As time passes, we lose more and more of the greats, so no matter what flaws the show might have had, it was still a privilege to see Nick Mason on stage bringing those classics to life. There will never be another Pink Floyd, so any piece that still exists must be held onto until the very end.
The Paramount was hopping on Friday night and all walks of life were represented. There were hardcore Country fans, Hipsters riding the buzz, and, of course, legions of Denver music scenesters who know that Sturgill Simpson has finally been awarded his due in the ever fickle world of music. Long before the show started there was a crowd milling around outside the old venue and queued up for drinks in the lobby.
Sturgill Simpson’s ‘A Sailor’s Guide to Earth’ is the rare album that jumps from one style to the next, with ports of call in Motor City and Music Row, Harlem and Stax, Berlin and London, yet it never leaves Simpson’s very specific point of view.
Twenty and thirtysomethings dressed in their best flannel filled the historic Paramount Theatre Tuesday for multi-instrumentalist indie-rock wonder Andrew Bird. The show marked the end of a nine week tour and it was incredible to watch the master at work. The night was a river of standard indie rock that readily pivoted to something else entirely its own. Seeing Andrew Bird live is such a refreshing experience. His musical genius, penchant for whimsy, and willingness to play with tempo and sound made his show a memorable musical experience.
Ahead of the blizzard that wasn’t, fans braved the threat of fast-falling, blowing snow for an intimate night with Irish folk musician Glen Hansard at the historic Paramount Theatre. Hansard could have come solo, powered solely by the strength of his lyrics and vocals, but instead, he showed up with a full nine piece band behind him and proceeded to vigorously play songs from his new album as well as some The Swell Season favorites.
One of the world’s most recognizable bands, ZZ Top, brought their long red beards and some Texas flavored, Blues infused Rock to Denver’s Paramount Theatre on Saturday night. There wasn’t an empty seat in the house as people came from far and near to hear classic ZZ Top songs like “Jesus just left Chicago,” “Cheap Sunglasses” & “Legs.” Guitarist Billy Gibbons, Bass player Dusty Hill, and Drummer Frank Beard all sounded tight and had the crowd singing and dancing the entire set.
Breath rose from shivering bones lined out the front doors of the historic Paramount Theatre last Thursday night. Fans emerged from beneath hats, scarves, and heavy coats as they entered from the zero degree tundra of 16th Street. Thursday night stripped away the guitar magic of Nels Cline and percussive poetry of Glenn Kotche and presented a grand opportunity to hear the songs of one of folk music’s most evolving musicians in the way they were written – just a man and his guitar.
Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam is truly a poet and a one man band. For his new album, ‘Ghost on Ghost,’ Beam sought to move from what he called the “anxious tension” of his two previous records. “This record felt like a reward to myself after the way I went about making the last few,” he says. Don’t miss him with a twelve piece band on Thursday night at The Paramount!
