Photos by Johne Edge
The Scene: The Platte river may not run green like the Chicago River, but Denverites are no less zealous in their celebration of the patron saint of Ireland. Saturday March 14th saw Denver start out its celebration of all things Irish with the largest St. Patrick’s Day parade west of the Mississippi. After that it was off to the races in what seemed like a four day non-ending pub crawl. I spent Saturday in Baker one of Denver’s oldest Irish neighborhoods. Music and overly imbibing patrons overflowed from the doorways of Irish bars like Brendan’s 404, Doughtery’s, and The Irish Rover, while bagpipers in kilts and step dancers filled the sidewalks of Broadway. With a firm constitution and cast iron liver I made it through all this year’s celebratory activities which culminated in a great night of locals only music at the Bluebird Theater on Colfax.
Opener: Rockin’ Rascals. Rockin Rascals were finishing up their set as I made my way into the venue. I really liked their old school approach to hardcore punk. I will definitely be watching out for these guys as they play all over Denver, and get ready to drop a new EP.
Opener: Dirty Femmes. Next up was The Dirty Femmes: A celebration of the Violent Femmes. 2012 saw the 30th anniversary of the recording of the debut album of the Violent Femmes. It was then that Jen Korte, along with White Fudge bassist Andy Bercaw, and Champagne Charlie’s Neil Mitchell, decided it was time to bring the music of the Violent Femmes to a new generation. Despite broken strings and bleeding fingers the band played on, ripping through versions of “Blister in the Sun,” “Kiss Off,” and “Add It Up” just to name a few.The Dirty Femmes have become more than a tribute band, and are often joined on stage by Violent Femmes vocalist and guitarist Gordon Gano.
Opener: Judge Roughneck. Longtime Denver favorites Judge Roughneck kept the energy in the room going with their rock steady blend of reggae, ska, and funk. Solid performance, and always entertaining. Look for these guys next as they play this year’s Reggae on the Rocks.
Front Side Five: Keeping with an Irish stereotype (that may or may not be true), headliners Front Side Five came out and played Drunk Punk. Aggressive and unrelenting, Shane Henry and Robdogg played guitar, joined by Brooke Crawford on bass, and Joe Pro on drums. Often times with beer in hand, vocalist Brandon Stolz sung about the bands favorite pastimes which just so happen to be Irish favorites as well; loud music, good friends, and cheap beer. Front Side Five definitely capped off a great St. Patrick’s Day for Denver in 2015.
Energy: A
Musicianship: A
Sound: B
Stage Presence: A
Set/Light Show: B
Overall: A-
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