Ryan Adams. Red Rocks. 08.17.16 “This actually fucking happened! Mike, look at that! There are a bunch of people right there, look! They are right there!!!” Ryan Adams was speaking to Mike Viola, the guitarist for his latest band, The Shining. The thing which had just happened (and was still happening) was the last performance of their short summer tour.… Read more →
The National. Red Rocks. 07.31.16 As we get older, it gets harder and harder to get the band back together. Not a literal band, of course. We were never a band. But there was a time when we partied like rock stars. Going out on a Tuesday night was the norm; weekends were for amateurs. Then the years came and… Read more →
Sufjan Stevens. Red Rocks. 07.18.16 As his voice rose to the heavens above Red Rocks, “because he is the Lord, cause he is the Lord,” massive feathered wings grew from the back of Sufjan Stevens. Reaching for the full moon above, they spread open to receive the night, while Stevens’ angelic voice mesmerized the congregation. And then the dancers grew… Read more →
case/lang/veirs. Denver Botanic Gardens. 07.10.16 July 10th, 2016 was a hot day in Denver, Colorado. Brutally hot. The blazing sun scorched the asphalt on York Street, while the informed ‘friends’ of the Botanic Gardens lounged in regulation folding chairs. Sipping cold drinks under the relative comfort of large umbrellas, the faithful formed the majority of a line that stretched from the… Read more →
Modest Mouse / Brand New. Red Rocks. 06.29.16 I have to admit I went into last night’s dual-headlining show with a healthy amount of skepticism. There was a time when Modest Mouse was my absolute favorite rock band, but that time had long since passed. The group from the Pacific Northwest was one of the first truly ‘indie’ bands to… Read more →
Wolf Parade. Bowery Ballroom. 05.21.16 Spencer Krug was enjoying a cigarette as he leaned against a U-Haul trailer in front of Larimer Lounge in Denver, Colorado. It was a cool October evening in 2011. The man responsible for some of the greatest indie rock of the 21st century was traveling the country in a Dodge Caravan; promoting his first full… Read more →
Father John Misty. Ellie Caulkins Opera House. 04.09.16 In the closing song on Father John Misty’s first album, Fear Fun, Joshua Michael Tillman comes close to explaining why he chose to use a pseudonym. “Joseph Campbell and The Rolling Stones couldn’t give me a myth, so I had to write my own,” he complains, before admitting to never liking the… Read more →
Joanna Newsom. Boulder Theater. 04.03.16 Growing up in a small town in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains was a pleasurable experience, but the lack of culture drove me away at the first opportunity. Like many others before me, I wanted to experience life outside of Auburn, California. San Diego became my launching pad. From there I traveled the… Read more →
Santigold. Ogden Theatre. 03.24.16 In real life, Santi White is a 39-year-old mother who lives in a Brooklyn townhome with her snowboarder/musician husband and 2-year-old son. She prefers comfort to fashion, but loves shopping the latest styles for her toddler. To the rest of the world, she is Santigold – a star of the underground who is oblivious to the… Read more →
Nikki Lane. Bluebird Theater. 12.06.15 My wife and I got married on a cold December night in Denver, Colorado. We went down to the courthouse, said our vows, and then found our way to the Grizzly Rose to meet some friends. A young country artist named Miranda Lambert performed that night. The honky-tonk off I-25 was pretty packed, but nowhere… Read more →
Autre Ne Veut. Lost Lake Lounge. 10.16.15 Arthur Ashin was slouched down in a puddle of his own emotions while singing into his arm – “No way, no way, no way you’re gonna be my baby” – the words were slightly muffled as he buried his face all the way to the brim of his backward baseball cap. The man… Read more →
