MUSICMARAUDERS

Boulder Theater Boulder, CO Photos by Blake Barit ( Direct Attention ) View Blake's Full Photo Gallery Here! www.leftoversalmon.com www.thedrunkenhearts.com

Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom Denver, CO Words by Kristin Zachman ( Direct Attention ) Photos by Blake Barit ( Direct Attention ) It’s always a party when Matt Butler brings his Everyone Orchestra to town. The ensemble played three sets over the weekend in Denver and Fort Collins, serving up some Grade A improv. As usual, the lineup was stocked with heavy hitting festival regulars familiar to any seasoned music lover. Dressed as the psychedelic band leader he is, and equipped with his instructional iPad and whiteboard, Butler, the musical Mad Hatter was ready to give Colorado his best. Night One, the Orchestra performed at Denver’s Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom. The main room was equipped with all the microphones, instruments, and music stands that the band could need. Before the Orchestra’s performance, the crowd was warmed up by Denver band, Rastasaurus. These local boys obviously had a lot of support in the crowd, who was pumped up from the start of their set. Their w

Salvage Station Asheville, NC Photos by J. Scott Shrader Photography View Scott's Full Photo Gallery Here! www.toubabkrewe.com

Capitol Theater Olympia, WA Photos by Willacker Photography View Eric's Full Photo Gallery Here! www.highceilingmusic.com www.dbstband.com

Boulder Theater Boulder, CO Photos by Nancy Isaac Photography View Nancy's Full Photo Gallery Here! www.leftoversalmon.com www.grantfarm.net

Variety Playhouse Atlanta, GA Photos by Julie Hutchins ( Tipping Point Designs ) View Julie's Full Photo Gallery Here! www.themotet.com www.dopapod.com

The Fillmore Auditorium Denver, CO Photos by Doug Fondriest Photography View Doug's Full Photo Gallery Here! www.discobiscuits.com www.breaksciencemusic.com

Rhythm & Rye Olympia, WA Photos by Willacker Photography View Eric's Full Photo Gallery Here! www.shooktwins.com www.olymountainboys.com

The Orange Peel Asheville, NC Photos by Alex Cox Photography View Alex's Full Photo Gallery Here! www.slowdiveofficial.com www.sopharela.bandcamp.com

Salvage Station Asheville, NC Photos by J. Scott Shrader Photography View Scott's Full Photo Gallery Here! www.themotet.com www.dopapod.com

Emo's Austin, TX Photos by Rich Denis ( Bigfoot Exposures ) View Rich's Full Photo Gallery Here! www.flooziesduo.com

El Dorado County Fairgrounds Placerville, CA Words by Mitch Melheim Photos by Will Howard Hangtown is a unique music festival, to say the least. It begins with the odd location, both spooky (Placerville was dubbed “Hangtown” due to its frequent hangings during the gold rush) and convenient (Ever walk to Denny’s after a late night set?) After that, and perhaps more importantly, come the odd people. Delightfully bizarre and interactive, the crowd exhibits a frightening playfulness that could only be found around Halloween. While one group of folks runs around demanding that you participate in their impromptu game of Twister, another plays “party police” and does their best to stop your fun. This was just one night, of course, and it ended in both groups participating in a pizza party where everyone danced to a portable boombox in front of the pizza cart and cheered on those who made and purchased the pizzas. The final crucial ingredient in this wonderfully weird weekend is a hos

Salvage Station Asheville, NC Photos by J. Scott Shrader Photography View Scott's Full Photo Galley Here! www.hotbutteredrum.net

Aggie Theatre Fort Collins, CO Words & photos by Nicholas Stock ( Fat Guerilla Productions ) Every year as the leaves turn and fall, Eufórquestra makes a pilgrimage to The Aggie. An inauspicious box smack dab in the Choice City, the Aggie has suffered the trials and tribulations of being a boozy music venue in a college town. With the transfer of the day to day management the Aggie has emerged as a solid place to see a show. Having migrated to Fort Collins from Iowa City, Eufórquestra has spent many nights working the crowd at the Aggie. This show was a special one with both bands celebrating Halloween very differently. The Burroughs hail from Greeley, Colorado and this year they opted to perform the music of Space Jam . The Burroughs arrived onstage adorned in the full regalia of the Looney Toons team ready to take the court in the seminal film Space Jam. They appropriately opened with the “Space Jam Theme” featuring both Johnny Burroughs and drummer Mary Claxton ripping i

Electric Forest Rothbury, MI By Kevin Alan Lamb Our time here is precious; as are our gifts; and who we choose to share them with will determine the quality of life we live. Countless musicians grow their gifts like seeds from the earth, hoping one day their harvest will feed hungry, hurting, and happy hearts long enough to enjoy the passing present at the precipice and collision of a banjo string strum, note delivered, and joy internalized. Artists pound pavement 20 hours to perform one; but God it is sweet and among the holiest of sacrifices that I am grateful to be a part of in all the ways life, intentionality, and hard work reveal. Every conversation has the potential to be the first building block and foundation of a great cathedral; as a result I must express my gratitude to Chris Lewarchik for connecting me with The Infamous Stringdusters prior to Electric Forest where I was joined by The Godfather of Groove himself, Norm Kittleson for a special interview with Chris Pan

Parliament Room at Otus Supply Ferndale, MI Photos by Kevin Alan Lamb View Kevin's Full Photo Gallery Here! www.orgonespace.com

Saint Andrew Hall Detroit, MI Photos by Kevin Alan Lamb View Kevin's Full Photo Gallery Here! www.thestringdusters.com www.wireinthewood.com

Roosevelt Park Pavilion Longmont, CO Photos by Doug Fondriest Photography View Doug's Full Photo Gallery Here! www.lotusvibes.com

Star Theater Portland, OR Words by James Sissler Photos by Coleman Schwartz Media Portland's jazz fans filled the Star Theater Wednesday night for a soul-stirring performance by the ever impressive Bad Plus. Both the upper and lower levels of the small theater overflowed and the walkways were lined with people by the nine o'clock advertised showtime. It was impossible to move through the crowd without saying, "Excuse me," and patrons were lucky to find a spot large enough to stand alone, much less with a friend. It felt as if the band was too big for the venue, or that the show had been oversold. Luckily their music is more for listening than for dancing anyway, since no one on the floor had much room to move. The crowd was a little older than a normal Star Theater audience, and because it was a weeknight, a lot of attendants were still dressed in their office attire, giving the event a slightly formal atmosphere. This is not unusual for the band, who hav

Mississippi Studios Portland, OR Words by James Sissler Photos by Coleman Schwartz Media If it was possible to doubt the strength of Portland’s live music community before, it isn’t anymore. Following sold-out performances by Twiddle and Tedeschi Trucks Band, Stumptown’s music lovers flooded Mississippi Studios Saturday night for yet another sold-out show. The bill featured three young and burgeoning string bands from different parts of the country: the Kitchen Dwellers, from Bozeman, Montana; Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, from Wisconsin; and Portland’s own Cascade Crescendo. The size of the crowd was remarkable considering that neither Horseshoes nor the Kitchen Dwellers had headlined a show in Portland at a venue that size. In fact, it was Horseshoes’ first time playing in the city. But far from anomalous, it was actually the bands’ fourth sold-out show in seven days. Cascade Crescendo opened the show for their hometown audience with a short but sweet 45-minute set. The crow