Colorado Music Buzz Magazine Sept. 2014

MANAGING PUBLISHERS Keith Schneider Keith@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com Christopher Murphy CMurphy@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com MANAGING EDITOR Tim Wenger 303-725-9359 TWenger@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com WEBSITE EDITOR Tim Wenger TWenger@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com WEBMASTER SwamiSez Web Design Swami@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

SENIOR WRITERS DJ COLA, Chris Daniels, Angela Kerr Leah Parker, Charlie Sullivan, Tim Wenger Tim Wintemute, Torch PHOTOGRAPHY Miles Chrisinger, Ted Davis, Jenn Cohen Abby Kaeser, Ray Tollison, Torch

ACCOUNT REPRESENTATIVES Angela Kerr - 720-849-9697 AKerr@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com Amanda Hedgpeth - 417-622-8866 DMiller@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com Tim Wintemute - 720-670-9359 TWintemute@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com EVENT AND MAGAZINE MARKETING Chris Murphy 720-429-8717 CMurphy@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com WEB ADVERTISING Keith Schneider 303-870-7376 Keith@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com LEGAL Stephen Replin - 303-322-7919 SReplin@ReplinRhoades.com INTERNSHIP Maddie Norton Ryan Hughes Abby Kaeser

GENERAL INQUIRIES Info@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com SPONSORSHIPS / OTHER Please email us a written request proposal for all inquires to Editor@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com CMB Submissions and Advertising Policy Colorado Music Buzz welcomes submissions, advertisements and sponsorships from those connected to every musical genre and style, as well as the general public. Due to our publication’s community focus, article content and advertisements containing nudity, drug references, profane words/visuals, or sexually exploitative material will not be accepted. Please feel free to voice any concerns you may have and collaborate with us to adapt what you would like to present in a way that respects both our all-ages audience and your artistic integrity. We are here for the music, and we are here for you.

Colorado Music Buzz Magazine, LLC P.O. Box 2739, Littleton, CO 80161

Colorado Music Buzz Magazine is published monthly by Colorado Music Buzz Magazine LLC (Publisher) and distributed to over 650 locations throughout greater Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, and surrounding areas.

Reproduction in any manner in whole or in part without express written consent of the Publisher is strictly prohibited. Views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publisher or its staff. Colorado Music Buzz Magazine LLC does not limit or discriminate based on ethnicity, gender, age, disability status, spiritual beliefs, familial status, or national origin, and does not accept editorial content or advertisements that do.

Johny Wrong Launches Benefit to Save Aztlan Good Ol’ Boy Records Theatre to Take Place

by Tim Wenger Sept. 20 Former Grand Junction promoter Johny Wrong, now residing on the front range in Loveland, has launched a homegrown record label in an effort to help push a handful of acts he has known for years. “I’ve been thinking about it for years, planning it for years,” says Wrong. The label, Good Ol’ Boy Records, comes after an earlier attempt at launching a label in Grand Junction and Wrong’s time with Farmageddon Records.

“I got hooked up with a good group of people in Loveland,” Wrong says. Michelle Tschetter is Wrong’s partner in the label. “In less than 24 hours we were at 1,000 likes on our (Facebook) page. I had a lot of people asking me ‘How the hell’d you do that man?’ Just shaking hands all over the country. Touring, traveling, meeting people all over the country. It still pays off.”

Five carefully selected acts currently hold down the label’s roster, with two being relatively well established groups and three being newer groups. “Utah Country Swillers and Sean K. Preston bring people to the plate,” Wrong says. “They’ve got a pretty good following, so they are a nice little kick-start to the label.” Wrong has known and been working with the Swillers for eight years. The other acts involved are Smokestack Relics, Kiel Grove and Randall Conrad Ollinger.

In true Colorado spirit a group of Denver bands and music lovers in collaboration with local music talent agency + broker Tangaroo Entertainment (owned by Steph Bailey), have joined together to raise awareness and money and help revive the historic Aztlan Theater. They will host a charity benefit concert “Save the Aztlan: A benefit to restore Denver’s musical heritage” on the evening of Saturday, September, 20, 2014 (doors at 5:30’ish pm, suggested donation $10). Confirmed bands include: Conrete Effect, KUNUNDRUM, Thousand Frames, Aloris, Logan St. Throwdown, Buck 25, NDAAZ, Orcinus and AdrienneO. The history Theatre

behind

the

Aztlan

Located in the thriving and popular Santa Fe Arts District of Denver, the historic theatre was founded in 1927. Originally named the Santa Fe (movie) theater, Tim Correa (the current owner), purchased the building in1973. A long time community and political activist dating back to the 1960’s, he changed the name of the theater to Aztlan which means ‘Freedom’. To him he believed it also served as the ‘promised land’ where he felt that different people with shared cultural, artistic and music interests could come together and openly and freely congregate.

Boulder’s Violet Recording To Offer Modern Experience

Timothy Lee Huston Launches Tim Huson Project

When non-musicians listen to music they often do not notice sound quality, unless the quality is bad. So it is important for musicians to make sure their recordings are high quality and do not make the average music fan cringe.

Timothy Lee Huston has been around the block.

His current group, dubbed the Tim Huston Project, features veterans Greg Boland on bass, Reuben Sisneros on lead guitar, Steve Bender on keys, and Tim Lewis on drums. Together the group has over 100 years of musical experience, forming what could be described as a ‘super group.’ Following gigs around Denver at Herman’s Hideaway, Casselman’s Bar and Venue, Buffalo Rose and even on Fox 31, the group looks to progress their local following this winter while beginning to spend some time on the road.

by Tim Wintemute

by Tim Wenger

Violet Recording in North Boulder was built from the ground up with the goal of creating a community of knowledgeable musicians. Last January, Scott Higgins opened Violet Studios in Boulder with the help of Chris Wright and Darren Roebuck, having the goal of being the best value in the area. Higgins, Roebuck and Wright have a combined 80+ years of experience in both audio engineering and in designing audio equipment and have each opened and operated studios in the past.

The studio serves various purposes including high quality audio recording, editing, mixing, mastering, video production, voice over recordings and more. Violet studios has various vintage microphones and preamplifiers designed to address the shortcomings of modern digital recording.

The team at Violet Recording want to be a resource to all musicians and want to build a friendly community. Both artists and engineers can hire the studio and can have access to the studio’s audio recording equipment and recording software.

To date, the group has opened for Michael Grimm, the International Rolling Stones Show and Jock Bartley from Boulder legends Firefall. Recently, the group has begun working with Shadow Entertainment Media out of Dallas who are lining up one-off shows in regional markets for the band. Talks of a fullfledged tour are beginning to bubble as well.

Huston’s roots are in Detroit, and the Motown sound still rings loud with him. “I was the singer for Jaded Poet for eight or nine years,” says Huston. In late 2012, he decided he wanted to go his own route.

“I got to the point where I wanted to do more soul and blues, so I decided that I was going to leave.”

Huston decided to make the move to bring forth a collection of work that had been bottled up for years.

“I just started writing all these songs that I had inside of me.”

The modern music industry is seeing more and more acts staying independent and relying on themselves for promotion and management, but Wrong hopes to incorporate his large book of contacts and widespread experience to give his groups an advantage. “In this day and age you don’t really need a record label,” says Wrong.

READ MORE OF THIS ARTICLE AT COLORADOMUSICBUZZ.COM

Correa worked at University of Colorado in the scholarships department in the 1970’s.

He worked each year to recruit 300 minority students and students in need to help them go to college with tuition and books pre-paid in full. He said that the University was located at 18th & Arapahoe. Many students thought that he was joking but indeed he was quite serious and those students went on to become doctors, lawyers and productive citizens who actively contributed to their respective community.

Kerry Pastine & The Crime SceneThe Other Side

Racing on the Sun- What Makes Us Real

On the side of exciting, well put together pop-rock, Kerry Pastine & The Crime Scene do it as well as anyone in Denver. Their new record The Other Side is the audio proof, an eclectic collection of twelve (12!) songs that couldn’t have come without some raw talent mixed in with all that hard work. Simply put, Pastine’s voice could bring the smokiest, sweatiest dive bar to its knees. She’s got the swagger of Joplin and skills of Morissette with a band behind her jumping effortlessly from light pop to deep blues but never losing the rock energy. Absolutely a solid listen.

Racing on the Sun wants to touch you, emotionally.

Their new EP What Makes Us Real is six songs (and one catchy album intro) that walks that tight line between emo and poppunk, eventually landing somewhere in the alternative world in the between. Front man Alfonso Cervantes has a great voice and is showcases his full range over the course of this album.

S t r a n g e Americans new album is rockin’. That is the bottom line. The Denver five-piece let their influences fly and mix in their own style, creating a sound that bridges the gap between alternative rock and the roots of the genre.

Hints of Muse stand out at times, at others Wilco, and at times they just sit back and let the lead guitar fly for a bit before crashing into home with slam-steady drum beats.

Colorado Springs is hitting hard this month, capped by the new record Only Shy Deer King from pop-rockers Hydrogen Skyline.

Mixing the soothing and inviting female vocals from Asher Hittle and radio-friendly pop instrumentation, Hydrogen Skyline has created a sound that we’ve never heard out of the Springs. Truth be told, the band could stand tall among the heavy hitters of South Broadway.

Musically, the group incorporates well-placed keyboard lines on top of double guitar work, allowing them to create their own sound- a journey that never really ends, but for the bands doing it right, has many enjoyable stops along the way. Here’s to hoping Racing on the Sun makes many stops.

Heavy distortion reigns on the track “Wrong Side,” possibly the album’s strongest offering.

At times, they are able to bring forward the simplicity of early punk, but they never lose the echoing touch of modernism that defines Strange Americans’ sound.

“They Say” is our favorite tune out of the six, with a catchy intro that lets the bass do some talking, then quickly passing the torch to Hittle’s words. Keep ‘em coming, please.

by Tim Wenger

Online: thecrimescene.bandcamp.com

by Tim Wenger

Online: facebook.com/racingonthesun

10

Violet Recording also want to recognize great recordings from Colorado, and are currently asking for local musicians and engineers to email their recordings including where they recorded the track. The best ones will be featured on their website and social media, along with being in the new Violet podcast.

You can reach Violet violetrecording.com.

Recordings

at

The songs him and his band have put together have been getting spun on KUVO as well as 102.7 The Goat out of Idaho Springs, helping to spread the word and make the shows bigger. “We love to get out there and try to win them over,” says Huston.”

Online: facebook.com/pages/Tim-Huston-ProjectBand-page/113950282087424

Strange Americans- That Kind of Luster

Hydrogen SkylineOnly Shy Deer King

by Tim Wenger

by Tim Wenger

Online: hydrogenskyline.com

Online: strangeamericansmusic.com

September 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

Preneur of the Month Michael Haskins of Haskins Law Group

approach you - most efficient?

by Angela Kerr

I had the opportunity to meet Michael Haskins from Haskins Law Group back in July and found before me a well-spoken and passionate young attorney who has been developing his entertainment law practice in Denver since 2007. Haskins shared many of his sentiments on practicing law and on the music business.

I appreciated his collaborative approach to his business as he does not consider himself a last resort – but a significant member of the team of people required in creating a viable music business model. Confident and powerful in presence, Haskins is well networked in his field. What follows is a brief introduction: CMB: Why did you decide to practice entertainment law?

Haskins: Entertainment law is one of those fields that sound fun and exciting, but I never planned to do it. However, I was approached by a business client with an entertainment question. I confessed my ignorance, but he insisted I help him anyway because of our relationship. I consulted with a number of attorneys, local and nationally, and it became clear that we needed more people in this field who were accessible to the people in the business. I decided to take it on and I quickly discovered that it really is fun and exciting, despite how hard it is.

CMB: What is your legal specialty?

Haskins: There are rules with regard to holding yourself as a specialist in a particular field of law. I don’t hold myself as a specialist. We represent people all over the creative economy industry, but the bulk of our entertainment law work comes from film, television and new media (websites and video games) clients. Our clients include production companies, producers, individual projects and people who just want some help. We really make it our mission to come up with creative but practical solutions to resolve problems between parties and we’ve developed a great reputation for it.

CMB: What other locations and staff could be accessed?

Haskins: HLG is principally located in Denver, CO. We also have people in Los Angeles and great relationships with people in other firms in other locales.

CMB: How do you like people to

Haskins: I’m an email fiend. The best way to get me is through email. It helps me compose my thoughts and record the conversation. That said, I respond in order of priority to texts, phone calls and emails.

CMB: What is the process by which they can contract you for help?

Haskins: Send an email to mike@ haskinslawgroup.com. Let me know if there is any adverse party, name them all if there is, and generally what’s happening. We’ll have some follow-up conversation and, if there are no conflicts, we’ll put together an engagement l e t t e r describing what I’m to do for you and what I need from you, and then we’ll get started.

CMB: What is the most important thing you would like people to know about entertainment law?

Haskins: Everyone is used to the doom and gloom approach of why you need to have an attorney. Everyone’s heard stories of someone else losing it all. That is absolutely a reason, but bringing an entertainment lawyer onto your team provides more benefits than just preventing worst case scenarios.

Entertainment law is a hybrid of a bunch of other areas of law. Contracts, Intellectual Property, Real Estate, Securities and so on all come together to accomplish something amazing.

It’s not rocket science or anything to be scared of though. It’s very accessible if you take the time. Once you understand that, your lawyers can stop being viewed as a cost but rather a resource to help you maximize your potential benefits in any project.

CMB: Are you held on retainer or just case by case?

Haskins: Always case by case. I have hourly rates, flat project fees or ongoing representation agreements available.

Michael Haskins will be presenting “Building your Artrepreneurial LIFT Team” (Legal – Insurance –Finance – Tax) at the Own it Music Mastermind Series on Tuesday, October 14, 2014 at CREATE MSU Denver.

Anyone serious about kicking their business up a notch won’t miss it! Registration opens September 11, 2014 – visit createmsudenver. com..

For more information visit haskinslawgroup. com.

Trapdoor Social Mix Passions for Music, Environmentalism

by Tim Wenger

The two members of Trapdoor Social started their band out of passion. But unlike many bands, it was not just a passion for playing music that Merritt Graves and Skylar Funk shared- the pair hope to spread a pro-Earth message and help work towards a more sustainable future. The group, based out of Los Angeles, has been touring nationally this summer in support of their new EP The Science of Love and to spread the word of their Earth-friendly projects.

“We were both in the Environmental Studies program looking at society and development, looking at ways that our society can develop sustainably,” says Funk. “Music has always been the other thing that we’ve had in common.”

The first major project the two have worked on began last fall during the making of The Science of Love. “We took this album and last year we did a fundraiser with it on a site called pledgemusic.com,” says Funk. “We pre-sold the album and a bunch of other perks and with all the money we raised form that, plus money and equipment donations from our partners, including Sierra Club and a few solar-focused non-profits in LA and the Bay Area, made a donation.” Together, they ended up raising $35,000 worth of money and equipment to be used for solar power to donate to a non-profit in LA called Homeboy Industries.

“They are a great non-profit,” says Funk. “They’ve been around for a while. They provide social services and job training to formerly gang-involved men and women.” By the end of 2014, the funds and equipment raised should be covering the cost of solar power for the organization.

The band has been touring this summer to support the EP and spread their music around the country, spending nearly two months straight on the road.

Merritt and Funk also have a collection of unreleased songs they hope to put towards an LP in the near future. “We are supporting a new EP just out in May,” says Funk. “It’s six tracks out of a big pool of about thirty that we’ve been sitting on.”

Next year they plan to kick off another progressive project. If all goes well, “By September 2015 we are going to be in a solar-powered van,” Funk says. “It wouldn’t power the van, but it would charge batteries that would let us play concerts anywhere we want just off of solar power.” This would allow Trapdoor Social to do guerilla-style shows on a whim, or perform scheduled concerts without the need to plug into the grid to power their electric instruments.

“I have a couple of friends who are interested in helping me install solar panels on top of our trailer,” says Funk.

“We’ll be with the van and trailer that we’re using now. We’ll be plugging in and playing anywhere we want with solar power, so next year’s tour hopefully will be a big event for us to be able to pop up wherever we like.” While the project is still in the planning phases, Merritt, Funk and their team will spend the upcoming winter and spring working on putting the plan into action. Where the equipment will come from and how everything will fall into place is still being determined, but parties interested in helping out or sponsoring the project can get in touch with the band through their website.

This winter will also see the band hitting the studio to record some of the songs they have ready to roll out.

“I’m very excited to get started,” says Funk. “We’ll be putting together another album. From September until December is the time we have to get it done, and then start touring again to support it. Between the album and putting together the solar trailer, I think that’s enough stuff for us to do (this winter).”

Eventually, the group hopes to work to support urban farming and other green-urban ideas, possibly using the upcoming album as a way to get word out and raise funds similar to how they did with the Homeboy Industries project. Stay up to date with their progress at trapdoorsocial.com

BAND INTRODUCTION: Mono Verde & Transverse Waves

Denver has a very diverse population. Many styles of music has been brought to and have come out of Denver. Local musicians throughout the years have inspired new generations of talent who are now playing shows themselves.

The Denver reggae scene is very diverse as well and features bands that are bringing their own artistic styles to the table. Reggae shows in Colorado often feature bands that mix rock, hip-hop and electronic music to create a unique sound. An example of two diverse Denver reggae bands are Mono Verde and Transverse Waves.

Mono Verde is a Latin reggae band that features a combination of latin music and Caribbean rhythms with reggae bass lines. Transverse Waves is a Denver reggae band that features local musicians who grew up going to local shows.

Mono Verde’s mixture of traditional Latin music and bass heavy reggae gives Mono Verde a unique sound that sounds familiar the first time listening. The Latin influenced Mono Verde is a seven piece band who have embraced their diversity, all of whom blend traditional latin and reggae rhythms and create a sound that seems familiar and fun Transverse Waves on the other hand is a four piece band from the Denver metro area who have known each other since middle school. The members of Transverse Waves grew up listening to P-Nuckle on their school bus and are now regularly opening for the band. The band has developed a tight sound and are preparing to release their debut album featuring songs they have already been playing during their live shows.

Be sure to check out Mono Verde and Transverse waves this month. Both bands will be playing in support of Roots-Reggae legend, DubKor, on September 25th, at Lost Lake in Denver (3602 E Colfax Ave). Tickets are available at lostlake.com..

September 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

11

Less Nashville, More Denver: Archive Nights Finds Home

by Tim Wenger

Ask most in Denver’s music community and they will confirm that the attractiveness of the Mile High City reaches far beyond mountain views and micro brews. While both of those are of plenty here and can each provide their own inspirations for songwriting, it is the network of support that brings bands in, pushing them onward, that makes our scene so strong.

Some, such as Archive Nights, relocate here from music meccas like Nashville, Tennessee because they feel “it’s just so oversaturated there,” according to drummer Jake Boshart, the completing member of the crew who successfully auditioned upon the band’s formation. The way the group found Boshart strikes a chord similar to how they all ended up in Denver.

“They put up posters all over town, and had John Bonham’s picture on the poster,” Boshart says. “I was like, ‘I gotta at least find out who these guys are because they have great taste in drummers. I emailed them and got connected through that.”

After meeting as freshman at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Boshart and the rest of the crew composed of bassist Fruci,

vocalist guitarist Ryan Gasaway and guitarist/vocalist Will Timbers started putting ideas together and eventually began gigging in Nashville. The scene there, however, is oversaturated and prevents many hard working, talented groups from gaining any traction. September of 2013 saw Archive Night’s relocation to Denver. “Everybody (there) is a musician, and there’s not even that big of a rock scene,” Boshart says. “There are unbelievable musicians everywhere, but we didn’t find much room to grow.”

“We finished up at (Vanderbilt University), did our four years there, and decided we had to keep going with the band,” Fruci says. “Will (Timbers) is from Denver originally. His family was in Europe and they had an open house. They said if we wanted to graduate and move here for a year and not pay any rent and just play music together, that we could. It was unreal.”

“Chris and I shared an all-pink room,” Boshart says. “There were giant stuffed animals everywhere. It was crazy.”

Without major bills to pay and plenty of time to focus on their music, the guys have been gigging around the city and have dropped an EP entitled Clock Ocean (see the review in CMB Vol. 8, issue 8, January 2014 at coloradomusicbuzz. com). “We’ve had unbelievable feedback,” says Boshart. The group has played at more clubs in Denver over the last year than they

played their entire career in Nashville. “People just kind of ignore you there. We’re here now, and getting a lot of great feedback.”

Those in Denver may recognize Archive Nights for their unique four by four foot drum stand, affectionately dubbed “The Octagon. The band spins the platform using pegs pushed with their feet to rotate the drummer around in a circle.

“We built it from $70 of equipment from Home Depot,” says Fruci. “We like to spice up our live show with some drum breakdowns.” But back before their days of fancy showmanship, the four young guys were not much more than college kids trying to figure out how to make a name for themselves in a busy music business.

At the point where they currently stand, Archive Nights gigs in Denver once every two months but spends most of their weekends in between on the road, performing around Colorado and neighboring states like Wyoming and Kansas.

“We do these weekend mini-tours and we identify some location that is within a two hour radius and that’s our first stop, and then Saturday we’ll give ourselves (up to) an eight hour drive,” says Fruci.

In addition to the gigging, Archive Nights is recording nine songs to be released as three 3-song EP’s. We’re going to release them all at the same time,” says Fruci. “We’ve grouped the songs based on characteristic and story arc.

Each EP will be a little bit different.”

Recording is finishing up now and the music is heading into post-production and the band is working towards a December release. They are funding the project through Kickstarter. Keep posted on the project and other happenings of the band at archivenights.com ReverbNation Featured Artists of the Month give independent acts that have not previously been featured in Colorado Music Buzz the opportunity to get on our radar, get their bio in the magazine, and get their tracks played on Music Buzz LIVE Radio on Wednesday evenings. The artists are selected through submissions made via their ReverbNation pages.

Star Edwards & King Beat Star Edwards and KingBeat is the incorporation of two of Colorado’s homegrown talents. KingBeat formed in 1985 and has been performing original, blues and classic rock throughout Colorado ever since Star Edwards, Celtic harpist, has entertained as a soloist and with bands such as the Chieftains, Orion’s Bow and Dadga over the last 20 years. Star and KingBeat teamed up in 2010 to create an entirely new sound they call World Harp Rock, an exploration of New Age, Rock, Celtic and World music. They perform in Colorado at venues such as the Winter Park Chocolate Festival, Art Students League of Denver Summer Art Market Concert Series, Denver County Fair, St. Paddy’s Day on South Pearl Street Festival, and Swallow Hill’s Tuft’s Theatre. They released their first instrumental CD, Sonic Travels, in 2013, which featured seven originals and five cover tunes.

The second CD, which is in the progress, will feature the vocals of KingBeat (all members sing lead and backup) and will lean more towards the rock and Celtic side of their music.

Online: reverbnation.com/ staredwardsandkingbeat

12

Raw-Rah

Lynn Baker Quartet

Raw-Rah is an R&B singer/songwriter. Born in the “Mile High” city of Denver, CO. and raised in “The City of Steel” commonly known as Pittsburgh, PA. Rah’s music embodies traditional R&B, Neo-Soul, and Hip-Hop. The Album “Unveiled” is blended well together, to give the listener what’s current, and the “soul” that seems to missing from a lot of today’s music.

Malcolm Lynn Baker holds the rank of Professor of Music and is the Director of the Jazz Studies and Commercial Music Program at the Lamont School of Music, University of Denver, where he directs the Lamont Jazz Orchestra, coaches combos, and teaches Jazz Improvisation and Composition class, Jazz History classes, and Jazz Techniques classes.

Lynn holds degrees from the University of Oregon and Western Oregon University and has also studied at Mt Hood Community College with Larry McVeigh and at Indiana University with David Baker, Dominic Spera and Eugene Robinson. Before coming to Denver in 1993 Lynn taught at Indiana University and before that Carleton College, and universities in Oregon. Lynn is an active performer and clinician, performing with his own Lynn Baker Quartet, the free-improvisation trio Rhythmic_Void, performing with and directing the Rocky Mountain Jazz Repertoire Orchestra, and programming the jazz series at the Cherokee Ranch and Castle Performing Arts Series.

With a smooth but rugged “Raw” vocal style, the influences of the “Old Soul” of R&B can be heard throughout the album. Growing up listening to the likes of Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson, writing became an important part of his life at an early age. “I think I was like 9 (years old) when I wrote my first song”. Rah’s approach to songwriting is unusual than most. When asked about what inspires his lyrics, his reply was somewhat reminiscent of a “Track Whisperer”.

Online: reverbnation.com/rawrah

Online: reverbnation.com/lynnbakerquartet

CREATE MSU’s OWN IT Music Mastermind #7 —September 9, 2014

by Angela Kerr We experienced a working session in August which allowed us to see how our participants utilized what they have learned in the series as it pertains to creating an event. Kudos to representatives from local businesses such as Paul Sorokaty (Pulled Pin Media Group), Marcus Weathersby (Key Bank) and Becky Easton (Trilogy Financial Services) along with performing bands which included: Adam and Garret Curtiss (The Driftin’ Suns), Ando Gro, Travis Huyler and Ty Grace (ATP), Ricky Gary (WoolEye), and Chris LaFata.

On September 9, 2014, we will feature Katey Laurel (One Way Music Services), and Michael St. James (St. James Media) who will educate us on “Licensing and Publishing 101” …a must attend panel if you are interested in exploring how to create a stream of income for your music business. Katey and Michael are seasoned professionals who you will want to meet in person at the Networking following the panel discussion. Our unplugged set will feature WoolEye from Fort Collins, Colorado.

Coming up on October, 2014 will host Michael Haskins (Haskins Law Group) who will present “Building your Artrepreneurial L.I.F.T. (Legal, Insurance, Finance, Tax) Team.” Our unplugged set after the presentation will feature WRYWOOD. The Mastermind sessions are held at Metropolitan State University of Denver’s CREATE MSU Denver Showroom at 890 Auraria Parkway, Suite 120, Denver, and is broken into two segments.

7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. – Videotaped Panel Discussion and Audience Interaction; Registration Required (CREATEmsudenver.com) If you are unable to participate in the panel discussion, join us for the after-party networking at IPie from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

– Networking Session at IPie in the Tivoli Student Union; which is Open to the Public.

The panel discussion is nearly full, so make sure to register for the Mastermind series at createmsudenver.com.

The Own It Music Mastermind series is sponsored by CREATE MSU Denver, Colorado Music Buzz Media, Guitar Center, Drum City Guitarland, IPie, Immersive Studios, Aureus Audio, Far More Band Videos, and Passion Fruit Networking Group.

September March 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

Local Flavor- Rupert’s On the Edge

by Angela Kerr

A good friend of mine invited me to breakfast in early August to Rupert’s on the Edge in Edgewater, Colorado overlooking Sloan’s lake and not too far from the intersection of Sheridan Boulevard and 20th Street.

We divined a parking place as there were none to be found and made our way through the collection of people eating on the outdoor patio or waiting in line to get in. Normally, the first thing one thinks with this kind of reception is a long tiresome wait. To the contrary, we walked in to give our names and were given a 15 minute wait time and shortly thereafter offered Bottomless Mimosa’s ($8.50) or a cup of Joe while we admired paintings which hung on every wall and an exuberant staff that were happily serving a packed crowd.

We were greeted by Susan Olsen, one of the owners, with our drinks; for my friend a Bottomless and for me a coffee. I admit, coffee is a weakness and for me on that day a sheer pleasure. I found out later talking with Susan at our table that she once owned three coffee shops in South Dakota – so go figure – great coffee was being served: Silver Canyon from Boulder, Colorado. Both Susan and her husband Tim Nevadomski are owner operators of Rupert’s, Tim bringing over 20 years of restaurant management to the effort.

Tim, a Colorado native, moved back with Susan to Colorado in August of 2012, purchased Rupert’s of March of 2014 and they began building their brand. Five months and counting and a success story in the making.

Experienced in the service industry, one always

Rockers Kronen Inching Towards Sold Out Shows

by Tim Wintemute

For the last year, the band Kronen from Boulder, Colorado has sold-out almost all the shows they have played. Since the band Kronen is fronted and named after guitarist Caleb Kronen and his lovely sister Kato, it is easy to assume that the band is just a solo project with the majority of the artistic direction being held by one person.

Instead, the band is group of music professionals that is driven by each individual member’s musical expertise; who all work together in creating an artistic brand and sound.

Although the band is weird by design, they have collaborated with artists such as Marty Party from the Glitch Mob and Panty Raid What separates the band from other groups is that Kronen’s music is heavily influenced by music theory. The band’s Cello player, Joseph Howe, is a theory expert and holds a Master’s

looks for the signs of a truly great place to hang anytime you just don’t feel like cooking yourself.

Well trained, gracious and efficient staff, delicious food, never an empty cup or glass during your meal with taste and price to please was my experience.

My favorite breakfast (so far) is the Southwest Benedict. This dish offers in house made green chili corn fritter topped with slow roasted pulled pork and pouched eggs with green chili hollandaise.

Absolutely delicious with artistic presentation.

At Rupert’s it is a family affair. Open at 6:30 a.m. and closed at 2:30 p.m.

– Breakfast and Brunch are served. Rupert’s even hosts a Pancake Bear with a fruit and bacon face for kids.

The lunch menu includes burgers, sandwiches and salads presented with flair.

The hours of operation allow the owners to tend to an active family which is a big priority for them.

I have since been to breakfast at Rupert’s several times watching as they remodeled the interior – new paint, new carpets, remodeled booths and a fresh look at presentation. The final renovation beginning in October will include a completely updated bar which they feel is necessary to truly reach their full potential as a restaurant. On one of their walls they have painted a quote by Rupert: “Brunch without Mimosa is just a sad, late breakfast.” The Mimosa is epic, but may I also suggest the Edge Bloody Mary? This drink listed under First Call Morning Cocktails….packs the heat and features their own Jalapeno infused vodka with all the fixings ($8.00). Guaranteed wake up call.

Restaurateurs as well as music enthusiasts, please refer to the article written

by Tim Wenger on page 27 this month for a look at Tim and Susan’s collaboration with musical artists touring through Colorado. degree from the University of Colorado Boulder in Music. So much of the music is actually scientifically designed rather than just created.

As a group, Kronen’s melody is driven by Keyboard player Dan Herman, a talented solo musician in his own right, who collaborate with producer and bass player, Chris Wright, to create the Kronen sound.

What also separates Kronen from other is their unique marketing. Kronen incorporates models to market their brand at shows. Kato Kronen designs outfits and models will work the work the crowd and market the band. While other rock bands are trying to attract hot women to their shows, Kronen provides them.

Why Jazz Matters: Track 6

by Norman Provizer

Sankofa is a term from the Akan people of southern Ghana and the neighboring West African states of Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) and Togo. Essentially, the term means that you need to reclaim your past before you can move ahead. It’s an idea frequently symbolized by a bird that is looking backward while moving forward.

With that idea in mind, the Department of Africana Studies at Metropolitan State University of Denver launched a Sankofa Lecture series in 2012 – a series focusing on the impact and importance of hip hop not only in music, but in modern culture as well. The driving force behind the Sankofa event is B. Afeni McNeely Cobham, a professor of Africana Studies at MSU Denver.

She teaches a class on hip hop at the university and refers to the series as “an extension” of that course, created in response to the desire of students to have added exposure to the subject beyond the course.

On September 24 and 25, the 2014 edition of that series, titled “Social Action Through the Art of Hip Hop,” takes place in St. Cajetan’s on the Auraria campus with the Dead Prez duo of Stic. man and M-1 providing the keynote address on the 25th at 12:30 p.m. At 9:30 p.m. on the 25th, there’s a panel discussion on “Music, Politics & Hip Hop: A Soundtrack for Social Change,” followed by a Resource Fair at 11 a.m. prior to the keynote. Before those activities take place, there’ a screening of the film “Black and Cuba” on the 24th at 5 p.m.

Then things wind up on the night of the 25th with an “After Set” at Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, with featured guest Phife Dawg, one of the founders of A Tribe Called Quest, and others providing the sounds. As Professor Cobham notes, “How can you a hip-hop event without a party?” Except for that party at the Hi-Dive that has a $10 cover, all of the Sankofa activities are free and you can RSVP on Facebook at http:// tinyutl.com/m27jhct.

When the Kennedy Center honored Herbie Hancock in 2013, Snoop Dogg (who will be in Denver in October) thanked the great jazz pianist for “inventing hip hop,” referring to Hancock’s “Rockit” recording from 1983. And it was hip-hop artist Nas who explained that, “Hip hop is like one of the children of jazz.” The jazzhip hop connection is real and is also a twoway street. Samples drawn from jazz albums abound on hip-hop recordings; and younger jazz players such as pianist Robert Glasper have integrated hip-hop sounds into their own music.

Additionally, the great jazz bassist Ron Carter was in the studio with A Tribe Called Quest on the group’s second CD, Low End Theory.

Carter also appears with M.C. Solaar on “Un Ange en Danger” included in the five-disc companion to Ken Burns’ series on PBS, Jazz: The Story of America’s Music. And the four volumes of Guru’s Jazzmatazz series (released from 1993 through 2007) feature a host of notable jazz players, not just their samples.

An example of all this is guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel who is frequently called the most influential jazz guitarist of his generation. The Philadelphia-born player was in Denver with his New Quartet that included Denver-raised drummer Colin Stranahan. After the band’s two-night stand at Dazzle, Rosenwinkel talked about the link between jazz and hip hop in his own career.

After all, Q-Tip (another founder of A Tribe Called Quest) co-produced one of Rosenwinkel’s CDs while Rosenwinkel did the same for Q-Tip along with performing on the Tip’s recordings.

From Rosenwinkel’s perspective, jazz and hip hop naturally go together because deep down, despite their obvious differences in terms of musical structure, they share a common root.

It’s that common root that allows the guitarist to talk about Notorious B.I.G. as someone who could swing like crazy.

Beyond hip hop, September offers a strong lineup at Dazzle with Denver-raised drummer Rudy Royston on stage on the 11th and 12th with his 303 band. Royston moved to the New York area in 2006 and has kicked up a storm on the national jazz scene, capturing the number-one spot as the rising-star drummer in this year’s DownBeat “Critics Poll.” The name of the band, of course, pays homage to his hometown.

Following Royston, the number one guitarist in jazz, Bill Frisell, is at Dazzle on the 13th and 14th, paying tribute the great guitarist Jim Hall with his teacher Dale Bruning, trumpeter Ron Miles and others. Like Royston, Frisell, too, grew up in Denver.

Next at Dazzle, you can find two major saxophonists on stage. On the 26th, it’s Ravi Coltrane (the son of John Coltrane) with his quartet; and, on the 27th, its Mark Turner and his quartet. Away from Dazzle, the outstanding soprano saxophonist and flautist Jane Bunnett is at Mount Vernon Country Club in Golden on the 19th with her group of outstanding, young women musicians from Cuba. The sextet is called Maqueque (the spirit of the young girl).

At the Soiled Dove Underground, there are two crossover saxophonists on tap during the month – Harold Rapp III on the 5th and Kim Waters on the 12th. Crossover guitarist Norman Brown is also at the Dove on the 26th. And on the groove side of the music, Robert Walter’s 20th Congress is at The Other Side on the 5th and 6th and Soulive is at the Ogden on the 19th and 20th of the month.

Kronen, with their team of sexy models, will be headlining the Bluebird theatre on Oct 30th.

Tickets are on sale now and it is an expected sell out, so be sure to buy in advance.

Online: kronenmusic.com

September 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

13

Tricky Business-While Performing Rights Organizations Say They Are Straightforward With Policies, Some Small Businesses Still Feel They Are Being Taken Advantage Of...

by Tim Wenger Behind all of the flair, all of the high-tech pyro shows and stage lights, behind the guitar smashing and rumors of substance abuse and groupies, lies a man. A man who, when the rock star mask is removed, might have a family to support, a mortgage to pay, and an existence outside the mode with which he has chosen to pursue his living.

Much more common than the glamour of rock star-dom is the musician struggling to pay his bills, gigging at bar level around his hometown and using his weekends and vacation time (if he has a day job) to do small tours and perform in new markets. Doing everything he can to increase the reach of his music and slowly becoming a master of marketing and promotion along the way.

For serious artists, having your music performed in public (on the radio, a television commercial, or over the PA at a club) and collecting royalties from these spins is a major goal, and once reached, a major accomplishment. In order to track where their copyrighted work is being performed and receive those royalties, a songwriter may choose to register his or her work with a Performance Rights Organization (PRO) and pay an annual due for the PRO to act as your representative. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Broadcast Music, Inc (BMI) and SESAC are the three big-time PROs representing copyrighted material broadcast in the United States.

The PROs collect annual dues from public places such as bars, venues, restaurants, and hotels which perform or broadcast copyrighted material, and distribute royalty payments to their registered members. Television and radio stations, new media (online and mobile technologies) also must register if they broadcast copyrighted material represented by the PROs. “Many different types of businesses typically use music,” said a representative from BMI. “BMI licensing executives contact businesses that may be using music to confirm their use. We offer venues cost effective and convenient access to more than 8.5 million musical works so they don’t have to negotiate with each copyright owner individually for permission to play their music publicly.” Meaning, an establishment confirms or denies their use of copyrighted music.

BMI represents over 600,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers, according to their Press Kit available online. ASCAP’s website claims they represent over 500,000. In today’s modern industry of rapidly declining sales of recorded music, PROs represent a solid platform for songwriters to make money on their copyrighted work, even if many only see a trivial amount.

But on the other side of the coin, some small businesses feel as though they are being taken advantage of by the PROs, having to pay dues because they host live music, even if they only book original acts. Rob Campbell is the owner of Paris on the Platte, a small café and bar in Denver that hosts acoustic music a few nights a week. The acts Campbell hosts are original, meaning they perform music they wrote themselves, and more often than not are small-time musicians that aren’t even registered with a performing rights organization.

“I’m looking for the little guy, the best of my open mic series,” said Campbell. “I’m not out combing for top-line professionals, I can’t afford it.”

Campbell opened Paris on the Platte in 1986, and says his café has always been known as a supporter of the arts. Live music is not the main fixture at the café, but an added appeal for customers and a way to support the local music and arts community. “It’s an ambiance, and a supporting of the local arts,” he said. The artists who perform at the café are paid a percentage of bar sales on the evening of their performance, unless a different arrangement is made. Campbell has also been paying basic royalty dues to ASCAP, BMI and SESAC for over five years, despite the fact that he does not book cover bands. Recently, however, he has seen been receiving letters from BMI demanding more money, and he does not feel that their demands are justified. “It’s never been a venue, it’s been ‘somebody wants to play, let’s let them play,” he said. “Three years

ago, four years ago, we said ‘OK, let’s make it a part of our weekend activity.”

He pays his annual dues, which according to BMI are apparently no longer enough. “They cashed the check, and they keep calling,” Campbell said. “I picked up the phone one day and said, “What do you guys want?’ I don’t get it.” It turned out that the additional charges were for past dues- royalty fees from years before the café was paying annual dues. He says that the organizations were seeking to collect fees for as far back as the late nineties, saying that Paris on the Platte was operating as a venue without paying royalty. “Now I’m getting a cease and desist letter. If you go online you see all the standard stuff. They pick on coffee houses, small venues, people who tend to go ‘Oh my god, I’m in trouble, I gotta pay up.’ I feel like we have tried to play ball and been legit.”

BMI says that its dues are clearly and honestly justified.

“For a restaurant, café or bar publicly performing music, the BMI licensing fees are based on two criteria: frequency of music and size (posted occupancy) of the establishment,” the BMI representative said.

Now, Campbell says, he asks his performers if they are members of a PRO, and if they are he does not book them. “I’m not paying you, hassling with those guys, pay those guys a license, then you’re making money of those guys as well,” Campbell said. “I don’t make money, it’s an ambiance. I enjoy the fact that some man or women gets to come up and plug their guitar in. You don’t make money in this business unless you are at a certain level.” If on a given week the café has a performer on Friday and Saturday, that is approximately four hours of live music, Campbell says, in addition to a four hour open mic session during the week. Since fees are based on the amount of music in addition to the capacity of the venue and other factors, Campbell feels the fees he is being charged are astronomical.

Campbell has not seen any paper documentation from the organizations outlining why he is being charged what he is being charged, and the cease and desist letters are demanding him to stop hosting live music at the café. Campbell says he is perfectly willing to pay annual dues that are appropriate to his business, but feels the organizations are stepping over the line with the back charges and increases.

“I can say to them ‘I have nothing but local singers and songwriters,” Campbell said. “I don’t allow any covers.”

The organizations, according to Campbell, still come after him for the fees. “One time I said to the ASCAP guys, ‘Send me the entire catalogue. I’m going to print it and put it by the stage.’ Anybody that wants to play one of those songs, it isn’t gonna happen. ‘They said, ‘Oh no we can’t do that, we have millions of songs.’ Well how do you know I’m playing any of them? (They said) ‘I promise you, if there’s a performer, they’re going to play them.’ It’s ridiculous.”

Campbell says he may pull the plug on music because it is turning into too much of an expense for his small business. “I listen to everyone who emails me, I comb other places around town to find people who might be appropriate for us,” he said. “I figure I spend a full day and a half, out of seven days, and it’s usually after 5 pm when most of the business day is done. I’m about over that element of the effort that goes into it for zero return, other than it’s a part of our brand. There is a potential, that I’m about ready, like I said, I’m done.”

“People don’t equate how many $5 beers you got to sell to make the nut. We approach it, in my mind, from two really distinct points in the arts. We’re the ones supporting the arts, we’re the ones protecting the arts, not those guys.”

CMB spoke with SESAC about their license schedules, and how they determine the annual dues a certain business owes. “We license restaurants, we license hotels, we license retail stores, and we license live concert facilities, and we have different agreements for each type of industry,” said Bill Lee, the Sr. Vice President from the Licensing Department at SESAC. SESAC was founded in 1930 and is the smallest of the three American performance rights organizations.

“In restaurants, the seating capacity, the number of nights that music is used is factored in. If it’s a hotel, the number of rooms that they have, the average daily room rate, and those factors are what determines what the license fee would be.”

As far as music venues go, a general rule of thumb is the larger the room, the higher the fee schedule.

“A large venue will have more customers, it’s a larger operation,” said Lee.

Paris on the Platte, as a restaurant/coffee shop, falls under the most common category of licensees from SESAC. “There are tens of thousands of (these) places licensed, and they are all under the same fee schedule,” said Lee. “Under the copyright law of the United States, if you have a public establishment, and you have copywritten music being performed in your establishment, you are legally obligated to get permission in advance for the use of that music,” said Lee. “What may happen, in many cases, the owner of the facility may not be aware of that responsibility. If we become aware of an establishment that is performing music, we may not have a playlist of all of the music they are using, but once we are aware that they are using music we contact them, and in essence offer a license for our product. The owner of the establishment is first responsible for that.”

The songwriter retains the right to their copyrighted work after registering with a PRO, and has permission to perform that material. “If you go out and perform your own works, you own those,” Lee said. “You can, in essence, give that facility the right by performing there.

You can do that.”

The manager, who wished to remain anonymous, of a mid-sized music venue in Denver takes Campbell’s side. “It’s expensive,” he said. “I don’t understand where they get their leverage over us, their control, like we have to pay them or we get sued. It’s one of those necessary evils that I guess you don’t see any reward from. Pretty much like the mob telling you that you’re protected as long as you pay. (But) if I was a band that received royalties, I would definitely appreciate what they do for me.”

While Campbell’s situation is certainly not unique, there are coffee shops around the country hosting acoustic musicians and other independent acts, the copyright laws are not always black and white. Cover bands, for example, must make sure that fees are being paid everywhere that their group performs, whether by them or by the owner of the facility. “Under the copyright law, both the performer and the owner of the establishment are responsible for any unauthorized public performance of music,” said Lee. “But the way the business has evolved over the last 100 years or so, it’s really the establishment who has taken the responsibility to get their authorization.” The PROs have taken to offering blanket licenses to establishments based on their type of business. “The establishment pays an annual fee and then they can use all of the music as often as they want in their establishment.”

“All the venues we perform at have those fees,” said the guitarist from a prominent Denver cover band, who also wished to remain anonymous. “It is one of our requirements for us to perform.” Most gigging cover bands have this type of requirement outlined in the contracts they work out with venues, to avoid any responsibility falling on them.

Artists who perform their own work are also rarely responsible for paying dues. A solid venue, according to Philip Barrett with international booking agency Atomic Music Group, will have those dues taken care of. “The fact that a venue sets aside money to pay PRO royalties is generally an indication of professionalism and attention to detail on the side of the venue/ promoter,” he said. The artists that Barrett works with are generally at a level where the places they perform are music-oriented businesses, not small cafes like Paris on the Platte. Barrett feels, however, that PROs can be an important part of a songwriter’s revenue. “It is important for an artist to have access to all possible revenue streams available in an age where record sales are essentially nonexistent for most artists.”

In Bill Lee’s opinion, it is in the interest of any songwriter with copywritten material to register with a performance rights organization. “As soon as somebody writes a song and copyrights it, they really should become a member of a PRO,” he said. “If that music is performed anywhere, or even if they perform it in a nightclub, they’ll get royalties for that.” From an artist’s standpoint, this makes perfect sense.

But for the small business that is merely giving unknown musicians a stage to sing their songs on, a business that has no scheme to ever make a big footprint in the music industry, the decision of whether or not to host live music can be tough one. Are the PROs right for billing these businesses? That remains a line in the sand that is not easy to spot.

The Manager’s Corner

by Chris Daniels

I’ve managed my own band for 30 years and I’m in the Colorado Music Hall of Fame.

While all that’s nice, today’s music business is changing at light-speed and you have to know what’s going on. Careers are still built on some tried and true elements: great music, performance and timing. But today’s artists must work harder than ever before to succeed. And we have new tools to help young musicians grow their fan base. The book I wrote for my class at CU Denver on artist management is called “DIY: You’re Not in it Alone.” While you are ultimately responsible for your own career, these days there is help out there.

Sex, drugs and rock n roll – F#@king A!!! That was the mantra. From “Need A Little Sugar in My Bowl” to “It’s Getting Hot In Here So Take Off All Your Clothes” to “Honey Let Me Check You For Ticks” – Bessie Smith to Brad Paisley the sex thing is pretty easy to figure out. And there are even some great pushbacks against the stereotypes, like Maddie & Tae’s “Girl In A Country Song”- It’s both funny and a little disingenuous. One way or the other we seem to have the sex part of the equation under control.

Rock n’ Roll’s been part of our world since before Ed Sullivan refused to show Little Richard or Elvis pelvis gyrations. Whether it is the wonderful eastern European influenced rock of Denver’s own DeVotchKa or the Americana flavored Lumineers or the EDM force of Pretty Lights we’ve got that covered here in Colorado. This is a region that loves music. We support it in some of the best venues in the country.

But, “drugs” (and alcohol) … I’m not sure we have that figured out yet. It might be time we looked closer at what it means to glorify drugs in the mantra. I don’t drink or do drugs (I quit 30 years ago). I remember it well and fondly. It was fun. But I quickly developed a problem with it. Substance abuse was a way for me to deal with the pressures of touring 300 days a year and all the pain in my life at the time. (My son’s mother died of cancer right about then). As a single parent I realized I needed to be there for my son and that was impossible with drugs and alcohol in my life. Being an addict is an expensive way to deal with problems: so I got help.

Robin Williams (when he was Mork) used to come to my band’s shows at the Blue Note in Boulder. He cracked us up - emptying the local dealer’s $500 cocaine vile into the noses of everybody in the ‘green room’ all the time cracking jokes and riffing. As Robin once said about those years, “I was on everything but skates.” What’s remarkable is that the party never ended for a lot of people. And there has been a pervasive attitude in the entertainment industry that drugs are sort of an accepted work place hazard … something we all go, “wink wink – nod nod” about because we are – you know… musicians.

This all came home for me with Williams’ suicide and the heroin overdose death of one of the best songwriters I ever knew, Johnny Ray Allen of the Subdudes. Admittedly there is no evidence of relapse at the time of Williams’ death, but he was suffering from depression and had been in and out of rehab during the summer. He even made us laugh about it saying, “I went to rehab in wine country just to keep my options open.” (wink wink, nod nod) I know his demons were bigger than just drugs or alcohol but whether it was a good merlot or a ‘shot of Jack” the added depressive elements of those chemicals are well documented.

26

Like Robin, I have a dark side – I came from an alcoholic family. I still carry those tendencies with me - coffee, chocolate, or waffles you name it – if it can be abused, I can abuse it. I’ve been lucky because I’ve known that for 30 years. I can consume an entire family-pack of M & Ms in one sitting – ha, the demon!

But I’ve never gone back to drugs or booze. Once Williams ‘went out,’ during a movie shoot in Alaska, the game changed. It was only a matter of time and timing – a heart surgery – a canceled TV show and the depression he lived with all his life that took control. All of us wish we could have grabbed him and said, ‘please don’t do this - we need your voice to help us make sense of it all.” What concerns me is the point of view that excuses his relapse because of depression. We know what happens when we see people headed that way – Whitney Houston, Amy Winehouse, Jimi Hendrix – we know the end of the story. And it’s not just Hollywood, it’s right here in Colorado.

Johnny Ray Allen was one of the founding four members of the Subdudes. The four-piece band relocated from New Orleans to Ft. Collins in the mid 1980s and in 1989 they got a major record deal from Atlantic Records. It was a huge deal for the time – close to half a million dollars. Herman’s Hideaway was our home base and we all celebrated the night they signed the Atlantic deal. Johnny helped write some of the Subdudes most memorable hits. Johnny played with the band until 1996 when the band officially broke up. The original Subdudes reunited this past spring for a series of very successful and critically acclaimed shows including several Colorado dates. John was just 56 years old when he died on August 8th 2014. He had so much more music to write and play.

New Orleans was and is the home of Mardi Gras... party central. There is also a long history of NOLA musicians involved in a drug culture that played with the ‘hard stuff’ like heroin. We all thought Johnny was clean. And when the original Subdudes got together to do this series of reunion shows we all thought the same thing, FANTASTIC! They sounded amazing. In retrospect, I’ve talked to some who saw him and they were worried. I had not seen Johnny in years but was hoping to catch up with him when we were to play together on August 16 and 17 at the New West Festival. I never got the chance.

And here is my point. I have no idea what pain or suffering Johnny had in his life. But I can no longer accept or excuse what happens to artists when they use drugs or alcohol to excess and it affects their ability to play or write or even function. This is not a “nanny state” rant. I am not proposing some legislation for a musician or entertainer annual psychiatric evaluation. Your choices are your choices. But the business of music seems all to willing to excuse Janis or Amy or Robin or Johnny because of some pain in their lives and I think that is wrong. As Williams said, “It’s a permanent solution to a temporary problem.”

Every famous musician, comedian or performer I have ever known personally – didn’t perform better high. Every local or regional musician who thinks they are playing better high, is kidding themselves.

Williams said it, and riffed on it. He also talked about how recovery was not easy for him saying, “It waits.

It lays in wait for the time when you think, ‘it’s fine now, I’m OK.’ Then, the next thing you know, it’s not OK.” The toughest thing for me to see is someone I know who stood up and said – yes, I am an alcoholic or addict” … or I suffer from depression - and then went back out with drugs and alcohol. Those are the ones that we keep reading about: Johnny, Robin, Amy, Whitney and on and on.

Life is tough. We all have pain. Four years ago I was told I had a 10% chance of survival from Leukemia.

They told me that no matter how well I do, Leukemia can always come back and kill me. That sucks big time. I could either act like a victim or realize that I’m going to have to live with the fear of cancer, chemo

and all the awful stuff that goes with it. My choice … squeeze as much life out of every hour I get. As Tim Robins said in Shawshank Redemption “You either get busy living or get busy dying.” Since coming back from eight months in a hospital I have produced 4 albums (two to be released in 2015) been nominated for a Grammy, won the award for Excellence in Teaching from my College and been inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. I’m getting busy living because dying is easy…living is hard.

So that is my plea for musicians. If you have a drug or alcohol problem you know it in your heart…even if you tell eve-rybody you are just fine and to fuck off – you know it if you have a problem. And you also know you’re not creating the music you are capable of making. And too many of us excuse this as some aspect of the musician’s lifestyle… bullshit. Make the choice to get the help you need to get back to

Drum City GuitarLand and Schecter Guitars Share Unique Partnership Courtesy of Schecter Guitars and DCGL

The 4000 sq foot ‘mecca’ to electric guitars has been the winner of our ‘Independent Dealer of the Year’ for eighteen consecutive years.

Founded in 1965 by the late Ronny Kae, the store is now owned and operated by his two sons, Tim and Jason Kae. This Wheat Ridge, Colorado store is known far and wide for their impeccable customer service; before and after the sale. Each instrument sold is meticulously inspected and setup to the customer’s specs by their in-house master technician Ross Lawson. This type of service seems to be becoming a ‘lost art’ in today’s market, but it does separate Drum City GuitarLand from the norm.

DCGL is the world’s largest Schecter Dealer with over 250 instruments in stock at all times, including a massive selection of Left Handed guitars and basses. The store’s specialty is Custom instruments and they are our largest Custom Shop dealer in the country. You can find over 40 Custom One-Of-A-Kind instruments in stock and ready to ship, or Jason Kae can walk you through ordering your dream guitar from our Custom Shop.

To top things off, Drum City was also very instrumental in introducing both Jeff Loomis and Gary Holt to our brand! We had the opportunity to get a little personal with the guys at Drum City GuitarLand and asked them a few questions of our own...

SCHECTER: Here at Schecter, we all have a favorite Schecter Custom Shop model, do you have any one in specific that you’re fond of and why?

DRUM CITY GUITARLAD: I sent a sample photo in to Shigeki ( Schecter master builder) of a carved flamed guitar that I wanted to order for our store stock. You guys did a killer job on it. I did a few of them in different colors. The whole thing was carved by hand.

S: Lets get a little technical, you know we create some pretty incredible Masterworks guitars…if you could build your own concept guitar through us, what would it be?

DCGL: Ross LawsonPT w/ AAAAA Flame Maple neck, Black Iron Cross inlay, T(b),ST(m),P90(n), Red Baron Airbrush Graphic Jason Kae- Alien Aircraft Aluminum 7string, Crop Circle inlays, Alien Pilot in Space Ship lights up with on-off switch, Spaceship lights light up and you can adjust how fast they move. You made this one for a NAMM Show years ago. Guitar

making the best art you can. What I wanted from Johnny, what I wanted from Robin, was another great recording – more of the powerful creative force that they brought to the planet … not to be watching some damn internet feed on their death. I want to hear more music from Colorado artists young and old. You get one shot….about 650,000 hours …that’s a long life. That’s it as far as we know. I don’t ever want to read another headline about an artist who died because we said “oh, they had problems.” As Robin said, “Major league Ca Ca!” … it’s really time for that to stop. Sex and rock n’ roll fine. Drugs are a much more complicated issue and if you have a problem with them or depression or a combination and it is threatening your art and your life, you know it, for god’s sake get some help, because we really do want to hear the music … we want to hear your voice…not your obituary. was so off the charts cool. I bought it for my personal collection!

S: We take pride in not only our guitar building, but also in the relationships we make. Can you think of a time that stands out to you, when someone came in looking for a Schecter Custom shop guitar and they left ecstatic?

DCGL: I sold a Left Handed S PT guitar that I had in stock to the late Paul Gray (Bass Player) from Slipknot. I ran into him at the NAMM Show in CA a few years later.

He told me that was the best guitar he ever owned. Said it sounded incredible and played even better. Told me he used it to record some tracks on the Slipknot record they were working on at that time. How cool is that?

S: If you know much of our history, you know a big part of it was Schecters’ pickups. Are you looking forward to or excited about any one in specific that we’re loading into our USA guitars?

DCGL: The Pasadena Humbucker is a great sounding pickup. The Z Plus is killer as well. We can’t wait to hear this one: New San Andreas-8 S:You guys have been around, how do you see the future of electric guitars headed?

DCGL: Thanks to my late Father for being super coolŠŠ, I’ve been selling guitars for the last 30 years. The last few years have been rather tough to sell guitars and drums. Most young kids want to press button on their phone or tabletsŠŠŠŠ, EDM rather than play OR learn to play an instrument. When I was a kid MTV played music videos. This really helped sales here at our shop. We need a guitar hero like EVH to come along again, something to get these kids interested in playing. Repairs are still strong as most players are getting their current guitar set-up by our in house tech instead of buying a new guitar.

S: What’s something you would like to say to the family at Schecter and to our players around the world?

DCGL: When a Custom Shop Schecter arrives here at our shop, we all get pretty excited. They are the finest guitars we carry…… hands down. And we carry quite a few! The attention to detail, fretwork, choice of wood, is outstanding!!

Thanks Jason Kae Co-Owner and all the staff at Drum City-Guitar Land Inc. for your time and support!

As always keep rockin!

September 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

Guitar Center to Introduce Lessons, Rentals at Denver Store

by Tim Wenger

Guitar Center is no stranger to musicians, as they have been a leader in retail instrument and gear sales since being founded in California in 1959. What many musicians in Colorado might not know, however, is the full spectrum of services that the stores offer. Here in this new monthly column, CMB will be acting as the grapevine from Guitar Center to our readers, giving them the first shot at getting the best deals and newest gear.

The game of selling music gear, if it can be called a game, is a tough one. Technical knowledge, eccentric personality, and the best pricing possible must all be present to win over customers in a market that offers numerous options to buy your gear from a catalog or online without ever having to leave the house.

Nobody knows this better than Tony Buffalo, the District Manager for Guitar Center’s Colorado six Colorado locations. Buffalo has been with Guitar Center for thirty years, and he took some time to meet CMB for breakfast to update us on what’s current, what’s hot, and what’s coming up in his stores.

“We’re really gearing our stores towards services for musicians,” says Buffalo. The Denver location, at 1585 S. Colorado Blvd., is currently under renovation to create space for lesson rooms inside the store. Lessons for just about any instrument you can think of will be taught. “We’re going to have eight lesson rooms. We’re also going to put in a rental facility, so we’ll be in the rental business. Now musicians can come there and have a clean and safe place to rent great quality music gear.”

All of this is in addition to the GC Garage guitar repair stations located inside stores. The store hopes to kick off its lesson program in October.

Obviously, the store must hire instructors to teach these lessons, which they will be doing starting this month. “The great thing about our lesson plan is it’s nation-wide,” says Buffalo.

“If you’re a student here in Denver and you move to Florida, you can pick up right where you left off. We’re having fun being a place for musicians, not just sales but full service.”

In addition to the birth of in-store lessons and rentals, Buffalo reiterates Guitar Center’s stance as the go-to spot for selection and, once

Higher Ground Music Festival Highlights Holiday Mountain and Others from TX, CA

by Charlie Sullivan

One of the highlight performances of the day, among many, was a little known psych-dubpop trio out of Austin, Texas called Holiday Mountain. All I can say is WOW, what a dynamic act, bring them back next year and put them on a bigger stage with some lights.

The band was full of electricity and electrified those who were privy to catch their act. Taking the stage in costume, I had visions of Devo

you find what you are looking for, the go-to spot for the best deal. “To me, selection is a given,” says Buffalo. “Price is a given. We have a lowest price guarantee. Just let us know if it’s not. We have a “Music Mentors” series where we are offering free group lessons on recording, and group guitar lessons. The series is free every Saturday morning.”

The series continues on Wednesday evenings also, with additional lessons on mic’ing drums and working with pedals. “We’re always trying to help give musicians knowledge on music,” says Buffalo. “Most importantly, it’s all about the experience. In today’s retail world, the bricks and mortars are having their challenges. I want to make it a great experience when a customer walks in our stores. I coined it ‘edu-taining,’ where our staff helps you learn about the gear you are interested in and have fun doing it.”

That method, Buffalo hopes, will keep customers excited about coming into the front range stores instead of shopping online. He wants the employees to strive for the best service possible to keep people coming back.

“Somebody that might want to just click the mouse and order something online, I hope they’d go ‘I’m gonna go down to Guitar Center, I can learn, I can experience the gear, hear how it sounds, and have fun while I’m doing it.’”

As far as gear trends right now, Buffalo says that electronic instruments are still a hot item, as well as powered speakers.

“Powered speakers seem to be the way to go right now,” he says. “There are some great powered speakers out right now.”

Buffalo and his staff take pride in helping musicians achieve their goals. Personally, he takes pride in working with musicians (both his staff and the customers). At the end of the day, this is the world of music, and we’re all in it because we love it. “What we do is sell the ‘Greatest Feeling on Earth,’” says Buffalo.

“It’s interesting to listen to these amazing and famous musicians and how they talk about it’s not about the money or the glam, it’s really about getting up there and making music. We’re involved in a lot of charities. I want people out there to know that people’s experience in the store is what is most important to me. If there is a situation in our stores that isn’t satisfactory, we’re quick to fix or resolve.” As for his career in music? “I don’t think I could do anything else.”

Contact Tony at TBuffalo@ guitarcenter.com and find the location nearest you at guitarcenter.com

Tim Nevadomski & Susan Olsen Host Touring Bands in Living Room

by Tim Wenger

Tim Nevadomski and his wife Susan Olsen are not skiers. They also are not mountain bikers or avid race fans. And unlike so many here in Denver, they do not appear to be Broncos fanatics, either. Instead, they focus their time, energy and money on something not quite as common as the hobbies of many of their suburban neighbors- they host touring musicians, live, in their living room.

They have been doing this since before they moved to Denver from South Dakota shortly after getting married. “We met Angie Stevens when we lived in Rapid City, South Dakota,” Tim says proudly. “She opened for (country singer) Jalan Crossland.

She came up to Rapid and did some show at a college.

Susan had gone to the show and talked to her, and she said “When I’m coming into town, maybe you guys could do a home show.’ We thought, ‘Oh, that’d be cool!”

“That was three years ago,” says Susan.

“She came up and had a gig for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally,” Tim explains. “We hired her the day after her gig so she could get a couple gigs in one run.” Stevens performed a well-attended show inside their house. The event was a success, and the couple kept their eyes open for more similar opportunities.

A few months later, Tim and Susan came across a Kickstarter campaign from the lead singer of the band Cracker, Johnny Hickman, to fund his solo record. “One of the prizes, if you contributed so much to his album, you could get a home show from him,” says Tim. Him and his wife gleefully made the required donation.

“So that was the second one.”

“We hired Jim Dalton (The Railbenders) also,” says Susan. “They are buddies, they have the Hickman-Dalton Gang. We flew them both to Rapid City and they did a gig at our house and had a home party there.” By that point in time, the seed had been plantedTim and Susan were hooked, and had found themselves a hobby.

Together, the couple has five kids, Tim’s with

and the B-52’s, the act lit up the masses and took off to the nether regions of the cosmos and brought everyone along for the ride. The crowd continued to swell until the final number as those meandering by were sucked in by the infectious grooves emanating from the Hard Rock Café stage. The outfit had everyone moving and grooving to their dynamic sounds, I hadn’t witnessed that since a Violent Femmes show in the in the late 80’s; and those in attendance were buzzing about the band long after they completed their set and lining up to buy a CD and talk to the band.

Laura Patiǹo (vocals, synths/organ), Bradley Will (synths, bass, vocals), and

Zander Kagle (drums/electroni drums) set the standard for the acts that would follow.

Holiday Mountain has fully grasped the concept of entertaining an audience- high energy, an infectious new sound, working the audience, and have a ball doing it! It’s viral that the band knows how to meld with the audience, making everyone a participant in the show. This is an act that would pair well with St. Vincent.

Local bands take notice, the gauntlet has been thrown down in Austin, Texas and it’s time to show them what we can do in Denver.

The band takes their name from Billie Holiday and the Rocky Mountains a point of inspiration for Patiÿo. Interestingly enough the bands

roots in Denver. Following a string of trips from Rapid City to catch concerts in Denver, the couple decided to make the move to the Mile High City. They purchased a home in Lakewood that is perfect for hosting concerts- a large living room upstairs with a bar and social area downstairs. Through hosting groups such as Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers, I’m With Her, and The Band of Heathens, they now are experienced in hosting these special events and even provide a full food spread and open bar for these inviteonly evenings of music.

The couple also purchased Rupert’s at the Edge breakfast restaurant after their move, providing them with not only a day job but the chance to fulfill their dream of owning their own restaurant. “How we came into finding it was pure serendipity,” says Susan. “Tim had been working for Whole Foods for a while and we had stopped looking. I was searching on the internet for a tutor for my son, a very specific kind of tutor, and the ad popped up.” They were intrigued by Rupert’s because of the early closing time, allowing them to get home by time their kids are home from school. “We can be home to have dinner with our three young kids every night.

We’ve been together about five and a half years now, and we’ve been talking about running our own place.” Now they are doing just that while still being able to take care of their family.

Most recently, the couple hosted country rockers the Jalan Crossland Band from Ten Sleep, Wyoming on August 14, and hope to host The Band Of Heathens again near Christmas this year. As far as problems, they have been minimal- a neighbor inquired about a tour bus being parked in front of the house but the call led to nothing more than a check of the neighborhood ordinances. “We’ve had a few little issues, but no one has called the cops yet,” Susan says with a laugh.

A good thing, because Tim and Susan have no plans to stop hosting these events in their home. “Denver, and Colorado in general, is such a friendly community,” says Tim. “Our first party, we hadn’t lived here that long, and we had fifty people here.” Cheers to that, as this city will never complain about having too many intimate concert settings. Stop by Rupert’s on the Edge, 2045 Sheridan Blvd, right across from Sloan’s Lake. members are all alumnus of Berklee College of Music in Boston. The band independently released their debut LP, Become Who You Are in 2012 at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. I gave it a spin on the way home from the festival and my gut tells me the band is going to be somewhat famous in the not too distant future.

The festival also showcased Calliope Musicals and Sphynx from Austin Texas and Acidic, Pullman Standard and Finish Ticket from California.

Online: holidaymountainmusic.com/

September 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

27

Between The Covers: 16 and Dazed

by Torch

You are fifteen years old, tomorrow is your birthday and your friends who are all sixteen and over are headed to a show, a sixteen and over show. What do you do?

A rather polite young man decided to chance it with pleading and begging to get into the show. At the door his friends went in first and security stopped the kid and His story began. His friends didn’t wait to see what happened as sixteen year olds tend to bolt at the first sign of trouble, and then snicker and point from a safe distance.

This fifteen year old looked twelve at best, he couldn’t have been more that 90 lbs, with long bony arms and big ears he had yet to grow into, which happily poked out from under his hat like two fenders.

His t-shirt hung on him like it belonged to his big brother, and of course his pants were saggin’ and baggin’. Now security had to decide what to do with this kid, he was unescorted by any adult, and now abandoned by his friends, he couldn’t legally enter the club but it was dark and the only thing outside was the rather dubious dealings of the nighttime world of Colfax.

Security made a third choice to call the venue manager and pulled the kid inside for the moment. The manager had security bring him to the office and call his parents; nobody answered. The show was in full swing by now, and it was about ten o’clock at night. Where does the liability lie, having an under-age kid in the building or sending him out on Colfax among the wolves? In a stroke of genius and human kindness the manager put his problem solving skills to use. The kid was taken to the security/ medical station next to a door, and plunked down in a chair next to a police officer for the last two hours of his fifteenth year. The

Eat The Sun, Expand And Collide

by Charlie Sullivan

Local prog/math rockers Eat The Sun unleashed their first full length album, Expand And Collide, in early August.

The much anticipated release lives up to its hype.

Dave and Matt Sandoval deliver intriguingly jarring guitar lines throughout the album.

Dan Beliveau’s bass is popping and bopping as never before and is responsibleforthemore danceable moments on the recordings.

Max DeVincenzo sat in on drums and his chops lend fantastic polyrhythms to the depth of sound on the recordings. The ten songs themselves are uniformly excellent, fusing themselves together with academic professionalism and a gritty edge.

The songs hammer their point inside your

28

kid looked like a big eyed Chihuahua next to the police officers and medics. He waited patiently, and watched as the evening unfolded in front of him. If you have ever really want to get a quick education about the strange goings on at a concert, hang out in the security/ medical area.

The police questioned the young man about his experimentation with drugs and alcohol, to which the kid denied with a soft “No Sir.” The officer explained that he wasn’t going to arrest the kid, and so he confessed to trying a few things. The kid watched as concert goers got hauled back to the medical station by friends, strangers, and staff for being drunk and out of control.

One or two music lovers could be seen hugging big black Rubbermaid trashcans and begging for someone to hold their hair. Drinking and drugs do not always enhance personalities for the better, as much as blowing chunks is such an attractive quality.

No matter how hard security tries to keep the drugs out of a concert, people manage to bring them in, share them, and occasionally end up riding to a hospital as they over indulge in the dangerous desires of drugs and drinks. =The clock was slowly ticking but the skinny kid was getting an education of a lifetime as he sat there in the school of life, protected by his newly appointed armed guard. Screaming fights, handcuffs, vomit, and people being ejected from the venue were all on the syllabus for the evening. The kid fidgeted under his baseball hat, big ears and big eyes taking it all in, in silence. Tick, tick, tick. Finally at the stroke of midnight, the medics, police, security and the manager congratulated him on his turning sixteen, and told him to go find his friends. He opened up his face and smiled a toothy smile of another step toward adulthood; an impressive feat in itself as he strode his too big shoes out to the dance floor, a little taller, and probably a whole lot smarter about drinking and drugging. Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen! brain without floating all over the place. The hooks abound on the pieces concealed within hypnotic riffs and complex rhythm patterns. “A Bear Named Brenda” takes you into the fray with a heavy sonance, settles into a dream state, builds to a nightmarish frenzy with some great sound effects, and trails back off into dream state melding nicely into “Birthday.”

The hammering is ever present on “Birthday”; lyrics are few floating into powerful instrumentals with precise, crunchy riffs banging into each other. “I Always Wear My Capris…You Know, In Case It Floods” and “Screaming Monkey Research Clinic” are well thought over and make your head go spinning with studio eccentricity.

If you decide to pick up this album be prepared to have it slowly and meticulously grow on you.

Online: eatthesunband.com

PRESS PLAY: HOT VIDEOS FROM HOT ARTISTS video- Smoke, Liquids, Water and Fire. I also added an element of mystery through the brief and blurry faces that appear in the center. There was a lot of layering of video and timing to the music to get the effect I was looking for. I tried to mimic the feel of Plume Varia through hypnotizing and fluid motion.

CMB: What are your summer plans?

Plume Varia- “Bend”

by Tim Wenger

Plume Varia has dropped a new video for the song “Bend.” Denver artist Haylee Powers handled motion design for the video. CMB caught up with both Powers and Plume Varia about the process of their video.

CMB: Tell us about the process of making the video.

PV: We wanted to team up with visual artists in the Denver area. We met Haylee online and instantly loved her vision and style. I’ll let Haylee describe her process...

HP: I think Shon and Cherie had the exact same vision as I had for Bend which made this project effortless in some ways... We were on the same page. They use a lot of black and white in their photography and I wanted to extend this to the music video. I created this video by mirroring a lot of fluid

ACIDIC- “Copper Man”

by Tim Wenger

ACIDIC played a great set at Higher Ground Music Festival here in Denver on August 23, expanding on an already growing Colorado fan base. The band has spent most of the year on the road, including two Denver dates, and won’t be back for a while so CMB caught up with the group about their video for the song “Copper Man,” just to keep their fans satisfied until their next pass through town.

CMB: us about process making video.

Tell the of the

A: The video for “Copper Man” was a joy and an interesting process. We approached the director, Kelly King, and asked for ideas that were both unique and funny. He recommended spoofing infomercials and we jumped on it. The shooting of the video was succinct and seamless, it took no more than 2 days.

I must say that I am very happy with the result. It just showed us the level of

PV: We’ve had a wonderful summer so far with Westword Music Showcase, Underground Music Showcase, and coming shows at the Larimer Lounge, Syntax Physics Opera and Moe’s. Our focus going into Fall is going to be finishing out our first full length album.

CMB: How does Denver compare to other markets you’ve been through?

PV: Denver is just wonderful. It’s a generous and supportive music scene that we are just most grateful to be a part of. We have lived in other cities with diverse music scenes however they all seemed much less supportive and communal. We love it here. Festivals like Root40, Westword, and UMS are great examples of the heart of Denver’s scene.

CMB: Where can we find your music online?

PV: Our website is the best place to go for our music, shows and links to our other Internet homes. plumevaria.com

creativity we can achieve if we put our minds to work.

CMB: How does Denver compare to other markets you’ve been through?

A: Denver has a unique energy that we have found nowhere else. From Illegal Pete’s Burritos to playing Herman’s Hideaway, we always enjoy ourselves.

We are also fans of driving up to Boulder for a quick dip in the creek if the weather is nice.

Denver was the first market outside of Los Angeles that we played back in 2010 and since that time, it has been a mainstay of our tour routing and we have developed a sizable fan base in the city.

CMB: Where can we find your music online?

A: Anyone who wants to find out more can go to acidicband.com

September 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

GIS for the Creative Industries

By Wayne Kocina wayne@GeoWize.com

Where can I find more good customers? How big is the market for my product or service?

Where do I need to locate my warehouses?

Where should I have distributors? Where is my competition, and who is my competition?

How does this work? As an example, let’s study an artist that paints horses. This artist sells to consumers directly from his studio and at art shows. He also works through galleries, possibly those that specialize in western art and to related businesses like veterinarian offices, tack shops and related associations, like the Western Stockmen’s Association and the Professional Rodeo Cowboy’s Association.

A chart of art gallery density in the United States. Data and image by Wayne Kocina / GeoWize.

For many artists, their art comes first, and being in business is an afterthought. Artists who want to be successful need to view themselves and their art as a business. Every business, whether they sell to consumers, other businesses, or both, needs to know who its customers are, where they are located, and where to find more like them. The businesses also need to understand the competitive landscape.

What is GIS or Geographic Information Systems?

GIS takes geography and specific locations, the information about those locations and the people or businesses associated with those locations, and provides analysis and unique visualization of complex data and relationships that allows the business owner to make critical decisions that affect their potential for success.

GIS (Geographic Information Systems) analysis can provide creative artists with insight into all of these elements and help them be successful.

GIS analysis can provide answers to questions like: Where is the best location for my businesses? What are my customers like?

30

Consumers – Analysis has revealed that the types of consumers who typically purchase original art are financially well off and live in higher value homes. They may live in urban, suburban, or rural areas.

Sophisticated segmentation or consumer profiling systems can be utilized to precisely find more potential clients. Additionally, if the artist has an address list of customers, this list can be used to very accurately profile and identify target customers, and find many more customers just like them. Furthermore, understanding your customer’s demographics, expenditure patterns and behaviors provides you with the knowledge needed to effectively connect with prospective art buyers.

Businesses – Art galleries follow a unique business model. While most businesses want to find an area with little to no competition that has a high demand, art galleries tend to “cluster” very much like car dealerships.

Consumers shopping for art like to go to one area and visit a lot of galleries to see a wide variety of art. Understanding where these clusters are located helps you effectively find the “right” galleries to show and sell your art.

Moreover, keyword analysis can be used to find galleries that specialize in your type of art.

The database we use for GIS business analysis

contains more than 17 million businesses, all categorized by industry codes. These unique codes are used to find both prospective customer businesses like veterinarians, horse stables, race horse owners, horse ranches, horse-related associations, and competitive businesses and other artists that could be competitors or collaborators.

The real power of GIS is in the ability of business owners to see the data on maps, graphs, charts, and tables. This ability to visualize data makes it possible to see and discover complex and valuable relationships, is empowering for the small business owner, and can easily make the difference between success and failure for an artist.

A sample analysis of target customer profiles. Image

by Wayne Kocina / GeoWize.

For more information about GIS for creatives visit GeoWize at geowize.com.

September 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com | CREATEmsudenver.com

ARTrepreneur of the Month

By Leah Parker CREATE@msudenver.edu

That’s when I opened L&L Fine Art Gallery.

3) Tell us more about your gallery.

L&L Fine Art Gallery is in the heart of Main Street and located across from the A.R. Mitchell Museum of Western Art. It gives Trinidad artists a permanent place to showcase and sell their artwork in the community, and features artists such as Patsi Wolfe, M.C. Hess, Frank LaLumia, Paula Little, and Lois Peterson. I’m very selective. This is the best of Trinidad. I had a friend from New York visit and he said that it looks like a New York fine art gallery.

Lucky Murphy and Lisa Edding at the opening of L&L Fine Art Gallery. Photo by Steve Block / The Chronicle-News.

Lucky Murphy is the owner of L&L Fine Art Gallery located on Main Street in Trinidad, Colorado. He is an entrepreneur, framer, chef, gallery owner, philanthropist and the September 2014 ARTrepreneur of the Month.

1) Tell me your story. When and why did you get into art?

I don’t do much art myself, instead I enjoy placing art. As a young man I fell in love with some of the art I saw, I got excited and wanted to know more. So, I worked for a gallery in Los Angeles and was exposed to Picasso, Andy Warhol, Gustav Klimt, and got to meet top artists such as Peter Max at festivals. I got interested in collecting art and then selling. In fact, I decorated a lot of model homes at Laguna Beach.

2) Tell us about your involvement with the Trinidad community.

I heard about Trinidad for years and visited, hoping to see what was around. It’s a wonderful small town and I thought I’d go ahead and make it my home. There is a niceness to Trinidad. It’s a quiet, sleepy little town. You know everybody and everyone knows you by name. Even the local newspaper has a hard time finding a story that the people don’t already know.

It’s also amazing the amount of quality and talented artists that live here, but I didn’t see a gallery for them. There were a couple co-ops in town and a couple studios but no galleries.

5) What are some challenges in the art business or local art scene?

One challenge is that Trinidad is not a Santa Fe, but it’s amazing the amount of talent that is here. This town is worth stopping by, and the people who do are amazed with the quantity and quality of art here. We’re slowly changing the dynamics. This is a very active community. The town was built for a population of 4,000. We have 9,000 people and small community college with a wonderful art teacher.

6) What advice do you have for new and upcoming artists?

Quality sells. It does. People are looking to building their home/nest with something they can relate to and enjoy—whether it’s a poster or print. People collect at all levels from a L&L is a non-profit gallery so all the money department store to gallery. I see a lot of raised stays here in Las Animas County. In young artists who can the front of the gallery draw really well, but I 70% of the proceeds encourage these artists go back to the artists to go out and learn and 30% goes to the the technique from Community Chest. In a master. I knew an the back of the gallery artist who took a class I offer affordable

by Kevin Larmon and custom framing to learned his technique raise overhead to so well that people keep the gallery thought Kevin painted open. I’ve been in it. You need to learn the framing business from the professionals for 45 years and then develop your own provide services for style. Art is fun, and the locals since there An oil painting by Trinidad artist Paula Little is featured in you can make a living isn’t a lot here—I’ve L&L Fine Art Gallery. Photo by Lucky Murphy. from it, but there are a framed art for people lot of artists who can’t. in Denver, Santa Fe, and Albuquerque. The gallery is 7) Do you have any upcoming events? open 7 days a week from 11-5 p.m.

I do something free every day. I was behind the Trinidad Opera House this morning pulling 4) What is the Community Chest? weeds and it’s going to take me 3 to 4 days to I’ve always been involved in charities like Relay for Life, so I got with Lisa Edding and we created a grassroots nonprofit called the Community Chest. The Community Chest raises immediate money for local cancer patients and their families. These patients have to drive to Denver for chemotherapy and this organization helps with gas, lodging, and food. It’s a nice thing to do, since Community Chest has already assisted so many families.

do that. At around Thanksgiving, I’ll be doing a silent auction for 10-15 pieces from my private art collection to raise money for the Community Chest. This fall I’m planning an event to raise funds for supplies for a local art class. I’m also doing a Murder Mystery Dinner to raise money for the Southern Colorado Repertory Theatre.

And a pancake breakfast to raise funds for Noah’s Ark, the local animal shelter. I do so many things in one day. In a little town it’s fun and easy to give back to the community.

Trinidad musician, Ed Shaw, performing in L&L Fine Art Gallery at a Last Friday Art Walk. Photo by Lucky Murphy.

8) Anything else you’d like to share?

I love art and music. I have vintage music posters hanging in the gallery from the 1960s.

We have a tremendous musical talent in Trinidad and I like to get musicians involved with L&L Fine Art Gallery. We have a Last Friday Art Walk and have local musicians, like Ed Shaw, play in front of the gallery. Music is good for a gallery. My life is full that way.

For more information and event dates, visit Lucky Murphy at L & L Gallery located at 149 E. Main Street #8, Trinidad, CO 81082 or call 719-680-0679.

September 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com | CREATEmsudenver.com

31