Spearhead Show

How you feelin? The show at Red Rocks was nothing short of awesome. The place was packed and the energy was high. The night started out with a DJ playing some music and getting the crowd pumped. DJs at Red Rocks just make no sense to me, but whatever. He was playing some great music. A great mixture from everything from Sublime to Stevie Wonder to Steve Miller. After his set, Brett Dennen got on stage and played for about 45 minutes. He has a great voice, but nothing really spectacular honestly. The some of the crowd was into it, and the rest was busy with other things. To me, he sounded way too much like Maroon 5 to even care. I was personally more excited to talk to some friends I hadn't seen in ages.

Between the set, the DJ came on for a bit and there was an announcement about over 1,000 prayer flags making their way from the top of Red Rocks all the way to the stage. On these flags were names of people with cancer and a prayer for them. These flags were raised to the top of the stage and left there for Franti's set. The goal is to eventually have them go all the way around the world, it was quite a touching thing to do.

After the prayer flags made their way to the front, Michael Franti took the stage. There are three things in life that are guaranteed: Death, Taxes, and the fact you will have a great time at one of his shows. His energy has yet to be matched by anyone. He bounced all over the stage, played to the crowd, and multiple times even got in the crowd to play. We were in the 23rd row right by the sound booth and he played on a little platform right behind it for part of one song, on the roof above the spotlight near the beer tent at another point, and walked up and down the aisles a few times. Another point in the show he brought out some dancers and a couple kids in wheelchairs. With shouts of How you feeling, make some noise, put your hands in the air, and I want to see you all jumpin' it was impossible for anyone to be bored. The entire crowd was dancing, jumping, waiving their hands in the air, and screaming all night. In one of the touching moments of the show, someone threw a note on some cardboard onstage saying that their Dad really wanted to come to the show but couldn't make it because he was in the hospital with cancer. Franti dedicated the very next song to him and asked the crowd to shout the names of someone that we missed. After two hours, he closed the show with Say Hey (I love you) and brought a bunch of kids on stage to dance with him.

Franti is a front man that really knows how to connect with the crowd. It's obvious that he loves what he does and I sincerely hope that he is an artist that will be around for years to come. He is definitely someone I would see again.