Around town 8/1

Black Lamb BBQ w/ Popwreck, Black Acid Devil, Speedwolf, Disease Called Human, Idiotfish @ Larimer Lounge
Daylight,Transit, Only Thunder, Crooked Ways @ Blast o Mat
Los Lonely Boys @ Arvada Center
Rockers for Knockers - A Benefit @ Quixotes
Boulder Acoustic Society w/ Fishtank Ensemble @ Walnut Room
Ditch Rites @ Toad Tavern
Mumford (Iowa)/Utopia Park (Iowa)/Tiny Moving Parts (Nd) @ Rocket Room
Denver's longest standing Blues Jam @ Ziggies
Animus CD Release Party w/ Public Display of Aggression, The Unrelenting, Virga, Broken Image, Controlled Demise @ Cervantes
Captain Blood / Suffix Punch / Shuffle Inn / Ha Ha Hooligans @ Lion's Lair
Battle of the Bands @ Ogden



Tomorrow you should go to the Larimer Lounge for the Black Lamb BBQ. I've seen Black Lamb throw down before and they bring the heavy metal crazy up a notch. There may not actually be a sane bone in the singers body, which is exactly what you want your front man to be when you are rocking a place. Also, did I mention that it's a BBQ? Tasty food and awesome music make for a great combination. Get there early though, since this is a BBQ.

Around town 7/31

Michael Franti & Spearhead with Brett Dennen @ Red Rocks
Toadies w/ Dead Country, The Mag 7 @ Gothic
Sunset Curse w/ the Pirate Signal, Monroe Monroe @ Hi Dive
Reno Divorce, King Rat, Pitch Invasion w/ Suburban Hostage, Red Stinger, Truckasaurus, With Arms Raised, One Whore's Town & a very special mystery guest! @ Benders
Treasure Fingers w/ Altered Egos @ Vinyl
Reverend Deadeye w/ Ross Etherton and the Chariots of Judah @ Paris Wine Bar
William Topley @ Bluebird
Rubber Planet, Sons Of The Addicted, Goldie And The Bears @ Toad Tavern
I Know You, Rider w/ Extreme Turbo Smash, PANAL S.A. DE C.V. @ Summit Music Hall
Tim McGraw and Lady Antebellum @ Fiddlers Green
Bemused, Distance Engine, Josh Vaught (The Rouge), Thomas Freed @ Meadowlark
Oakcreek, Kindletree, Safe Boating Is No Accident @ Larimer Lounge
Drop Dead Gorgeous, From First To Last, Attila, Sleeping With Sirens, Abandon All Ships, For All Those Sleeping, Woe Is Me, Scarlett O Hara @ Marquis
Zach Heckendorf w/ Brooke Shellberg @ Cervantes
AC and The Mighty Jivesters @ Walnut Room
Blood Debt, Seven Days Lost, Redeem My Promise, Tearing The Tides, Calvera Cannibal, Beyond The Wreckage, Among The First, In Oceans, Lost of All Days @ Cervantes Other Side
Maruth, Solemn Empire, The Casket Crew @ Old Curtis Street Pub
Lola Black w/ Truckasaurus, 3 Grams Over An Ounce, My Orange Crush @ Moe's
Michael Hornbuckle Band @ Ziggies
Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers feat. Jim Dalton from the Railbenders on lead Guitar! @ Herman's Hideaway
Take/Colfax Speed Queen/Sherman To The Fucking Sea/Tiny Moving Parts (Mn)/Sunrise Sunset (Nd) @ Lions Lair
Reckless Red @ Lincoln's
Eddie Money @ Hudson Gardens



Another day and another tough recommendation. I really have to recommend Reckless Red for today. If you haven't seen them, what you get is a bit of blues, a bit of country, a bit of rock, and one ass kicking great time. CJs sultry voice could easily be rated as good or better as Susan Tedeschi, Alannah Miles, or Dana Fuchs.

Of course, if you don't want blues you can always head to Toad Tavern for Rubber Planet. They have an 80s feel and are yet another band that is a lot of fun to see. Silver has great stage presence and can really get the crowd singing.

I will personally be at the sold out Michael Franti show, which I'm looking forward to. I've seen Franti do an acoustic set in the past and I have to say, he has more energy than the Energizer Bunny. Have a great time.

Around town 7/30

Paper Bird w/ the Beaten Sea, Ian Cooke @ Gothic
Miniature Tigers, The Spinto Band, The Don'ts and Be Carefuls @ Larimer Lounge
Action Packed Thrill Ride w/ Johnny Woodrose & the Broken-Hearted Woodpeckers, Elliott Moonshine & the Ghost @ Moes
DATSIK w/ RumbleJunkie, Despise, Dodger, Sub.Mission Residents @ Cervantes
Lords of Fuzz @ Star Bar
Missing DuFrenes w/ Dang!@ Walnut Room
The Heyday w/ Roe (acoustic), The Epilogues (acoustic), Places (acoustic)@ Summit Music Hall
Lyle Lovett & His Large Band w/ Taj Mahal @ Red Rocks
William Topley @ Bluebird
Vicente Fernandez @ Pepsi Center
Mechanical Dan w/ special guests Jumping at Shadows @ 12 Volt Tavern
The Babysitters, Action Friend, RAWRR! @ Meadowlark
The Informants! w/ Halden Wofford and the Hi-Beams & The Trailer Park Playboys @ Hermans Hideaway
Brethren Fast @ Ziggies
Socialfuse w/ Rachel Morgan Perry, Of David, Mint Novacaine @ Buffalo Rose
moore,psycho devilles, big tattoo @ 3 Kings
Roger Clyne, solo @ Little Bear
Gravity w/ DJ Rootz, The Biz, Remo @ Marquis
Non-Compliant/Morbid Sanctuary/Another Door @ Lions Lair
Psycho Deville @ Benders
Forever More Entertainment w/ the Say So (formerly En Plein Air), Break Through Beautiful, Fight the Quiet, Kyle Coy, Saige @ Hi Dive
Spyro Gyra @ Soiled Dove
Dave Edwards, The Blacklight Project, 7even Days Til Sunrise, Sharla Jackson Band @ Toad Tavern
The Dynamites featuring Charles Walker w/ Dangermuffin @ Cervantes
Gun Outfit @ Rhinoceropolis


Holy shit there are a ton of great shows tomorrow, it's hard to recommend just one. So, here it goes. If you are struggling to decide I personally recommend checking out either Brethren Fast, Missing Dufrenes, or the Don'ts and Be Carefuls. I've seen all of these bands one time or another and they all kick a lot of ass. Brethren Fast plays best to a crowd like Lincolns, and can rock all night. Both Missing Dufrenes and Donts and Be Carefuls are both coming off excellent shows at UMS and both promise to bring a top notch performance. There is no way in hell you could possibly be bored tomorrow with so many acts to choose from. The only true question is who will actually get your cover charge. Good luck with that my friends and go get your faces rocked off.

Weird Al concert review

I went to see Weird Al at the Paramount tonight and I must say damn what a great show. Thankfully, there was no opener at all so we got just over two hours of non-stop hilarity. He came out and played one of his polkas that cover all the songs that are popular today to start the show. After that, he asked if everyone was ready to rock and then said "well this is awkward, what I have next is a ballad" and went into You Don't Love Me Anymore, which at the end he smashed his guitar. After every song there was a costume change, which means we got Al TV as a filler. If you remember the days when he took over MTV and played nothing but videos and clips he loved, plus interviews with celebrities then you know what we got. I had forgotten about all the great interviews he had done with Eminem, Jessica Simpson, Avril Lavigne, and Robert Plant. The entire audience was laughing during several of the clips, and even got into the UHF skit Wheel of Fish.

At one point in the show, he played Fat. I was hoping to hear him sing this, and was excited that when he walked out he was wearing the fat suit from the video. He also rocked the Amish costume for Amish Paradise, rode out in a segway for White and Nerdy, and the Jedi outfit for The Saga Begins, which also had Darth Vader and Stormtroopers dancing. From beginning to end it was nonstop entertainment. If you ever get a chance to see him, do yourself a favor and go. He was worth every penny.

I want to give a special shout out to the Paramount for having the parking situation under control. It's so hard to park near 16th St Mall and to have two places to park free of charge was amazing. Add that to the fact that my fiancee had a broken seat and they came and fixed it immediately was also impressive. Definitely top notch service there.

Around town 7/29

Bear in Heaven w/ Twin Sister, Weed Diamond @ Hi- Dive
"Weird Al" Yankovic @ Paramount
ABBA - The Concert / Arrival from Sweden @ Red Rocks
Easy Star All-Stars perform Dub Side of the Moon w/ Denver Dub Collective performing Prince's Purple Rain in Reggae and Dub w/ YEGDJ @ Cervantes
Glass Delirium w/ Yerkish, Ploy for Extinction, Cant Leave on a Whale@ Marquis
We Are Haiti 2: Brer Rabbit, Jonny 5 of Flobots, Soul Daddy @ Meadowlark
portamento, i know you rider, and special guests @ 3 Kinga
tim hill combo @ Herman's Hideaway
Emilio ~ Emilio @ Ziggies
The Free Electric Band, Thermopolis, Ironwood Rain, Noodle Soup @ Toad Tavern
Laugh Out Loud @ Funky Buddha
Midnite @ Bluebird
Conspiracy Assassins w/ Parasite Hilton, Harvest the Murdered, Nicaraguan Death Squad, Speedwolf @ Gothic
Frogs Gone Fishin', Springdale Quartet w/ Oakcreek, The Riot @ Moes
Crazyfish - Italy's Tribute to The Rolling Stones @ Soiled Dove
Mouthful of Buckshot, Burn the Port, We Are All Destined to Fail @ Larimer Lounge
Trajikk + Shake One @ Beta
Harmonious Junk w/ The Werks @ Cervantes'
Tim Hill Combo, Lila Bloom, Funk Munks & Black Water @ Herman's Hideaway


Wow, all this is on a Thursday night. Looks like everyone has officially recovered from UMS. Now it's time for recommendations. I will personally be at the Weird Al show tomorrow night, but if he isn't your thing then had on down to Moe's to check out Frogs Gone Fishing. My good friends at Evergroove studio just got their CD completed and tell me that it's damn good. I'm looking forward to hearing more about the show myself.

Just a heads up, there may not be an update tomorrow with who's around town due to not being home but I will do my best.

Around town 7/28

New Pornographers @ Ogden
Black Mountain, Spindrift @ Bluebird
Lady Gaga @ Pepsi Center
Happy Birthday w/ Residual Echoes, Lust-Cats of the Gutters @ Hi- Dive
Achille Lauro w/Where Astronauts Go To Hide @ Larimer Lounge
Cynic w/ Intronaut, Dysrhythmia @ Marquis
Tantric, Burn Halo and Adema @ Grizzly Rose
Mary Chapin Carpenter w/ Dar Williams @ Denver Botanic Gardens
Denver Joe & The Saddle Tramps @ Benders
Mincemeat Or Tenspeed, Nero's Day At Disneyland @ Rhinoceropolis
New Talent Showcase feat: Fresh Hops, Mother of Pearl,Medicine Jones @ Hermans Hideaway
Bonnie & Her Clydes, Todd Helvig, The Dowry @ Meadowlark
Feel Never Real w/ Signum A.D. @ Walnut Room
The Stone River Boys w/ Ethyl & The Regulars @ Soiled Dove
Inter Arma w/ Steel Blades Of Vengeance, Bastard Sapling @ 3 Kings
Mama's Love w/ Farewell Drifters @ Cervantes


My recommendation of the day is to hit up Hermans Hideaway to check out Medicine Jones. They are a great mixture of rock, blues, and funk with probably one of the best guitarists in the city. You may have seen their tickets at the beer tent at the Goodwill stage at UMS, I really hope you had a chance to grab one. It's definitely worth it.

UMS Review

This weekend was the granddaddy of all Denver Festivals. I'm talking about the Denver Post Underground Music Showcase, or UMS for short. The festival itself was 4 days long, but I only made it to the last three days. While the entire weekend was incredible to say the least, here are some of the best memories I took away from the weekend.

I kicked off the weekend with a set by Speakeasy Tiger. I had seen them last year before they had to audition a new lead singer. I have to say, while the old singer was awesome...the new singer was awesome. They had the crowd dancing around, and even gave away CDs to people. This band is on the verge of getting big and I wish nothing but success for them.

Next up was the overhyped Danielle Ate The Sandwich. I have one word to describe her. Boring.

We ended up spending some time at the Irish Rover where they had phenomenal band after phenomenal band. Seriously, that was the place to be on Friday. I actually walked away with a band that I think everyone needs to see. Hoots and Hellmouth. They are an Americana band that mixes country, soul, and even a bit of gospel. These guys were so much fun I had to buy their CD, and the guys in the band that I talked to were super cool. They are currently doing a national tour so check them out.
Another great band I had the chance to see was the Polkanauts. Talk about a lot of fun. This year they made Slayer into Polka, and brought out an 8 foot mascot called Death. I couldn't believe how packed that place was and how many people were dancing. Last year there was only myself and maybe one other person dancing and this year I would say around 20 people were dancing.

The Blackouts played a set at UMS on Sunday night and pretty much tore the roof off of the place. They sang original songs and a rocking cover of Bad Reputation. I'm thinking that song is the only cover song that lead singers of female punk bands want to do. Joan Jett would be proud. After hearing the Dollyrots screw it up on Thursday, it was good to hear the Blackouts do the original song justice. If you missed them, they have a show coming up at 3 Kings very soon. Go see them.

Another great set was by the one and only Magic Cyclops. I've seen him in the past do a DJ set, but never actually perform. He was spot on with his mocking of everyone. He called a homeless guy Dad, stopped the show while a group of people with no wristbands walked by shouting, we aren't giving this away for free. That's $20. At one point he even yelled at someone for parking somewhere that they weren't supposed to park. The entire audience laughed for the whole thing. He is a one of a kind act. Check him out when you can.

The New Ben Franklins played a set early on Sunday. After the terrible sound from the previous band, it was good to see the sound guy redeemed himself a set later. NBF were at their best I think and played a similar set that they played a week ago at Larimer Lounge. These are another great group of guys that I focused earlier in the week. They did not disappoint anyone once again.

Also on the bill was King for a Day. While they sounded good, the sound was all fucked up at the venue they got screwed into playing. Rock The Cradle was not made for sound at all and it was evident for the whole set. Simon could not hear himself in the monitors, the sound bled into the walls and the vocals weren't clear. The only thing that actually sounded decent was Johns drumming. I love these guys to death, but this was honestly their worst performance I've ever seen and the venue is all to blame. I feel bad for any band that had to play there.

Finally, the Mighty 18 Wheeler was also there this weekend. There was a reason they were listed as one of the 5 bands you must see. They were loud, there were wardrobe changes, and Goose even crawled up on the bar and played on the bar for a bit. The energy in that place was pretty awesome, and I did not see a single bored person in the crowd. Whether you are a fan of the music or not, stage presence goes a long way for entertainment and these guys have it. Next time they play, do yourself a favor and check these guys out, but before you go you should call your plastic surgeon. Your face just might melt off.

All in all, the UMS had something for everyone. This year included wrestling, burlesque, a polka band, some folk music, country, rock,comedy, and even bands that kind of had a jam band feel. While some places were made for music, there were some places that the sound was so terrible the bands may have not even played there at all. Rock The Cradle was one of those venues. There were even times at Irish Rover, and Skylark that I was thinking that the mics needed to be turned up, or the guitars be turned down just a bit.

On a couple of non music items at the festival, I do have to give a shout out to Biker Jim who had the best hot dogs in the world. It's not your regular hot dog, they featured Reindeer, Buffalo, Elk, and Wild Boar. Every last dog I had (and I think between Candie and I we had them all) was delicious. Also, the drink prices over by the Goodwill stage were super cheap. $2.50 to $4 for a beer and $3.50 for a vodka Redbull. Prices that cheap at a festival are unheard of. My hats off to the promoters and the sponsors ensuring everyone had a great time. I can't wait to do this again next year.