DISCO TITS!
This is going to be one of those summers. I can feel it. Denver is going to get back to it's natural state of partying all the time, just like things were a few years ago when DIY/Warehouse/Living/Retail/Party spaces like Garageland, Lost Lake, Hipster Youth Halfway House, Breakdown Books, Monkey Mania and countless other rad places were still in full effect, and free/cheap shows and epic on-the-DL dance parties happened every weekend. Of course, Rhinoceropolis has been holding us together for years now, bringing the best bands in America (and Canada too! Like Totally Ripped who played last night!) to the legs and ears of kids and elder dudesmen alike. And there has been plenty of g...Read more
Thanks, man. You guys were rad.
When I was a kid, after Christmas, Birthdays, or any other suburban holiday where you receive gifts occurred, my mother made us write our "thank you" notes for presents within two days of such an event occurring. She wanted the world to know she had polite children (and wanted us to be thankful for what we had, I'm sure.) She also required us to speak clearly and concisely and brush our teeth twice a day. Gratitude, correct use of the English language and perfect teeth were all that she asked of us. As an adult, I have maintained those requests, minus 10 cavities and a penchant for using the f-word and slang phrases like "Where you at?" (But these complications are only due to me ea...Read more
Kittens, Caboodles, and Vivian Girls.
It probably isn’t ethically or journalistically legal to pimp your own stuff, but this is a really cool thing I’m a part of and I want to share: this Thursday, April 30th, I’m playing bass in the Slight Harp Orchestra at the Bluebird Theater! Along with a ton of other awesome local musicians (members of Modern Witch, MMCIII, Dugoutcanoe and more,) we are playing “In C,” a multi-interpretational piece by Terry Riley, led by my friends Alejandro Archuleta and Brandon Brinkley, the brains and bodies behind Slight Harp! Dude, this show also features performances by Pictureplane, Teeth Mountain, Future Islands, and of course, the biggest deal, WHAM CITY patriarch Dan...Read more
SHUT UP, DUDE.
I think I've said shut up, dude! about 100 times in the last couple of days in regards to Denver's ability to totally rule lately. Luckily, my roommate Liza (he's a man, it's a nickname, and not-so-long long story) is always up in my bedroom and up in my business watching The Real House Wives of New York and re-runs of Designing Women on my television, so I'm not ever talking to myself. Although, it's like I'm talking to myself, because things like HEALTH, Ponytail , Pictureplane and Lovepump United really mean nothing to him. But I digress... The reason I'm so stoked lately is because good shit in Denver just keeps getting bigger, better, and more excellently, awesomely exposed. For ...Read more
Telepathe's got their chrome on it.
I mildly freaked out upon visiting Telepathe's website and discovering the video above with Randy Randall from No Age talking about Busy Gangnes and Melissa Livaudais. For some reason, when bands I love interact in a personal, human-like way for all to see, it makes me more excited for their music. Collaborative music projects are always rad, but there is something heart-warming about seeing that No Age and Telepathe are just four people who like and super respect eachother. (Please go to Telepathe's website to see videos from Abe Vigoda, the Mae Shi, and more!) I stumbled upon these video love fes...Read more
Dubbing in Suburbia
At 14, I decided I was going to be a bass player. At 14, I also decided that reggae sucked. No reason whatsoever, I just thought only stupid hippies listened to that shit, and I was not going to have any part of it. I was into Hole and Blondie and Ol’ Dirty Bastard and Devo, and I was most certainly not into Bob Marley. He as all I knew about reggae, and all I cared to know.I would learn how to play bass by listening to The Breeders Last Splash over and over again, and I would go on as bass player who hated reggae. Like most teenage declarations with no backing, my reggae disdain was out of pure ignorance. And there is a reason for such teenage ignorant bliss; once we are no longer tee...Read more
Nostalgia at its Best
During the past couple of years in Denver, we've seen some of our most prolific bands disintegrate within the claws of the reaper. In 2008, Planes Mistaken for Stars bid farewell after splitting the hardcore scene open and broadcasting our Rocky Mountain screams on an international level. More recently the Autokinoton bit the dust, and soon after the lesser known of this triad Bailer fell too. I've been in love with Bailer since their conception during the early millennium. Leader Trevor Morris, now in Big Timber and Army of Summer, has been pushing the boundaries of punk rock since he matured with his first band Reck...Read more
WOMEN, Gold Pants, and White Girls who Lust.
I'm still reeling from Lady Gaga’s glass and candy-coated dance party last Saturday, and if this week’s jam-packed Denver concert calendar is any indication, shit is only going to get hotter this summer.I’ll be crossing these mamis like tic tac toe tonight at the Ogden Theater with Pitbull before heading to Rhinoceropolis for one of the best tours of the spring, Abe Vigoda and WOMEN. Dude. If you haven’t seen LA’s Abe Vigoda yet, GO TO THIS SHOW. They sound like a fantasy vacation in Jamaica with Gang of Four, and WOMEN’s No Wave Mamas and Papas-style trippy forays are the perfect compliment. Locals Eyes and Ears, M. Pyres , and Hot White will open, fillin...Read more
T.G.I.T!: Fridays are IN again!
I'm no longer boycotting Fridays (the stand-off lasted a whole week), because this Friday I'll be marching down Colfax for Make Total Destroy, a fashion/culture-banging event celebrating the Free Boutique's move from Lakewood to their new Denver location. Organized by Illiterate's own Baily Rose, fashionistas and couture newbies alike are invited to join up on the steps of the Capitol Building at 4pm, March 20th, for a fancy walk showcasing work from the Cake and Eat It Fashion Collective. But before Friday there's today, my new favorite wannabe-weekend day, Thursday, and I'll be at Beta for Booka Shade. I don't know what it is about this German electro duo, but I'm absolutely obsessed with ...Read more
T.G.I.T!
Fuck Friday. Thursday is the new Friday. I'm going to stay home and boycott Fridays from now on because there is just too much good stuff going on during the week. And this Thursday, Illiterate's own music/art channeler and New Age leader of the known Universe, Travis Egedy, is having his tour kick-off show at his home/stage Rhinoceropolis. The Pictureplane Goth Tour Kickoth with The Natural Selection, Belhor, Christina the Hun, and Nervesandgel is the beginning of a short but epic journey he'll be taking to SXSW, where Travis will make Denver proud by playing the ever-excellent Todd P. patio party circuit (with Health, Mika Miko, Marnie Stern, and dozens of other rad bands) before heading t...Read more