Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Ronnie Milsap review

Last Saturday I got a chance to see one of country musics legendary performers at the Grizzly Rose. You may have heard of him, he goes by the name Ronnie Milsap. Milsap, who turned 68 recently, played a modestly short set of 75 minutes and played mainly a greatest hits set with only a couple songs that were either covers or new songs. He played his greats like Smokey Mountain Rain, Daydreams About Night Things, Stranger In My House, and Lost in the 50s (In the Still of the Night) and covered Patsy Cline and the Rolling Stones. One of the great things I took out of the show is how much his voice has held up over the years. He was able to hold some of the notes for 30 to 40 seconds, even while other people in the audience were gasping for air while singing along, he still managed to hold the tune. Even Robert Plant can't do that much anymore. After 40 number 1 hits, Ronnie Milsap proved to everyone why his music is timeless. Old classic country will trump the new popular bullshit that has been coming out lately any day (very few exceptions to that rule)If he lives to come back through here, check him out. You may never get the chance to again.

Around town Wednesday night.

Tomorrow is hump day and what better way to ensure that you get lucky than to take your significant other out on the town to imbibe in the finest of alcohols while rocking out to Denver's finest music. If that doesn't work, then I say find someone on Colfax to satisfy your needs (gross, really. Have you seen what's crawling around there? It's not anything you would see at the Bunny Ranch that's for sure) Ok, back to the topic at hand, music. While the beginning of the week hasn't brought much to light in awesomeness, Wednesday is picking up a tiny bit. (turd polished)

Air Waves w/ Hindershot, Reviving Cecilia @ Hi-Dive

Royal Bangs, Common Anomaly, Colfax Speed Queen @Larimer Lounge

People Under The Stairs @ Fox Theater (Boulder)

::: the slowdown lounge ::: featuring Paul Riola's "Cellar Door @ Walnut Room (purchase $3 joints at the dispensary next door if you have a marijuana card)

The Zen Theory w/ Madeline's Revenge @ Cervantes Other Side

Emergency Pullout @ Casselmans

Headrush @ Funky Buddha

Steven Andrews and the Red Delicious, Infidel, Gypsy Fit, , & J.C. & The Water Walkers @ Herman's Hideaway


I say head to Cervantes Other Side for Zen Theory. They are a transient type jam band with some good grooves but mediocre vocals. They jam pretty good from what I can tell on their youtube clips but I personally like Tea Leaf Green Yamn a lot better. If jam bands aren't your thing, go check out the Colfax Speed Queens at Larimer Lounge. None of these bands do it for you? Try this then. Go to any random happy hour in Denver, get blitzed, and then see the worst band on this list. I promise you it will be the most amazing night of your life. Just don't wake up in jail.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Around town tonight and tomorrow

I know you're tired of this miserable work week and it's only Monday. I have an idea. Go out and get shit faced while rocking out to some of the best stuff in Denver. Busy tonight? That's ok. There is great stuff going on tomorrow too. Check out what's happening.

Tonight:

Pawn Ticket Trio @ 3 Kings

Lynch Mob @ Casselman's

Tomorrow:

Cruel Hand @Oriental Theater

Erik Boa's BIG Blues Jam @ Herman's Hideaway

Jababa w/ The Blues Allstars @ cervantes Other Side

Dave Lemieux and House of Soul w/ At The Table with Dr. King @ Soiled Dove

Fire in the Sky, Parley, Bodies We've Buried, Leftmore @ Larimer Lounge



Alright, so I got you all hyped up for no good reason. Still, did you see the Lynch Mob are playing tonight? If you don't know who they are, it's the band that features ex Dokken member George Lynch. Back in the day they had a hit called Wicked Sensation and then they disappeared and were completely forgotten. Now that they are all broke and sucking off the government and are all about to get evicted from their homes, they decided to reunite and hope to make enough to pay rent on the 1st. That's where you all come in. Go out, buy your ticket, laugh at them, and feel good you were able to help out aging rockers keep their studio apartments for one more month.

Tomorrow though, check out the Blues jam. That doesn't sound too bad if you get the right people there. Don't worry, the music will get better as the week progresses as is usually the case.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Facebook issues

If you are trying to follow this blog on Facebook and the feed isn't showing up, go to edit options and on the drop down, click on it and change it to show all pages and feeds.

Around town 1-23

Honestly, I believe they shut the city down because of the playoffs. I mean, it's been since 1941 since the Packers played the Bears in the playoffs, and the winner goes to the Superbowl. After that it will be the Patriots and Jets playing. By the time it's time to go to a show the city will be too drunk. So, with that said here is who will be here tomorrow.

Brian Jordan Band w/ Brian Jordan (Karl Denson's Tiny Universe), Bernie Worrell (Talking Heads, P-Funk), George Porter Jr. (The Meters), Jen Durkin (Deep Banana Blackout) and Dave Watts (The Motet) and Special Guest E.D. (Jesus) Coomes (Lettuce) @ Cervantes Other Side

DISKREET @ 3 Kings

Crooked Ways, Circle Number Dot, Left Foot Green, The Toasting Game, Sleepy Weather @ Larimer Lounge



Yeah, after blowing its musical wad on music tonight, Denver offers up nothing much to get excited about. Head on over to Cervantes Other Side for their line up. It looks the best out of all the shows. That doesn't do it for you? Get drunk and watch football. It's the American way, and you can pass out early enough to make it to work tomorrow without a hangover.

Best of 2010

At the start of 2010 I had one goal. The goal was to see 100 different bands. I didn't care if they were openers, local bands, national acts, or just some kids playing on the street with their instruments. Alright, that's extreme. Those kids have no talent and if you can call that music, then you are probably a fan of half the shit they have on the radio these days that somehow passes for decent. Hell, even those drunk chicks singing Don't Stop Believing sound better. Anyway, here is what I pick to be the best shows of 2010 in several categories that I made up just so I can give props to everything I loved.


Best new band that didn't play in 2009:

Bonnie Situation. Have you seen them yet? They have played a total of 2 gigs so far and kick plenty of ass. Not only do they have original music, but they aren't afraid to give you some covers that will blow your mind. Run To The Hills, Hot Legs, Anything Anything, and they have a female lead vocalist belting them out. Not only is she belting them out, she doesn't even struggle hitting some of the more difficult notes. Check them out in February at Herman's Hideaway (hit their FB page for details)

Best local band that I only discovered this year:
Frogs Gone Fishin' I had the honor of seeing these guys play twice and each show was completely different from the last. At any time you could go from funk to jamming, to Rage Against The Machine. Each night seems to focus a different member and it's always a good time. They will be playing a lot in the next couple months.

Best opening act:
Joe Cocker. I got the chance to see Joe Cocker open for Tom Petty. What I expected was an old guy who got high one too many times put on an OK show and what I got was a performance that was on par with his Woodstock performance. My mind was blown, the energy was high, and that mofo owns the Beatles songs he covers. The runners up for this category are John Mellancamp,Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears, and Fishbone.

Best local band that has a great mix of covers thrown in:
King for a Day. Yeah, I'm pretty biased but I love those guys. I can honestly say I've been to more KFAD shows than all the wives of the members combined. I can't say enough about these guys so just go check them out.

Best local band that plays a lot of country:
New Ben Franklins. I love them. Their music is great. See them at Moe's in February.

Best local music festival:
UMS 4 days of music, 300 bands, and nothing but a good time. If you can't discover at least one new artist at UMS, you probably also struggle to find weed at a Phish show. Hell, your parents probably couldn't even find acid at Woodstock. Kill yourself now you pathetic piece of shit. I've been to UMS the last two years and am already looking forward to this years festivities. I don't even care who plays, it's that much fun.

Best national act I saw more than twice:
Honestly, I was completely blown away by Phish. We saw them in Telluride for their two night run and the whole community of brotherhood between the fans is something that no other band can match. The music was spot on for all 5 nights we saw them combined this year, and you definitely wanted to dance. Runners up are Dave Matthews Band, Michael Franti, and Fishbone

Best National Act I saw once:
Weird Al. I have wanted to see him for years and never got around to it. When we got our chance, we took our front balcony row seats and were able to enjoy everything I had expected out of his show. Costume changes, guitar smashing, ALtv, and the entire crowd singing and laughing. Runner up is Green Day.

Best performance by a music legend:
The term legend shouldn't be taken lightly. When people hear the name Robert Plant, they automatically think of Stairway To Heaven and want to get into arguments about who the greatest guitarist of all time is. With that said, we were lucky enough to witness lots of legendary artists this year. That will have to go to Bob Dylan. This man was responsible for so many great songs in history. Almost every band covers him. Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, Dave Matthews, the Byrds, just to name a few. He is the greatest songwriter ever and to be standing within feet of him was a true honor. The runners up were Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Elton John.

Best Visual Performance"
Roger Waters recreating the Wall. Yes, the legendary Pink Floyd album. Recreated. Simply amazing.

Most interesting stage show:
Gwar. This show had decapitations, blood shooting out on the audience, beasts playing music, and Lady Gaga getting sacrificed. Awesome.

Best Cover Band:
Cash'd Out. These guys are simply phenomenal. They have Johnny's sound, movements, and even some stage banter. They will also throw down for 3 hours if given the chance. See them when they come to your area.

Best Punk show:
Social Distortion. Seeing Social D in Boulder for the first time was incredible. Mike Ness demanded you follow his every movement wherever he was on stage. He also loved to lean into the crowd and make sure you got as close as you possibly could.

Biggest surprise of the year:
Weezer. While I've loved their music for a while, I just assumed they would be one of those bands that aren't the best live. The fact is, they are awesome. Rivers Cuomo can't be contained by the stage and likes to get into as much trouble as he can whether its stealing someone's camera, climbing on the cables, or crawling up by the screens. He would even run into the crowds a lot. Completely unexpected and totally awesome. Runner up Fourmile Canyon Revival. 7 hours of great music.

Best Acoustic Set:
Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds. Honestly you can't beat these guys acoustically. Tim Reynolds plays guitar and can make it nearly sound like an entire string section. Runner up: Trey and Mike of Phish.

Best value for your money:
Green Day. I paid $20 a ticket and watched them play for 3 hours. If you break that down it's like $6.75 an hour. Not only that, they rocked the place. They had a great mix of old and new and made sure to make every fan happy.

Best encore:
Chicago and the Doobie Brothers: At the end of the show, both bands were on stage exchanging hit songs for what was close to an hour. I don't think a single person was ready for it to be over.

Overall best show of 2010:
While there were several things that made each show memorable, the artist that stands out the most for me is Michael Franti and Spearhead. Between the Red Rocks show and the 1st Bank Center show, Franti's energy is unmatched by no one. His love for what he does is apparent. He is one of the artists that you know are playing for the love of the music and fans and not for the love of the almighty dollar. In his shows he brings members of the audience onstage, will grab the wireless gear and play on the sound booth, or even in the stands standing in the crowd. At a Franti show, there is no such thing as a bad seat because he may just end up playing right next to you. After seeing the best of the best play this year, people that have been responsible for shaping music to what it is today, Franti outshined them all, and honestly he's not the greatest on CD. You don't get a dull moment at all, you always feel engaged, and you never want the show to end.


Worst of 2010:

Worst local band:
Stealth Hippo. For an hour you got to watch a 5 minute clip of hippos on repeat while the band played shitty music. Pure torture.

Worst National Band:
Ratt. Uninspired run down of their hits. I knew 99% of the songs and couldn't wait to get out of there. God awful.




This year we had the privilege to see Billy Joel, Elton John, Joe Cocker, Tom Petty, Chicago, Doobie Brothers, Paul McCartney, Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Weird Al, Anthrax, John Mellancamp, and Roger Waters in a mix of a ton of other great bands. 2010 will go down in history as the greatest year of my life musically.

Around town 1-22? Saturday bitches

Alright, being unemployed means I have no idea what the dates are anymore and barely know what day of the week it is. I mark my days like this: Is Candie home all day? Must be a weekend. Is she home after 7? Must be a Tuesday. Did she stay up late when she got up early? Must be Friday. Quit knocking my inability to know the date. I'm a sensitive guy alright!!!!!! I'm getting off topic here and this blog has found me lazy as of late. Back to it though. Here is what is going on around town tonight (aka Saturday night, you tell ME what date it is)


Crocodiles, Overcasters, Hearts in Space @ Larimer Lounge

Mike Marchant's Outer-Space Party Unit, Le Divorce, 200 Million Years, Calder's Revolvers, Otto von Cousticon @ Hi-Dive

The Polkanauts w/ Das Borrachos, the Legendary River Drifters @ 3 Kings

Concert for Cash 2011 w/ The Hollyfelds & Hillbilly Inferno @ Oriental Theater

Long Spoon Records Re-Launch w/ Dovekins, Papa Bear and Maxwell Hughes @ Mercury Cafe

Lyin' Bitch and the Restraining Orders, Horse, She's A Machine, The Worth, Final Blow, All Set, Scalafrea, Nicarguan Death Squad, Fomofuiab, Cattleist, Apathy, Crusher Bound Cadillac @ Benders

Jonathan Coulton w/ Paul & Storm @Soiled Dove

36 Chambers all female tribute to Wu Tang Clan @ Walnut Room

Bonnie & the Clydes w/ Casey James Prestwood & the Burning Angels, Magnolia Row, Pigeon Port @ Moe's

Lola Black w/ No Bueno!, Dave Mansfield & The L.A.M.F's, The Namesakes @ Gothic

Perpetual Groove, Easytonic @ Bluebird

Tribal Seeds w/ Fortunate Youth @ Cervantes

Robert Randolph & the Family Band @ Ogden

Half Full Hearse w/ E.P.O. (Emergency Pullout), Nuclear Front, Between Fate, & Miner @ Herman's Hideaway

Ronnie Milsap @ Grizzly Rose

George Porter Jr. & Runnin' Pardners w/ The Fox Street All Stars @ Cervantes Other Side


Holy shit, I can't believe all this great music is playing in one night and that is just Denver. Throw in Reckless Red in Lyons, BB King and Shakedown Street in Boulder, and the Mighty Peculiars playing a show just outside of Boulder and you have one awesome night of music in the mile high area. I will do my best to make this easy on everyone. Skip Lola Black at the Gothic and hold off seeing them until they play Herman's Hideaway in a couple weeks. You will have The Bonnie Situation and Reno Divorce on the bill with them at that time. Trust me on this, you won't want to miss that show. Overcasters is a great choice for some local music. Have you seen them? They are really damned good. If you want to get your Wisconsin on in time for the awesome Packers Bears game on Sunday, head on over to 3 Kings and see The Polkanauts. They even do polka versions of Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath. Plus, Legendary River Drifters are playing with them and damn those are some powerful vocals. Don't want to do local? Go see Robert Randolph and the Family Band. I've seen them three times and have been blown away each time I've seen them. Robert Randolph plays one of the best Steel Guitars I've ever heard next to Tom Oberheide of New Ben Franklins. With all those suggestions, I'll personally be at Ronnie Milsap. He's old and he's a country music legend. He could be dead in a week. I need to see him now.

Until next time, have fun out there and when they say rock out with your cock out....don't really take your cock out.