By Bobbi Stark

The hippie burg of Nederland is not only known for its quirkiness, it down-right celebrates it. And no other celebration is more “Ned” than the annual Frozen Dead Guy Days festival — which pays homage to Bredo Morstol, whose remains have been frozen in dry ice in a Tuff Shed in Nederland since 1993.

While a big part of the festivities centers around coffin races and other things related to either death or being cold, like the Polar Plunge, the frozen salmon toss, or the parade of hearses, the festival has been growing its musical base over the last several years and this year, the event will feature 20 musical acts on two stages.

Here are our picks for some of the best.

:: The Longest Day of the Year ::

:: The Reanimate Yourself Tent  ::

:: (Located in Chipeta Park) ::

:: Friday, March 4 :: 4:00 — 5:15 ::

From deep within the tangled foothills of Boulder, Colorado, these grizzled Americana outlaws sing their stories like an old country song, but keep things unconventional with heavy influences in folk, rock, and traditional roots styles. Complete with harmonica, strings, drums and vocals, The Longest Day of the Year will start out Frozen Dead Guy Days with a raised glass and something for those frozen bones to stomp to.

:: Jon Ridnell Trio ::

:: The Reanimate Yourself Tent ::

:: Saturday, March 5 :: 10:45  — 11:30 ::

Originating from the New York funk rock scene in the late ’80s – early ’90s, and a staple in the Nederland scene since the mid-’90s, ace guitarist Jon Ridnell has released a slew of albums with his full band. And while this scaled down Trio set will feature a few less players, it will not in any way lessen the experience. Nederlanders are picky about their music, and Ridnell is one of the most respected players in town, so he’s already earned the seal of approval to open Saturday’s music.

:: The Zydecoasters ::

:: The Reanimate Yourself Tent  ::

:: Saturday, March 5:: 12:00 — 12:45::

Leftover Salmon’s very own original accordion players Joe Jogerst and Gerry Cavagnaro have joined forces with members of Zukes of Zydeco to create this “high energy zyde-cajun slam jam” known as The Zydecoasters. The driving melody of accordions paired with the complimentary strings, occasional woodwind/brass, and syncopated rhythm creates quite the hootenanny feel.

:: Ground Up ::

:: The Reanimate Yourself Tent  ::

:: Saturday, March 5 :: 1:15 — 2:00 ::

Since 2009, these homegrown heavy hitters have kept their sets full of energy, chunky beats, and danceable grooves. Ground Up has a distinct jam band rock style that weaves through the fields of funk and alleyways of improvisation seamlessly. This is music to dance to, sing to, drink to, and push coffins down a hill to.

:: Fat Rabbit ::

:: The Reanimate Yourself Tent  ::

:: Saturday, March 5 :: 3:00 — 4:00 ::

Nederland’s very own Fat Rabbit is a six-piece electric fusion band with a unique take on jazz and improvisational rock. The large furry creature samples veggies and herbs (mostly herbs) from gardens called Coltrane, Zappa, The Beatles, Miles, Traffic, and others — as it scampers the hills following the scent of ’50s, ’60s and ’70s musical exploration. These talented gentlemen deliver a highly refined, energetic concoction that samples some of Nederland’s most beloved genres.

:: ONDA::

:: Saturday, March 5 :: 4:30 — 5:30 ::

ONDA (Spanish for “vibe”) is a nine-piece Latin dance band that has made a name for itself as one of the best dance bands in the scene. Founded in 2000, its music is a wonderful mix of originals, traditional Latin standards and rhythms blended with funk, Latin jazz, cumbia, boogaloo, merengue and modern jam arrangements. ONDA’s eclectic arrangement of tasteful beats and rhythms is bound to create a relationship between audience and band.

:: The Mile Markers ::

:: Sunday March 6 :: 11:00  — 12:00 ::

The Mile Markers play “music for the new depression.” In a time of economic crisis when people are surrounded by all types of loss and fears, The Mile Markers take a minute to remind us that tomorrow is a new day. With the recent release of their new album Take to the Road, The Mile Markers continue to broaden their roots deeply burrowed in Americana and old time folk, using an expressive acoustic style that’s undoubtedly charming and authentic.

:: Elegant Survival ::

:: Saturday, March 6 :: 3:30  — 5:00 ::

With a name that is remarkably similar to the Ned band, Elephant Revival, who just released their sophomore album Break In The Clouds, “Elegant Survival” (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) is emerging with a neo-acoustic style, and the creation of a new cutting edge genre known as “transcendental folk.” In addition to having a similar name, the individual members appear to be exact twins of the players in Elephant Revival. Members of this pachyderm-adoring, highly respected quintet will mix with a slew of special guests for this rich, afternoon set.

:: Kort McCumber ::

:: Brain Freezer Tent ::

:: (Located on First Street) ::

:: Saturday, March 5th :: 12:30-2:00 ::

Singer/songwriter and classically trained musician extraordinaire Kort McCumber keeps things fresh and lively by merging country, folk, americana, blues, bluegrass, rock, and roots. Four albums deep, McCumber has been able to evolve through all his favorite genres and come full circle with his latest release Ain’t the Same as Before, which a No Depression writer said should have been named as the Americana album of 2009.

:: Silas Herman & Friends ::

:: Brain Freezer Tent ::

:: Sunday March 6 :: 12:00 — 12:45 ::

Silas Herman and Colin Huff, the sons of Leftover Salmon’s Vince Herman, are not just surrounded by musicians, but completely immersed in music to the point that it is no surprise that they would play themselves. What has been surprising, however, is the level of craftsmanship that they’ve brought to their playing, despite their relatively young ages. They will be joined by Nederland’s Dustin Greer and Mountain Standard Time’s Nick Dunbar for this set.

:: The Whiskey Bottles ::

:: Brain Freezer Tent ::

:: Sunday, March 6 :: 2:15 – 3:15 ::

The Whiskey Bottles, based out of Boulder, Colorado, does a crack job of covering

Americana/alt-country tunes from artists such as Lucinda Williams, Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, John Prine, Lyle Lovett, and more. Not, surprisingly, their original tunes follow along the tradition of the covers — with the emphasis on intimate songwriting with catchy hooks, sparkling melody, rich harmonies, and contagious rhythms.”

:: Oskar Blues :: CD Release show ::

:: June 11 ::

:: Gold Hill Inn :: CD Release show ::

:: June 12 ::

:: Lefthand Brewery ::

:: June 14 ::

:: Louisville Summer Concert Series ::

:: June 25 ::

:: Draft House (Boulder) ::

:: June 28 ::

By Joe Kovack

Kort McCumber has been musically reborn. Again.

The Colorado-by-way-of-Florida based singer/songwriter has, for years, been turning out bluegrass tinged Americana, but with his latest album, Aint the Same as Before, McCumber takes a hard left from the style of his last few albums toward a more rock and blues-fueled one. But that’s just McCumber, throwing away his preconceptions of what his music should sound like, and letting his songwriting dictate its fate.

“This is my seventh record, sixth solo record and I put out a DVD in 2007,” McCumber said in a recent interview with The Marquee. “So I’ve done a lot since my start in 2000 and each one was cut a little different. The early ones, I cut everything separately, but the last three records I cut my guitars and vocals together for a more live feel. This time I wanted the rhythm section and my stuff cut live, and it was super rewarding to pull that off. Being able to work with seasoned musicians who after about two or three takes and it was done was really impressive, to be able to create that in a studio setting was really rewarding.”

Born and raised in Jacksonville, Florida, Kort McCumber began his musical career by studying classical piano and cello from his mother. Though temporarily leaving the pursuit of music and following in his father’s and uncle’s footsteps as a Division I NCAA golfer, the love of music never fully left.

Having moved to Nashville early in 2000, it was after attending the Rocky Mountain Folk Festival in Lyons, Colo., McCumber realized it wasn’t golf that was his passion, it was playing and creating his own brand of music. On his website, McCumber states that he didn’t choose to become a musician, rather it was the music that chose him. And it was his love of playing and the naturalness of it that kept that fire alive. Living and playing in Nashville, he realized that his true potential wouldn’t be reached in “Music City,” but rather in the mountains of Colorado, where a few of his respected contemporaries were playing their diverse brand of folk and Americana to more receptive fans.

“I loved the music community out here; I loved the camaraderie about it.  I wanted to be a working musician, and in Nashville I was only playing a few gigs a month while working odd jobs. But what I wanted to do was play 15 to 20 shows a month, and when I came out here I was able to find a large number of great little mountain towns that were open to my kind of music,” said McCumber.

In 2003 McCumber moved to Gold Hill just outside Boulder, for good, following his dreams to be engrossed in these majestic mountains and to be a part of an eclectic musical region. “I’m such a fan of being in the mountains and not really being in big cities, and being in the mountains and in the remote has had a positive influence on my writing,” said McCumber.  “But what really affected me was that the musicians out here wanted to be here —wanted to play music here. And the audience here is so open to genre-mixing, where as in Nashville you almost have to stick to the more traditional formulas.”

A talented multi-instrumentalist, McCumber plays everything from guitar, banjo, mandolin, harmonica and piano in his brand of Americana that’s one part rock and blues, two parts country-bluegrass and all parts McCumber. But it is his songwriting abilities that have made him a Colorado favorite, and garnered him national and international recognition. A winner of last year’s Flat Rocks Festival Songwriting Competition in North Carolina and a finalist in this year’s International Songwriting Competition, McCumber has been humbled and inspired by the achievements, which only adds to his passion for touring and sharing his music with every town he visits.

Playing roughly 175 shows a year across the country, McCumber posts about 40,000 miles to his odometer annually, and is no stranger to the pleasures and perils of the road. “There’s so many things that happen. There’s breakdowns, accidents, but the great thing about touring is you get to meet a lot of great people and a lot of great musicians that I’ve been able to stay in touch with, and that has ended up shaping my music as well,” he said.

On June 11 at Oskar Blues in Lyons, Colo., McCumber will be celebrating the eighth anniversary of his first show in Colorado, which not coincidently was at Oskar Blues — fitting that it will also be a CD release party for his latest. The show is just one of many that McCumber will be playing in the next few weeks, and that’s the way he likes it. “Touring and being a tour musician is something I love to do, and my goal is to do it for a long time” he said. “I feel really lucky to live in Colorado and have this community of musicians and listeners, and to be around it is pretty special.”

:: Kort McCumber ::
:: Oskar Blues :: CD Release show ::
:: June 11 ::

:: Gold Hill Inn :: CD Release show ::
:: June 12 ::

:: Lefthand Brewery ::
:: June 14 ::

:: Louisville Summer Concert Series ::
:: June 25 ::

:: Draft House (Boulder) ::
:: June 28 ::

Recommended if you Like:
• Todd Snider
• Peter Rowan
• Brett Dennen

Dave Matthews Band

Live At Mile High Music Festival

RCA

3 out of 5

Let’s get something straight: Dave Matthews Band is not a jam band. They are a rock band and their fans mistakenly categorize them as a jam band. Their live jams are structured and there is very little real “band” improvisation going on anymore.

Ask any hardcore DMB fan and they will tell you exactly when the solos are coming and how they will end. I was a pretty big fan back in the 1990s. I saw my fair share of shows and still have a place in my heart for the group. I was at this show and it is always nice to have an official CD copy of a show you attended. However, this 3-disc set is a rock band, delivering more of the same.

Nothing really new here, except for two new cover songs which include a note-for-note rendition of Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer,” Sly & The Family Stone’s “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin),” and “So Damn Lucky” from Matthews’ solo release, Some Devil. Every other song has appeared on an official Dave Matthews live release and a staggering 11 of the album’s 21 songs were just released on Live At Piedmont Park last year.

Recorded on July 20, 2008 in Commerce City, CO as the closing set of the inaugural Mile High Music Festival, this 3-disc, 2-1/2 hour, multi-tracked set truly does sound amazing. This is clearly the best sounding live Dave Matthews Band release since 1999’s Listener Supported, although crowd noise can be a bit high in the mix at times for my taste.

Live At Mile High Music Festival is the first DMB release without saxophonist Leroi Moore, who died this past August, and the first to feature saxophonist Jeff Coffin (Bela Fleck & The Flecktones), who stepped in for Moore after he was killed in an ATV accident.

I am a dear member of the Leroi Moore fan club (he was one of my favorite members of the band) and while at this show and in listening to the CDs I must say: Moore is dearly missed. Yes, Coffin has chops and yes, he is a very technical player, but a certain amount of slickness is added to the band’s sound with Coffin’s tone. Just listen to his synthesized saxophone solo at the end of “#41”; I would rather listen to a Moore saxophone solo any day.

The band also features guitarist Tim Reynolds — who stepped in after keyboardist Butch Taylor unexpectedly left the band — and Rashawn Ross on trumpet. Reynolds takes his fair share of solo duties and turns in some fine solos on “Proudest Monkey” and “You Might Die Trying.” I don’t really know what happened in his solo at the end of “Jimi Thing,” but let’s just say things were obviously uninspired as he simply reverted to playing as many notes as possible over the grumbling groove.

Highlights of the set include the aforementioned cover songs, “You Might Die Trying,” a 14-minute “Two Step,” and an interpolation of The Flecktones’ “Sojurn of Arjuna” in “#41.”

Dave Matthews Band has made their name on constant touring and their high energy concerts. Simply put, they are one of the biggest touring bands in the world. I just wish they’d take more time off to write songs and give the fans a steady batch of studio albums (their last was released over three years ago). I am sure fans who were at this show will love this recording. For the fans who weren’t there, you didn’t miss much.

— Jonathan Keller

Phish

At The Roxy

Jemp Records

4.5 out of 5

Having been on hiatus for the better part of four years, Phish has released their fair share of archived live recordings through their Live Phish and their Live Downloads series during the break.

But the just-released 8-CD boxed set, At The Roxy, is easily one of the better releases thus far and deserves to be part of any jam head’s collection.

Recorded over a three-show run at The Roxy Theater in Atlanta, Georgia from February 19 to February 21, 1993, these six sets clearly show a band in transition — honing their improvisational skills which would soon guide them into arenas. If the late 1990s saw Phish bring the heavy funk, the early 1990s were clearly an improvisational extravaganza.

Take Disc Five for example, which is the second set from the February 20 show. Phish plays a staggering 18 songs which all seamlessly transition from one to the other and back again — over 60 minutes of non-stop music. The first half of the set is anchored by “Tweezer,” the middle floats in and out of “Mike’s Song,” and the end of the set uses “Weekapaug Groove” as its launching point.

While the February 20, second show, is clearly the highlight of the boxed set (it probably could have been released on its own as a Live Phish release and is rated as a Phan Pick #3 in The Pharmer’s Almanac), the other two shows still hold their own.

The February 19, first show (which was on John Fishman’s 28th birthday), features a 15-minute “David Bowie > Moby Dick > David Bowie” and also features a guest appearance by Jimmy Herring (Aquarium Rescue Unit, Phil & Friends, Widespread Panic) at the end of the second set on “Funky Bitch,” “My Sweet One,” “Hold Your Head Up” and “Llama.”

The February 21, third show, is pretty typical of the era with a 12-minute “Run Like An Antelope” and 11-minute “Lizards,” however, the guest appearance of banjoist Jeff Mosier (Aquarium Rescue Unit, Blueground Undergrass) throws quite a loop into the four-song encore. The band turns into a bluegrass band as they plow through Led Zeppelin’s “Good Times, Bad Times” into “Paul & Silas > Pig In A Pen.”

If anything, At The Roxy is a snapshot of a growing band that had just reached their first peak of improvisational creativity. As many Phish fans know, there would be many more moments in the years to come.

— Jonathan Keller

Johnny Cash

Remixed

Compadre Records

1.5 out of 5 stars

What a shame and what a waste!

As Johnny Cash’s famous Folsom Prison concerts turned 40 this year, coupled with the obvious boost in popularity from the Walk The Line film, Cash releases have been dropping like crazy. Of all of them however, this could be the worst.

The concept of this album (and accompanying DVD) seems like an acceptable idea, take some rappers and producers, including the legendary Snoop Dogg, and have them remix Cash’s hits. The result, however, misses the mark terribly.

Snoop starts off the album with a remix of “Walk the Line” and it’s nothing short of horrible. The majority of the track features Cash performing the track as we all know it, while Snoop’s contributions include adding a verse or two of freestyle rap with a few “yeah, yeahs” and “huh-huhs” over the top. It’s damn near unlistenable.

Other tracks are much more true to the remix nature with dance beats thrown down and around Cash’s tracks, and some are better than others, but not a one is something that’s worthy of a release.

All in all, the question as to why a remix hasn’t before been made of Cash’s songs is answered again and again. They don’t need a remix. The songs are fine they way they were written. Does “Doin’ My Time” really need drums and bass and re-done vocals? No.

What’s really surprising is that Snoop, and Cash’s son, John Carter Cash, are two of the executive producers of this bomb.

Sorry Snoop. I still want to puff with you, but this disc is a sacrilege and should have been left as a funny, middle-of-the-night, stoney concept.

— Brian F. Johnson

Joey Cape

Bridge

Suburban Home Records

I dropped this CD in because the cover looks like a screen print of a guy at my favorite tattoo shop (Bolder Ink, if you’re wondering). But the music on this CD isn’t something you’d hear in a tattoo shop, at all.

Joey Cape is a great singer/songwriter who avoids the pitfalls of lots of young musicians in his genre. His lyrics aren’t ultra-heavy and he doesn’t get too emotional, but his songs still make an emotional connection — and Cape does this simply with an acoustic guitar (and sometimes keyboard).

The stripped down nature of the songs shows the craftsmanship behind them. If they can sound this good in such a simple format, then those songs can only grow when Cape melds them with his bands, of which he has several — Lagwaong, The Playing Favorite, and Me First and the Gimme Gimmes.

— Brian F. Johnson

Kort McCumber & McCumberland Gap

Live Licks from the Boulder Theater

Lucky Nugget Records

4 out of 5 stars

This is a really well done video of a really well done country set at the Boulder Theater. McCumber harnesses the power of Colorado’s former country-fried artists and blends it with a Todd Snider-esque delivery that is sincere and professional. Having Greg Schochet on guitar and mando certainly doesn’t hurt either.

McCumber has been churning out Colorado country for several years now, and this video confirms that he’s getting better and better with age — like an old pair of boots.

— Brian F. Johnson

www.southparkmusictour.com

Dates: June 26-29

Location: Fairplay, CO

The South Park Music Tour is the highest festival in the country, according to its promoters, and that’s not just a nod to the fact that Fairplay is just under 10,000 feet in elevation. Hell, even the zip code ends in 420.
But beyond that, the South Park Music Tour is a gem for discovering bands and the lineup is made up predominantly of emerging artists. If each week you look at the local calendar and wonder who a lot of the local bands are, this is the festival to check out. Lots of Colorado bands play the festival and the ones who aren’t local regularly tour the region.

TRAVEL TIME:
(As calculated by mapquest.com from Denver, Colo. to Fairplay, Colo.)

Total Est. Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes

Total Est. Distance: 85.95 miles

YOU NEED TO KNOW: The old saying in Fairplay is “Come on vacation, leave on probation.” So, if you must break the law while in Fairplay, be very, very discreet about it.

PRICE: $

CAMPING: No

Artists:
VIP Kickoff Party
Larry W. Johnson & Richie CR Parsons
Gilli Moon
Sabrina Taylor
Breaking Laces
Caribbean Posse

Thursday, June 26
Sight Unseen
Kort McCumber
Holden Young Trio
Moose Knuckle

Friday, June 27
(die) PILOT
Propane Daises
B.L.A.C.K.
Brewed to Perfection
Chuck Lawson
The Quills
PAINT
Inelement
L-Toka
Rebecca Owen
Noctornal Tomatoes
The Last Seen
Gray Haven
Ebeneezer
Thomas Pace

Saturday, June 28
Anne Zimmerman
Bottoms Up Blues Gang
No-Longer Boys
AbleMonk
Y825
Mark Wayne Glasmire
Sene Africa
Dean Station
127
Buckner Funken Jazz
Amy Clark
Andre Comeau
Chris Burton Jacome
Intervision
Lunic
JD Feighner
Brethren Fast
Gigi Love
Sabrina Taylor
Hypernova
Tim Miller
Jiva Train
Walter Alias
Caribbean Posse
Gilli Moon
Nicole Torres
Logans Heroes
Dova Grove
Cari Dell
Saluting the Rockies
Breaking Laces
Switchpin
Anchondo
Ruby Dee & The Snakehandlers
The Trampolines
Olio
Strive Roots
Fina Dupa
Kelly Aspen

Sunday, June 29
Cody Crump
Amy & the Rock Sisters
Roger Falters
Motorhome
Gaia Rhythm Project
Dale Robertson
Gilli Moon
The Hobo Nickels
Debajo del Agua
Larry W. Johnson & Richie CR
Jennifer Lane
Stray Dog
Rosin Coven Caberet
Lion Vibes
Eric Roberts
Devastating Karate
Holden Young Trio
Jason Vigil
Martini Shot

Radiohead - In Rainbows
(TBD Records)

3.5 out of 5

Anyone who was even half-heartedly listening to the industry buzz last fall heard about Radiohead’s crazy idea to offer their newest album, In Rainbows, as a pay-what-you-think-it’s-worth-price download in October, months before the official release was to hit the streets.

The hype was so frantic (and loud) that we chose to wait on giving our take until the official release dropped, which it did on Jan. 1, 2008, to incredible success. It debuted at #1 in North America, and is the fifth consecutive Radiohead album to go to #1 in the U.K.

Now that we’ve waited though, we’re disappointed. The music we were enthralled with in the fall is a passing blip now, still worth a listen, but we feel it was the excitement of the release, and not the release itself that originally made us put this on repeat.

The music is very good, and as Rolling Stone raved, “Radiohead haven’t sounded this aggressive and infuriated — so rock and roll — since OK Computer.” The album received (and arguably deserves) four- and five-star reviews from Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, the L.A. Times, Picthfork Media and NME.

But when all is said and done, as great as an album as In Rainbows is, ultimately, it was the hype that was so worthy of all the accolades.

When it comes down to it, In Rainbows is a really, really good album, but it’s not the mind-blowing piece of musical work that everyone has hailed it as.

Several reviewers have commented that while Radiohead is well known for building to a climax and rewarding their audiences with massive payoffs once that climax is reached, In Rainbows feels like a big build with little orgasmic reward in the end.

Even as the songs grow on you, as we’ve had the chance to allow them to do for several months now, it’s still not an album that we’re reaching for on a daily basis. Yeah, sure, if the shuffle in iTunes picks it up, I won’t skip over it, but I’m also not seeking it out — which brings me to my point about In Rainbows. But in all honesty, it’s not my point, it’s actually the aforementioned Tiny Mix Tapes’s reviewer Mr. P. He wrote, and I agree wholeheartedly, that “any aesthetic critiques of the album will be surely overshadowed by what it will represent culturally 10 years down the line.”

A lot of folks were very quick to predict that by doing an early pay-what-you-want on-line release, Radiohead had made the new model for a music industry without record labels; that releases done this way would be the new way of doing things across the board.
I think Radiohead did an amazing thing here and I hope it sets the groundwork for things to come in the future, but the fact of the matter is that very few bands in the world have the clout or the resources (and most importantly, the fan base) to pull this model off. What Radiohead has done, however, will be remembered for years to come, as the industry still fights to find its footing amidst a new way of doing things. It’s tremendous, a glimmer of hope, and just downright fun, but it’s the release idea that are all of these things, not the album itself, and that’s where the disappointment lies.

A few other artists have tried (some successfully, others not so) to pull off this type of record industry coup. Wilco did something remotely similar with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Years later, though, when I stand in front of my CD rack, I grab that album because the music really was the most amazing thing about the release. So I hope the story on In Rainbows continues to be told over and over, because it is awesome. But I’m afraid that when people forget about the release hype, they may also forget about this release.
— Brian F. Johnson

Kort McCumber
Lickskillet Road
Lucky Nugget Records
4 out of 5

Kort McCumber is one of those guys on the local music scene that is, simply put, one hell of a nice guy. So it’s no wonder that when he sat down to record his latest album, Lickskillet Road, that he had a ton of fellow Front Range musicians who offered their help.
McCumber is joined by Danny Shafer, Greg Schochet, Sally Van Meter, and other Coloradoans, but McCumber also goes a little Nashville with the help of Vince Gill, who plays on a couple tracks on the album.

McCumber presented the CD at a release party in early January at the Boulder Theater to a packed house, and once you get the album on your stereo, it’s no wonder that so many folks showed up for the release.

Ten years ago this album would have been labeled straight country, but these days, the more discerning palette can easily detect the Americana, bluegrass, folk, singer/songwriter and, yes, country influences that permeate the entire album. It’s not like McCumber has a song from each genre. He has found a way to blend them into one, and does so with an effortlessness that’s truly amazing.
— Brian F. Johnson

:: Kort McCumber :: St. Julien ::

:: February 6 ::

Gashead
The Isolationist
FistMusic/Hapi Skratch Records
3.5 out of 5

Since 2003, GasHead has set the standards for instrumental speed metal, but with this latest release, Gashead has finally added something to their band that they’ve never had before, in the studio or on a stage — a mic stand.

The Isolationist is the band’s first full-length vocal album, produced by long-time Front Range guitar bad-ass Dave Beegle. Three of the vocal cuts are completed by local singer, James Brennan, while GasHead lead vocalist Josh Purdy holds down the majority of the tracks.
The addition of vocals has been carefully handled by the band. They add a lot without taking away from the hard-driving Satriani-style guitarwork that has always been the band’s cornerstone. It’s a slippery slope that so far the band has traversed miraculously. If the lyrics continue to be as strong in the future as the ones on The Isolationist, the band will have hit a stride that could carry them for some time.

— Brian F. Johnson

Kristina Ingham
The Sun I Built In You
Independent
3 out of 5

Kristina Ingham is a singer/songwriter, but her newest CD The Sun I Built In You has this hard-to-describe edge to it, that goes way beyond the aforementioned singer/songwriter genre. A good part of that sound may come from Boulder producer/musician Todd Ayers, who always manages to add extreme depth to the recordings he works on. But take away the sonic soundscape that Ayers adds and The Sun I Built In You stands on its own as some really strong, even aggressive acoustic music that is deep without being depressing and light-hearted without being flaky.

— Brian F. Johnson

:: Kristina Ingham ::

:: Hatch Cover :: February 7 ::

:: Crown Hill taphouse :: February 9 ::

:: Hatch Cover :: February 14 ::

:: Niwot Tavern :: February 16 ::

:: Hatch Cover :: February 21 ::

:: Waterloo Icehouse :: February 24 ::

Carbon Choir
EP
Independent
4 out of 5

Boulder’s own answer to Radiohead, Carbon Choir, has just released its debut EP, which was recorded at Coupe Studios in Boulder and engineered by John McVey.

The EP is excellent, there’s only one problem with it: It’s just an EP and not a full album. Otherwise, the three tracks that are on it are excellent, melodic indie rock.
— Brian F. Johnson

:: Carbon Choir ::

:: Toad Tavern :: February 7 ::

:: Hi-Dive:: February 21 ::

Ominous Words
Kill The Static
Independent
3.5 out of 5

Ominous Words has been around for several years in California, but with Kill The Static, Ominous Words throws its hat in the ring with other articulate and intelligent rappers like Sage Francis, Aesop Rock and others who are bringing brains into the rap game.
Ominous Words is Steve Caprio, and on this album Caprio preaches about the wrongs and the rights of our country. He even gives a huge plug to the marijuana lobby NORML and its founder, Keith Stroup, who I’ve met and is worthy of more plugs on more albums.
— Brian F. Johnson

Wednesday, February 1

Kung Fu, Smooth Money Gesture – Hodi’s Half Note

Smack Thompson – Pearl Street Pub

Microphone Militants – Cervantes’ Other Side

The Michael D Band – Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar

Subtlemon – Little Bear Saloon

Defile The Pure, Stasis of Seasons – Herman’s Hideaway

Violet Lights, Common Anomaly – Moe’s BBQ & Bowl

Busdriver – AF Rays

Dechen Hawk – Bittersweet Park

The Lemonheads – The Black Sheep

Garrett Sayers Trio – Highland Tap & Burger

Telephone Army – Rock ‘n’ Soul Café

GogoLab – Appaloosa Grill

Meryl Romer Quintet – Dazzle Jazz Club Showroom

The Violet Lights – Moe’s BBQ Bear Creek

Authority Zero, Voodoo Glow Skulls – The Marquis Theatre

El Ten Eleven with Races – Fox Theatre

Josh Blackburn – Baker Street Pub & Grill Lakewood

Weston Smith – The Laughing Goat

Goldman Brothers – Baker Street Pub & Grill Denver

A Different Kind of Tension – Skylark Lounge

Marty Nightengale – Baker Street Westminster

Randy Olinger and Luke Schmaltz – Bender’s Tavern

Great Outdoors – Grizzly Rose

Kort McCumber – St. Julien Hotel

Thursday, February 2

Hickman-Dalton Gang, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers – Soiled Dove Underground

The FTP Band – Ziggie’s Saloon

Great Outdoors – Grizzly Rose

The Handymen – Bar Double S

Tantric Picasso, Tommy & The Tangerines, The Marrow – Bluebird Theater

Speach Impediments, S.T.O.I.C. – Oriental Theatre

Ella’s Patience – Herman’s Hideaway

Late Train – Little Bear Saloon

Big Trouble – Hi-Dive

Danny Shafer – Jamestown Mercantile

Rogue Valley – Larimer Lounge

Xerxes – Blast O Mat

Brother Bagman – Avogadros Number

Josh Blackburn – Baker Street Pub & Grill Lakewood

Statue of Liberty – The Laughing Goat

Mullet Over – Baker Street Pub & Grill Denver

Crimson Sky – Baker Street Westminster

One Sun One Moon – Lion’s Lair

Dechen Hawk – St. Julien Hotel

Mark Brut – Meade Street Station

Jim Adams and John Stilwagen – Boulder Outlook Hotel

Eric Wiggs Trio – Caffe Sole

Rosie Ledet and the Zydeco Playboys – Quixotes True Blue

John McKay Band – Appaloosa Grill

Attack Attack – Aggie Theatre

Bill Martin – Swallow Hill Café

The Shwilbillies – Herb’s

Rowdy Shadehouse – Somewhere Else

Dirty Lightning – Toad Tavern

Real Nasty – D-Note

Joe Nichols – Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar & Grill

Blow the Vault – Walnut Room

El Ten Eleven, Races – Hodi’s Half Note

Morsoul – Conor O’Neill’s (Boulder)

Erik Deutsch Band CD Release – Jazz Barn Fort Collins

Atomga Groove Alliance, Sunsquabi, James and the Devil, Whiskey Tango, The Big Motif – Cervantes’ Other Side

Native Daughters, Extreme Turbo Smash – The Marquis Theatre

Craig Corona – Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids & Solids

Grant Farm – Whistler’s Café

Adventure Club, Dirt Monkey – Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom

Maelstroms – The Black Sheep

Kung Fu, Smooth Money Gesture – Fox Theatre

Friday, February 3

Grub Street Writer – The Laughing Goat

Tristen Brooke – Jake’s Food & Spirits

The Lemonheads – Fox Theatre

Easy Bill and the Big Beat – Skylark Lounge

Alpin Hong – Rialto Theater

Boomchicken – Conor O’Neill’s (Boulder)

The Real Nasty – Cactus Jack’s Saloon

The Foot. – Rockstar Lounge

Harmonious Junk – Highland Pacific

Medic, Viretta – Moe’s BBQ & Bowl

Gristle Gals – Rock Inn Mountain Tavern

Ten Pound Elephant – Lazy Dog Sports Bar & Grill

Willy Porter – Soiled Dove Underground

She Said String Band – Pioneer Inn

Cedar Avenue Blues Band – Ziggie’s Saloon

Something Underground – Nissi’s

Robotic Pirate Monkey – Aggie Theatre

Convergence – Dazzle Jazz Club Showroom

Mighty High, New Speedway Boogie – Quixotes True Blue

Brother Bagman – Pete’s Monkey Bar

Katey Laurel – D-Note

Soul Force – Herb’s

Marty Hecker – Walnut Room Pizzeria

Moses Jones – Baker Street Pub & Grill Denver

The Shwilbillies – Whistler’s Café

The Michael D Band – Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar

Under A Blood Red Sky – Walnut Room

Mike Dillon, The Pretty Sure – Cervantes’ Other Side

Moses Jones – Baker Street Pub & Grill

Prophet Massive, J.Wail – Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom

Nautical Mile – Out’a Bounds Saloon

Tom Weiser & Paul Fowler Jazz Duo – Caffe Sole

Brian Hornbuckle – Lincoln’s Roadhouse

Choke The Word – Toad Tavern

Mosey West – Larimer Lounge

Magnolia Row – Upslope Brewery

Ana Sia, Coult 45 – Casselman’s Bar

3 Grams Over an Ounce – Gothic Theatre

VooDoo Hawks – Back East Bar & Grill

Tiny Barge and the Big Chill – Little Bear Saloon

Erik Deutsch’s “The Kids are Alright: A Tribute to Britsh Rock – University of Colorado at Boulder

Old-Fashioned Hootenanny – Tuft Theater at Swallow Hill

Hickman-Dalton Gang, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers – Road 34 Bike Bar

Broken Everlys – Appaloosa Grill

Joe For Nothing – Baker Street Westminster

White Fudge – Berkeley Inn

Sweet Corn – Meade Street Station

Thumpin’, Retrosonics – Buffalo Rose

Clarks Quark – Jamestown Mercantile

Sammy Dee Morton Band – Jordinellis

Busdriver – Hodi’s Half Note

Billy Dean – Grizzly Rose

Idlewhile – Bar Double S

DJ Tower – La Rumba

The Informants – Bender’s Tavern

The Grant Farm, Chris Thompson and Coral Creek – Oriental Theatre

Wendy Woo Band – Oskar Blues

Ronnie Raygun – Baker Street Pub & Grill Lakewood

Ryan Adams – Temple Buell Theatre

Ricky Earl – Boulder Outlook Hotel

Cass McCombs Band – Hi-Dive

The Ghost Towners – Lion’s Lair

Beats Noir! – Dazzle Jazz Club Dizzy Room

Selassee – St. Julien Hotel

P-Nuckle, Apex Vibe, Buntron Smith – Herman’s Hideaway

Hazel Miller Band – Dicken’s Opera House

The Poudre River Irregulars – Avogadros Number

Envisions – The Marquis Theatre

No Bueno – Summit Music Hall

Dr. Dog – Boulder Theater

Danny Shafer’s 21 Century Band – Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids & Solids

Saturday, February 4

From Slaves to Kings – The Black Sheep

Joe For Nothing – Baker Street Westminster

Boa & Jody – Oskar Blues Tasty Weasel Tap Room

King Stan – Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids & Solids

Soma – Bushwacker’s Saloon

Mango Fan Django – Rico’s Café

Ayo Awosika – Leon Art Gallery

Mestizo – St. Julien Hotel

Eye and the Arrow, M & the Gems, Princess Music – Meadowlark Bar

Buntron Smith – Buffalo Rose

Reverend Hooch – Zephyr Lounge

The Michael D Band – Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar

Randall Dubis Band – Oskar Blues

Mojo Mama – Boulder Outlook Hotel

Joe Bye – Meade Street Station

Busdriver – The Marquis Theatre

Chain Station – Whistler’s Café

The Gristle Gals – Avogadros Number

The Congress – Shack at Shug’s

David Amram Quartet – Dazzle Jazz Club Showroom

Hornbuckle Band – Cactus Jack’s Saloon

Adventure Club – Aggie Theatre

Moeses Jones – Baker Street Pub & Grill Denver

Danny Shafer and 21st Century – Pioneer Inn

Deja Blu – Nissi’s

WakaWinter Classic: Good Gravy!, Oak Creek, Twine! – Hodi’s Half Note

Neal Whitlock – Rock Inn Mountain Tavern

The Stanleytones – Bar Double S

The Martini Shot – Thirsty Parrot

Urban Dance Theory – Herb’s

Moses Jones – Baker Street Pub & Grill

Smooth Money Gesture – Ancient Mariner

Grant Farm, Interstate Stash Express – Dicken’s Opera House

Hickman-Dalton Gang, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers – Road 34 Bike Bar

Harmonious Junk – Zio Romolo’s Alley Bar

Stanley Milton – Lincoln’s Roadhouse

The Real Nasty – Quixotes True Blue

Nevermind the 90’s, The Worthingtons – Fado’s Irish Pub

Passion Pit (DJ Set) – Summit Music Hall

Danny B. Harvey’s Rockabilly Trio – Skylark Lounge

Digital Beat Down, Technicolor Tone Factory – Lazy Dog Sports Bar & Grill

Magic Beans, Jet Edison – Mishawaka Inn

This City Awaits – Lion’s Lair

Liza Oxnard with GogoLab – Appaloosa Grill

Places – Little Bear Saloon

Robotic Pirate Monkey – Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom

Rocky Mountain Opera Bowl – Bender’s Tavern

Cash’d Out – Boulder Theater

Last Castrato – Moe’s BBQ & Bowl

Willy Porter – Soiled Dove Underground

Ayo Awosiko Band – Leon Denver

Lotus, Octopus Nebula – Fillmore Auditorium

Kick Majestic – GNU: Experience Gallery

The Galt Line, Dustin Edge – The Laughing Goat

Le Divorce CD Release, The Don’ts and Be Carefuls, Ending People – Hi-Dive

Author Unknown – Toad Tavern

Scalafrea, HateFace – Gothic Theatre

Love and Light – Larimer Lounge

Jewel and the Rough – Baker Street Pub & Grill Lakewood

Lion Souljahs, Desciples, Irie Still – Herman’s Hideaway

Hogback Blues Band – Ziggie’s Saloon

David Grisman Bluegrass Experience, Good Gravy – Ogden Theatre

Great Outdoors – Grizzly Rose

Hearts in Space – Walnut Room

Kutt Calhoun – The Roxy

Chordis Blue – Jamestown Mercantile

Blue Canyon Boys – D-Note

Alabama Shakes – Fox Theatre

Bill McKay – Conor O’Neill’s (Boulder)

Nathan Cahoone – Walnut Room Pizzeria

Lo Down On The Mothership – Oriental Theatre

Sunday, February 5

Wadrium – Nissi’s

Great Outdoors – Grizzly Rose

Ten Pound Elephant – Herb’s

Love & Light – Aggie Theatre

The Longest Day of the Year – Eldora Ski Resoert

Mad Dog and the Smokin Js – Lion’s Lair

The Clamdaddys – Appaloosa Grill

Mark Diamond – Boulder Outlook Hotel

Mike Dillon and Lovetet – Hodi’s Half Note

The Lone Garage Massacre – The Laughing Goat

Monday, February 6

Magnolia Row – Sancho’s Broken Arrow

Tomgirls, The Minor Note Orchestra – 3 Kings Tavern

Mike Dillon – Shack at Shug’s

Jet Edison – Southern Sun Pub & Brewery

Scale The Summit – The Marquis Theatre

aBEAS – Herb’s

Awesome Mother Pluckers and World Citizen – Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom

Brad Goode Jazz Quartet – Caffe Sole

The Expendables – The Black Sheep

Falling in Reverse – Summit Music Hall

Anchored – Moe’s BBQ & Bowl

Kingman Brewster – Cervantes’ Other Side

Wiskeyfolk ft. The Congress – Appaloosa Grill

Tuesday, February 7

Rising Lion – Quixotes True Blue

DJ Battle & Showcase ft. Dbridge – Cervantes’ Other Side

The Joints – The Laughing Goat

The Reverend Jim Jams – Bender’s Tavern

Lost Lander – Larimer Lounge

Slamabama – Grizzly Rose

Kristin Philbrook – Dazzle Jazz Club Showroom

White Dress – Walnut Room

Synth Reaction – Hodi’s Half Note

Sylvia Songwriter Round – Bar Double S

Big Wheel Electrosoul – Appaloosa Grill

B3 Jazz Project – Herb’s

Dan Treanor – Boulder Outlook Hotel

Monarch Jazz Band – Nissi’s

August Burns Red – Summit Music Hall

Children Of Bodom – Gothic Theatre

Wednesday, February 8

Lionized, Lindsay & the Lost Cavern – Herman’s Hideaway

Greensky Bluegrass, Oakhurst – Bluebird Theater

The Reds – Baker Street Pub & Grill Lakewood

Bill McKay – St. Julien Hotel

The Get Down Easy’s, Silent Bear – The Laughing Goat

Slamabama – Grizzly Rose

Dallas – Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar

The Brown Stripes – Baker Street Westminster

Sean Costanza – Meade Street Station

Roster McCabe, The Big Motif – Hodi’s Half Note

Rising Lion – Shack at Shug’s

Hwy. 287 – Pearl Street Pub

Tumbling Dice – Little Bear Saloon

The Hits, Young Analog – Cervantes’ Other Side

A Different Kind of Tension – Skylark Lounge

Kenny Neal with Sammy Dee Morton – Soiled Dove Underground

The Expendables – Aggie Theatre

Garrett Sayers Trio – Highland Tap & Burger

Leaded – Larimer Lounge

Georgann Low CD Release – Dazzle Jazz Club Showroom

Joseph Barton Trio – Appaloosa Grill

Dechen Hawk – Bittersweet Park

The Toasters – The Black Sheep

Josh Blackburn – Baker Street Pub & Grill Denver

Randy Olinger and Luke Schmaltz – Bender’s Tavern

Whistle Pigs – Front Range BBQ Colorado Springs

You Me and Apollo – Hi-Dive

Thursday, February 9

JV3 – Baker Street Westminster

Eef and the Blues Express – Boulder Outlook Hotel

Dave Randon Trio – Herb’s

Kenny Neal – Dicken’s Opera House

The Reds – Baker Street Pub & Grill Lakewood

The Handymen – Bar Double S

Andrew Berlin & Friends, Mark’s Midnight Carnival Show, The Symbols – Herman’s Hideaway

Grown Ass Man Band – Appaloosa Grill

Doubtful Sound – The Laughing Goat

Quantum – St. Julien Hotel

Chimney Choir – Meade Street Station

Razor Blade Hand job – GNU: Experience Gallery

Quentin Young Band – Little Bear Saloon

Reso & Evol Intent – Bluebird Theater

Dave Sonner & The American Campus – Hi-Dive

Pete & Joan Wernick, The Winstons – Nissi’s

Rocktin Grove – Ziggie’s Saloon

In The Whale – Soiled Dove Underground

Steve Manshel – Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids & Solids

Sarah Louise Pieplow, The Longest Day of the Year – Swallow Hill Café

Conspirator – Aggie Theatre

Josh Blackburn – Baker Street Pub & Grill Denver

Mat Kearney – The Black Sheep

2Lau – Larimer Lounge

Dallas – Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar

Casey James Prestwood and The Burning Angels – Walnut Room

Lollygags – Skylark Lounge

Jet Edison & Friends – Conor O’Neill’s (Boulder)

Sam Holt Band, Dr. Phil Good & High Peaks – Quixotes True Blue

The People Upstairs – Jamestown Mercantile

THUNK – Hodi’s Half Note

Roster McCabe – Shack at Shug’s

The Toasters – The Marquis Theatre

Big Money Quartet – Dazzle Jazz Club Dizzy Room

Cassie Taylor and the Soul Cavalry – Lion’s Lair

Slamabama – Grizzly Rose

Matt O’Ree Band – SouthSide Johnny’s

The Farewell Drifters – Avogadros Number

Dexter Payne Quartet – Caffe Sole

Peter Eldridge & Lauren Kinhan – Dazzle Jazz Club Showroom

Greensky Bluegrass – Fox Theatre

Friday, February 10

Pamlico Sound & Zobomaze – Shack at Shug’s

Mitya – Lion’s Lair

Conspirator – Fox Theatre

Mosey West –  Waterloo Louisville

Smack Thompson – First Street Pub and Grill

Moses Jones – G.I. Jodi’s Bar & Grill

moe. – Boulder Theater

Lights – Journey Tribute – Casselman’s Bar

New Asteroids – Larimer Lounge

Bop Skizzum’s 1st Annual Nerd Prom – Gothic Theatre

Mat Kearney – Ogden Theatre

Farewell Drifters with The Gromet, The Maykit – Moe’s BBQ & Bowl

Boondox, The Drp – The Roxy

TAUNTAUN, Git Some, Lion Sized, Speedwolf – 3 Kings Tavern

david Thomas Bailey – Walnut Room Pizzeria

Achille Lauro – Hi-Dive

Contagion Leukorrhea – The Black Sheep

Knight Riderz, CRUSHENDO – Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom

World According to Garth – Grizzly Rose

DJ Roger Sampson – La Rumba

The Dyrty Byrds – Cervantes’ Other Side

Lenny Kravitz – Temple Buell Theatre

The Unicorn Love Party! W/ DJs: Earth, Milk, Miraja, Ishe – Oriental Theatre

Matt Nasi Band, Anesthesia Blvd, Petals of Spain – Herman’s Hideaway

Reno Divorce, King Rat – Bender’s Tavern

Perpetual Groove, The Werks – Bluebird Theater

Drivepilot – Aggie Theatre

Holly Rae & The Snap Shot Band – Zephyr Lounge

AOA – Herb’s

Widespread Panic – Fillmore Auditorium

Greensky Bluegrass, Oakhurst – Hodi’s Half Note

Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, Lionize – The Marquis Theatre

ProjectLogic Post Panic Party – Sherman Street Event Center

Shakedown Street – Quixotes True Blue

Beats Noir – Walnut Room

Papa Juke – Cactus Jack’s Saloon

Jockamo – Boulder Outlook Hotel

The Long Run – Nissi’s

The Circus of the Dead – Rock Inn Mountain Tavern

Honeycomb – Lazy Dog Sports Bar & Grill

Less Than Zero – Back East Bar & Grill

Smokestack Relics – Bushwacker’s Saloon

In Flames – Summit Music Hall

Dierks Bentley – Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar

Gristle Gals – The Laughing Goat

Bobby Broom & the Deep Blue Organ Trio – Dazzle Jazz Club Showroom

Tom Rush – L2 Arts & Culture Center

Jo Jo Reed Zydeco – Oskar Blues

High Desert – Rock ‘n’ Soul Café

Buffalo Rebellion – Appaloosa Grill

Supercollider – Dazzle Jazz Club Dizzy Room

Dave Richey & The Ruined Nation Boys – Avogadros Number

Delta Sonics – Lincoln’s Roadhouse

Opie Gone Bad – Little Bear Saloon

Jim Brickman – Boettcher Concert Hall

Quemando – Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids & Solids

Redline Radio – Baker Street Westminster

The Reds – Baker Street Pub & Grill Denver

Monocle – Conor O’Neill’s (Boulder)

Steve Frame – Bar Double S

Wendy Woo – Exchange Tavern

Abigail Williams – Old Curtis Street Bar

Doc Brown’s Blues Band – Ziggie’s Saloon

Dan Sherrill – Meade Street Station

DJ Jenkins – Jamestown Mercantile

Brad Upton Quartet – Caffe Sole

Ester Sparks – Pioneer Inn

Kelli Said – Baker Street Pub & Grill Lakewood

The Afronauts, Atomga Groove Alliance – Dicken’s Opera House

Saturday, February 11

Nasty Ways, Eliot Lipp – Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom

Janis Kelly – Caffe Sole

Conspirator – Bluebird Theater

Riff Raff Band – Pioneer Inn

Roster McCabe, The Ragbirds – Cervantes’ Other Side

Marty Hecker – Walnut Room Pizzeria

Hazel Miller – Nissi’s

D. J. Robin – Zephyr Lounge

Steve Frame – Bar Double S

Varlet, Chella Negro, The Belle Jar – Walnut Room

Wendy Woo Band – Out’a Bounds Saloon

Snake Rattle Rattle Snake – Hi-Dive

Jon B Be My Valentine Bash – Gothic Theatre

The Desciples – Dicken’s Opera House

Dallas – Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar

Eric Dorn Trio – Meade Street Station

Bizzy Bone – Herman’s Hideaway

Dick and Lois Meis – Bender’s Tavern

Long Road Home – Broomfield Auditorium

Jewel and the Rough – Baker Street Westminster

The Mile Markers – Blue Owl Books Nederland

Extreme Turbo Smash – Moe’s BBQ & Bowl

New Classics – Herb’s

ReaLifeActual – Aggie Theatre

Elway – GNU: Experience Gallery

Shot Thru the Heart – Fado’s Irish Pub

Paa Kow & By All Means – Appaloosa Grill

Gary Hall – Rock Inn Mountain Tavern

The Waymores – Chautauqua Auditorium

Miniskus – Conor O’Neill’s (Boulder)

Ms. Krazie – Casselman’s Bar

Interstate Stash – Lazy Dog Sports Bar & Grill

moe. – Boulder Theater

Monroe Monroe Valentine’s Day EP Release, Novus Folium, Fierce Bad Rabbit – The Marquis Theatre

Benny Green Trio – Dazzle Jazz Club Showroom

Kelli Said – Baker Street Pub & Grill Lakewood

Delta Sonics – Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids & Solids

Moses Jones – G.I. Jodi’s Bar & Grill

The Juniper Trees – The Laughing Goat

Greensky Bluegrass, Oakhurst – Hodi’s Half Note

Bare Knuckle Blues – Ziggie’s Saloon

Delicious Point – Cactus Jack’s Saloon

Darren Rahn and Paul Brown – Soiled Dove Underground

Less Than Zero – Back East Bar & Grill

Brothers of the Sun – Little Bear Saloon

Perpetual Groove – Fox Theatre

Mike Hogan – Oskar Blues Tasty Weasel Tap Room

Widespread Panic – Fillmore Auditorium

Dakota Blonde – L2 Arts & Culture Center

Slamabama – Grizzly Rose

Shakedown Street, Matt O’Ree Band, – Quixotes True Blue

Remnant, Lula Granji – Rock ‘n’ Soul Café

JP Soars – Boulder Outlook Hotel

Jaden Carlson – Jamestown Mercantile

Claymore Disco – Lion’s Lair

Mad Dog and the Smokin J’s – Skylark Lounge

Cupcake Cabaret Burlesque Revue – Avogadros Number

The Reds – Baker Street Pub & Grill Denver

Faceman CD Release – Road 34 Bike Bar

Yawpers, Lindsay and The Lost Carvan – Shack at Shug’s

Maylene & Sons of Disaster – The Black Sheep

The Farewell Drifters – Oskar Blues

Reckless Red – Lincoln’s Roadhouse

Pelta-Tiller Duo, Taarka – Harmony Music House

3 Grams Over An Ounce – 12 Volt Tavern

Dechen Hawk –  Waterloo Louisville

Sunday, February 12

etown: Elephant Revival, Jimmy Lafave – Boulder Theater

Spit Factory 7 – The Roxy

Danny Shafer and The 21st Century – Oskar Blues

George Nelson – Herb’s

Slamabama – Grizzly Rose

Widespread Panic – Fillmore Auditorium

Adam Lockwood, Whiskey Autumn – Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom

QDiva Experience – The Laughing Goat

Bobby V. – Casselman’s Bar

Benny Green Trio – Dazzle Jazz Club Showroom

Controlled Demise – Gothic Theatre

Willy Porter – Avogadros Number

Shotgun Shogun – Lion’s Lair

The Clamdaddys – Appaloosa Grill

Heavy Cats – Boulder Outlook Hotel

Eric Mcfadden Trio, Matt O’Ree Band, MiniVan Blues Band – Quixotes True Blue

Mad Dog and the Smokin J’s – Lincoln’s Roadhouse

The Dinosaur Squad – Walnut Room

Cursive – Larimer Lounge

The Big Motif – Lola

Jack Yoder – Little Bear Saloon

2nd Sunday Sillies – Highland Pacific

Monday, February 13

Twin Sister – Hi-Dive

DJ Wilson – Herb’s

Whistle Pig’s – Sancho’s Broken Arrow

Craig Finn – Larimer Lounge

Brad Goode Jazz Quartet – Caffe Sole

ProximitY – Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom

Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra Big Band – Dazzle Jazz Club Showroom

The Heavy Cats – Pearl Street Pub

Ultraviolet Hippopotamus – Southern Sun Pub & Brewery

Tuesday, February 14

Tony Furtado, A Side of Gravy – Hodi’s Half Note

Hot Chelle Rae – Bluebird Theater

Days of Rae – Walnut Room Pizzeria

The Slackers – Aggie Theatre

Julius – The Man of 1000 Voices – Soiled Dove Underground

Bag Lady Sue – Cactus Jack’s Saloon

The Thurston Group – The Laughing Goat

The Love Royale – Dazzle Jazz Club Showroom

The Jamesons – Oskar Blues

The Features – The Black Sheep

Wendy Woo – Rock ‘n’ Soul Café

Chucho Valdez – Newman Center for Performing Arts

Justin Donovan – Appaloosa Grill

The Reverend Jim Jams – Bender’s Tavern

Walker Williams – Grizzly Rose

Hookers Ball: The Pamlico Sound – Pioneer Inn

Rightfully Accused CD Release featuring Jace Hill – Herman’s Hideaway

The She Strings-UNvalentines Day Bash! – Rock Inn Mountain Tavern

B3 Jazz Project – Herb’s

Delta Sonics – Boulder Outlook Hotel

Aeroplane – Larimer Lounge

Gordon Green – Bar Double S

AOA – Nissi’s

Samples, NEST – Cervantes’ Other Side

Wednesday, February 15

Astrobeats – Little Bear Saloon

Leigh Nash – Soiled Dove Underground

Jenny Owens Youngs – Larimer Lounge

Randy Olinger and Luke Schmaltz – Bender’s Tavern

Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks – Fox Theatre

Cowgirl Radio – The Laughing Goat

Brown Stripes – Baker Street Pub & Grill Lakewood

The Dangerous Summer – The Marquis Theatre

Tribute to the Rolling Stones – Oskar Blues

The Darkness, Foxy Shazam, Crown Jewel Defence – Summit Music Hall

A Different Kind of Tension – Skylark Lounge

Marty Nightengale – Baker Street Pub & Grill Denver

Lady Antebellum, Darius Rucker – Pepsi Center

Tyler T. – Lucky Joe’s Sidewalk Saloon

Tatanka – Shack at Shug’s

Leroy Justice – Cervantes’ Other Side

Dechen Hawk – Bittersweet Park

Stage Hogz – Meade Street Station

Ballyhoo! – Aggie Theatre

The Slackers – Bluebird Theater

The Longest Day of the Year – Pearl Street Pub

Walker Williams – Grizzly Rose

Garrett Sayers Trio – Highland Tap & Burger

Forest Kelly And The Bob Schlesinger Trio – Nissi’s

Ash Ganley Band – St. Julien Hotel

Nathan Dean & the Damn Band – Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar

Pressed And Wrecked – GNU: Experience Gallery

DJ FXP: Diaries of a Lyricist Release Party – Herman’s Hideaway

Josh Blackburn – Baker Street Westminster

Thursday, February 16

Jonah Wineski Band – Appaloosa Grill

Nathan Dean & the Damn Band – Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar

Jami Lunde, Turn 4 – Walnut Room

Pena – Larimer Lounge

The Mile Markers and The She Said String – Swallow Hill Café

Cunninlynguists – Aggie Theatre

Gingaa – Caffe Sole

Magpie – Jamestown Mercantile

Dave Randon Trio – Herb’s

Johnny O Band – Boulder Outlook Hotel

Ellyn Rucker and Keith Oxman – Dazzle Jazz Club Showroom

Monoco – Herman’s Hideaway

Monocle, String Board Theory – Conor O’Neill’s (Boulder)

The Burned and Carbon Choir – Shack at Shug’s

Straight Outta Luck – Lion’s Lair

The Epilogues, The Heyday – Hi-Dive

Steve Kovalcheck Trio – Dazzle Jazz Club Dizzy Room

Weekend Medicine – Baker Street Pub & Grill Denver

Randy Travis – Grizzly Rose

The Handymen – Bar Double S

Mux Mool and B. Bravo – Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom

Stubby Shilleigh – Meade Street Station

Katey Laurel – St. Julien Hotel

Josh Blackburn – Baker Street Westminster

Lindsay and The Lost Caravan – Meadowlark Bar

Ultraviolet Hippopotamus, 4onthefloor – Cervantes’ Other Side

JV3 – Baker Street Pub & Grill Lakewood

Dumpstaphunk – Fox Theatre

Tommy and the Tangerines – Avogadros Number

Excision – Ogden Theatre

Prarie Schlors – Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids & Solids

Lounge Eater – Skylark Lounge

King Guy, Just Breathe – Moe’s BBQ & Bowl

Phil Lesh & Friends – 1STBANK Center

Saints, We Were Cosmonauts – The Marquis Theatre

Mad Dog and the Smokin’ J’s – Ziggie’s Saloon

Tennis – Bluebird Theater

MiniVan Blues Band, SlopeSide – Quixotes True Blue

Friday, February 17

Soulive – Fox Theatre

DJ Doc Martin – Bar Standard

Chainsaw Love Affair, The Blackouts – Bender’s Tavern

Blue Krewe – Oskar Blues

The Burned – Cervantes’ Other Side

Cunninlynguists – Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom

Moses Jones – Herb’s

Johnny O Band – Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids & Solids

Wale – Summit Music Hall

Ballyhoo! – The Marquis Theatre

Highwater – Conor O’Neill’s (Boulder)

The Guests – Rock ‘n’ Soul Café

Randy Travis – Pikes Peak Center

Nathan Cahoone – Walnut Room Pizzeria

Excision – Ogden Theatre

Selasee – Appaloosa Grill

Lula Granji – Moe’s BBQ & Bowl

Phil Lesh & Friends – 1STBANK Center

Mid-Winter Bluegrass Festival – Northglenn Ramada Plaza

Tony Furtado Band – Soiled Dove Underground

Tim Crawford Band – Ziggie’s Saloon

Future Rock – Bluebird Theater

Futurebirds – Larimer Lounge

MiniVan Blues Band – Little Bear Saloon

Laura Gibson – Hi-Dive

Wendy Woo – D-Note

PANAL S.A. DE C.V. – Walnut Room

Roots & Rhythm – Katie Mullen’s Irish Pub

Tyson Ailshie Groove Laboratory – Dazzle Jazz Club Dizzy Room

Dechen Hawk – Pearl Street Pub

Walker Williams – Grizzly Rose

Janine Gastineau & Her Rhythm – Caffe Sole

Ramaya, Deche Hawk, Paul Kimbiris, Kylr James Hauser – Shine Boulder

Anchorage, I Am – Gothic Theatre

The Paucity CD Release – Oriental Theatre

Queen City Jazz Band – Dazzle Jazz Club Showroom

Bad Weather California – GNU: Experience Gallery

Nathan Dean & the Damn Band – Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar

In Due Time, Solar, Frogs Gone Fishin’, 19th Place – Herman’s Hideaway

Whiskey Tango – Buffalo Rose

Sonic Prophecy, Frost Thane, Satans Host – Casselman’s Bar

That 80s Band – Baker Street Pub & Grill Denver

Orange Lola – Lion’s Lair

Eef & the Blue Express – Cactus Jack’s Saloon

Redline Radio – Baker Street Pub & Grill Lakewood

Morsoul – Pioneer Inn

Lionel Young – Boulder Outlook Hotel

Tomorrow Bad Seeds – Aggie Theatre

Mosey West – Rock Inn Mountain Tavern

The Longest Day of the Year – Pete’s Monkey Bar

The Just Jazz Quintet – Avogadros Number

Jami Lunde – Bar Double S

Chris Daniels And The Kings – Nissi’s

Savage Henry – Baker Street Westminster

Eldren, The Foot, Raven and The Writing Desk – Shack at Shug’s

The Epilogues – Road 34 Bike Bar

JT Nolan – Meade Street Station

Juno What?!, On The Spot Trio – Hodi’s Half Note

Nadas – Acoustic Duo – Daniels Hall at Swallow Hill

Smack Thompson – Lazy Dog Sports Bar & Grill

Rendition – Zephyr Lounge

Something Underground – Dicken’s Opera House

Saturday, February 18

Bad Weather California – Hi-Dive

Jesse Manley feat. Jeff Rady & David Bailey – Tuft Theater at Swallow Hill

The Amend – Lion’s Lair

Bonnie & the Clydes – Conor O’Neill’s (Boulder)

Lionel Young Band – Oskar Blues

In Better Senses – Walnut Room

Paul Wall – Aggie Theatre

Ballyhoo! – The Black Sheep

Femini Nitty feat. Nitty Scott MC, Lady Wu Tang’s Lady – Cervantes’ Other Side

Dechen Hawk and The Dewdrops – Appaloosa Grill

Redline Radio – Baker Street Pub & Grill Denver

Ultraviolet Hippopatamus, The Longest Day of the Year – Shack at Shug’s

DeVotchka – Boettcher Concert Hall

Hillbilly Hellcats – Skylark Lounge

Futurebirds – Larimer Lounge

Future Jazz Project – Herb’s

Mardi Gras Charity Ball & Parade: Blue Krew – Gothic Theatre

Judged By Twelve, The Swanks – Bender’s Tavern

Future Rock – Hodi’s Half Note

Mosey West – Bar Double S

Zoe Keating – Soiled Dove Underground

The Foodchain, Anxious, Filthy T, & Entropy – Herman’s Hideaway

Mid-Winter Bluegrass Festival – Northglenn Ramada Plaza

Anthony Green – Bluebird Theater

11th Hour – Baker Street Westminster

Phil Lesh & Friends – 1STBANK Center

Blue Foot Fool, Bonnie & the Beard – Bushwacker’s Saloon

Juno What?!, Atomga Groove Alliance, Sunsquabi – Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom

Hey Lady! – Dicken’s Opera House

The Waymores – Avogadros Number

Jack Hadley Trio – St. Julien Hotel

Talkdemonic – Moe’s BBQ & Bowl

The Foot., The Swayback – Road 34 Bike Bar

Young the Giant – Ogden Theatre

Otis Taylor CD Release – Dazzle Jazz Club Showroom

Homeslice – Little Bear Saloon

David Thomas Bailey – Walnut Room Pizzeria

Oroboros – Jamestown Mercantile

Danny Bastos – Zio Romolo’s Alley Bar

Minivan – Boulder Outlook Hotel

Mojo Mama – Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids & Solids

Moses Jones – Nissi’s

The Zydecoasters – Pioneer Inn

Nathan Dean & the Damn Band – Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar

Walker Williams – Grizzly Rose

D.R.U.G.S., Hit The Lights – The Marquis Theatre

Replay – Baker Street Pub & Grill Lakewood

Groove – Zephyr Lounge

Noah Peterson – Ziggie’s Saloon

Lindsay Meredith Band – Caffe Sole

Digital Beat Down – Pete’s Monkey Bar

The Kingston Trio – Paramount Theatre

Altazar – Rock ‘n’ Soul Café

Fried Grease – Highland Pacific

Soulive – Fox Theatre

Womans’ Songwriter Night – The Laughing Goat

Raygunomics, The Worthingtons – Fado’s Irish Pub

T. Moody – Oskar Blues Tasty Weasel Tap Room

Astrobeats – Buffalo Rose

VFD – Meade Street Station

Ruthie Foster and Paul Thorn as Soul Salvation – L2 Arts & Culture Center

John and Bill McKay – Rock Inn Mountain Tavern

Randy Travis – Union Colony Civic Center

Squidlick – Blast O Mat

Random Rab – Summit Music Hall

Sunday, February 19

MmaskK, Fourdefyed, Dat New Krew, Acquiring Signal, Salt – Hodi’s Half Note

Allen Stone – The Black Sheep

Walker Williams – Grizzly Rose

Slopeside – Dicken’s Opera House

Soulive – Fox Theatre

The Swellers – The Marquis Theatre

Banana Password – Herb’s

English Dogs – Summit Music Hall

Next Big Thing Tour – Gothic Theatre

Mark Diamond – Boulder Outlook Hotel

Swing State – Oskar Blues

Otis Taylor CD Release – Dazzle Jazz Club Showroom

Tom Smith, Putnam Smith – Avogadros Number

On the Spot Trio – Shack at Shug’s

Mid-Winter Bluegrass Festival – Northglenn Ramada Plaza

The Clamdaddys – Appaloosa Grill

Bob Floyd Band – Lion’s Lair

Fire Aweigh – Larimer Lounge

Bill George – Little Bear Saloon

Isabelle Davis – The Laughing Goat

Leslie and the LYs – Hi-Dive

Monday, February 20

Stephen Wallace – Bar Double S

Windmind – Herb’s

Brad Goode Jazz Quartet – Caffe Sole

Futurebirds – Fox Theatre

Tuesday, February 21

Greg Harris Vibe Quintet – The Laughing Goat

The Reverend Jim Jams – Bender’s Tavern

B3 Jazz Project – Herb’s

The Billy Goats – Quixotes True Blue

Whitewater Ramble, Jet Edison – Fox Theatre

Big Wheel Electrosoul – Appaloosa Grill

Resonance – Walnut Room

The Jealous Sound – The Marquis Theatre

Randall Dubis – Boulder Outlook Hotel

Darkwave – Hodi’s Half Note

Gordon Green – Bar Double S

Dakota Country – Grizzly Rose

Overcasters – Twist and Shout

The Tontons – Lion’s Lair

Mantis, Rumblejunkie, Steptech – Cervantes’ Other Side

Wednesday, February 22

Marty Nightengale – Baker Street Westminster

I’m on Fire – Herman’s Hideaway

DJ Krush – Bluebird Theater

Big Time Rush – 1STBANK Center

Matt Smiley Quartet CD Release – Dazzle Jazz Club Showroom

Mary Bridget Davies CD Release – Boulder Outlook Hotel

Flower Jacket and Rachel Eisenstat – The Laughing Goat

Dust Stompers – Meade Street Station

Dakota Country – Grizzly Rose

Face – Nissi’s

The Brown Stripes – Baker Street Pub & Grill Denver

Futurebirds – Aggie Theatre

Garrett Sayers Trio – Highland Tap & Burger

A Different Kind of Tension – Skylark Lounge

Stephanie Eason Band – Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar

Orgy, One Eyed Doll – The Marquis Theatre

Mestizo – St. Julien Hotel

Josh Blackburn – Baker Street Pub & Grill Lakewood

Paa Kow & By All Means – Appaloosa Grill

Dechen Hawk – Bittersweet Park

Maps of the World – Little Bear Saloon

Better Than Bacon – Zio Romolo’s Alley Bar

Randy Olinger and Luke Schmaltz – Bender’s Tavern

Thursday, February 23

Thunder Body – Hodi’s Half Note

Dakota Country – Grizzly Rose

Offcolor – Hi-Dive

The Handymen – Bar Double S

Bonobo (DJ Set), Ableminds – Bluebird Theater

Dave Randon Trio – Herb’s

The Lucky 7’s – Ziggie’s Saloon

Aqua Librium – Dazzle Jazz Club Dizzy Room

Grant Gordy Quartet – Harmony Music House

Jan Garrett, J.D. Martin – Avogadros Number

Anthony Ruptak – Larimer Lounge

Matt Flaherty Band – Conor O’Neill’s (Boulder)

Reckless Red – Walnut Room

Heads Without Dogs – Gothic Theatre

Left Foot Green – Chippers Lanes North

Hackensaw Boys – Aggie Theatre

Steve Itterly – Jamestown Mercantile

The Futurebirds – The Black Sheep

Josh Blackburn – Baker Street Pub & Grill Lakewood

Parallels – The Marquis Theatre

Roda de Choro – Caffe Sole

Stephanie Eason Band – Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar

Zoogma – Fox Theatre

Randall Dubis – Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids & Solids

Ben Gallagher – The Laughing Goat

Pete Stein – No Name Bar

Johnathan Jeter & the Revelators – Little Bear Saloon

Land Lines, Varlet, Munly – City Hall

JV3 – Baker Street Pub & Grill Denver

+Verb, Guttstar, Big Kid – Cervantes’ Other Side

Dave Tamkin – Appaloosa Grill

Dollface, Mr. Knowitall – Herman’s Hideaway

Rebecca Rosen – Soiled Dove Underground

Blues Ambassadors – Boulder Outlook Hotel

A-OK’s, Namesakes – Moe’s BBQ & Bowl

Hit List – Baker Street Westminster

Dechen Hawk – St. Julien Hotel

Friday, February 24

Thrifty Astronaut – GNU: Experience Gallery

Every Avenue – The Marquis Theatre

Terablu Band – Boulder Outlook Hotel

Bonobo (DJ Set) – Fox Theatre

Combustion Mechanism, Killing Of Kindness – Bender’s Tavern

Mark Chesnutt – Grizzly Rose

Jason Charles Miller – Buffalo Rose

Signel-Z – The Laughing Goat

School of Rock – Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids & Solids

Punks Jump Up – La Rumba

The Longest Day of the Year – Jordan’s Bistro & Pub

Halden Wofford & the Hi-Beams – Skylark Lounge

Wish We Were Floyd – Summit Music Hall

Wendy Woo Band – Toad Tavern

Jack Hadley Band – Zephyr Lounge

Poor Man’s Whiskey – Oriental Theatre

John Lee Hooker Jr. – Oskar Blues

Euforquestra, Thunder Body feat. – Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom

A Vast Eclipse, Desciples, Between Fate, The Microdots – Herman’s Hideaway

The Zimmermans – Conor O’Neill’s (Boulder)

Urban Dance Theory – Baker Street Westminster

Kelli Said – Baker Street Pub & Grill Denver

The Raygunomics – Baker Street Pub & Grill Lakewood

Ironwood Rain – Rock ‘n’ Soul Café

Safe Boating Is No Accident – Moe’s BBQ & Bowl

Clay Kirkland’s Beat the Reaper VI – Tuft Theater at Swallow Hill

Last Men On Earth – Dicken’s Opera House

Elway – Road 34 Bike Bar

The Big Wu, Henhouse Prowlers – Quixotes True Blue

Bass Junction – Hodi’s Half Note

Dark Funeral – Bluebird Theater

Kathryn Mostow Rich Girl CD Release – Walnut Room

Soul Sacrifice – Santana Tribute – Soiled Dove Underground

Erik Boa & The Constrictors – Ziggie’s Saloon

A Tom Collins: Pants Off, Dance Off Video Release – Hi-Dive

The Longest Day of the Year – Upslope Brewery

SOJA – Aggie Theatre

T-Pain – Ogden Theatre

Zoogma – Larimer Lounge

Overcasters, Le Divorce – City Hall

J-Boog – Shack at Shug’s

Trajikk – The Reef

Acoustic Mining Company – Avogadros Number

The Jukes – Bar Double S

Chain Station – Rock Inn Mountain Tavern

Healing Force – Cactus Jack’s Saloon

Chris Daniels and the Kings – Little Bear Saloon

Brad Upton Quartet – Caffe Sole

Ken Walker Sextet – Dazzle Jazz Club Showroom

The Big Motif – Pioneer Inn

Stephanie Eason Band – Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar

TC and Sass – Nissi’s

Technicolor Tone Factory – Casselman’s Bar

Adam Bodine Trio – Dazzle Jazz Club Dizzy Room

Tommy and the Tangerines – Lazy Dog Sports Bar & Grill

Iris DeMent – Daniels Hall at Swallow Hill

Jesse Manley – Walnut Room Pizzeria

Onward, Soldiers – Ancient Mariner

Rocktin Grove – Meade Street Station

Saturday, February 25

SOJA – Ogden Theatre

Zola Jesus – Larimer Lounge

Poor Man’s Whiskey – Fox Theatre

The Congress – Cactus Jack’s Saloon

Jet Edison – Pete’s Monkey Bar

Kelli Said – Baker Street Pub & Grill Denver

Frogs Gone Fishin’ – Highland Pacific

Head for the Hills – Aggie Theatre

That 80’s Band – Fado’s Irish Pub

Chris Daniels and the Kings – Little Bear Saloon

Counterfeit Music Company – Herb’s

Pete Stein – Rock Inn Mountain Tavern

TIM the Band – Pioneer Inn

Sammy Dee – Boulder Outlook Hotel

The Holler! – Whistler’s Café

Stephanie Eason Band – Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar

The Mosaic – Caffe Sole

Richie Furay – Nissi’s

Joe For Nothing – Baker Street Pub & Grill Lakewood

Days of Rae – Walnut Room Pizzeria

John Lee Hooker Jr. – Oskar Blues Home Made Liquids & Solids

Iced Earth – Summit Music Hall

Gristle Gals – Mercury Café

I’m With Her – Walnut Room

Cowboy Dave – Oskar Blues

The Pin-Up Boys – Skylark Lounge

Big Green Carpet – Toad Tavern

Iris DeMent – Avogadros Number

Mayday Parade – The Black Sheep

Playback Theater – Rock ‘n’ Soul Café

Indulgers – Conor O’Neill’s (Boulder)

Smack Thompson – Ruebens Burger Bistro

From Slaves To Kings – Gasoline Alley

SoundRabbit – The Laughing Goat

David Wilcox – Rialto Theater

Tunnidge – Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom

Valiomierda – 3 Kings Tavern

Paul McKenna Band – Soiled Dove Underground

Tyler T. – Bar Double S

Jockamo – Ziggie’s Saloon

Ocean vs. Daughter – Herman’s Hideaway

Hackensaw Boys, Lydia Loveless – Bluebird Theater

Zoogma – Hodi’s Half Note

Hindershot – GNU: Experience Gallery

The the Raven and the Writing Desk, Chimney Choir, Dan Craig – Hi-Dive

DeadPhish Orchestra – Dicken’s Opera House

Fredi and the Soulshakers – Baker Street Westminster

Danny Shafer and The 21st Century – Shine Boulder

New Orleans Suspects – Oriental Theatre

Eef and the Blues Express – Zephyr Lounge

Judy Collins – Boulder Theater

Terry Kishiyama – Oskar Blues Tasty Weasel Tap Room

Dakota Country – Grizzly Rose

Coles Whalen CD Release – Casselman’s Bar

Jamstain – Meade Street Station

Echo Chamber CD Release – Road 34 Bike Bar

Matt Flinner Trio & Grant Gordy Quartet – Daniels Hall at Swallow Hill

Euforquestra – Shack at Shug’s

Belle Jar, Bear Antler – Moe’s BBQ & Bowl

The Big Wu – Quixotes True Blue

Mary Stribling – Tuft Theater at Swallow Hill

Spindrift, Twin Guns, Overcasters – City Hall

Social Fuse, 9/10 Of The Law, Buck 25 – Bender’s Tavern

Grown Ass Man Band – Appaloosa Grill

Dr. Phil Good & High Peaks – Lazy Dog Sports Bar & Grill

Bill McKay – St. Julien Hotel

The Symbols – Bushwacker’s Saloon

Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey – Dazzle Jazz Club

The Blackouts – Lion’s Lair

J-Boog – Cervantes’ Other Side

Long Road Home plus Pete & Joan Wernick – Bertolin Barn Longmont

Sunday, February 26

Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey – Dazzle Jazz Club

Dakota Country – Grizzly Rose

Bridges Left Burning – Gothic Theatre

The Broken Everlys – Herb’s

Heavy Cats – Boulder Outlook Hotel

Wild Road – Oskar Blues

Evergreen – Wood Cellar

Richie Furay – Nissi’s

Just Desserts – Little Bear Saloon

Milow – Larimer Lounge

The Clamdaddys – Appaloosa Grill

Double Helix, 308kings – Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom

Izzy and the Catastrophics – Ancient Mariner

Amy Speace, Lonesome Heroes – Avogadros Number

Pete Wernick – Boulder Valley Unitarian Fellowship

Zen Conspiracy – Dicken’s Opera House

Kate Jaworski and Nicole Severson – The Laughing Goat

Big Cheez – The Black Sheep

Monday, February 27

Muleface – Herb’s

Korn – Fillmore Auditorium

Stephen Wallace – Bar Double S

The Grant Farm – Sancho’s Broken Arrow

Dead Winter Carpenters – Southern Sun Pub & Brewery

Brad Goode Jazz Quartet – Caffe Sole

The Heavy Cats – Pearl Street Pub

Tuesday, February 28

SuperCollider – The Laughing Goat

Gretchen Troop – Boulder Outlook Hotel

Gordon Green – Bar Double S

Megadeth, Motorhead, VOlbeat and Lacuna Coil – Fillmore Auditorium

Lyons High SchoolJazz Band – Oskar Blues

Asphault Cowboys – Grizzly Rose

Big Wheel Electrosoul – Appaloosa Grill

Trey Anastasio & Colorado Symphony Orchestra – Boettcher Concert Hall

Goatwhore – The Black Sheep

Leftover Salmon – Aggie Theatre

Junius – The Marquis Theatre

Tatanka, Pillow Fight – Cervantes’ Other Side

The Reverend Jim Jams – Bender’s Tavern

B3 Jazz Project – Herb’s

Wonderlic – Little Bear Saloon

Wednesday, February 29

Treena McCurdy – Baker Street Westminster

Kort McCumber – St. Julien Hotel

Monocle – Pearl Street Pub

Asphault Cowboys – Grizzly Rose

Jon Boland – Meade Street Station

Randy Olinger and Luke Schmaltz – Bender’s Tavern

Josh Blackburn – Baker Street Pub & Grill Denver

Wonderlic – Little Bear Saloon

Dechen Hawk – Bittersweet Park

Two Tone Wolf Pack – Larimer Lounge

Katie Herzig – Fox Theatre

Marty Nightengale – Baker Street Pub & Grill Lakewood

VNV Nation – The Black Sheep

Nelson Rangell – Nissi’s

A Different Kind of Tension – Skylark Lounge

Shane Thomas – Toby Keith’s I Love This Bar

Dance Gavin Dance – The Marquis Theatre

Garrett Sayers Trio – Highland Tap & Burger

 By Damon Ruckel

 As alt-country continues to come of age and defines its place nationally on the musical landscape, The Unknown Americans are, locally, melding traditional country melodies with rocking backbeat and beautiful harmonies, unveiling a cleaner, “poppier” side to Colorado singer/songwriter Danny Shafer’s writing and performing.

During his fifteen year tenure as a musician on the Front Range, Shafer has built a reputation as one of Colorado’s most prolific singer/songwriters, often playing several gigs a week with different line-ups under different band names. He might have been playing with The Danny Shafer Band, Danny Shafer & The Red Glory Ramblers, The All-Night Honky Tonk All-Stars or, most recently, with The Unknown Americans. 

Kort McCumber, bassist for The Unknown Americans, knew Shafer by reputation before moving to Colorado from Nashville three years ago. “Danny’s name was known around Nashville as a guy out in Colorado who booked singer/songwriters at a place called Penny Lane. I sent him my stuff,” McCumber said in a recent interview with The Marquee.

“Yeah, I didn’t book him,” Shafer chuckled and looked over at his recent collaborator, “but when I met Kort on the Colorado music scene I thought that I had met my stunt double. We were both working musicians, and we were regularly playing all the same venues. Pretty soon people started suggesting that we play together and so we did.”

These two share a musical connection that is as evident when they are relaxed talking about music and The Unknown Americans as it is when they are smiling at each other on stage trading off vocal duties on soaring harmonies.

“I haven’t heard anyone here or in Nashville writing songs as good as Danny,” McCumber said.

Apparently he isn’t the only one who thinks so.  According to Shafer, Hit and Run Bluegrass recorded two of his songs last year. “They have been playing them all over the country. Those guys are really great,” Shafer said.

Last fall Shafer wrote 15 songs for a new project that later became The Unknown Americans.  Shafer and McCumber got together and Jason Pawlina on drums rounded out the trio. “Jason is a great drummer. We have played together off and on for the past 10 years,” Shafer said. “He is steady and strong.”

McCumber added, “He is the perfect drummer for our singer/songwriter style. We are really enjoying being a three-piece. If you add a pedal-steel to our mix then we take on a country sound.  If you add a fiddle then we take on a bluegrass sound, but as a trio we have a certain freedom.”

Trading conversation as effortlessly as they do verse on stage, Shafer chimed in, “All three of us sing, which allows us to put together some amazing three-part harmonies. The Unknown Americans have a cleaner, ‘poppier’ sound than anything else that I have done. The vocals are more featured, more out front.”

Shafer and McCumber represent the original singer/songwriter work ethic, so when the trio got together this past January they didn’t waste any time. “It’s not like we spent three months wood-shedding this material. We had these songs. We were all out gigging solo for a living, so we just started playing the material in front of audiences, and the audiences really seem to be enjoying it,” Shafer said.

“Danny would be playing one side of town. I would be playing the other. Afterward, we would meet in the middle and play together,” McCumber added.

McCumber, who grew up playing piano and cello in Florida before moving to Nashville to be a professional musician, has certainly taken to his new surroundings. “Nashville is really competitive. There is more of a sense that you are ‘working’ as a songwriter and that you are in Nashville specifically for that purpose. I love being a musician in Colorado. People want to be here,” he said.

“You see people pushing the envelope and really helping each other along,” he continued, “There is the expectation that we are gonna play a lot of covers at the kind of gigs we get. It can be a real challenge to get people out of their seats for original music, but I work hard to get them out of their Friday night, after-work element. When you see them start to smile, then stand up, then start to dance, it is worth it. It is really rewarding.”

Spectate if you Gravitate:

• Whiskeytown

• Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

• Flying Burrito Brothers