PHOTOS: Kraftwerk - April 23rd, 2008 - The Fillmore Auditorium, Denver, CO

Below is a link to the pictures I took at the Kraftwerk show on Wednesday night at The Fillmore.

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES

PICK OF THE WEEK: Colin Meloy - Saturday, April 26th - The Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO

Why You Should Go: As lead singer and songwriter for The Decemberists Colin Meloy has, for the last 6 years, been creating some of the most beautiful indie rock there is. Though known as a pirate shanty kind of songwriter, Meloy is much more. His lyrics and melodies are intricate and thought provoking while being amazingly pleasing to the ear.

As he does from time to time, Meloy has chosen to leave his bretheren in the Decemberists behind for this outing and is taking the stage solo to support his recent release Colin Meloy Sings Live which features performances from his 2006 solo tour. The tracks on the record are primarily familiar to Decemberists fans though some newly penned songs that have yet to be featured on a Decemberists record rear their head here as well.

Recently Rolling Stone said Meloy is "a master of improbable juxtaposition: arcane, detailed fictions of star-crossed passion and avenging bloodshed dressed up in indie-rock jangle, la-de-da choruses and vintage prog-rock bombast." Though much of the prog-rock will be stripped out on this tour, it promises to be entertaining as Meloy seldom lets his fans down.

When you head out to the show be sure to pull some extra change from those couch cushions to pick up a copy of Meloy's latest in his series of tour only EPs Colin Meloy Sings Sam Cooke. As the name would suggest the EP is a collection of five Sam Cooke songs, intimately arranged and performed by Meloy, with opener Laura Gibson singing harmonies throughout.

Colin Meloy


Venue: The Fox Theatre 1135 13th Street, Boulder, CO - 303.443.3399

Doors:
8:30 PM

*Approximate Set Times:
Laura Gibson: 9:15 PM
Colin Meloy: 10:30 PM

*Price:
$20
PURCHASE

*All times and prices are gathered from other sources and I am not responsible for mistakes or inconsistencies. They are intended only as guidelines. Please, always call the venue if you desire the most accurate information possible.

REVIEW: Copper Sunsation Festival - April 12 & 13, 2008 - Copper Mountain, CO

Saturday: Let’s make one thing perfectly clear. There ain’t no party like a P-Funk party. Like it or not, it’s true. George Clinton and his band of misfits have been dishing out the Cosmic Slop for nearly 40 years and if their performance at Copper Mountain was any indication, they are still going strong. Sure, the cast of characters has changed a bit, Bootsy Collins and Bernie Worrell came and went along with many others, but Clinton still surrounds himself with very able musicians and several of the old timers are still funkin’ it up with him.

A small portion of the band took the stage at about 2 pm just as the snowflakes were beginning to fall and noodled their way through a couple of warm up jams to melt the frost from their fingers before the full force of the P-Funk storm hit us about 40 minutes later and the group blossomed to about 12 members. Leading the charge for the first 30 minutes or so was long time funkateer Garry “Starchild” Shider. Though Shider has been with P-Funk since the 70’s and is known for his penchant for emerging on stage clad in only a diaper the snow and freezing temperatures kept the diaper at bay to the dismay of many in the crowd. “You may know me better in a diaper,” he said at one point, “but it’s just too cold out here for that today.”

As the snow increased in intensity and the crowd managed to get their groove on despite the thick layer of late season snow and ice under foot, P-Funk turned up the heat and Clinton himself finally emerged suitably attired in a ski coat that was covered with golden imprints of cash. He remained on stage for much of the rest of the 2 and half hour performance trading vocals with Shider and others as the band funked up a classic set-list that included “Up For the Down Stroke,” “Flashlight,” “Atomic Dog,” and of course the classic “Give Up The Funk.”

One of the musical highlights of the set was the epic psychedelic guitar solo during the legendary “Maggot Brain.” Featuring long time P-Funk guitar hero, Michael “Kidd Funkadelic” Hampton this song stretched well past the 10 minute mark and marked one of the longest single songs of the set. As he wailed and conjured up images of Pink Floyd’s David Gilmore much of the rest of the band took a break to warm up backstage before diving headlong back into the set and going strong until the stroke of five O’Clock.

During the second half of the set, Clinton and company featured a few tracks from their most recent release How Late Do You Have To Be Before You’re Absent, including the highly danceable “Bounce to This” and the rap “Somethin’ Stank,” which regrettably didn’t feature Sativa as it does on the album. None the less, the mountain crowd loved the message of the song and obliged by sending up plumes of the sweet smelling smoke that has fueled so many of these parties.

In addition to the obligatory drug references, the performance was full of sexual innuendo largely fueled by Carlos “Sir Nose” McMurray, who emerged several times throughout the afternoon and seemed to take delight in flipping off the crowd and grabbing at his crotch as he undulated to the music in a shaggy white fur suit and wide brimmed hat. As the party raged on, the band seemed to have some kind of cosmic control over the snow fall as it seemed to come down harder and faster when the funk was raining down hard and let up as the band slowed the pace. It was a unique experience to party with P-Funk in the snow and one that many in the crowd will not soon forget I am sure.

Sunday: Sunday morning dawned a completely different day as so often happens in the Colorado springtime. By mid-morning the temperature was in the fifties and there wasn’t cloud in the sky. As a result the scene at the base of the mountain was totally different than Saturday. When the techno fueled Lotus took the stage the dance floor was noticeably sloppy as the ice and snow were beginning to melt in the hot mid-day sun and there were shirtless guys and girls in tube and tank tops brushing shoulders with the hardcore skiers in their North Face and Mountain Hardware jackets.

Though there was a noticeable contingent of Lotus fans with their hands in the air there is no doubt that the band won over some new fans as their energetic sound permeated the decks, patios and bars that surrounded the stage area. From the opener “Suitcases,” through the final note of “Sunrain,” the band was firing on all cylinders. The rock solid rhythm section of Steve Clemens, Chuck Morris and Jess Miller provided the foundation for Luke Miller and Mike Rempel to stretch out and take the trancelike melodies to the next level. There were moments when they seemed to have it turned up to 10 and then they pushed it a little bit further. This has always been a hallmark of a great jamband and Lotus is well on their way. They harnessed the energy of the crowd and fed off of it for the duration of the 90 minute set and didn’t let up for a minute.

After Lotus wrapped up their set, the weekend, and the ski season, was drawing to a close. But not before the Hassidic Reggae of Matisyahu rocked the sun-soaked music fans who had crammed the base area to hear him perform. Despite his set being absolutely plagued by sound problems that sent shrill feedback echoing off the walls of nearby mountains, Matisyahu delivered an upbeat set that was a perfect compliment to the weather. The hope and good vibes that are radiated out by this man as he moves around the stage like an MC spreading his music to the world can’t be denied.

The set featured many of Matisyahu’s crowd pleasers, but also featured guest musican Trevor Hall who emerged midway through the set with his guitar in tow. The pair played a song they had co-written called “I Will Be Light,” that will likely be featured on Matisyahu’s next album.

As his set drew to close, and with it the 2007-2008 ski season at Copper, I was struck by how perfectly this weekend had ushered in the summer festival season. With the snow and cold weather that we endured for P-Funk to the bright, warm sun that brought with it the trance-jam of Lotus and the Reggae of Matisyahu, this festival perfectly represented the unpredictable weather of the mountains and Colorado’s insatiable appetite for good music.

Organization: A-

Crowds: B

Sound: B-

Prices: A

Line-Up: B+

Venue: B+

Overall: B+

PICK OF THE WEEK: Jackie Greene & Tim Bluhm - Saturday, April 19th - The Bluebird Theater, Denver, CO

Why You Should Go: Jackie Greene has been heralded as a rising star in the Americana Rock scene for a couple of years now, but when Grateful Dead Bassist, Phil Lesh, invited him to join his Phil & Friends band last year more than a few heads turned. Despite the usual skepticism from the scene, Greene has quickly won over deadheads with his strong soulful voice and nimble guitar playing. Though he has quickly mastered much of the Grateful Dead catalog, Greene truly shines in his own songwriting and Lesh has given him the opportunity to showcase several of his tunes on tour for the benefit of a the large audiences. This has helped Greene to quickly and deservedly broaden his passionate fan base.

Opening for Greene is his longtime friend and the frontman of California Soul band The Mother Hips, Tim Bluhm. Bluhm has recently released a solo record, House Of Bluhm, which melds singer songwriter tendencies with rock-n-roll. Though Bluhm will be performing solo to open this show, there is always the possibility that Greene will join his friend for an impromptu Skinny Singers session.

Greene and Bluhm founded The Skinny Singers as an outlet for acoustic songs they had written together and the project soon blossomed out of the acoustic realm is taking on a life of it's own. The Skinny Singers haven't toured much outside of the west coast but they recently released an album called The Skinny Singers Strike Again.

It promises to be a great night of Americana tinged Rock-N-Roll for fans of Greene, Bluhm, The Mother Hips, The Skinny Singers and good music in general.

Jackie Greene


Tim Bluhm


Skinny Singers


Venue: The Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave, Denver, CO 80206 (303)377-1666

Doors:
7:00 PM

*Approximate Set Times:
George Inai: 8:00 PM
Tim Bluhm: 9:00 PM
Jackie Greene: 10:00 PM

*Price:
$16.50 (ADV) - General Admission
$18 (DOS) - General Admission
PURCHASE

*All times and prices are gathered from other sources and Listen Up Denver! is not responsible for mistakes or inconsistencies. They are intended only as guidelines. Please, always call the venue if you desire the most accurate information possible.

PHOTOS: Copper Sunsation Festival (George Clinton, Lotus & Matisyahu) - April 12 & 13, 2008 - Copper Mountain, CO

Below is a link to the pictures I took at the Copper Sunsation Festival this past weekend. My review of the event should be posted shortly.

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES OF SATURDAY'S SNOWY EVENT

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES OF SUNDAY'S SUNNY EVENT

REVIEW: The Black Keys - April 9th - The Ogden Theater, Denver, CO

Note: I got to cover this show for Spin.com . . . yeah Spin! Hopefully my first of many gigs for them.

Photo: Eric Gruneisen

The Scene: Even before the opener, Jay Reatard, came on the Ogden was pretty full. Evidence to the mass appeal of this band, tickets were going for $70 and there were under 21s mingling with grey hairs all the way up the rail. By the time the brief opening set was over people were jockeying for position and holding their ground as the temperature began to rise and it really began to get packed.

Opener: "The Chubby Ramones" was what the guy next to me called Jay Reatard, and he was pretty much right on. They are significantly younger than the Ramones but their sound owed an enormous debt to band like the Ramones and others of that era. Rarely acknowledging the crowd, except for flipping the bird to us all as they walked off stage they ran through about 12 songs in less than 25 minutes. Short and sweet . . . and loud.

The Black Keys: This show was raw. I don't mean delicate and tasty "sushi raw," I mean "day old hamburger that's been sitting by the grill all night," raw. The kind of raw your momma didn't want you going anywhere near. It's mean, retching from the gut rock'n'roll, and it's delivered with passion. After the brief, spitfire set of vintage punk rock that opened the show, the duo of Dan Auerbach on guitar and vocals and Patrick Carney on drums emerged and showed their Denver faithful that they know just how to shove music down your throat . . . and make you like it.

As soon as they took the stage to thunderous cheers from the sweaty and packed house, it was clear that these boys meant business. Under strobes, swirling lights and the shadow of a giant inflatable tire representing their roots in Akron, OH reading "Heavy Sole," these two proceeded to wail through 75 minutes of blues soaked rock that rarely let up.

Auerbach and Carney pulled out all the stops and flung sweat from their hair as they raged through crowd pleasers "Set You Free," "Strange Times," and "Stack Shot Billy." After ironically notifying the crowd that they had been "training at high altitude" for the gig, they slowed things up for the balladry of "You're The One" and caught their breath enough to dive headlong into the rest of the show.

After Attack & Release gem "I Got Mine," the duo took a brief break as nearly every member of the audience pumped their fist and begged for more. When they returned, Auerbach took a seat at the organ that he had neglected all night and quickly proved it deserved its place on the stage as he alternately conjured what seemed to be guitar riffs from the keys and stood with his head back and eyes closed, coaxing from the instrument the deepest tones it would allow. It seemed a fitting closure to a raucous show until the guitar slinger strapped on the six-string again and the pair blew through "Till I Get My Way," to send the crowd off into the uncharacteristically wet and rainy Denver night.

Energy: A
Sound: B+
Musicianship: B+
Stage Presence: A-
Set/Light Show: A

Overall: A-

PHOTOS: Daniel Johston - April 5th, 2008 - The Ogden Theater, Denver, CO

Below is a link to the pictures I took at the Daniel Johnston show on Saturday night at The Ogden. My review of the show should be posted shortly.

CLICK HERE FOR PICTURES

REVIEW: Back Door Slam - April 3rd - The Soiled Dove Underground, Denver, CO

The Scene: The Soiled Dove Underground is a like walking into an upscale New York City jazz club in the heart of Lowry here in Denver. That's right . . . in Lowry. The tiered seating, waitress notification lights and illuminated table numbers are a nice touch but make a slightly sterile room to hear gut wrenching blues in.

The crowd was a varied group of blues fans, from the tied-dyed and dredded hippies, to the button down office dads, every walk of life was represented in the intimate space. The space is layed out in such a way that those who want to sit in their assigned seats can do so with a clear and unobstructed view of the stage, while those who want to move up front and dance their asses off can do that too.

Overall the venue is perfect for the neighborhood, a kid friendly bedroom community of largely 30 and 40 somethings.

Back Door Slam: Wow. That's basically all I can say. This was one impressive young band. They hail from the Isle of Man in the UK and their music is right up there with the best of the 60's and 70's blues bands like John Mayall's Bluebreakers or even Cream. Maybe these boys were born in the wrong decade.

Only in his early 20's, frontman Davey Knowles absolutely rips on his electric guitar and conjuers up images of Clapton and Hendrix as the blues course through his body and into his able fingers. Throughout the set the band played numerous originals culled from their recent release Roll Away and highlighted the set with just the right number of covers including John Hiatt's "Riding with the King," David Crosby's "Almost Cut My Hair," and Robert Cray's "Back Door Slam" from which the band took their name. I each case these youngsters stayed true to the original but seemed to push the intensity up a level.

While Knowles is undeniablely an unbelieveable guitarist and one of the best I have ever seen in person, his strong heartfelt vocals cannot be overlooked. This kid is capable of reaching deep into his soul and summoning the voice of a middle aged black man from the deep south. It is a stirring sight to watch. That, coupled with his viruosic ability on the guitar and his comfortable stage banter, makes him a force to be reckoned with that we will be hearing from for year.

The only shortcoming of the this band is the complete lack of stage presence and interest exhibited by the Drummer (Ross Doyle) and Bassist (Adam Jones). While very able musicians, both seem to be totally bored with what they are doing and it that brings the intensity of the show down a little bit. It would have been a much stronger show if the rhythm section made any kind of effort at all to engage the crowd thought eye contact, body language or both. I think Knowles will need to give his bandmates a lesson in charisma or move on. He has too much talent to be brought down by the rest of the band.

Back Door Slam restored my faith in a brand of music that I had largely left for dead. There simply aren't enough young bands that sound like this. With their blend of Allman Brothersesque rock and Clapton influenced old school blues, they are poised to win over a huge following of all ages.

Energy: A-
Sound: A
Musicianship: A
Stage Presence: B
Set/Light Show: A-

Overall: A-

REVIEW: Vampire Weekend - April 1st - The Bluebird Theater, Denver, CO

The Scene: I knew what I was getting myself into when I took off to head to the Vampire Weekend show at the Bluebird on April Fools Day. The show had been sold out for months and the buzz that has been surrounding this band has been practically deafening since the beginning of the year.

To my surprise the room was not wall to wall people and in fact I was able to walk down to within about 15 feet of the stage without much of a problem and without ruffling anyone's feathers. Kinda nice since I walked in right when the band was coming on stage.

The faces singing and bopping along to the music were not the usual Denver Indie-Rock crowd. It was a diverse crowd made up of curious NPR listeners, preppy transplants who wanted a dose of New England and, of course, the kids who are completely gaga for this relatively mediocre group of NYC prepsters.

Vampire Weekend: First, I've got to say that it is almost impossible to live up to the hype that has been swirling around the this band for the last 8 months or more. They had a review in the New York Times before they even had an album out for heaven's sake!!!

At first glance, the bands lead singer and guitarist Ezra Koenig fit the image I had in my head about this group of New York City kids who had all met at Columbia and sing about Cape Cod. He was wearing a navy cardigan with birds on it, jeans and a pair of topsiders . . . really . . . topsiders?

Anyway, about the music, overall it was only fine. It is catchy as hell and, yes, the african influences (see Paul Simon's Graceland) are all over the place. While the guitar lines and rhythms are interesting at first listen on the album I don't think they are going to stand the test of time. However, since they had a sold-out room dancing and singing along to every song on a Tuesday night in Denver, I don't think that Koenig and his band are too worried about standing the test of time at this point.

Including blog favorites "I Stand Corrected," "Campus," and "The Kids Don't Stand a Chance," the set was obviously littered with material from Vampire Weekend, the band's debut album. I was pleasantly suprised when they broke out a new song and, while still drawing on the same jangly influences, it seemed to be a little bit more interesting at first listen. I will be interested to see what happens when their sophomore release drops after the hectic touring winds down later this year.

Koenig's slightly nervous banter between served it's purpose in prolonging the set and it also allowed people time to run to the bar or hit the bathroom as he mused about April Fools Day and made countless innane references to a sign he saw on the way into town referring to Denver as Denco. I will give him credit however, that he thanked the crowd on numerous occasions and even made reference to The Hi-Dive by name when he mentioned the sparse attendence at their first appearance in Denver last year.

The sharp contrast in attendance at this gig allowed him to orchestrate a massive sing-along to the sharp and upbeat "One (Blake's Got a New Face)." Nearly every voice in the theater joined in to replace the backup singers that appear on the album and I've got to admit that I was impressed by the volume coming from the fans.

After a short encore break the band returned to close out their brief set to the delight of the crowd with the surpremely catchy "Walcott." Though it was an entertaining evening of borderline bublegum pop, with a set that clocked it in at merely 50 minutes it must have been a bitter pill to swallow for the folks that coughed up the $40 or $50 that these tickets were commanding on Craigslist.

Next time I am going to have to remind myself that a meteoric rise to prominence isn't necessarily a good thing when it comes to pop music . . . at least in my mind.

Energy: B
Sound: B+
Musicianship: B
Stage Presence: B-
Set/Light Show: C-

Overall: B-

FEATURE: Daniel Johnston Is Still Living Life and Making Music

Daniel Johnston is a 47-year-old man who seems trapped in the mind of a boy. His simple, painfully direct songs are refreshing in the way that they cut through the self examination and other filters of maturity and nakedly reveal the most intimate thoughts and feelings. He is a remarkable example of a man who has, in many ways, capitalized on his limitations to further his chosen art form. Of all the things to be admired about this man, the first and foremost is that he has never been afraid of showing his art to the world.

While many artists will take three or four years to put out ten or twelve songs that are “polished enough to release,” Johnston is famous for getting his music out to the public as quick as possible, in any way possible. His first album, Songs of Pain, released in 1981, contained 20 songs recorded in his garage on an old boom box and then dubbed onto cassette. Johnston took the dubbed cassettes around to radio stations, newspapers and music clubs, saying, “I’m Daniel Johnston, here’s a tape of mine for you to listen to.”

At first listen, Johnston’s music is sure to put some people off, and others might simply hate it. However, for those who are willing to look past the sometimes shaky voice, the untrained guitar style and the often sub-par sonic quality of the recordings, the lyrics are a reward greater than most in music. They are not the complex rhyming genius of Dylan, or the hook-filled pop of Lennon and McCartney; they are simple, and in their simplicity, they are beautiful.

Between 1981 and 1985, Johnston recorded and released seven albums of his instantly recognizable material, with two more albums’ worth of songs recorded during that period released in 1987. In all, Johnston wrote and recorded more than 200 separate songs in those five years, the most prolific of his troubled life. In the intervening 20 years, Johnston has gone through periods of mania, delusions, and even forced incarceration in a state mental hospital.

Fortunately, when Listen Up Denver! caught up with Johnston at his home in Waller, Texas, he was in good spirits and was having a good day. “I’m doing a lot better today,” Johnston said, referring to the day before when several interviews had to be cancelled because he simply wouldn’t get out of bed to answer the phone.

For Johnston, public life has always been a rollercoaster ride. From the first time he was featured on the MTV show “The Cutting Edge” in 1985, right up through today, he has been unpredictable as he operates under the microscope of an ever-growing fan base. In addition to canceling interviews with no notice, he has been known to not show up on stage or to turn in an extremely brief performance before calling it a night while on tour. For those close to Johnston, it’s all par for the course.

These days, those close to Johnston have brought the Daniel Johnston brand literally “in-house.” Bill Johnston, Daniel’s 85-year-old father, took over management duties several years ago and Johnston’s brother Dick is currently running his website and handling several other facets of the business. “When my Dad took over as manager, I was instantly rich and I knew what was going on. We have releases coming out and I am happy about the way things are going right now,” Johnston said. “It’s a family thing and it’s going so well, better than ever before. All I have to do is keep on playing, writing and drawing.”

Though much of his time so far this year has been spent on the road, Johnston has been holding up his end of the bargain and has been busy writing new songs that occasionally pop up in his live shows. “I have a lot of new material, enough for maybe five albums,” Johnston revealed. “I was hoping to record some this year but it sounds like they are planning to put me on the road, so I don’t know what’s going to happen. I don’t know if I’ll have time or be able to. I keep asking them, ‘Hey can we record?’ and they keep telling me, ‘Oh, if we get a chance.’”

In fact, Johnston hasn’t been spent any significant time in the studio since 2006. Over the past couple of years he has been well enough to brave the road again and has been booked on runs of a week or two at a time in the U.S. and Europe. In many cities his shows are sellouts, as hipster youths mingle with 30- or 40-somethings that came of age when Johnston was cranking out albums hand over fist. Maybe it’s the recent covers album, The Late Great Daniel Johnston, that attracts the kids, or maybe it is the documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston, but whatever it is that got them hooked, all these people are turning out for the same reason, to see a legend perform in the flesh.

Though life on the road is obviously exhausting for him, Johnston was quick to say that he really enjoyed the first leg of his 2008 tour. “It was a lot of fun, sell-out crowds, lots of people and it looked like everybody was having a good time,” he said. “There have been some really good looking girls out there, too, and I like it when they come backstage to talk to me.”

Johnston’s recent shows have featured guitarist Brett Hartenbach for a large portion of the evening. “Until we started playing together I hadn’t seen him for almost 20 years,” Johnston said. “I used to go to college with Brett. He was in a band that was great and I was their big fan. I was always trying to get them to hear my music and it really meant a lot to me when I finally got to play Brett some of my songs, because he was a heck of a musician. On tour, we are playing some of the songs that I wrote during that period. ‘Grievances,’ ‘Living Life’ and some others, I guess. It’s been a lot of fun to be on the road with him.”

It was those songs and the ones that followed that made their way into the hands and ears of many influential musicians and artists. From Kurt Cobain, who declared Johnston his favorite songwriter and famously wore Johnston’s “Hi How Are You” shirt onstage at the 1992 MTV Video Music awards, to Tom Waits, Beck and The Flaming Lips, who all paid tribute to Johnston on The Late Great Daniel Johnston: Discovered Covered, that was released in 2004.

It was, however, another kind of artist that gave Johnston’s career its biggest and most recent boost when, in 2005, Jeff Feuerzeig earned the Best Director award at the prestigious Sundance Film Festival when he debuted his documentary The Devil and Daniel Johnston. The film offers the viewer a candid and largely unbiased view into the life and career of one of the most troubled musicians of our age.

Though the process of making the movie seemed to be a little arduous for Johnston, he is largely pleased with the results. “I have seen it about ten times and I think it’s hilarious. It made all of us kinda stars,” Johnston said. “Because of the movie we are doing a lot better. We are able to play bigger places, things like that. It really made a lot of difference.”

Love him or hate him, it’s hard not to give this man some credit for standing up and believing in himself day in and day out. It seems that in his case, that’s all it took to make people realize that there can be genius in the most simple of songs banged out on a nylon string guitar or toy organ. For those who can look past the surface, the true beauty of this troubled soul will come shining through.

“Hold me like a mother would,
Like I always knew somebody should
Though tomorrow don’t look that good.”
-Daniel Johnston “Living Life”

Check Out Daniel Johnston If You Like:

• Tom Waits
• Eels
• Harvey Pekar

PICK OF THE WEEK: Hello Kavita - Saturday, April 5th - The Larimer Lounge, Denver, CO

Why You Should Go: You want to be able to say that you attended their first CD release party right here in Denver when your buddy from New York calls you up and tells you about this great new band, Hello Kavita, that he found, don't you???

Seriously, these guys hail from right here in Denver and their debut album, And Then We Turned Sideways, has all the makings of a great record. Strong songwriting, beautiful instrumentation, and solid soulful vocals. Frontman and bandleader Corey Teruya seems to have snuck a peak at Jeff Tweedy's blueprint for Wilco while also owing a healthy debt to the beautifully ragged alt-country that Neil Young was cranking out in the 70's.

From beginning to end this album is well worth the 45 minutes you will invest in it. Whether you find yourself grooving to the America-like shuffle of "Midnight Sound" or shedding a tear in your beer as Teruya touches your soul with the ballad "Disappear," you'll be happy you did.

Catch these guys in the wonderfully dingy confines of the Larimer Lounge before they get scooped up by Ryan Adams or Wilco as an opener on the shed circuit.

Click Here to Listen to Hello Kavita

Venue: Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer Street, Denver, CO - 303.291.1007

Doors:
7:00 PM

*Approximate Set Times:
Dan Craig Band - 8:00 PM
Joshua Novak - 9:00 PM
Paper Bird - 10:00 AM
Hello Kavita - 11:00 PM

*Price:
$8.00
PURCHASE

*All times and prices are gathered from other sources and I am not responsible for mistakes or inconsistencies. They are intended only as guidelines. Please, always call the venue if you desire the most accurate information possible.