Colorado Music Buzz Magazine March 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 Zach Bauer, Chris Budin, Cathleen Carico Kyle Christy, Chris Daniels, Austin Day Angela Kerr, Glenn Sawyer, The Swami Tim Wenger, Tru Blu PHOTOGRAPHY Jenn Cohen, Ted Davis, Ray Tollison

SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR Angela Kerr - 720-849-9697 AKerr@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

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.

Artists may submit press kits/CDs for review by mail. Please email requests for coverage directly to the editor and copy the writer of your choice in your musical style.

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.

newest bathe of the bands competition.

It is a great opportunity to help a local food band while promoting hunger awareness as well as the musical and artistic talent of our community’s yourth within the local high schools.

“It’s exciting to see so many folks get so excited over this great event. This is great opportunity to bring together youth in our community for a great cause” said Bob Fifer, Event Coordinator for Jam Out Hunger.

Jam Out Hunger hopes to raise over $20,000 for the Arvada Community Food Bank to support their general client and Feeding Our Future Backpack programs.

Jam Out Hunger Using High School Bands to Fight Hunger editor@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

Jam Out Hunger, in northern Jefferson County, is getting ready to “rock it” this May at the Arvada Center Amphitheater. This event is getting a great deal of attention on social media and bands from all over the Denver metro area are starting to flock to the

Capitol Hill People’s Fair Entertainment Process

by Cathleen Carrico

editor@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

On Saturday February 15 Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods (CHUN) began the first step in selecting the entertainment lineup for the 2014 People’s Fair. In previous years The People’s Fair has held a listening party to select the acts to perform at the live audition, during which the entertainment committee and CHUN staffers listened to demos sent in by bands.

However, this year the People’s Fair hosted a viewing party instead where the talent was judged based upon YouTube videos the bands submitted.

Entertainment co-chair, Jay Finesilver, decided to change the process in order to give the entertainment committee the opportunity to see bands in action. “The viewing party this year allows the committee extra opportunity to fully view the acts before voting on who will be selected to perform at the UMX (Ultimate Music Xperience). We have been talking about making this change for several years and opted to try it this year. It worked quite well,” said Finesilver.

As part of the application process each act was required to submit at least three video links or a video channel for review. This year over 300 bands applied meaning there were over 900 videos to review! All of the new bands are

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Only 6 bands will be selected to battle on the stage for prizes worth over $5,000. 2 out of 3 will be selected by a people’s choice format by voting with $1 (or 2 cans of food) votes, the 3rd band will be selected by judges. Several organizations and businesses have helped to get this annual event kicked off. One of the event’s grand prize is a professional EP, donated by Arvada-based LaunchPad Studios.

“LaunchPad Studios is super excited to be a part of ‘Jam Out Hunger 2014’! There is so much creativity in our high schools, and a battle of the bands is a great way to expose that talent reviewed while returning bands advance to the next stage of the process.

The CHUN staff complied each band’s videos into YouTube channels that were grouped by genre.

The range of genres was extremely diverse, ranging from rock to Celtic to bluegrass and country. At the viewing party CHUN’s leadership and representatives from the Denver music scene watched each video and cast their vote.

After the votes had been tallied, the entertainment committee began the difficult job of choosing the top 40-50 acts to move on to the final round of auditions, also called the Ultimate Music Xperience (UMX). At the UMX, the finalists will have the opportunity to play two songs or ten minutes of music to compete for one of the entertainment slots at the People’s Fair. The UMX is a battle of the bands style competition with one group performing while the next sets up.

“The acts will be judged based upon the performance. VIP’s have a separate ballot, as do members of the entertainment committee itself. Members of the public also get a ballot”, said Finesilver. “Everyone has a say. Think of it as the ultimate battle of the bands!”

This year the UMX will be held on Saturday March 22 from approximately 10am-7pm at the Celtic Tavern (1801 Blake Street). The general public is invited to attend free of charge and listen to what will surely be a fantastic lineup.

The top 30-40% of bands will be invited to participate in this years lineup and perform on one of the People’s Fair’s three stages along with returning bands from previous years. Be sure to stop by the UMX and cast your vote!

while simultaneously serving Arvada’s food bank and teens. Can’t wait to hear what this collaboration produces!” said John Connor, owner of LaunchPad Studios.

Jam Out Hunger is leveraging all levels of artistic support. All of the event’s graphics, audio support and video production will be done by Warren Tech students with support from the Arvada Center staff.

Attendees will have a great time listening to over 6 hours of music and many other activities, including social media contests during the event!

“We want this event to be a fun and memorable for our region and bringing hunger awareness to the forefront,” said Bob Fifer, Event Coordinator for Jam Out Hunger.

With all of the interest, Jam Out Hunger has extended its band registration and auditions out one month to allow additional bands an opportunity to submit their audition videos. It’s recommended to register immediately at jamouthunger.org and submit your video audition before March 21st, 2014.

The main concert will be Friday, May 16th, 2014, at 5 PM at the Arvada Center. Tickets will be on sale at the Arvada Center or the Arvada Community Food Bank prior to the event.

For more information or to support the event, visit jamouthunger.org.

About Jam Out Hunger Jam Out Hunger – Battle of the Bands (BOTB)

Bonnie and The Beard Are Back and Thriving

by Tim Wenger

TWenger@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

Bonnie and the Beard are kicking into full gear for the Spring and summer. And by full gear, we mean they’re going to be spending afternoons drinking patio beers and evenings rocking clubs in Denver and beyond, bringing their eclectic brand of indieinfused gypsy funk to the masses.

Their first Denver gig of 2014 was a Valentine’s Day throw down with Roniit at the Larimer Lounge.

This was their second annual Valentine’s Day Masquerade and Carnival.

It was actually the band’s first Denver show since last year’s Underground Music Showcase and the band took full advantage, putting on a dance party to remember. “It was really fun to expand on what we did last year,” said vocalist/ guitarist Megan Fong, aka Bonnie. “Have a bigger space that we could have more things going on. It felt good.”

“It made sense for us to just take a step back and regroup, rething about what we wanted to do and what we wanted to sound like,” said Tony LoVerde, aka The Beard. “I was making a movie over the summer. We hadn’t written any new songs in so long, and I feel like you get burned out, like you’re just spinning your wheels and doing the same thing.

It was good, it allowed us time and we’re writing again. It’s a new life and new material.

The break lit a fire under the five piece, and they have taken to songwriting with a new vigor. “This is the first time that we’ve started writing as a group,” said horn player Wesley Watkins. “Which, for me, is an exciting thing.” Instead of one person writing a song and presenting it to the band, they are collectively sharing input and ideas and writing what they feel are the band’s best songs to date.

“The story that I’ve told a million times is that we were driving through Colorado coming up from Santa Fe trying to come up with a name for the

March 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

concept is to provide a multi-facet opportunity to promote hunger awareness, and the musical and artistic talent of our community’s youth within the local High Schools. The Arvada Community Food Bank (ACFB) is always looking for opportunities to continue its’ mission and vision through financial support. Unfortunately, the growing need for our services continues every year. City Councilmember and Arvada Community Food Bank Board Director, Bob Fifer, pursued an idea to meet the ever growing demands for the food bank, while focusing on an opportunity to promote music and art within our High Schools and the Arvada Center. Merging fundraising for the ACFB with a High School “garage” bands competition and High School Art Show at the Arvada Center creates the ideal event that truly fosters a sense of community for all, especially our youth.

The funds raised from this event will support: General food bank needs that provide effective hunger relief services to people in need and to fulfill ACFB vision that no one goes to bed hungry in Northern Jefferson County communities.

Feeding our Future Backpack Program, which provides food to children and homeless children at 13 elementary schools (and growing) each weekend during the school year. These are “Title 1” schools that have a percentage of children on the “Free and Reduced Lunch Program”.

Follow on Twitter: JamOutHunger project,” said LoVerde. “Megan suggested Talon and the Taint. I was like, ‘Well, I don’t want to explain to my grandmother, whose name was Bonnie, what a taint is. So I was like, what about Bonnie and the Beard.”

It stuck, despite Fong’s initial despair, and fittingly so. LoVerde’s grandmother was fighting cancer at the time, so the name is in a way a tribute to her. LoVerde and Fong also thought it sounded carnivalish, and their live show. “It fit for us to have these personas,” said Fong. “It fit with the songs that we were writing, that we are almost a carnival side show.”

Their live performance is something that has gained the band wide notoriety, as it is a full show involving the crowd from start to finish. “You go to a Bonnie and the Beard show, and the first thing you’re going to notice is that there is almost a physical energy that is happening,” said Watkins. “That sound almost spreads out to everybody else, all these people are dancing, and partying.”

Whether traveling or just playing locally, Bonnie and the Beard has watched their fanbase grow and are pleasantly surpriesed at their appeal. “What is surprising to me is that the spectrum of people that like us in unbelievable wide,” said LoVerde. “Little jam band hippie kids will like us, all the way to old ladies.

We don’t have a niche in what our demographic is.”

Their show features banter with the crowd and is very interactive, and they are very proud of that. “We don’t do shoegaze music, and we don’t do music that I feel you need to have experience with our type of music in order to enjoy it,” says LoVerde. “You just need to be a person that likes to smile and likes to shake their ass a little bit.”

Coming up, the band will be releasing a single this Spring and is in the process of writing a new album, possibly putting out singles along the way as they come. “It feels really good, since we had that little hiatus, to take all the things that we experienced during that time and bring it back together,” says Fong.

same title (Grammy Nomination, Best Rap Solo Performance 2002 and featured in the film Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back),” adds Ramenofsky.

With his first cash in hand Ramenofsky headed out to L.A. to record movie soundtracks and completed Rogue Fugu for a film that was canned in pre-production.

Preneur of the Month

by Angela Kerr & Chelsea Schraeder akerr@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com Originally from a small farm town in eastern Colorado, Mike Blecha is now based out of Denver, where he has his finger on the pulse of the local scene. Mike has been in the music industry his entire adult life, originally in high school, when he joined with other local musicians to form the band, ‘Synthetic Elements,’ which eventually become a leader among bands in the Denver area playing over 600 shows throughout the United States and Asia.

After graduating high school and attending a year of college, Mike moved up through a variety of music-based professions including sound engineering, concert production, talent buying and marketing for festivals and venues. He let no grass grow under his feet.

I first met Mike when he sponsored the OWN IT 2013 free concert for students at the Auraria campus. At that time, he sponsored the Rolling Thunder stage which allowed five local bands the opportunity to be highlighted at the Metropolitan University of Denver. Mike’s unrelenting attention to detail and quality orientation caused me to follow his pursuits and ask that he support the Own It Music MasterMind Series currently being introduced at CREATE MSU Denver which kicks off on March 4, 2014. Mike will be presenting on: How to Truly Make it In the Music Business.

Mike is a founder of two companies. Kinnon Entertainment offers event production and management for a multitude of markets. His participation includes events like Keggs & Eggs and KYGO New Music Showcase. Kinnon Control is a smartphone app company that specializes in control and automation for large commercial audio and visual systems. Mike is

co-founder of a third, his newest venture, Kinnon Artist Management which is a management, booking, and promotion company; featuring local, regional, and national acts which include Paula Nelson, daughter of Willie Nelson, and Lola Black. Additionally, Mike has just landed the National Talent Buying contract for the Buffalo Rose in Golden.

Mike’s passion for music has always been apparent, and his dedication to the industry is a testament to this. In addition to his time devoted to his business ventures, Mike is a committed father to his son, Kinnon, the namesake for his success. He has also co-owned a barber shop which offered space for live performances from local musicians.

Mike never lets an opportunity pass him by, is always willing to take a risk to pursue an idea that he feels could further his career. Through his pursuits, he has gained an extensive working knowledge of the national industry. In addition to expanding his companies and watching his son grow. His passion for music, and furthering the industry, has led him to partner and collaborate with others in their pursuit of a career in the evergrowing field of entertainment.

In his free time Mike also enjoys cooking and traveling to new places with his son. When asking Mike about his future plans, he states:“I would like to own a breakfast and deli and have a radio show. I would also enjoy being a pianist at a dueling piano bar or the lobby of a hotel.”

For those of you who don’t think Mike could add another thing to his very busy schedule….just watch him do it.

You can find Mike at kinnonentertatinment. com or contact his new Administrative Manager, Chelsea Schraeder at chelsea@ kinnonentertainment.com.

Headfridge, Trudging The Road Of Happy Destiny

by Charlie Sullivan

CSullivan@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

Trip-hop artist Headfridge (a.k.a. Tim Ramenofsky) has made his presence known on the local music scene. Performing solo and in the band The Big Naturals with Michael Zucker and Bruce Marshall, word has hit the streets that the Grammy nominated producer Ramenofsky is calling the Denver area home.

An accomplished guitarist and mix-masher master, Ramenofsky has played in various jazz/fusion/metal bands among other projects over the years working with the likes of Blair Shotts, Ali Nikou, and Tom Hagerman.

Touring for what seemed an eternity and somewhat burned out, Ramenofsky called it a day and headed south. He landed in Hastiesburg, MS a small college town with no independent record store.

“I decided to open up a record store and push music from the local bands, they just had the big-box stores and we know how that goes,” says Ramenofsky, “In the process I founded TBones Records.”

“We’d close the store for the night and record in a studio we set up in a back room,” adds Ramenofsky, “I was also jamming in the metalfusion band Loppybogymi.”

T-Bones Records became infamous, recording artists who mixed and mashed genres that included trip-hop, jazz-metal-fusion, punkrock-fusion, and jazz-fusion. It was here that Ramenofsky’s favorite solo record, HeadfridgeCool Out, was recorded.

“It’s my life story put to music,” states Ramenofsky, “Vinyl mashes and sound bites of my favorite stuff, it was comedic with a lot of inside jokes, very cleansing.”

“We had the opportunity to work with Afroman and recorded, produced, and released Because I Got High featuring the song of the

“It’s funny how this went down,” says Ramenofsky, “The movie was based on a true story about Goto, the John Gotti of Japan.”

“He came to the states and pulled off these brilliant scams in the underworld and skipped town with the cash,” says Ramanofsky.

“The movie was in production, he was given his money up front to assist with putting his biography into a screenplay format,” laughs Ramenosfky, “When it was time show up he had disappeared with all the money.”

“When I found out I had already completed the soundtrack; 1-½ years of work for naught,” relays Ramenofsky, “That’s pretty much how things went in L.A.” The CD was released regardless and what a great mix of laid back melodic material along the lines of the Gotan Project, well worth lending your ear too. But things being what they are Ramenofsky was packing his bags once again and landed in Denver a few years ago.

“I met Michael Zucker (Differential Productions) shortly after I got in town,” says Ramenofsky, “We started working together and I started catching up on the new technology.”

With renewed vigor Ramenofsky pitched Zucker with the idea for a new solo release and thus was born his first solo release in seven years, Space Honky (trip-hop at its best, check out the review in the CMB archives, May 2013).

“I had a lot of fun working on the project, now we’re gearing up to head into the studio to work on another album,” says Ramenofsky, “I still love spinning and performing, that’s what it’s all about.”

If you haven’t caught a Headfridge show you’re missing out on a stimulating evening. The discordant and meaningless mixture of sounds you’ve been storing up in your head come spilling out in Headfridge’s mix-mashes; it’ll alter your perception of the real world for a few hours.

“Everyone has an addiction, mine just happens to be music”- Charlie Sullivan, CMB headfridge.bandcamp.com www.facebook.com/pages/

Lampwick Offer Good Take on Stoner Rock

by Jeff Vermones

editor@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

After watching a band called “Lampwick” at Moe’s BBQ, I was immediately reminded of how much I like “ Stoner Rock”! A great mix of bands and styles were obviously influenced by this quartet of guys who I THOUGHT were from Colorado. This is a band which has been building an enormous fan base in Denver, but surprisingly they hail from Gering Nebraska. Great music and hands down on their stage presence. A serious thumbs up for this talented band and their efforts in making a name for themselves regionally.

Online: reverbnation.com/ourlampwick

March 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

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SpokesBUZZ Sponsors, Presents Colorado Music Party at SXSW

by Tru Blue

TruBlu@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

SpokesBUZZ, the Fort Collins-based non-profit that has been doing wonders for a carefully selected group of Colorado bands over the last few years, has once again worked to organize the Colorado Music Party, a showcase of Colorado talent at the South by Southwest festival in Austin, TX. We got the word from SpokesBUZZ marketing director Julie Sutter about the event and the artists involved.

CMB: What organizations are the main driving force for the Colorado Music Party?

Lost Caravan Rock Sundance Film Festival

by Tim Wenger

TWenger@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

Lost Caravan just returned from a headlining gig at the Sundance Film Festival, providing some great exposure for an already rising band. CMB caught up with the crew upon their return to get the word on the trip, their plans, and how they keep themselves occupied during long stints in the van.

CMB: How did this gig at the Sundance Film Festival come to be?

LC: Our manager, Kevin Shipley has some great contacts out in L.A. He submitted Lost Caravan and we were accepted for a Saturday headline spot. It was a really great way to kick off the year.

CMB: How was the reaction to your music, and the overall experience at the festival?

LC: The overall experience was excellent. We were already planning on this being a really productive year, both show and project---wise, for Lost Caravan, and just this started it off with a bang. Our audience was awesome. Loved them. They were raring to go for a fun night and some good music totally befitting of gypsy rock.

CMB: What is coming up for you guys this Spring and Summer?

LC: We’re fortunate to have a busy schedule ahead of us. We’ve got a couple of live shows locally, but we’re especially focused on getting into the studio in March to record a new EP. After that, we’re headed for a two night show in Aspen and other mountain venues. This summer will be filled with the festival and fair scene with shows all over Colorado. We’re also putting together a Northwest tour in the Fall.

together, etc.

LC: Lost Caravan plays a style of music we call, Gypsy Rock. It’s a mix of pop, rock, and gypsy jazz. Think Rodrigo y Gabriela meets Gwen Stefani. It’s exotic, edgy, and catchy. I put the band together in 2012 after having been on the music scene as a solo singer/songwriter for a while. It all started with my beingunhappy with what I was doing and deciding to pursue another direction with music. However, I knew Ineeded to make myself unique in some way.

Gypsy rock came about after experimenting with a variety of styles to find what was me. It was a completely natural evolution and I knew I had found my niche as soon as I heard it.

CMB: “You Don’t Know Me” is a pretty sweet video, got any plans for more vids?

LC: Thanks, we had fun time with that one and had an excellent filmmaker and crew to make it happen. We’re definitely planning on recording more videos and we’ve got some great tracks to choose from that we’re about to introduce.

Just have to decide which one.

CMB: What do you guys do to keep busy on the road when you’re not playing music?

LC: Many of the cities we play have cool shops and sites to check out. We definitely try to fit a little of that in. And we’re lucky to have a pretty amusing group, so personally, I’m never bored.

At the same time, we’re highly focused on putting on our best show there, so on the road we’re really focused on preparation.

JS: The Colorado Music Party essentially started as a collaborative promotional campaign created in 2013 by nonprofit organization SpokesBUZZ Fort Collins. This year at SXSW 2014, we’ve expanded the campaign to a full-fledged two-day party and showcase presented by SpokesBUZZ, Reverb, and Colorado Public Radio’s OpenAir. We have sponsorship support from the Colorado Tourism Office, Colorado Creative Industries and New Belgium Brewing Company. Red Rocks Amphitheatre and Mishawaka Amphitheatre are sponsoring the two stages at The 512 on Sixth. All in all, 20+ partners are collaborating on the two-day event.

Full list of partners here: coloradomusicparty. com/partners.

CMB: Who are the artists that are part of the CMP? How are they chosen?

JS: Each band is selected and presented by a corresponding showcase partner (for example, SpokesBUZZ, as a presenting partner, has chosen 4 bands: Wasteland Hop, Winchester Holiday, The Yawpers and The Patti Fiasco) to represent Colorado at the showcase. Several of the partners explain why they chose a particular band on the partners page (see link, above). When we decided to go from campaign to showcase this year, we approached a number of the partners that supported the campaign last year (Illegal Pete’s, Yellowbright, Sweetwine Entertainment Group, Mishawaka) to see if they’d like to participate and present performances this year. But in some cases, partners approached us wanting to get involved when they heard about the concept.

The collaborative aspect really resonates with people and it’s a great way to rise about the noise at SXSW.

CMB: Where can we find your music online?

LC: You can find Lost Caravan’s music on iTunes, Amazon, Spotify, YouTube, Facebook and our official site, LostCaravan.net.

CMB: For those new to you guys, give us a little background on the band--- your style, how you came

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March 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

Not all the artists are Colorado bands (though most are) -- some are artists represented by the Colorado music industry representatives (like 7s Management) or Colorado festivals such as Telluride Blues & Brews Festival <<presenting Austin artist Shakey Graves, who will play the festival this year.

CMB: How can fans support the artists of the CMP? JS: SpokesBUZZ is the fiscal agent for the showcase this year, so fans can literally support the efforts of the Colorado Music Party as a whole by donation to the nonprofit (and specifying they’d like to support the showcase if so). Sharing the word about the showcase (especially with friends going to SXSW) is great -- but mostly, getting familiar with the Colorado Music Party artists and their music, following them on social media, offering them support and encouragement by buying their music and merch -- all help the artists directly.

CMB: Do Colorado Musicians get discovered at SXSW? JS: Well, hard to say ... most of the bands will tell you that they set their expectations appropriately -- it’s a terrific experience to go through as a band, an incredible industry networking opportunity, a chance to collaborate to amplify collective promotional efforts, a good place to put yourself in front of the media, and a great time. “Discovery” would be icing on the cake; you really never do know who is in the crowd at a SXSW show!

CMB: What is the impression of the fans, media and others around the Colorado Music Scene?

JS: Well, probably a better question for them - but overall, the people we’ve talked to react in an overwhelmingly positive way to the concept.

It’s a smart way to build regional relationships and gain national attention, it gives everyone involved more exposure and a better bang for their buck at an industry festival that can be very expensive for an individual organization, and it’s a very visible demonstration of what being cooperative vs. competitive can do in the music industry. And there is a tremendous amount of Colorado pride -- both in our music scene and our state. Choosing to work together can be a revolutionary concept, but it comes very naturally in Colorado.

Online: coloradomusicparty.com

Artist Drowning

by Tim Wenger

TWenger@ ColoradoMusicBuzz. com

Artist Drowning has become a big player in the works of our friends over at Literati Records, and it’s easy to see why.

Their melodic brand of pop-punk brings us back to the glory days, when a quick flip of the radio dial would find you listening to Social Distortion, Rancid and Blink-182.

Artist Drowning throws in a touch of emotional lyricism and mixes it well with strong guitar work and prominent drumming. Songs like “Running Out of Time” show their slower side, but the majority of the time, the band sticks to the harddriving, smooth sailing sounds of the distorted guitar. Definitely a solid listen.

Online: artistdrowning.com

Branded BanditsChange

Courier GTInspiration

TWenger@ ColoradoMusicBuzz. com

TWenger@ ColoradoMusicBuzz. com

by Tim Wenger

Branded Bandits are dropping a new EP on March 15, and the brother/sister/add-a-drummer duo (who just so happens to be from The Foot) are hitting hard.

The guitar riffs are straight Zeppelin-esque, and the tempo is as fast as a heavy-hitting punk song.

Featuring reggae-inspired beats, guest musicians and instrumentation, this is not your everyday run-of-the-mill hip hop. What we liked most about it was the honesty that is present in each song- whether it is Courier himself or his guest, there is not a single track that lacks sincerity and spirituality.

Online: brandedbandits.com

Online: couriergt.com

Esme Patterson

by Tim Wenger

TWenger@ ColoradoMusicBuzz. com

Honey Don’t has got the right feel for Colorado-style Americana, and their new record Heart Like A Wheel is the perfect demonstration. Instead of the whiny, sappy, melodramatic tunes that populate so many of the Americana submissions we receive here at CMB, Honey Don’t prefers to turn that frown upside down and focus on the upside.

They incorporate very well some solid lead guitar and make the songs epically danceable.

There is not a dull moment on the record-nine songs full of energy and string-fueled passion that are sure to soothe the soul and get the heart jumping.

Online: honeydont.net

TWenger@ ColoradoMusicBuzz. com

Esme Patterson has made quite the name for herself, and her new release is another solid buckle in her trick belt. The founding member of Paper Bird drops her new album April 15, but it is already receiving acclaim in music press both radio and print. The album is a perfect representation of Colorado- the songs are upbeat and danceable with a hint of mountain twang, but indie enough to appeal to the masses and Patterson’s voice is undeniably unique.

The song that stands out the most on the record is “Never Chase a Man,” an upbeat, danceable tune that is at times sarcastic and showcases Patterson’s strong vocal range throughout. The record is, overall, a very strong take on the fold-rock genre with songs that could fit the format for multiple radio stations across the front range and beyond.

Online: greaterthancollective.tumblr.com/ esme Yellow Plate HotelThe Final Scene

Red Devil Magic

by Tim Wenger

TWenger@ ColoradoMusicBuzz. com

Red Devil Magic is keeping rock and roll edgy. If there is anything definitive to be said about their solidly scratchy new EP, that is it. They classify themselves as “whiskey rock,” a term serving a useful purpose- their sound is somewhere between gritty hard rock and hair metal with the attitude and flair of 80’s street punk. “Thunder God” is the best track on the album- kicking off with an eerily melodic intro before crashing head first into dark, downtuned power chords and shadowy, picturesque vocals. Overall, the record is a solid listen, and something very unique for the Denver scene.

Online: reddevilmagic.com

Courier dropped a great record a while back, and we thought it was about time we gave it the recognition it deserves. Taking traditional hip hop and throwing in very insightful and spiritual lyrics, he has dropped an album that truly says something not only about his passion for music, but about himself.

The attitude of the record’s production comes across very clearly- leave the focus on the talent, and forget all the bullshit. The guitar work shines through like the early morning sunlight rising through a cracked window shade, holding your attention more and more with each riff. This is, in my opinion, the heaviest hitting record out of Denver so far this year.

by Tim Wenger

Honey Don’tHeart Like A Wheel

by Tim Wenger

by Tim Wenger

TWenger@ ColoradoMusicBuzz. com

The Final Scene is the debut album from acoustic-driven act Yellow Plate Hotel. The music is exceptionally melodic, consistently painting pictures for the listener. Heavily reliant on the constantlypresent, stylistic guitar parts and Jason Koski’s deep, soothing voice, the songs are truly a pallet of the imagination.

Guest instrumentation on the cello, fiddle, piano, accordion, harmonica, and upright bass round out the album and make for a full sound.

While not necessarily danceable, the record is peaceful and ambient, telling stories and moving the emotions.

Pride In PiecesFalling

by Tim Wenger

TWenger@ ColoradoMusicBuzz. com

Pride in Pieces take the popular elements of songs on both hard rock and modern-rock formatted radio stations and meshes them into the sweet sounds of their Falling ep. Utilizing different guitar tones underneath Levi Johnson’s light sounding but heavy hitting vocals, the band has delivered a solid four song release for fans of alternative rock.

“VooDoo Doll” is the strongest song on the release, and also the most mellow. The guitar and bass do as much talking as the vocals throughout this track, driving melody and giving the song a solid, radio-friendly feel.

Online: facebook.com/prideinpieces Steve Law Band

by Tim Wenger

Twenger@ ColoradoMusicBuzz. com

We felt it was about time we showed Steve Law Band some love. The dropped a self-titled six song EP last year, and the record is a melodic folk rock masterpiece.

With male and female harmonies, the music is attention-catching right from the opening track “On The Run.” It’s not often that folk-rock seems appropriate for a slow dance, but this album makes it happen.

This cd make it up our stack and caught our attention because of the passionate vocals and harmonies. Topped off with reverb-eddled guitar solos and overall solid instrumentation, this record is the perfect fit for romance.

Online: facebook.com/stevelawband

Online: yellowplatehotel.com

March 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

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Visit Local Stores or GuitarCenter.com

Blackstar HT-1R

UA Apollo Twin

In our current fashion of ever-shrinking tube amps in both terms of size and wattage, finding one that holds its own in the shadows of it’s bigiron brethren is a treasure hunt of sorts. The Blackstar HT-1R combo is a very useful tool for the guitarist looking for an amp that gets a variety of tones, doesn’t get too loud and has other useful features to make the big boys jealous.

By far one of the most exciting new pieces of gear to come of the 2014 NAMM is the Universal Audio Apollo Twin. The newest edition in UA’s popular Apollo line, The Twin, boasts a very sleek portable even beautiful desktop design, giving more IO than most other portable desktop audio interfaces available.

The form factor does not feel cheap and from the moment you pick it up, you can tell it is quality made. How many Ins and outs you ask? We’ll take a closer look.

by Chris Budin

by Zach Bauer

The HT-1R is a tube combo that features 1 watt of output and an 8” speaker. This is simple to operate-featuring gain and master volumes, a clean/overdrive switch, an ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) tone control and a digital reverb that does a fine job emulating the springs found in many amps. The heart of the amp’s tone is generated in the ECC83 preamp tube (that’s a 12AX7 to the Yanks) and ECC82 (12AU7) tube that pushes/pulls similar to a class A/B amp. This is done via the dual triode design of the 12A/ECC tubes vs single-ended class A power amplification commonly found in single-tube power amps. Pretty smart, harmonically rich... and cool. There are solid state devices that drive the preamp and also act as the phase inverter in the power amp. This is also found in the other amps in the HT series. Therefore, it’s not a pure, all-tube signal path, but neither is that TS-9 pushing a 1959 half stack. A 4-16 ohm speaker output jack is found on the back to connect to an external speaker cabinet. Use of the jack mutes the internal speaker. A speaker frequency emulated line out also serves as a stereo headphone jack-this also mutes the internal speaker for silent practice. A Stereo MP3/line in is also present to plug in an audio source for practice.

How does it sound? I tested the amp with both an American Deluxe Telecaster and Les Paul Standard. On the clean channel, the Tele kept it spanky until about 6 on the gain knob where it starts to overdrive in a classic, JTM/tweed kind of way. With a Les Paul, the clean channel evoked late 70s/early 80s AC/DC tone when dimed yet cleaned up nicely with the volume control on the guitar. With the dirty channel switch engaged, this amp roars with a high gain British tone-virtually starting where the clean channel leaves off. The dirty channel is more compressed than the clean and dips from the post-JCM800 Marshall/Rectifier bucket.

The ISF (Infinite Shape Feature) knob evokes an “American” tone when on 1 and a “British” tonality on 10. The control changes the whole tone stack response, but the difference is mostly heard in the mids, with the open sounding American lower mid scoop and the more focused British upper mid scoop and smoother high end. Lots of great tones can be had with the two channels and various settings of the ISF. The 8” speaker is surprisingly open sounding and not as boxy as expected from a closed back cab that is approximately 12” square. I plugged into a Marshall 1960A 4x12” and this amp delivered a large tone and was actually loud enough to hang in a band situation, given your drummer isn’t Animal on ‘roids.

Yes, clean headroom is at a premium, but this gets those great overdriven tones at not-necessarily-bedroom levels. There is plenty of volume using the internal speaker to have fun with, but hitting the sweet spot where the power amp starts to overdrive and react is at a very reasonable volume.

Plugging in a set of headphones mutes the internal speaker and one is rewarded with a great speaker emulated tone. The reverb is stereo through the headphones. I’m not a huge reverb fan, but found myself dialing it in around 2 to get an open spread while ‘confined’ in the cans. Using the MP3 in with headphones makes for a handy, toneful personal practice space.

Overall, I’m left with the feeling that the HT-1R is a really cool tool for your guitarbox. This amp may not stand up to the live abilities of larger amps, but as a home practice and recording amp, it’s smarter than Einstein.

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So for input we have: Two channels of analog-to-digital conversion at up to 24bit/ 192khz via: ○ Two balanced mic/line inputs ○ One Hi-Z instrument input ● Up to eight channels of digital inputs via: ○ Eight channels ADAT optical with S/MUX for high sample rates, or ○ Two channels S/PDIF optical with sample rate conversion And output: ● Six channels of digital-to-analog conversion at up to 24bit/192khz via: ○ Digitally-controlled stereo monitor outputs ○ Stereo headphone outputs ○ Line outputs 3-4 All without having to use any breakout cables. And it doesn’t end there; not only does the Twin use thunderbolt as its means of connecting to your computer, but it has some pretty amazing onboard digital signal processing. You have the choice of One (SOLO) or two (DUO) SHARC DSP processors that give you real-time processing on all analog and digital inputs using the UAD2 plugin line.

So lets back up. That means that portably, using your laptop, you can track, TO DISK, using the sound of Studer Tape Machine, MXR flanger, Never Compressors and EQs, API, MANLEY and many, many more. You don’t even have to pull up the software plugins after you have recorded if you don’t want to, since you can record through the included console app directly through your daw and onto disk. This means you can get the sound very sought-after pieces of gear that would otherwise be too cost prohibitive for a small to medium sized budget. New UA Twin owners will also receive the very exciting new 610B mic preamp and eq emulations that feature Unison™ technology offering stunning models of classic tube and transformerbased mic preamps. I didn’t even mention the quality of the pre-amps on board. Lets just say the will not disappoint even the most discerning and critical of ears with their pristine clean sound and their ability to give up to +65db of gain. With the Twin(solo) starting at 699.99 its plenty affordable. I’d argue you can’t afford not to get this gem. The only question is, will you want to shell out another $200 for double the processing power? With more and more new plugins coming out all the time it certainly couldn’t hurt!

Semi-Hollow Gibson Les Paul Special

by Austin Day

It’s easy to say that one of the coolest guitars to be introduced after NAMM 2014 is the Semi-Hollow Gibson Les Paul Special.

Yes, you read correctly, a SEMI-HOLLOW Les Paul! The mere sight of this Les Paul is enough to get any guitar enthusiasts full attention. The first luring feature of this fantastic new product from Gibson is the incredible three dimensional AAA flame maple top that has been hand finished with a ravishing nitro gloss caramel burst finish.

This semi-hollow tone beast not only features a distinctive appearance but also holds a set of killer Gibson USA pickups.

When playing through the neck pickup you will be warmed by the modern characteristics of the Gibson ‘57 classic. It delivers a very warm, yet punchy, full tone. When switching to the Gibson Super ‘57 in the bridge you will immediately notice it produces a powerful tone with additional clarity. Gibson also added poly-coated wiring that removes all internal air space and any chance of micro phonic feedback. This is always nice to have with a semi-hollow guitar.

The final feature is the immaculate electronics system. The Semi-Hollow Les Paul gives you the ability to switch the humbucker pickups to single coil pickups! Simply pull up on the volume knob that correlates with the pickup that you are using and the pickup will be split into a single coil. On the bridge pickup you will notice a thinner tone with even more clarity than before. In the neck pickup you will lose some of the punch and warmth creating a “Strat-like” tone. The rest of this Les Paul features a mahogany body, mahogany neck, and granadillo fretboard. Granadillo is a straight-grained dense wood. Sonically granadillo is very close to rosewood.

It is perfect for any player looking for that warm clean sound that has a smooth response even with all playing styles.

Overall it is easy to say that the new Semi-Hollow Les Paul Special will be a staple for any guitar player looking for a classic look with full modern tone. From the incredible grain, to the unique appearance, and diverse electronics system the 2014 Semi-Hollow Gibson Les Paul Special is sure to fill the void in any guitar player’s heart. If you are interested in playing a 2014 Semi-Hollow Gibson Les Paul Special feel free to stop into Guitar Center Arvada. I would be more than happy to get you plugged into an amp and playing on the newest guitar from Gibson!

March 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

The Lyric

Featuring Damon Wood’s Harmonious Junk

by Angela Kerr photo credit Jim Mimna

– Stolen

Valentine

akerr@coloradomusicbuzz.com

Damon Wood’s Harmonious Junk consists of Damon on Guitar and Vocals, Brian Efros on Bass and Rob Buehler on Drums, originally formed in December of 2001. When not performing music, Damon provides guitar and bass guitar lessons, Rob does carpet cleaning and care for his new baby and Brian has a company that sells knives and outdoor gear. The main musical influence on this tune was Tom Waits, in particular his song called “Hell Broke Luce.” Stolen Valentine is track 4 of an 11 song “Rock Opera” called Eddie The Maggot. The album in general was additionally influenced

by Frank Zappa’s “Joes Garage,” Jethro Tull’s “A Passion Play,” as well as Muse’s “ The 2nd Law” and Pink Floyd’s “The Wall.”

I met with the Damon after a week of email exchanges in which he shared his thoughts on Stolen Valentine written in November of 2013. Damon communicated that he wrote the music, but that bassist Brian Efros played the bass on the demo. He further shares: “The music is notable because it changes key at the end of every verse. Each new key modulates to the 4th, meaning the 4th note of the scale becomes the new 1st note. The song is actually in “every” key. It cycles back around at the end and ends in the same key that the intro ended in.” Damon suggests that even though he writes the songs, the other band members take what he has written and add their own ideas to flavor it.

As for the meaning of the song, Damon explains: “Well, the Catholic Church and its history of abusing young boys sexually would be the main focus of this tune. It starts out with a little jack-n-jill-esque nursery rhyme kind of feel that quickly turns dark as we are told to run from the bad man, the preacher.

He gets a hold of you, does what he wants to you, and then ostracizes you like you did something wrong as he is the ‘respected pillar of society.’ We are told to fear God, but also treat the clergyman’s word with respect – even when he say’s don’t tell. It alludes to how dark a society becomes when secrets and abuses like these go unchecked.”

CATHOLIC SCHOOL GHOST You better run to the well You better fetch a pail or two You better run like hell Don’t let the preacher get you Cos’ he’ll get you one time He’ll take you for his fancy He’ll paddle your behind And then he’ll call you Nancy All the little girls laugh They giggle and they tussle But the boys chuckle not About his monogrammed belt buckle And the days pass by And the children all get taught By the pedo-preacher teachers And the nun-ophile lot And the sun comes down On the saddest town around And the clouds turn purple As the buzzards start to circle And the winds don’t blow And the rains don’t snow And the faces don’t show What you’re not allowed to know OLD PREACHER BROWN With the grease and the grime All the politician slime All the carnival barkers All the strikers and the stalkers All the blood red wine So sweet and so sublime Drip, dripping from the vine Of my stolen valentine Is it my casting call To wager for the reaper What sin is mine to stall Deliver thine to keeper I weep for a way To brighten up the day But the sun rises true For me and not for you

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CATHOLIC SCHOOL GHOST And there’s no one left now To sanctify the town Cos’ the Old Preacher Brown Was the only one left around He passed in his sleep He lies now in pasture With one eye open For his beloved and vengeant master GOD I will strike down the day You ever used my name You will reap no more fame For the souls that you have claimed CATHOLIC SCHOOL GHOST But that one last strike Be delivered from Thy grace So say almighty God GOD I condemn you to this place...

For you are the taker The waster of youth A hypocrite and a faker And you challenge my truth So suffer the meek and innocent To a heart so foul Their souls so divine Yours just to devour Who better could there ever be To lay now to wretched waste Than a rogue and scoundrel such as you Condemned to such a fate May this warning so ring true To ones of similar state A stolen valentine Wins you and me a date

It is Damon’s feeling that when a society is that dark you begin to see the evil floating around not only with the preacher, but other people that lie and abuse like politicians, advertisers, salesmen, capitalists with no conscience. He compares pedophile priests abusing kids to unregulated industries where people are dying in factories due to horrible conditions. He relates unchecked capitalism to people buying their way out of trouble and into politics which only leads to more abuse of power, more cover ups and more scandal underneath the surface of a darker more negative society. Damon states that “A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn, the documentary on Morton Downey Jr., Evocateur, Charles Bukowski and a bit of J.D. Salinger were influences.”

Damon ends with: “God declares that the preacher’s deeds will not go unpunished and casts him into some kind of limbo, where he is not saved and is not going to Heaven but will remain for eternity in this place to think about his actions. God is condemning those who have used His name for evil and cares not about how many prayers you made, or confessions, or sermons. He cares about how you treated and taught people. In the end he warns us: think about YOUR actions or YOU could be there with the preacher too.

These words are intended to support the little guy, the poor, the children, the elderly, the abused - the people in society who are most looked down on by the rich and the powerful.

The song leaves you shaking your head at societies mask. As Damon puts it, “I find it interesting that these individuals have this false sense of security about being accepted by God regardless of their actions on Earth – like they believe in Him so much, but not enough to think they can’t outsmart Him.” Amongst other things, Damon just finished a book with Phil Carson, three years in the making about his seven years as the lead guitarist with James Brown (James Brown-Godfather of Soul 1999-2006) which is being shopped to publishers this week. The working title for the book is: Working for the Man, Playing in the Band, My Years with James Brown.

Online; reverbnation.com/damonwoodsharmoniousjunk You can see Damon Woods and Harmonious Junk at their next performance dates: Mar 14 Mar 15-16 Mar 21 Mar 29 April 3

Quixote’s True Blue Dougherty’s Pub (St. Paddy’s Weekend) with 66 Days & Indigent Row Jonny G’s in Frisco, CO (Upstairs) Zio’s Alley Bar Brendans Pub

March 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

by Tim Wenger TWenger@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com photo: Pete Anderson Photography

Coral Thief is a name that is beginning to ring a familiar bell, and not just in Denver.

With extensive regional touring through Utah, Montana, and more, the band is at the stage where they can begin to enjoy some of the fruits of their labor. Front man David Baty and crew know, however, that by no means is the hard work through. Coral Thief’s new record Colorado Roots is in post-production right now, and will drop this Spring. It will be their second release.

By press time, the guys will be out on the road to kick off a tour that will see them cover the western United States. “Starting with March, we’re gonna be in SoCal,” says Baty. “Then we’re heading out to Las Vegas. We’re going to be on tour with this band called Stranger Band out of San Diego. That’s going to be the start of our tour.”

Following the release of the record, they plan to hit the Mid-West and possibly the East Coast this summer, spreading the word and the love to a plethora of places they have not yet been.

As far as the new record, the five guys in the band could not be more stoked. “We’re really excited about it,” says Baty. “We’ve got a lot of time and effort in it. We’ve pushed things back a little bit just to make sure we’ve got everything exactly how we want it.” The first single from the album, aptly titled “Colorado Roots,” and accompanying music video will be out this month. The video was filmed in Crested Butte, CA by Trent Bona of the West Elk Project and Trent Bona Photography in Crested Butte.

They recorded the album in Salt Lake City at Rock Solid Studios, with mixing being done in Reno, Nevada. “We fell in to this dude Eric (Eschelbach), who’s a sound guy in the Salt Lake area for reggae music, and he opened up a studio,” says Baty. “He did all the track work because we’re out in Utah quite a bit, and our manager’s out there.”

“We’ve

been

basically

non-stop

since

September,” says Baty. “These guys are going to be back in town for about a month and then back out on the road until god knows when. It’s going to be music festival season, time to hit those fun things up.”

Since starting in March of 2010, Coral Thief has seen some lineup changes and different formations for touring and recording, but through it all Baty has worked his ass off to keep the music alive and keep it progressing. During times when Coral Thief was not as active, he gigged solo around the region as David Baty Music, performing Coral Thief songs and keeping the buzz going. “That was when we were trying to redevelop Coral Thief and get things lined out,” says Baty. “It’s a way of me, when Coral Thief wasn’t out on the road, get the music out there still and continue to build that fan base. It was me out there with an acoustic guitar, just playing as often as I could.”

He spent much of that time in Utah and Montana.

“I was out in Utah because one time I was out on the road in an RV, and it would cost $300 to go 500 miles, so I parked it in Utah and lived out of it for three weeks,” says Baty. “I played shows almost every night and it just built how many people were coming to the shows. It’s helped Coral Thief because then when we went there, those people went to the show and now they’re bringing their friends.”

“We’re trying to pick base towns,” says Baty.

“I live in Montana, we’re trying to build a really big fan base out there, one in Utah, one in Denver.”

“Basically he was taking all the stuff that he wrote and hitting the road with it,” says drummer Mark Leblanc.

“Coral Thief came together originally as a bunch of dudes that appreciate reggae music,” says Baty.”It’s hard to find that kind of music so far from the coast. We kind of had our growing pains here and there throughout the years, but always tried to stay focused on trying to come up with new music and getting out on the road.”

The band acquired Leblanc, formerly of 40 Oz To Freedom, last year. “That really changed

the way we started approaching the band,” says Baty. “It really helped me. From there we started taking on newer people to help us build what we have today.” Bassist Remy Mark was picked up in Montana following an issue with the previous bassist not being able to tour. “He basically figured out 40 songs, these three hour sets that we were doing, we had one day’s practice. We had a show the next day.”

Coral Thief has been gigging almost constantly since their inception. Baty has learned a lot of do’s and don’ts about the musician’s life, as have his band mates, and they look to continue their hard work and turn it into a bright future.

“It’s been four years,” says Baty. “It’s knowing what works and what doesn’t work., and finding people who not only can play the music, but who you’re friends with and who you get along with.”

“That’s where we’re at,” says Baty. “We’re pretty much living in a van. Right now (at home) is a glimpse of how life was prior to music.”

Locally, catch the guys at Mile High Hemp Fest June 20-22 in Springfield, Colorado. The Colorado dates, and all others, for their tour with Stranger Band are listed at facebook.com/coralthiefband

by Tim Wenger

TWenger@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

Tatanka Tatanka is Colorado’s version of epic dub-style reggae. With hints of electronic overtones and a slow, steady melody, Tatanka has created a sound that mixes traditional Jamaican style with the trendy modern dub-stlye reggae, with heavy bass and solid lead guitar lines, that has gained so much popularity in recent years.

They will be representing Colorado at the California Roots Festival in May, and will be sharing the stage with Fortunate Youth here in Denver at the Marquis Theatre in April.

Online: facebook.com/tatankadub

P-Nuckle There isn’t much about P-Nuckle that we haven’t already said over the years.They are the long-running face of reggae-rock in Colorado, and front man Chris LaPlante has established himself to near legendary status in Denver’s music scene. They are among the elite Denver bands that can be heard on Pandora, which on top of many tours over the years and consistent gigs in their hometown have made P-Nuckle a household name in the Mile High City.

Online: facebook.com/ pnucklemusic

Highline Highline gives us that taste of dancehall that is lacked by so many of the modern reggae bands that fall in favor of the rock infusion.

A perfect representation of the marijuana culture in Colorado, Highline drops the beat about as hard as anybody else around.

Upbeat, traditional reggae is the focus here.

Online: facebook.com/ highlinereggae

Lion Souljahs Lion Souljahs are Denver’s version of straight up, uninhibited, Jamaican-style reggae. Though they have undergone a few incarnations, their sound has always remained true to their message. Lion Souljahs are a staple in the heavy-hitting reggae scene at Herman’s Hideaway, packing the place out and keeping the crowd moving until last call.

Online: reverbnation.com/ lionsouljahs

Irie Still Fronted by Ras Ronny Noel straight out of Trinidad & Tobago, Irie Still is as real as reggae gets in Colorado.

The band has been around, in one form or another, since 1995, and fuses their reggae roots with ska, hip-hop and afrobeat, just to name a few. Another Herman’s staple, the band has earned their reputation through years of solid live performances in Denver area.

Online: facebook.com/iriestill

Na’an Stop Where else would a band called Na’an Stop be from than Boulder?

In just three years, these guys have solidified their reputation as one of the dominant forces in Colorado’s reggae scene, and have proven their worth at many theatre-level shows around the front range.

With solid recorded music and an energetic, live show, Na’an Stop is a reggae band that relies heavily on solid guitar rhythms, bucking the modern trend of overdubbing everything.

Online: facebook.com/ naanstopmusic

Dubskin From up in NoCo, Dubskin holds it down on the reggae front and has become a dominant force not only in Fort Collins but throughout the front range. Their music is happy, and a very easy listen even for those who don’t listen to the genre regularly. They sound like they came straight from the beach, and it makes us want to light up a nice spliff and relax with some awesome tunes.

Online: facebook.com/dubskin

Policulture Policulture is another Boulder band, but they’ve made their impact throughout theentire front range. They got on CMB’s radar a couple years back and have really kept up their name since and have become a staple at reggae-heavy venues like the Fox Theatre. They dropped their EP Brain Power onto iTunes on August 16, and it is a solid representation of the current state of Colorado reggae.

Onine: facebook.com/ policultureband

The Manager’s Corner

by Chris Daniels

CDaniels@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

I’ve managed my own band for 30 years. I’m in the Colorado Music Hall of Fame and we have 15 albums out so far. It’s been a fun career and it keeps developing. And despite the amazing changes in technology, success in the music business is built around some tried and true elements: great music & performance and really hard work and timing (often mistaken for luck).

The book I wrote for my class at CU Denver on artist management called “DIY: You’re Not in it Alone” is exactly what you need to understand.

Whether on our local Colorado “island” or in the greater internetville … there are a lot of us out there doing everything we can to survive... and we learn as much as we can from our peers.

So here is a little of what I’ve been teaching and researching.

YouTube: one little world that means so much. And most artists blow this pretty badly,

Musician 101 – Round 8 What to do to take it to the next level by the Swami Swami@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

Back in the 90’s when I had a developmental deal with Sony, I was privileged to have several great mentors.

Then the labels still had A/R departments and would look for talented artists to sign and then “train” to be a pro. For me, I was lucky enough to have such encounters. Here in this monthly column I will share with you not only the things I learned from “the big boys” but really from the school of hard knocks and the other school of figuring out what not to do.

Each month I will pick a different topic that I think truly makes the difference between amateur and professional.

Music Festivals – do’s and don’ts.

Being part of a music festival can be a very rewarding thing…or not. Here are some pointers: Submission: Be as early as you can. Most active ongoing festivals start accepting submissions almost immediately after the current event. Use their website as most festivals require you to fill out a form. Don’t try to be part of a festival you don’t fit into! Don’t

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especially young artists hoping for that viral video that will make them the next OK Go. My first bit of knowledge to pass along is stop worrying about going viral … you have better odds of winning the lottery and it will distract you from the main point.

And what is that you may be asking? Building your fan base.

YouTube is the best tool you have for building a following for the music you write or perform, whether it is Rap Battles, Latin, EDM, Bluegrass, Metal or Pop. Way back in 2012 Nielson reported the 54% of Americans were siting Youtube as the source for finding new music and that number is growing not shrinking.

So what’s a young artist to do? Embrace it. And there are some real advantages to this new world. First and foremost is that you don’t have to look like a supermodel to get your music noticed. A perfect example is Lake Street Dive.

Their success correlates directly to the two things that I have stressed over and over in this column. First they have a fantastic live show and second they used the internet – especially Youtube – to build an unstoppable momentum that put them on David Letterman. This was no fluke or even a viral video. It was straight ahead slow-build, word of mouth with people talking about the quartet and going (specifically) to their live Fun Machine video for “I Want You Back” – shot on a Boston street – that now has more than 1.5 million views. It’s not viral kittens – it’s great music captured raw and with no fancy tricks. It shows very simply that these are great musicians. submit if you don’t have a draw or think you can’t bring fans. Festival promoters due their diligence on you and will “x” you off quickly if you don’t have the proper credentials. (see next topic) Credentials: Make sure you have an active and up to date website. Do you have a large following on Facebook and Twitter?

Promoters weigh heavily on both of those.

Do you have a digital EPK (Electronic Press Kit) available for them to download? Are you willing to get on the radar by playing for free (let them know that if so). Do you have song examples easily found on your web portals? By just having one weak link here, you can easily get dismissed.

Doing your part: So you got in! Promoters will be watching you very carefully on how you promote the event. Make sure you do all you can to engage your fans and potential audience to attend. Your bottom line of respect and pay are predicated on it. Ask the promotion team if you can assist in any way. Many times, festivals have street teams and can provide materials for you to hand out. Some festivals ask you to pre-sell tickets using a web code or by them providing hard-copy tickets. Do all you can to drive traffic. You will get much more respect before you even enter the festival grounds if you have sold well on pre-sale tickets. And always be early to everything you do! The reasons are obvious. Make sure you have a stage plot turned over to the right group handling sound.

Make sure your equipment is ready, you have extra guitars, chords, drum heads, etc. Last thing you want is to be unprepared.

Got a question or a topic to cover? Hit me up Swami@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com - I am here to help!

And that’s the point. In the old days there were three elements a video had to have, wet streets, fire and a good-looking babe.

And they were expensive productions. These days the videos that build a band’s fan base are the ones that show the undeniable talent of the artists themselves. Whether it’s acoustic in a warehouse or Danielle Ate The Sandwich singing in front of her refrigerator door, the most important thing to capture is the band’s energy and talent – that is what will make people come to your shows and that is what will interest those who do not live on the “island” of Colorado to look for you when they come to our State on a pot-tour and want to catch some entertainment between munchies and a nap.

And there are some simple and easy rules that will help you make the most out of your YouTube endeavors. (1) get your own channel on Youtube. It’s as easy as setting up a Facebook page and it means that anything you do will be controlled by you - and monetized from your channel. (2) shoot interesting footage, don’t worry about a perfect lip synch (you can cut to a different shot if you don’t have the exact lyric captured) (3) find a great editor and make the cuts both artistic and fast – 5 seconds is an eternity in Youtube land (4) HAVE FANTASTIC AUDIO – whether you do it live or your using a track – nothing turns off YouTube watcher/ listeners quicker than crappy audio (5) lighting – dark dingy low-light crappy videos can hurt your efforts (6) except for # 1 and 4 don’t be afraid to break all the rules – some of the most interesting videos are the result of doing things your own way (7) for god’s sake be creative.

Monetizing your video. So what do you get for putting up your video on YouTube? Well it can be buttloads of money if you are lucky

but you have to do two things (1) generate at least 5,000 views – it is your basic entry level for seeing ad revenue (2) there are great new services for collecting monies from the use of your music on YouTube either by you or by your friends and fans using your songs in their baby dancing videos.

In general there are two streams of revenue from videos – a very very small amount from the views of the videos themselves and - what can be a much greater amount from placement of ads on your videos. (There are basically two kinds (a) pre-roll (b)pop-up or crawler.) Probably the newest and best way to make sure you are getting the best return on ad revenue from YouTube views comes from TuneCore founder Jeff Price who has a new company “Audiem” that specializes in helping artists maximize their revenue stream from this essential source of fan base development. There is a good article on Jeff and the whole concept at digitalmusicnews. com/permalink/2013/06/12/audiem.

It’s no big secret that the revenue from the sale of recorded music is negligible for young artists. For example Spotify pays a whopping .0057 of a cent for every stream. So that virtual zero point for the sale of your recorded music should motivate young artists to make the most of every other revenue stream from merch to live performance to sponsorships and endorsements, to your publishing. And YouTube is another way to make the most of your efforts because it can serve a critical role in building a fan base – and if you are smart you can monetize it to add to your revenue. It may be a “river of pennies” but the boost you get from building your fan base will payoff. something small. We start the song with the guitar performances focused in the center of the stereo spectrum. This keeps Sean’s guitar work (a hallmark of his sound) front and center while leaving lots of space on the edges to use later to make things “big”.

The Spot Studios Presents: The Sweet SpotBigger is Better

by Glenn Sawyer

glenn@thespotstudios.com

Dynamics is a word that you hear musicians using a lot and with good reason: it’s important.

Dynamics breathe life into music and when used correctly creates a lot of excitement.

When most musicians talk about dynamics they are referring specifically to volume and how it fluctuates, but there are other ways to create dynamics in music outside of just playing louder and softer. A big part of music production is helping to accentuate the existing dynamics of the song.

One of the most obvious places to accentuate a song’s dynamics is in the chorus. To illustrate how we do this, we’re going to dissect what we did on “She’s Got It “ by Sean Waldron. “She’s Got It” is a high energy track that has a killer chorus that we really wanted to feel momentous and big. The first thing you have to do when making something big is to actually make

March 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

There are several different ways we could have gone about making the chorus big, but we chose a technique known as doubling.

Instead of having one performance of Sean’s electric guitar in the chorus (like the verses and the bridge) we had him play through it two extra times. Each extra performance is panned to different sides of the stereo spectrum (hard left and hard right) and the end result is a “wall” of guitar that gives Sean’s chorus the lift it deserves.

After doubling the electric guitars the chorus had a much bigger feel, but still needed something to push it over the top. The magic bullet proved to be a couple performances of acoustic guitar, panned hard left and hard right, and voila….The Sweet Spot. A chorus that pops and dynamics that don’t require you to bash the crap out of your instrument!* Now that you know how we iced the cake I’m sure you’d like to take a bite of it and you can do just that on March 18th when Sean releases “She’s Got It.” Check him out at seanwaldronmusic.com and check back next month for more stories about finding the production Sweet Spot! * Please be advised that drummers should always bash the crap out of their instruments.

Online: thespotstudios.com

DrumCity GuitarLand Product Review: Year 3000 Drum Workshop (DW), a 40 year old company, thousands of turns ahead, throws us drummers into a loop. Snare drums have been the voice of drummers for centuries, it’s our “Holy Grail.”

We have the choice of multiple woods and metals to find that sound. What sound is that?

“I don’t know” cause we all march to the beat of a different drum. So why not add another piece to the tone. This year DW has introduced the Concrete snare shell.

This shell is a 5.5mm shell with standard 45 degree bearing edge and snare beds. Made

from cast concrete soap stone with a slate like finish. DW’s one of a kind “MAG” throw off, with 3 point snare tension. Available only in 5.5x14” and 6.5x14”. These concrete snares are ideal for studio sessions and live performance settings and provide an undoubtedly different tonality than wood or metal. “This drum is a completely different animal. Our goal is to outfit drummers with as many sounds as possible, so this one definitely fits the bill. At first, we were surprised at the dry, focused sound, but, man does it have volume! IT’S A SHOTGUN!” – John Good.

You may check this “shotgun” snare out on our website @ drumcityguitarland.com or stop by the shop.

upon radio, how he’s grown the Locals Only show into a more-than-respected destination for Colorado’s homegrown talent, and what he loves most about the whole shebang.

When shipping off to college in 1988, Alf originally planned on obtaining a math degree to become a teacher. While at school, he picked up a shift at the college station and decided to make the turn from numbers to airwaves. “I decided I liked that a lot more,” he says. “I got to tell my parents that I found a field that pays less than teaching.”

Alf From 93.3 KTCL’s “Locals Only”

by Tim Wenger TWenger@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

Most in Denver’s music community are familiar with KTCL Channel 93.3. The station itself has undergone many different phases since its inception in 1965 including moving from Fort Collins to Denver and joining the Clear Channel Media and Entertainment family.

The station has developed a solid reputation for promoting top local alternative bands, and no one at the station has helped that happen more than their resident Sunday night star, Alf. Alf has developed quite the reputation around town for his work on Adventure University, Locals Only, and The All Request Retro Show, as well as 93.3’s annual Hometown For The Holidays competition. With all that going on, he’s still a good enough guy to take some time to meet a journalist for lunch at Park Tavern to discuss his career path. Colorado Music Buzz got the lowdown on how he stumbled

He did some accounting work after college before landing his first DJ gig at a station in beautiful Farmington, New Mexico.

“They offered me $600 a month to do the overnight shift,” says Alf. So he made the move from San Luis Obispo, California to Farmington and launched his career. “I bought a car from a friend and drove. It was a ’73 Volkswagon Beetle.”

The station was small and tight knit, giving Alf experience in a variety of duties. “I had that job for about eighteen months,” he says. “I actually learned a lot there. One of the nice things about working at a station like that is you kind of have to do everything. You can’t just be a wacky morning guy, you have to write commercials, you have to record commercials. You have to be good at production and writing. When things break down, you can’t call anybody, you have to fix it yourself, so you get good at a lot of stuff”

The station shut down, leaving Alf looking for a new opportunity. Colorado came calling. “I got offered two gigs the same day,” he says. “One was at KTCL and one was at The Peak.” He visited both stations but landed on KTCL for his new home. “I decided that, even though TCL was in Fort Collins and they were paying less, I liked the vibe there more so I decided to go with them.” So in May of 1996, Alf again packed his things and headed for the Mile High City.

KTCL had a local show on at the time, and Alf had the opportunity to fill in for the jock that ran it on occasion.

“It was tough,” he says. “It was pre-internet, so you couldn’t just go online and find out about these bands. All we had was a shelf of cd’s.

So you’d be like ‘Oh this one looks interesting!’”

He began doing the Adventure University show and kicked off a “Local Spotlight” segment where he would spin one song from a local act during each show.

Eventually, he had enough material to expand the segment and begin Locals Only. “At first it was four songs long,” says Alf. “Then we finally got it up to an hour.”

The show basically fell into his lap. “I never listened to the previous incarnation of it, not because I was snobbish, just because I didn’t like the way that it was done,” says Alf. “It seemed to be very much a closed set at the time. There was a certain number of bands, and either you were friends with them or you weren’t. I’ve tried to do my best to keep it as open as possible.”

March 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

Watching bands progress and get better became the biggest thing that appealed to Alf about doing the show, and kept his interest level high. “I thought I was just being helpful at the time,” he says. “It wasn’t until I started getting to know these bands and kind of watching the genesis of (them) from the very early stages that it really appealed to me. Seeing bands figure out their voice, figure out what they’re doing. Seeing them ‘Ok, we lost this member, now we’ve added this member, now we’re going in this direction.’ To me, it’s fascinating.

It’s interesting to see that interplay.”

Slowly, the amount of submissions began to increase and the show became more popular.

“Having Love .45 added to regular rotation was kind of the catalyst to having people start to send a lot more stuff in. Then The Fray happened, and after that it was fine.”

Locals Only now features thirteen bands per week, handpicked by Alf. “I do enjoy helping out bands,” says Alf. “I like to think I try not to be snobby about things. I try to help bands more than I criticize.” If your band plans on submitting to Locals Only, make sure your track sounds good and is ready for radio play before submitting. Production is key.“Also, my thought process is I’m playing thirteen bands that presumably people listening don’t know.

So you’re going to want to have a hook of some sort because otherwise, halfway through the next song no one’s going to remember I played you.”

Alf’s other shows currently are The All Request Retro Show and Adventure University. Check him out Sunday nights from 8 pm to midnight. If you look hard enough, you might just catch him DJing stages around town as 45+1.

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Adrienne is a founder of two original bands and a jazz quartet. Additionally, she is founder and owner of Performance High vocal training studios.

With seven instructors and locations in Boulder and Denver, she serves pop and rock singers.

Adrienne will focus on such topics as:

fun songs to sing, and they’re nice enough to let me do covers of songs they probably otherwise wouldn’t be playing.”

Fatty’s Big Chance Keeps Dream Alive

by Tim Wenger

TWenger@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

Playing in a punk rock band is a life experience that everyone should have. The friendships, the partying the fun, the shows- playing live music is an experience like no other. And no other band in Denver is defining the chaos like Fatty’s Big Chance. Comprised of members of varied age groups and different experience levels, the band has become a staple at Herman’s Hideaway for energetic live sets and a rotating cast of players.

Fatty’s Big Chance has been around for a while, but just recently has solidified the lineup that founder and singer John Hogue has always dreamed of. “I actually got started with it when I was 18 years old,” says Hogue.

“I’ve gone through guitar players, drummers, bass players, it’s just been a revolving door, up until I got together with Andy (Lindahl), the lead guitar player. About three years ago we brought in DMac and he’s been the best drummer I’ve ever performed with. Within the last year we started incorporating the female vocals. Through some mutual friends we met Jacalyn (Gallegos).”

“They heard me sing at a show with some other mutual friends of ours,” says Gallegos. “I was just doing back-ups on a song with us. The other band knew I was looking for someone to play with, and these guys presented a really good opportunity. “ Gallegos was in the band for only one month when they took the stage for her first gig.

“That was really terrifying,” she laughs. “I was scared but it actually went really well. They’re

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DMac, on the drums, is best known around Denver as a DJ on 104.3 The Fan. He brings the personality and energy necessary for a career in radio to his role in the band. “I am definitely not special as a drummer,” he says. “But what I lack in technique I make up for in relentless enthusiasm. I’ve been in a bunch of goofy bands over the years, but what I love about when I’m on stage with these guys is there passion and their talent. I just try not to embarrass them.”

• Consensus-driven vs. democratic vs. autocratic/ dictatorial organizational and decision-making band structures • Communication from a project-management perspective, under the contexts of each of these structures

He is not the only person in the band known for his role on the local airwaves. Lindahl is a DJ on 850 KOA. Like Gallegos, Lindahl had never been in a band prior to joining Fatty’s Big Chance. “Here’s a guy who didn’t know how to play guitar a few years ago,” says DMac. “He goes out and buys all this stuff, he’s never played live before ever, and he’s got thousands of dollars worth of equipment. I was blown away that somebody could want it so bad.”

• Recognizing and working with strengths, while accounting for weaknesses, in each band members' skillset

The guys and gal look forward to booking some more shows throughout the spring and summer and establishing their name in some other venues around Denver. “The band has taken an interesting transition to the point that, we’re ready,” says DMac. “For a while you say, ‘Are we ready, are we ready?’ and it’s gotten beyond that. It’s not that we’re perfect and we don’t need to practice, but I think we’re ready to go.”

CREATE/CMB Own It Music Mastermind Series- How To Truly Make It In The Music Business

The band will be sharing a bill with Funkiphino and Oversoul’d at Herman’s Hideaway on Saturday, March 15. “We’ve played Herman’s several times now, and each time the crowd gets bigger and gets more into it,” says singer John Hogue. “It’s a really good fit for us.”

The word is out! Registration for the March 4 Own It Music Mastermind series is almost full.

Momentum for the kick-off is building steam and the development of the series is gaining the attention of industry professionals and audience alike. The panel lineup for the first session includes Keith Schneider, founder and owner of Colorado Music Buzz Media, and Mike Blecha, founder and owner of Kinnon Entertainment. They will give an overview of the Mastermind series and will address the subject “How To Truly Make It In The Music Business.”

Both are heavy hitters in their own right in the Colorado music scene, so plan on a vibrant and interactive evening.

Fatty’s Big Chance, currently without a permanent bass player, is developing a reputation for bringing guest musicians onstage to fill the hole. Look for Mike Blecha of Synthetic Elements and more to join them at Herman’s.

Online: facebook.com/fattysbigchance

by Angela Kerr and Leah Parker

akerr@coloradomusicbuzz.com

The April 8 session, “Designing your Band - Band Member Roles and Organizational Structure,” will be led by Adrienne Osborn.

March 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

• The Mastermind sessions are held at Metropolitan State University’s CREATE MSU Denver Showroom at 890 Auraria Parkway, Suite 120, Denver, and are broken down into two segments: 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. – Videotaped Panel Discussion and Audience Interaction 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. – Networking Session at IPie in the Tivoli Student Union If you are unable to participate with the panel discussion, join us for the after-party networking, with an acoustic performance from Brittany Devens, at IPie. And, don’t forget to follow her at facebook.com/brittanydevensmusic.

Register for current and future Mastermind series at www.CREATEmsuDenver.com.

The Own It Music Mastermind series is sponsored by CREATE MSU Denver, Colorado Music Buzz Media, Guitar Center, Drum City Guitarland, IPie, Professional VP and Passion Fruit Networking Group.

ReverbNation Featured Artists of the Month give five 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.

Rabid Rabid was born on a cold night in Denver, CO. Always pursuing music in his studies through school and two degrees, Rabid quickly became a multi talented facet in the music industry. He began working in recording studios at a young age and continued his education for the almost 5 years, working with many major and indie label clients, moving up the ladder from runner to the lead engineer’s personal assistant, and learning the business from music’s finest. With a solid career in music, he built a fan base as a solo artist in Denver quickly and hasn’t slowed up for a second.

Online: reverbnation.com/rabidanimosity

Mister Tim The Funky Introvert Organic indie rock, infused with soul, funk, electronica, americana, singer-songwriter, and progressive beatbox hip-hop cerebral PEW PEW PEW... ... completely from the mouth of Mister Tim. Live-looping beats, bass, melodies, harmonies, fx, and “instruments” with one mouth and one microphone.

Blending classical training (opera/classical/choral/jazz voice, trumpet, French horn, choral conducting) and decades of immersed-in-everything street training (musical theater, improv comedy, ska/funk/jazz/rock/folk bands, street theater, drum ensembles...) with a unique storytelling voice that is at turns quirky, dark, contemplative, angry, angsty, and odd, Mister Tim’s eclectic performances bubble up from the underground, seep into the mainstream, and evaporate into the profound.

Online: reverbnation.com/mistertim Jaden Carlson Band Jaden Carlson blows minds. Possessing an amazing ear and an insatiable passion for playing and performing, her abilities as a guitarist, singer and songwriter are truly astounding. Jaden’s path was determined very early. While attending a Michael Franti and Spearhead concert, she decided on the spot that she “wanted to play music and make people happy like that.” The rest is history in the making…To date, Jaden has independently released three CDs, the most recent being a live acoustic titled “Born To Fly.” Her band is comprised of herself on lead guitar and vocals, Will Trask on drums, percussion and backing vocals, and Eric Luba on left-hand bass and keys and backing vocals. Together they bring a wealth of musical knowledge, experience and prowess to each performance, and an irresisitable and dynamic energy that has their audiences begging for more. Jaden has shared the stage with many notable artists including Umphrey’s McGee, Michael Franti and Spearhead, John Popper and Blues Traveller, Trevor Hall, Groundation, and many others. She has the honor of being the youngest artist to legitimately perform at Red Rocks Ampitheater…twice. She has played the 1stBank Center, the Fox and Boulder Theaters, the Odgen, Fillmore, Gothic and Bluebird Theaters in Denver, and the House of Blues in San Diego, among many others. Jaden also performs frequently at the some of the nation’s biggest festivals, including Telluride Jazz Celebration, Telluride Blues and Brews, Power To The Peaceful, ARISE Festival, Bohemian Nights at New West Fest, The Werkout, and more.

The Jaden Carlson Band’s repetoire is sure to include something for any music lover. From her stunning originals to a vast and varied collection of covers, encompassing many genres and artists, anyone is sure to become a lifelong fan of their original brand of fun, engaging and inspiring music that gets people moving.

Online: reverbnation.com/jadencarlsonband Brad Lee Schroeder With his debut single “EASY” reaching into the top 40’s on Country radio charts, Brad gained new fans and popularity across the country.

One listen to Brad Lee Schroeder’s music and it quickly becomes evident why he is one of the most popular country artists to emerge from the Mile High city of Denver. From taking over the stage at his high energy live performances, to just playing a few acoustic tunes for friends, Brad certainly commands attention. Experience just one live performance from Brad and your attention is just what he will get.

You can guarantee that he’ll leave you wanting more and before you know it, you realize that you’ve become a Brad Lee Schroeder fan for life.

Online: reverbnation.com/bradleeschroeder

Death Bed Confession Death Bed Confession is an American heavy metal group based in Denver, Colorado, who formed in 2010.[1] The band consists of lead vocalist David Groover, guitarists James Chandler and Brian David, bassist Paul Henry, and drummer Dingo Holtz. The band was formed with the goal of putting out the music its members would like to hear. Some consider it a blend of the best aspects of heavy rock from the 70s to today.

Death Bed Confession released their self-titled debut album on January 12, 2011.[2] After working on singles and EPs, their second full length album is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2014. Although not a progressive metal band, this most recent album called “American Muscle’ plays interesting games with typical time signatures, while keeping a powerful groove.

Online: reverbnation.com/deathbedconfession

March 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

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Cosplay... The Future of Fashion!

By Leah Parker cfi@msudenver.edu

A horde of zombies, coralled by Umbrella Corperation guards, mobbed through hotel hallways while Darth Vader and a fleet of stormtroopers observed in amusement.

Galaxyfest III was abuzz with costumes in science fiction and fantasy fandoms, a form of fashion otherwise known as cosplay. Short for “costume play,” people dress up as their favorite pop culture characters—often spending hours and big bucks to hand sew their costumes. We spoke to three cosplay professionals who have taken this to the next level: Meevers Desu Cosplay

Meevers Desu Cosplay was first exposed to cosplay in 2007, when friends invited her to a local convention, and became hooked. She started out by hand sewing old clothes together then bought her first sewing machine a few years later.

“Regardless if it is from a movie, videogame, anime, or novel,” Meevers Desu said. “Cosplay is a form of expression of portraying your favorite character in real life by making the outfit from scratch or buying bits and pieces to put together.”

Check out more of AZ Powergirl’s work at azpowergirl.com.

Brandon Dougherty with Rottenworld Makeup

Dressed as Pyramid Head, a monster from Silent Hill 2, Brandon Dougherty balanced on stilts, his massive frame parting a path through the crowds and sending others scurrying in the opposite direction.

Brandon began practicing horror style makeup at age 8. He expanded into other fields of makeup, including being a horror, grunge, and alternative specialist within the haunted house industry.

“It was an easy transition,” Brandon said. “From horror fan and haunted house development into cosplay. Cosplay is about bringing fantasy to life. It’s more than fashion.

For some, it’s a way of life.”

View Brandon Dougherty’s rottenworldmakeup.com.

work

at

According to Meevers Desu, the cosplay industry has grown exponentially fast. What once was an underground culture has gained mainstream recognition, as evidenced by the steampunk coutures that have hit the New York runways in the early 2010s.

“It’s about being creative and having fun,” Meevers Desu said. “You look at the art then ask others for advice on how to make it and watch online tutorials.”

View more of Meevers Desu Cosplay at facebook.com/MeeversCosplay.

AZ Powergirl (aka Cara Nicole)

With over 24,000 Facebook likes, AZ Powergirl is well-established in the professional cosplay scene, flying from Arizona to conventions across the nation. According to AZ Powergirl, she cosplayed for eight months before she knew what it was.

“I found an ad on Craigslist for Justice League Members,” AZ Powergirl said.

“My cosplay was well received and I won geek prom queen, and just kept moving up.”

prints, books, and calendars.

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As well as selling autographed photo of her cosplay, AZ Powergirl turned her art into a fulltime business by selling art

Adopt an Artist or Musician

With your contribution, an artist or musician will be able to participate in CREATE MSU Denver Virtual Incubator and receive customized one-on-one business advising for one year.

Check out our website to learn how your $720 donation will only cost $267 after all the deductions you receive by helping us. www.createmsudenver. com/content/friends/adopt_ an_artist

It’s because of you that an artist or musician will turn their business into a work of art.

March 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com | CREATEmsudenver.com

ARTrepreneur of the Month

Lisa Ramfjord Elstun is revolutionizing the Colorado fashion industry with her new Fashion Design Center (FDC), which focuses on “small brands with big plans” who are looking to take that next step to New York and beyond. Lisa was recently honored as Westword’s 2014 Mastermind of Fashion/Design, and is the March 2014 ARTrepreneur of the Month.

CREATE: Tell us your story. When and why did you get into fashion?

Lisa: My grandmother taught me to sew

around age 6 or 7. Growing up, we didn’t have extra for new clothes so it became apparent that if I wanted something new to wear, it was handcrafted.

In 7th grade, my Home Economics teacher must have seen something in my work. Now with fond memories, I remember her insisting that my work must have perfect straight stitches in the French seams on a cotton voile nightgown! It was probably then that my mantra became “As you sew, so shall you rip!”

Three weeks of retirement compelled a reflection on “this is the rest of your life!” so I made the commitment to do one creative thing every day to minimize boredom. On frustrating teaching days, I would shake it off with “one of these days, I’ll get my sewing business going full-time.” By the beginning of the 4th week, LRE Couture & Design, LLC. was a reality.

CREATE: Give us your thoughts on Denver’s exploding fashion scene.

Lisa: Fashion is exploding all over the state.

There are many events centered around fashion as arts and entertainment, as well as a part of sports with the SnowSports Industries America show and numerous outdoor and action wear companies based in Colorado. In addition, there are 4 post-secondary design and merchandising education programs with many graduates not wanting to transfer to either coast to find work.

CREATE: Tell us about how the Fashion Design Center came about.

Lisa: Four years ago, I was looking for the

resources to build my fashion business to produce 6 different brands. I attended an Small Business Development Center (SBDC) program and many seminars to create the requisite business plan to take to the bank for financing. All were useful from the generic perspective; however, the concepts needed complete transformation to apply to the business of fashion. Membership in Fashion Group International provides a huge network of fashion professionals, yet there wasn’t a single resource to go to for answers and guidance.

After much research and modification of information, one morning while grumbling, the cloud of frustration was lifted when I realized that I had become the resource I was seeking.

My years of experience as CEO in diverse leadership roles, advancing technical education through the active learning process with critical and abstract thinking, along with the skills of a couture designer, are rarely possessed by one passionate innovator. My epiphany was “Stop looking for someone else. Just do it yourself!”

With that clarity, the Fashion Design Center (FDC) vision became my passion. Given that couture gowns were not sought after by brides during the past few years, I focused my energy during this period to formulate the “revolutionary garment district” in Denver.

Revolutionary, because garment districts

typically are spread out and one must make several stops to get the answers. The FDC is the hub of the industry in Denver with everything a designer needs to create, produce and sell their brand in one place. Evolution is in bold typeface because the fashion industry needs to evolve to meet changing consumer habits in a global marketplace and italicized to emphasize forward thinking.

After many discussions with other entrepreneurs, the primary clientele for the FDC is designers and artists like me, who: • Are prepared to take their fashion business, apparel and accessories, to the next level with brand development and marketing opportunities.

• Require a professional workroom capable of fulfilling orders at high end industry standard manufacturing and embrace detailed design construction and exquisite fabrics.

• Prefer prescreened business development and management with accountability.

• Thrive in a collaborative work space.

• Will rarely leave Denver or Colorado to pursue these goals.

CREATE: Tell us about your involvement with CREATE. Lisa: As an educator who believes in creating

a career options map, I share a vision of the variety of opportunities for emerging designers and graduates as well as for aspiring novices.

As a founding board member of the Denver Design Incubator (DDI) powered

by Ralph’s, mentoring someone through start-up fundamentals was an infrequent topic for courses, but invariably the most asked questions. Unless a student minors in Business, Design and Merchandising majors rarely learn about setting up and running their own business.

daily basis, which in turn drives production and transport without regard to the environmental impact of waste, Third World labor practices and actual long term costs.

Fourth, re-educating the consumer to understand that “slow fashion” created locally with durable goods, cost efficient business practices, albeit at a higher price, provides a huge return on their investment both in their own pockets as well as the local economy and the environment.

CREATE: What advice would you give to beginners or other fashion designers?

Lisa:

• STAND OUT! • Figure out what differentiates you from the rest of the design industry. Craft one, yes, just one sentence that relays that message. For example: “The FDC is a revolutionary garment district for “small brands with big plans™” or “LRE Couture creates Real Clothes for Real Women with Real Curves and we all have them in different sizes and places!”

• Know what brand you personally stand for and how that translates into a connection with your target market psychographics.

You can find Lisa and the Fashion Design Center in the heart of RiNo (Denver’s River North Art District) at 3301 Lawrence Street #3. For more information, visit facebook.com/ Fashion-Design-Center-Denver.

As the DDI Education committee chair, I met with CREATE’s Assistant Director Cindy Busch, who asked about collaborating with DDI to provide the business aspect to their program.

The DDI board agreed, and the program will be recommended to designers visiting the FDC if they wish to educate themselves about running a business.

Other involvement includes my LRE Couture collection being moved from the Denver Art Museum’s Yves St. Laurent exhibit to the CREATE Showroom. The collection included bridal and special occasion gowns that have been on the runway, and are back into the Showroom. I had a blast emceeing the fall 2014 OWN IT Fashion Show, and was recently asked to be a fashion business advisor for CREATE clients.

CREATE: What are some challenges in the business of being a fashion designer today?

Lisa: Being a business owner as well as

a creative director is probably the most challenging job for designers. Second, the lack of access to traditional funding sources for startups as well as qualifying for enough funding to span the 18 month process of design, produce, deliver and sell before getting paid by vendors requires working another job that pays the bills but limits design time or creative financing.

Third, competing with “fast fashion” where conspicuous consumption by consumer demands for new inventory, sometimes on a

March 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com | CREATEmsudenver.com

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The Bonfire Tavern – True Southern Style

by Angela Kerr

AKerr@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

A neighborhood tavern unites communities providing the “place” where locals can gather for good conversation, great food and fun.

The Bonfire Tavern, purchased by Carrie and Sonny Hoffman in November of 2012 is no exception. Managing and running bars for over 40 years, Carrie began her career at age 18 in Atlanta Georgia. She is no stranger to other walks of life, including construction. In addition, she and her husband own and operate a sprinkler company. Carrie notes: “I’ve done a bit of everything.” Moving to Colorado for a fresh start, Carrie met her husband 11 years ago, stating: “I’ve always wanted to come out west. I still love my home – my family is back there, but I love Colorado and I brought my daughter with me.”

When asking Carrie why she chose the Bonfire, she shared: “We had been looking for a location for over four years. “When we walked into the Bonfire, we could see it needed a lot of work, but it had many of the amenities that we were looking for. It is real “homey” in that it has a fireplace, a fish tank, a nice size bar, pool room – which we also expanded to include darts, we have a stage for live bands to play, and a large dance floor. It has a little bit of everything.”

With her business just celebrating its one year anniversary, Carrie explained “There was a great deal of challenge and transition in the beginning.” First, they spent two months cleaning and redecorating. Then it was a process of getting the word out to the neighborhood that there was new ownership and a fresh new environment that welcomed all with excellent conduct. “We have a lot of fun here and great clients,” Carrie communicates exuberantly. People found out very quickly that this was not a place to come if you were looking for trouble. Our regulars want to come in, have a good time, enjoy our delicious food and listen to good music; we entertain our neighbors here. I love what the Bonfire has turned into. Everyone knows everyone; it is like a little Cheers. There is always something to do!”

Carrie and Sonny love sports, and the neighborhood joins them for televised sports events and Southern Style food. Carrie runs both the front and the back of the house as well as influences the menu. She smiles as she says “Our food is awesome; everything is made from scratch.” Carrie goes on to tell me that it took her four years to perfect her first Louisiana Medium Sauce. The Bonfire touts several BBQ sauces which are also made on location. They smoke all their pork and wings. “We have created specialty sandwiches to die for.” They have recently added ribs to their menu which have been received quite favorably. The ribs are served with an original Blueberry spicy BBQ sauce which kicks. The sweet coleslaw is also southern style and the beans are complimented with pulled pork, spices, brown sugar and molasses. Her recipes are held trueSonny is in the kitchen and all staff is trained to follow instructions to the T. The bar also hosts Poker, Darts, Pool, Trivia and Karaoke. When asking Carrie about the bands she highlights her response was: “We do country and rock and roll. We look for bands that understand partnership with our venue because we are in it together for it to be a win/ win.” So…looking for the best BBQ and Hot wings in Lakewood? Find the Bonfire Tavern @ Wadsworth and Jewell.

38

March 2014 | ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

The Lakewood Grill – History in the Making

by Angela Kerr

AKerr@ColoradoMusicBuzz.com

“The Lakewood Grill was built in 1950 and attained their liquor license in 1951,” according to Myette Keranen a tenured veteran and bar tender who has devoted ten years to the company. As a matter of record, the building originally was constructed in what was then unincorporated Jeffco County which finally became the City of Lakewood in 1969. Myette adds: “Back then all of the local politicians like the Mayor and the Police Chief would have lunch here everyday.”

Sitting down with Myette and current owner Thu Than, a true entrepreneurial spirit is evoked as I listened to how their team creatively and cost effectively solved problems. Thu states: “This is a brother and sister operation,” as she gave me an insider’s view on the making of the current Lakewood Grill (LWG). Purchasing the business on March 10, 2012 in partnership with her brother Van, LWG was given a total facelift.

“All the walls needed painting; we changed out all the lighting and spent a month cleaning every corner down on our hands and knees. I personally designed the makeover of the tables gathering pin up art from the 40’s and 50’s and sealing the images on the table tops with epoxy and resin.”

Both Thu and Van had background in the bar and casino business, but no experience in restaurants. Thu smiles and says: “Van is the man.” She suggested that her role was in the back office and with the development of the menu, where she insisted upon fresh. “We make everything…right down to the mozzarella sticks – nothing is frozen.” With this statement, she gets up, orders me the sticks and delivers a delicious appetizer which met her description.

When asking Thu about some of the challenges they have faced as new owners of the Grill, she suggested: “We completely changed the branding and the menu and we worked really hard at attracting new customers.” Thu and Van have been quite successful at doing just that. Sporting a large outdoor heated patio for smokers which was built 10 years ago, their clients enjoy being outside even during the winter months. In addition, they offer an array of cable sports channels and host Pool, Karaoke, Trivia as well as a monthly line up of live bands. LWG also provides a home to many private parties and events which are hosted free of charge and are brought to them by their satisfied clients.

Open Monday through Friday from 11:00a. m.to 2:00 a.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 7:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. the menu includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. LWG customer favorites include: Breakfast Favorite – The Postman: One chili Relleno, two eggs and hash browns smothered with green chili, melted jack and Colby cheese $7.50. Lunch/Dinner Favorite – The Colfax Burger: Ground chuck, jalapeno cream cheese, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, bacon and pickle for $ 9.00.

As for LWG Originals: Bruno’s Paisano Pie – Since 1971…Italian sausage patty topped with a roasted Anaheim chili wrapped in Italian pizza crust, deep fried then topped with house marinara and mozzarella for $9.50.

When asking about what has made them such successful business model Myette relates: “Van and Thu listen to their employees and their customers and it makes all the difference.”

Online: facebook.com/lakewood.grill

Wed Mar 5 All Saints Revolution w/Transverse Waves, Harvestmen, Disguise The Silence @Herman’s Hideaway INDIECENT EXPOSURE PRESENTS: GIPSY MOON ,ADMODUM ,WE WERE COSMONAUTS ,THE CIRCUS HOUSE ,LUCID VIGILANTES ,SOMEONE’S IN FOR AN EXPLOSION @Larimer Lounge Cody Jasper w/The Freeway Revival Band, The Baltic, Kendall Burks, DJ Set by Eric Halberg & Cole Rudy (of Dragondeer) @Lost Lake Lounge, Denver Thu Mar 6 Blake Brown & The American Dust Choir @Hi-Dive

Break Science w/ExMag, Bass Physics @Ogden Theatre

MIDWEST REBELLION, THE 8 TURNS ,WOODHOUSE,BOX CAR EDDY @Larimer Lounge

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. w/Chad Valley @The Bluebird Theater Dead Meadow (Second Night Added!) w/ Emerald Siam, Tjutjuna @Lost Lake Lounge, Denver

The Kinky Fingers, Bloodhound, And The Black Feathers, Jaredd Reed @Lost Lake Lounge, Denver

Sun Mar 9 B. Dolan w/Wheelchair Sports Camp, Rubedo @Lost Lake Lounge, Denver Anthony Ruptak & the Midnight Friends, Von Stomper, Reina del Cid band @ Lion’s Lair The Deceived w/Fallen And Forgotten, Public Display of Agression, Core Zero @The Bluebird Theater

Pleistocene, Thee Dang Dangs, Best Creeps @Lion’s Lair

Mon Mar 10

The Longshots, Bud Bronson & The Good Timers, Pizza time @Lost Lake Lounge, Denver

ANGEL OLSEN w/CIAN NUGENT @Larimer Lounge

The John Guillod Project w/Reign Project, HANNA, The Jesse Wehling Band @Herman’s Hideaway FLASH LIGHTS w/INNER OCEANS ,CUTLASS @Larimer Lounge

Serial Hawk, Whilt, Blighter @Hi-Dive Tue Mar 11 The Official - 420 Fundraiser w/High Features, Everyday Ritual, TX, Phormeta, GreenhouseFX, LIBERATION, Itsevi, Y-JAY$ FAME, Teknique, MindState @Herman’s Hideaway

High Five w/PRKR DEAN, Furbie Cakes, Diabolical Sound Platoon, Team Latchkey, Wandering Monks @The Bluebird Theater

Dylan Jakobsen, Carson Allen, Rumors Follow, Ian Mahan, Kimi Most @Lost Lake Lounge, Denver

Fri Mar 7

The Slow Death, Lawsuit Models, Antirobot @Lion’s Lair

Shady Elders Tour Sendoff w/ the Centennial, Distant Correspondent @Hi-Dive Lords of Fuzz, the Trade ins, Audio Dream Sister @Lion’s Lair Dead Meadow + PRISMWAVES w/Pale Sun (Jeff Suthers/Bright Channel) @Lost Lake Lounge, Denver Reverend Peyton Late Night DJ Set @Lost Lake Lounge, Denver The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band w/The Hollyfelds, Ryan Chrys & The Rough Cuts @The Bluebird Theater BEST OF THE WEST 5 ~ SEMI FINALS ROUND #2 w/Emergency Pullout (EPO), Pride In Pieces, Inoculate,Two Fisted Tango, Frozen Tide @ Herman’s Hideaway Throttlebomb, Chainsaw Love Affair, Torch The Wagon @Tennyson’s Tap ELECTRIC SIX w/YIP DECEIVER ,THANKS FOR EVERYTHING @Larimer Lounge Sat Mar 8 Mr. Steak w/My Own Summer (Deftones Tribute), Pop Star Homicide (STP Tribute), Big BALLS, Symple Man @Herman’s Hideaway Gestapo Pussy Ranch, Brave The Breakdown, Miles To Mountains, Then I Fly @Tennyson’s Tap Suzi Homewrecker, Brian Parton @12 Volt Tavern the Body, In the Company of Serpents, CP208 @Hi-Dive BLUE SKY BLACK DEATH w/SNUBLUCK ,DAWN SAFARI @Larimer Lounge

Wed Mar 12 Colorado Music Buzz LIVE Radio Presents: Dog Day King, Dead End Drivers, The Hot Licks, Yellow Plate Hotel @Herman’s Hideaway These Things Happen Tour: G-Eazy w/Rockie Fresh, KYLE, Splyt @Ogden Theatre DEVAN BLAKE JONES w/DUNCAN ,BIANCA MIKAHN ,THE ABSTRACT COLLECTIVE @Larimer Lounge Thu Mar 13 The Brontide Effect, Cloud Catcher, Racing On The Sun, Titan Arum, Today’s Paramount @Herman’s Hideaway

Six Shooter, Cutthroat Drifters, Trash Canyon, Nate King Band @Lion’s Lair Sat Mar 15 Chingaso w/Jocifur, The Worth @Lost Lake Lounge, Denver Rotting Out w/No Bragging Rights, The Beautiful Ones, Heart To Heart, Orthodox @The Bluebird Theater Funkiphino w/OverSoul’d, Fatty’s Big Chance @Herman’s Hideaway Branded Bandits, Viretta, Petals of Spain @Hi-Dive THE KIN w/FINISH TICKET ,OH HONEY @Larimer Lounge Cheap Desires, Heads Without Dogs, Send & Receive @Lion’s Lair Sun Mar 16 Richie Law & The Southern Routes Band w/FOB (Forward Operating Base Colorado), Gracie Lawson, Buck’d Off, New Darlins w/ Coco Brown and Carl Carwell @Herman’s Hideaway First Lady of Denver Mary Louise Lee, Westword, Twist & Shout, 97.3 KBCO and Illegal Pete’s Present 3rd Annual Bringing Back The Arts Music Competition @The Bluebird Theater The Districts (Fat Possum) wCharlie Milo Trio, Ode To The Marionette, Benson The Dog @Lost Lake Lounge, Denver The Danner Party @Lion’s Lair Mon Mar 17 THE LOW BEAMS, THE OUTSIDERS ,WHISKEY RICHARD ,WANDERING ,DEBAUCHERY TOMORROW @Larimer Lounge

DISGRACE THE TRAITOR (EP Release Show) w/XVX (Featuring Kyle Simmons) @Larimer Lounge

St. Patricks Day w/ Ancient Elk, Dear Rabbit, Assateague, Hatch The Bird + More TBA! @Lost Lake Lounge, Denver

King Cardinal, Fire & Sigh, Dino Romanelli @Lion’s Lair

Tue Mar 18

Moon Pussy w/Skull Full Of Blues @Lost Lake Lounge, Denver The M Machine @The Bluebird Theater Fri Mar 14 Conspirator / YAMN Album Release Party w/ Acorn Project @Ogden Theatre Strange Americans, the Maykit, Bottle Rocket Science @Hi-Dive BEST OF THE WEST 5 ~ SEMI FINALS ROUND #2 w/ The River North, Solar, COLOR, Sweet Ball Peen, The Messers @Herman’s Hideaway

Max Pain and the Groovies, the Longshots @Lion’s Lair CREATIVE ADULT w/AAN, DISCO DOOM ,ANTERRIOR @Larimer Lounge Brothertiger w/RUMTUM, Frugal Father @Lost Lake Lounge, Denver Saint Seneca, Vikesh Kapoor @Hi-Dive Wed Mar 19 TREEFORT/BURGERAMA III SEND OFF - The Rich Hands, The Lust-Cats of the Gutters, Love Cop, Pizza Time, Jesus Sons @Lion’s Lair Ages and Ages @Lost Lake Lounge, Denver

Austie Frostie, Brandon Gill, Hash, New Profession, Higher Power, Roger James, Suit & Tie, Jack Flash @Herman’s Hideaway BOY AND BEAR, JUSTIN HULSEY @Larimer Lounge Cody Chesnutt @Hi-Dive Thu Mar 20 Darci Paige, All Chiefs, No Indians, Into The Hollow, The Outsiders @Herman’s Hideaway Soda Jerk Presents - Mr Gnome, Thee Dang Dangs, indigenous Robot @Hi-Dive

Tue Mar 25 The Risin’ Sun, Dreadnought, Cloud Catcher, Mark Matos & Os Beaches @Lost Lake Lounge, Denver

Transparent and AEG Live Present: I Am Mountain Tour w/Gungor @Ogden Theatre

SKATERS w/TEAM SPIRIT @Larimer Lounge

TWIN PEAKS w/QUANTUM CREEP ,BRONCO COUNTRY @Larimer Lounge

Wed Mar 26

Mon Mar 31

Step Up & Get Paid! (Herman’s matches $2 donations for bands) w/Erin Cookman, Them Raggedy Bones, The Rough Age, The Reckless Velvet @ Herman’s Hideaway

Retox @Hi-Dive

The War On Drugs w/White Laces @The Bluebird Theater

Tue Apr 1 WEEKEND w/CITIES AVIV ,EMERALD SIAM @Larimer Lounge

Roadkill Ghost Choir w/New Madrid, Mosey West @Lost Lake Lounge, Denver

Yellow Ostrich, Pattern is Movement, A Mouthful of Thunder @Hi-Dive

Channel 93.3 Presents: The Used and Taking Back Sunday w/Tonight Alive, Sleepwave @Ogden Theatre

UME @Lost Lake Lounge, Denver

The Apache Relay @Lost Lake Lounge, Denver

Warm Soda, Big Tits, SPELLS, the Manxx @Lion’s Lair

Thu Mar 27

Wed Apr 2

Fri Mar 21

Esme Patterson ‘Woman to Woman Album Release’ @Hi-Dive

FANFARLO w/LILIES ON MARS @Larimer Lounge

The Subdudes (Reunion) Featuring All Original Members! (First time together since 1996) @ Herman’s Hideaway

TDE and 3 Deep Entertainment Present: Oxymoron World Tour feat. ScHoolboy Q w/Isaiah Rashad & Vince Staples @Ogden Theatre

Con Bro Chill w/Total Ghost, Spencer Foreman@ Lost Lake Lounge, Denver

Comedy Showdown 2014Host: Ismun Tucker -akaMr. Puff @Herman’s Hideaway

Birch Street CD Release! w/Amanda Hawkins @ The Bluebird Theater

Schafer & Associates, Vivid Fiction, 98% Chimp @ Lion’s Lair

THE GIVING TREE w/A. TOM COLLINS ,ANDY PALMER @Larimer Lounge

CRASH KINGS @Larimer Lounge @Larimer Lounge

Channel 93.3’s E-leven presents: The Killer Fro Tour wCandyland, Kill Paris, TYR @Ogden Theatre

Ned Garthe Explosion, Male Blonding, The Take @ Lost Lake Lounge, Denver

AUGUSTINES, MY GOODNESS @Larimer Lounge

Smokestack Relics, Hi-Strung, Nightingale Symphony (Megan Kelley), Jamie Haner (of Audio Dream Sister) @Lost Lake Lounge, Denver Steal.fight.kill. @Lion’s Lair

97.3 KBCO Presents: Delta Rae w/The Falls @The Bluebird Theater

Fri Mar 28

In the Whale, Residual Kid, Wiredogs @Hi-Dive

BRETON w/SECRET GUEST ,WE ARE NOT A GLUM LOT @Larimer Lounge

Anchorage, Swing Hero, No Fair Fights, Solterra, Muscle Beach @Hi-Dive Sat Mar 22 Chris Daniels & the Kings w/Kevin Russell (of 707), The Humbuckers @Herman’s Hideaway South of France, Pageantry @Hi-Dive THIS WILL DESTROY YOU w/SILENT LAND TIME MACHINE @Larimer Lounge Wild Childw Robert Ellis, Ol Hickory @Lost Lake Lounge, Denver Grayson Erhard (of Aspen Hourglass), John Wake, Buffalo Rodeo @Lion’s Lair Sun Mar 23 Appleseed Cast, The Outfit, Solterra, Quantum Creep @Lost Lake Lounge, Denver Coyote Union, Yellow Plate Hotel @Lion’s Lair ODESZA w/REAL COSBY ,PATRICK LEE @Larimer Lounge The Sing Off Live Tour: feat. Home Free, The Filharmonic, VoicePlay, Face @Ogden Theatre Mon Mar 24 ODESZA (Night Two) w/D33J @Larimer Lounge A Comedy Central Tour: Broad City Live @The Bluebird Theater 97.3 KBCO Presents: Steel Pulse @Ogden Theatre

THE WILD AFTER w/FLASHBULB FIRES ,THE WHICKER AND PINE @Larimer Lounge Slim Cessna’s Auto Club w/Casey James Prestwood And The Burning Angels @The Bluebird Theater Bear Antler (EP Relase Party) w/Varlet, The Belle Jar, The Outsiders @Lost Lake Lounge, Denver

The Black Lips w/The Coathangers @The Bluebird Theater Thu Apr 3

Fri Apr 4

Head or Heart Tour: Christina Perri w/Birdy @Ogden Theatre JAKE CLEMONS w/BREAK ANCHOR, THE BRIXTON GUNS ,PLASTIC ARMY @Larimer Lounge Head for the Hills w/Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds @The Bluebird Theater

Jamie Mitchell (4Hroyalty) @LIon’s Lair

GUILTY PLEASURES (DJ Dance Party!) @Lost Lake Lounge, Denver

Sat Mar 29

Sat Apr 5

Coupstick w/Pressure Point, 39 Lies, Big Green Carpet @Herman’s Hideaway

Whiskey Tango w/Digg, In Due Time, The Tickle Mafia @Herman’s Hideaway

Charlie Parr with very special guest Betse Ellis (of the Wilders) @Hi-Dive Channel 93.3 Presents: Eldren @The Bluebird Theater MILAGRES w/SKI LODGE ,FAMILY CREST @Larimer Lounge St. Vincent w/Noveller @Ogden Theatre Sun Mar 30 Lost in the Trees, Inner Oceans @Hi-Dive East Of The Wall / Diamond Plate @The Bluebird Theater

In the Whale, Residual Kid, Photo Atlas @Hi- Dive 45 + 1 : Hosted By Alf of 93.3 KTCL @Lost Lake Lounge, Denver The Congress @The Bluebird Theater Sun Apr 6 New Bums (Ben Chasny (Six Organs of Admittance) and Donovan Quinn (The Skygreen Leopards)), Forces At Work @Lion’s Lair