Last night, John Mellencamp proved that he still knows how to put on a show, even after decades in the business. The Ellie Caulkins Opera House provided an intimate setting for a Rock icon of his stature, allowing fans to get up close and personal with their hero.
Saturday night, for only the second time in Coors Field’s history, a major concert rolled in, filling some forty thousand seats in the open air of downtown Denver. The massive stage sat in the center of the outfield, and fans blanketed the field, minus the precious infield. Even to a casual fan, the scale and setting alone was exciting. It had all the grandeur of a show at the Pepsi Center with the charm and comfort of a warm summer night in the open air. Zac Brown Band proceeded to rip through a long evening deep with covers and original hits.
In the past decade or so, old school R&B has seen a resurgence in popular culture that seems to have started in the U.K. but has bounced over the pond to America in that timeless game of musical ping pong the two countries play. But James Hunter has been playing R&B for 30 plus years and by his own admission even he was 20 years late to the game. Hunter, however, is pushing the boundaries of R&B by upending the genre’s normal tropes and motifs while still somehow operating within them.
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.
All the way back in 2005, Denver’s own Polytoxic started this tradition at the former Dulcinea’s 100th Monkey (now the 1UP-Colfax) just a half-block from the doors of The Fillmore. The boys brought up local musicians to help recreate The Band’s 1976 concert, The Last Waltz. It was the first such tribute for Denver and with so much success, Polytoxic started the Thanksgiving eve Tradition. Now, ten years later, after residencies at Cervantes’ and The Ogden, things have come almost full circle.
The last weekend of June has become synonymous with Widespread Panic here in Colorado and this year was no different as the band and their legions of fans descended on Morrison’s hollowed Red Rocks for three nights with the reigning titans of Southern Jam Rock. Despite some early rain that threatened to dampen spirits, let there be no mistake, the boys came out of the gates RAGING on Friday night and left everyone’s expectations high for the rest of the weekend.
The Ogden Theatre was sold-out for the 9th annual The Last Waltz Revisited concert last Wednesday. The Thanksgiving eve tradition is highly anticipated each year, and 2013 was no exception. Smiles abounded with warm hugs being exchanged and old friends reuniting as the venue filled up before the show. Hosted each year by Polytoxic members CR Gruver and Tori Pater, all in all more than 40 musicians graced the stage as they took part in the reenactment of one of the most famous concerts in Rock and Roll history.
Soul music has the wonderful property of evoking memories of musical marks made on the heart and that’s just one of the many reasons why the new EP from The Congress is quickly working its way into heavy rotation on our playlists. Recorded on a reel-to-reel tape machine in an old Masonic Temple in Berthoud, CO, “The Loft Tapes” pays tribute to the band’s influences with a collection of super chilled Soul classics that have a fittingly scratchy and vintage vibe.
Alabama Shakes not-so-subtle blend of fiery Blues-Bock and hard-hitting Southern Soul has drawn comparisons to the Black Keys, the Drive-By Truckers, and even Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings. Michael Kiwanuka’s acoustic Blues-Folk sound and timeless soulful voice has been favorably compared with the likes of Curtis Mayfield and Van Morrison. This is a must see show!
Polytoxic’s Annual Last Waltz Revisited is a Denver Thanksgiving tradition that was especially tasty this year. The Ogden was sold-out and filled with an energy that pulsed with love for the music of The Band on Thanksgiving Eve as four generations of audience members sang along to songs that have become ingrained in the fabric of our lives. Parents put their arms around their children, friends hugged each other in the middle of songs and people felt some of their favorite music in a way few get to experience.