Miguel. Boulder Theater. 10.11.16 As the lights slowly dimmed around the venue, the Boulder Theater became Miguel’s bedroom. A panel of screens reflected all the stars in the cosmos, while a voice called for sacrifice to the void, because in the end, “we’re all gonna die young.” Laughing in the face of mortality, as only the …
Chance The Rapper. Fillmore. 09.20.16 It was just before midnight on Tuesday when I came busting into my house like a kid who had just visited Disneyland for the first time; a kid who had just happened to have consumed quite a bit of alcohol in the Magic Kingdom. My wife was less than amused, …
Beyoncé. Qualcomm Stadium. 05.12.16 When people asked me how the Rihanna concert was, my immediate reply was “incredible!” When the same thing happened after the Beyoncé show, my reaction was very different. “It was quite the production,” I would say, before adding “she really puts on an incredible show.” That got me to thinking. Why simply …
Rihanna. Viejas Arena. 05.09.16 The following is the story of a 39-year-old man who went to a Rihanna concert by himself… We were just coming up on The Merge when Ashim yanked the wheel left to stay on the 805, causing an iPhone to come flying out of the painted fingers holding it. The three women …
Autre Ne Veut. Lost Lake Lounge. 10.16.15 Arthur Ashin was slouched down in a puddle of his own emotions while singing into his arm – “No way, no way, no way you’re gonna be my baby” – the words were slightly muffled as he buried his face all the way to the brim of his …
Belle and Sebastian & Charles Bradley. Red Rocks. 06.17.15 Indie bands always need a little help drawing a crowd to Red Rocks. Denver provides a lot of support for its excellent local music scene, but independent acts visiting from other cities (and countries) usually have to stick to venues within the city limits. They regularly …
Belle and Sebastian with The Colorado Symphony. Charles Bradley. Red Rocks. 06.17.15 Read More »
D’Angelo and The Vanguard. Ogden Theatre. 06.10.15 Late night conversations about music were not uncommon when I lived in San Francisco. Sometimes these conversations would turn into arguments. Take a love of music, add a bottle of Jameson whiskey, a double shot of ego and ice. Shake well. Scrape all pragmatism off the top and …
D’Angelo and The Vanguard. Ogden Theatre. 06.10.15 Read More »
Willis Earl Beal. The Walnut Room. 05.19.15 Willis Earl Beal lost me somewhere on the road to becoming nobody. The artist who showed so much promise when I saw him open for SBTRKT at the Fox Theatre decided that the road to commercial success was not one he felt comfortable on. The man who claimed …
Stevie Wonder. Pepsi Center. 03.17.15 Anticipation is a killer. I’m fortunate enough to be able to attend quite a few shows every year, so it’s a rare occasion that I find myself with that awkward feeling. I live by the theory that going to a show is a perfect way to pass the time while …
When the “Drake vs. Lil Wayne” tour was announced, I figured it was just another clever marketing ploy. These Young Money artists share a label and a fan base, but I doubt anyone saw that announcement and didn’t immediately pick a favorite. Lil Wayne has been in the game a lot longer than Drake, so …
