Legendary guitarist Adrian Belew was kind enough to spend some time talking with us as he waited out a fire drill in his Denver hotel on the eve of the “Remain In Light” tour that launches at the Ogden Theater here in Denver on February 16th.
Indie singer-songwriter Conor Oberst brought his country-tinged tunes to the Ogden Theater Friday night, showcasing songs spanning his career, from his most recent solo album, Salutations, to older songs from his time with his former band Bright Eyes. Along with his backing band, the Felice Brothers, Oberst delivered a powerful performance that captivated the crowd of mostly 20-somethings.
Railroad Earth played for a packed house this Saturday night. On a sold-out night, the Ogden Theater can be tricky to navigate for a prime view. Security could be heard scolding people for blocking aisles and stairwells. Concert-goers were stern and unyielding, but wildly giddy to see their favorite Jersey bluegrass band. Not a soul in the audience was still and the seemingly harsh crowd let their hair down to dance with one another, proving that Bluegrass is the solution to the harsh and the unsympathetic.
The Motet, the funkadelic Denver supergroup, played for a packed house this past Halloween weekend at the Ogden Theatre. The spooky tradition of covering an artist each Halloween weekend was broken last year when the band decided to play hits only from 1980 and this year they chose 1975. The show, dubbed appropriately “Mixtape 1975,” stayed true to the band’s Afrobeat heritage. As the band took the stage the buzz of the audience turned into raucous applause, eager for what was to come from this groovin’ group.
Grammy winners Snarky Puppy may have headlined the Ogden on August 3rd, but it was Denver’s own Analog Son that stole the show and put on a Funkin’ clinic. The minute Analog Son hit the stage, the place started jumping. As the band’s set unfolded, the one constant on the stage was soul. You could feel it building in the bombastic bass lines Josh Fairman laid down all the way up to the lovely Kim Dawson who added a roof of pure Soul which she promptly blew right off!
Despite a long wait before Ms. Lauryn Hill took the stage last Sunday night at the Ogden Theatre, the evening turned out to be an extremely creative night of music. The Mrs. Lauryn Hill experience came through town and was looking to get down, and that’s sure as heck what they did. Hill’s energy was at an extreme high, swag and attitude were on point, and her vocals could not have been more strikingly profound, impressively articulate, and unfathomably beautiful.
This Fourth of July, the boys (and girl) of Dark Star Orchestra transported us to the year 1989, to the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta, Georgia. Deadheads young and old were in attendance, and the floor of the Ogden was a sea of tie-dye vintage t-shirts, representing the Grateful Dead and Dark Star Orchestra alike. The result was an incredibly satisfying night of music, soul, dance, love and of course, independence. It was a very merry Fourth of July indeed. Keep on keepin’ on.
Zac Wylde, with his signature Bull’s Eye guitar and long blonde hair constantly hanging in his face, blew the crowd away with his smoking guitar chops and raw, powerful, sometimes even wicked sounding vocals. Intense energy, physical movement, great stage lighting, and a hard core intensity is what Black Label Society brings to the table at one of their shows. Mix that with stacks and stacks of Marshall amps as a backdrop and this band is a sight to behold.
Saturday at the Ogden Theatre was expected to be a night of good ole’ Bluegrass. The Infamous Stringdusters have earned quite a following in Colorado, going head-to-head with Colorado locals such as Leftover Salmon. The ‘Dusters, hailing from Virginia, came to Denver last weekend with gusto, ready to impress the Rocky Mountain Bluegrass fans. The crowd was just large enough that there was plenty of room to dance comfortably.
A rumbling chatter filled the Ogden Theater last Saturday night for a sold-out show of epic mysticism and psychedelic fervor. Portugal. The Man with opener, Crystal Fighters, packed the venue to capacity (roughly 1,500 people) and it was very apparent. The Portland-based band is on tour promoting their seventh full-length studio album, Evil Friends, produced by none other than world-renowned Danger Mouse. Even with seven albums out, Portugal. The Man shows no signs of slowing.