MUSICMARAUDERS

1UP Colfax Denver, CO Words By Andrew Martin Photos By Carly Marthis Saturday night, I had the pleasure of attending another one of 1UP Colfax’s free shows. I’m surprised at how many times I’ve attended 1UP Colfax since its opening back just before Christmas: Six, including Genetics with Aspen Hourglass at what I’m proud to say was Genetics’ first headlining gig. To provide a smidgen of backdrop on the evening, I was exhausted already. The Love Shack over at Cervantes and a 5:30 AM puck drop for the USA/Russia Men’s Olympic Hockey game led to a day of periodic napping and that general insanity that comes with not having gotten anywhere resembling enough sleep. Come 8:00 PM, I made up my mind to get cleaned up and head on over to 1UP. You know, support a band I enjoy, have a drink, beat X-Men for the 700th time - chill out with some good tunes. After the general rituals that most concertgoers have (grab a beer, find a few friends, say hi to any staff members you may know), ...

Hodi’s Half Note Fort Collins, CO Words, Photos & Video By Nicholas Stock Let me just clear the air, Cornmeal is alive and well and playing at a venue near you soon. Seriously, since the departure of long time fiddler Allie Kral, fans have all but written off this once majestic centerpiece to the jamgrass scene. The fact of the matter is people grow and times change. I can say without a doubt this isn’t your mammy’s Cornmeal, but before you run away to a Hot Buttered Rum show, take a minute and read on. Long time Colorado jamgrass stalwart, Whiskey Tango, took the opening slot at Hodi’s Half Note. For a band who is almost a Denver institution they rarely seem to make it up to Northern Colorado, but maybe I’m not on the proper mailing list. Their set was an energetic romp bound to entice a few new fans to their flock. Set One: Annalisa, Brown Eyed > Space > Coal Creek Shakedown, Ear, Bull Dog, Galileo, Thicker, Loving Cup, Star Fucker, Betwixt, Wrong Way This b...

Words by Brad Yeakel (Opti Mystic Outlooks) A few weeks ago I attended The Motet's cd release party, and the band seemed really excited about their latest effort. I hadn't had a chance to listen to it until today. Right from the first track their decade-blending funk machine was rolling. It pulled out of the driveway, turned on 80's Synth Drive and headed straight for Funkytown. The funky bottom of Garrett Sayers' bass immediately established the tone, and I knew it would remain a constant motivator for the subsequent grooves. When Ryan Jalbert's clean tone guitar made an appearance, "Like We Own It" became a little more contemporary and Joey Porter's synth moved from 80's to the future like Michael J. Fox in one of the greatest sequels of all time. The horns added that traditional New Orleans brass timbre that rounded out their sound. I felt the first track quickly set the tone for an upbeat album and exemplified the type of music I've come...

Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom Denver, CO Photos & Words By Kevin Hahn There are legends, and then there are what most people call “The Originators” or “Creators” of whatever one may be talking about. In my 24 years on this planet, I have not had many opportunities to see “The Original” of any of my favorite music groups, venues, or even types of music. It seems as if these days most musical genres are turning towards what is most popular or what sells the most records. But there are a few groups who are trying to keep as close to the “Original” of what they are creating as possible. One such group is the Funky Meters, led by Original Meter members, Art Neville and George Porter Jr. To be given the chance to see these two men play together is a very special thing, and most music fans around the world do not get this chance often. Thankfully I live in Denver, which in my opinion has one of the best/most up-and-coming music scenes in the world. Art Neville is still going at 7...

The Fillmore Auditorium Denver, CO Words By Brad Yeakel (Opti Mystic Outlooks) Photos By Justin Gardner As we waited in line for our tickets, the conversations on Colfax seemed to center around the Friday night show, one I'd missed. The word was, the band was on fire. My experiences with Lotus had all been at festivals and I was excited to see a headlining performance. As we entered the venue, I was once again baffled how some chandeliers, red paint, some curtains and photographs could make a cavernous warehouse appear to be a classy joint. I didn't have long to dwell on that because the lights went down just as we got our wristbands. The line behind us extended down the block and the floor was already 3/4 full. As "Kodiak" began, the crowd roared to life and I felt like my expectations were fairly accurate. The groovy electronica had the crowd dancing from the jump, and was consistent with the type of thing I'd seen them do in the past. The sound was uni...

The Fillmore Auditorium Denver, CO Words By J. Picard Photos By Justin Gardner An early arrival at The Fillmore Auditorium for Poolside yielded a completely empty venue. It appeared as if we were the first to the party, which was not typical. One by one a few rail riders turned out and claimed their space at the front of the room as Poolside began their set. The young duo had the challenge of playing to one of the most relatively empty rooms that I had ever witnessed, based on size. Approximately thirty people danced, building up the energy in the nearly 3,500 person capacity room. The music was funky, tasteful, tactful and reflected a solid compositional approach, though there was not all that much happening on stage. Those who had turned out early seemed pleased and ready to get the party started. As their set continued the room slowly began to fill in. Though Poolside had the 8:00 start time working against them, in the end they utilized their time to tap into the hungry crow...

Ogden Theatre Denver, CO Words & Photos By Brad Yeakel ( Opti Mystic Outlooks ) A couple of years ago, I was driving to work and heard "The Walk" on KBCO. I thought the tune was unusual with a sound that reminded me of old Motown, but had lyrics that were certainly not the Temptations fare. The clean R&B song seemed oddly antiquated, yet had a modern edge that intrigued me. I downloaded Mayer Hawthorne's album and got familiar with a couple of songs. Then I forgot about the would- be crooner. A few months ago I stumbled on a track on iTunes and noticed that he had released a new effort. I downloaded that one as well and decided to see if he was touring. Tuesday night, I entered the Ogden Theater and got a chance to see what this Neo-soul stuff was all about. The opener, Quadrant, shared a similar stylistic flair and made sense as the musical pairing. DJ Kurse was spinning some great funk between sets, and when the lights went down, a giant neon broken hear...

Harry A. Nottingham Park Avon, CO Words & Photos By Nicholas Stock Some musical opportunities are so unique that they must be snatched up so that they are not lost to the what could have been. WinterWonderGrass is one of those opportunities. This is an outdoor festival, taking place in Nottingham Park in Avon, Colorado in the middle of February. This state is no stranger to outdoor cold weather events, but it’s a rarity to have a three-day festival at an elevation of 7,431 feet during the chilliest time of the year. That being said, WinterWonderGrass is a beer and bluegrass festival in the heart of the Rockies with a 360-degree view of the mountains. Being surrounded by natural beauty is one thing, but the lineup is absolutely insane. In just their second year, WinterWonderGrass has managed to truly step it up with a strong outing this time around. Their bill is anchored by the combination of Greensky Bluegrass with Sam Bush and Leftover Salmon. Here is the full run down ...

Words, Photos & Video By Nicholas Stock The first night of February seemed doomed for a mediocre turnout. For reasons unbeknownst to me, this incredible musical collaboration that included Eric McFadden, Norwood Fisher, Willie Waldman, Paulo Baldi and the legendary Mr. Herman Green was moved across town to Donkey OTs. They had performed an early set the previous night opening for Stir Fried with Michael Kang and Allie Kral. This move for Saturday seemed silly for a number of reasons. Let’s take a step back. Firstly when a Jay Bianchi bar is known as Quixote’s why on Earth would you call another venue Donkey OTs? (Say it phonetically, I know it took me a second too. DON-key-0-Ts). Well apparently that complaint has not fallen on deaf ears, as it will be transitioning to the name of Darkstar Lounge at some point in the not too distant future. Secondly, as usual, this show was so under promoted that the turnout beyond friends and family could be counted on two pairs of hands. This ...

Boulder Theater Boulder, CO Photos and Words By Kevin Hahn ( Split Open & Shoot ) It was a cold night in Boulder, but that did not stop us music-loving, stout-drinking, and funk-craving fiends from showing up at the Boulder Theater for last Saturday’s Funky Good Times concert sponsored by the Mountain Sun Brewery. Celebrating 20 years on this snowy evening only made the music collaboration even more special. Dating back 10 years ago, keyboardist Kyle Hollingsworth of the String Cheese Incident and the legendary George Porter Jr. of Meters fame on bass have come together once a year to display their musical talents and obvious fondness of a good time with a various cast of musical friends. This year was absolutely no different and man was it a great time. Joining the incredible duo for their 10th annual “Good Times” concert was the soulful Kim Dawson from the Motet, drummer extraordinaire John Staten from Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, Lettuce guitarist Adam Smirnoff, with Den...

Armoury Denver, CO Words By J. Picard Photos By Carly Marthis As the 9:00 PM hour came and went, the initial wave of Stringdusters fans began arriving at Armoury in Lower Downtown Denver. This handful of super fans, referred to as the "Jamily," turned out early to get the party started. Chris Pandolfi and Andy Hall loaded in and set up their gear on stage, while mingling with some of their Colorado friends and family. The venue was filling in nicely as Andy and Chris made their rounds doling out hugs and smiles as they went. Around 10:30 PM Andy made his way to the stage to kick off his solo dobro/lap steel set. Through forty five minutes, Andy displayed incredible musicianship in esoteric fashion, creating layers. Bass notes fell into place under fantastic strumming rhythm intertwined with sliding melodies. The beauty of Andy's output can not be overstated. Songs like "Shady Grove," "The House of The Rising Sun" and the Stringdusters' ...

The 1up Colfax Denver, CO Words By Brad Yeakel Photos By Justin Gardner & Brad Yeakel ( Opti Mystic Outlooks ) Saturday arrived brimming with promise. With Dopapod and Kung Fu already on my agenda, I received invitations to a matinee Tiger Party set which began at 6:00 PM. We arrived fashionably late, but not late enough to miss out on some really excellent "Tiger Trio" action. The "Party" was Blake Mobley on keys, Fleeb Thomas on bass, and Seth Fankhauser on drums. The grooves were electro-funk with a little more testosterone than some other Tiger Party shows I have seen. At one point the lovely Ashley Niven guested and sang with Blake. It was actually one of my top three Tiger Party shows. I felt the set was motivated. It was svelte, sonic, and funky. It had purpose and it moved like a predator. I was glad I came out early. When the set ended, we grabbed a bite and meandered over to Cervantes Other Side to see the Recovery Act get the room warmed ...

The Fillmore Auditorium Denver, CO Words By J. Picard Photos By Brad Hodge If you ask a Coloradan what the first word that comes to mind when you say "funk" is, chances are they will say "Motet." Livenation and Cervantes had quite an evening planned for fans of the genre, with Orgone opening, followed by Snarky Puppy and The Motet closing their album release party. We arrived at Fillmore to long lines at the ticket windows, indicating large walk up ticket sales. After a half hour spent navigating the line to obtain our credentials, we headed to the next line to get into the venue. A short wait followed by typical extensive searches translated into entering the quickly filling venue. Unfortunately, due to the time spent out front of the venue, we missed Orgone and instead were treated to a significant equipment and gear shift for Snarky Puppy, who were at the time nominated for a Grammy, which would play out the following night in Los Angeles. While purchasing...