Full Animation

When I close my eyes and think about the Reptar show, the first thing that comes to mind is Lead vocalist Graham's eyes. That is to say, his eyes practically bulging out of his head in combination with his facial expressions. Each lyric is transformed into its own muscular spasm.

This video doesn't do it justice because now he has a shaved head. Imagine every word exemplified. I guess you'll just have to go to the show.












Sidenote: The Morning Clouds played a quite entrancing opening set. Mellow sound with suiting early morning guitar and vocals. Denver-based band plays frequently, so be sure to catch them this summer.
Click here to listen.

Magic Coloratura

Luke Temple (lead vocalist, guitar) runs in dripping in sweat. He says he just had to run down the street to get batteries. And the show begins.

The crowd is filled with skinny teenage-looking flailing happy bodies as Here We Go Magic energetically mocks the heat waves coming from both outside and the crowd.  Jen Turner rips on her fittingly fire red guitar while seductively singing.

Overall: Ranging set list succinctly, passionately delivered.

Opener supernote: Hospitality's lead vocalist Amber expertly spearheaded the set, delivering an introductory blitz of their sound to the room. This quickly emerging band has a powerful sound and stage presence that will soon be headlining on its own.

Everything is Illuminated

The 250 + crowd wrapped around the aisles of Twist and Shout Friday and continues outdoors in the rain to wait for the Lumineer's preview performance before the show at the Bluebird. The three person Denver-based band humbly greeted the crowd (an hour late), but the music proved worth the wait.



On the third song, Wesley (lead vocals) recruited a young child to hold the glockenspiel( ) for Jeremiah and commissioned the crowd to enthusiasticly shout the chorus.  

At the Bluebird...It's nice to unexpectedly hear some actual rock. Joe Pug opened the evening with powerful guitar riffs and set the night off right.  The Lumineers produced a soundtrack fit for countryside revelry despite Friday's gloomy weather. Apparently the space at previous shows, such as at the Meadowlark and like-locales, did not allow for a drumset. Finally, Lumineer's Jeremiah (drummer, tamborine shaker, yelper) got to prove his worth and show his range of skills. 

Don't miss this show if you have a chance to go...tickets will sell out.

If you liked/missed this: 

Checkout shows:

Blitzen Trapper 5/29

The Shins, Head and the Heart 5/29

Avett Brothers 6/29-30


Listen to the Fruit Bats (First vid) and Vetiver (bottom vid):

...then eat, dance, mingle, drink at the Mercury Cafe 

Whale Scales

Man, man. A trio of musical melodies ensued at the Hi-Dive Wednesday night. Young Man started the night off with a set list featuring new tunes from their upcoming album Ideas of Distance as well as from their 2010 album Boy.

Denver-based band The Raven and the Writing Desk took over the stage next blending Fiona Apple vocals with chaotic instrumentals/tempo similar to Man Man. The crowd was bewitched by the violinist and the vocalist's movements and hypnotizing sounds just to be jolted back to reality by the rest of the group.

Afterwards, Suckers closed the show with a a bang, playing several hits off the Wild Smile Album. Just tune into this video and you'll realize why there's no need to explain how great the show was:

If you enjoyed: check out:
Blitzen Trapper 5/29
Dandy Warhols @ Gothic 6/12

Clyfford Still Museum + STILL Documentary Screening

Clyfford Still Museum: Architectural Exuberance  

A documentary that makes you pause from drinking free wine and eating a free dinner is hard to come by- not to mention an incredible find once discovered. Wednesday night's DYP event at the Clyfford Still Museum offered an array of eye-opening surprises. The architecture - which houses the largest collection of a single artist- is worth an entire page of writing alone.

The museum:
The museum encompasses a retrospective of the Artist's works, from sketches and cartoons to his distinctive oil paintings. The museum's bare, minimalist concrete infrastructure combined with an eyelet ceiling illuminates the raw texture of the paint with the Colorado sunlight.

The STILL Documentary: Interviews were thoughtfully chosen to impart an appreciation for the artist's work ethic and demonstrate the affect he had on others- whether they be confidantes or strangers. The documentary is an excellent ulterior backstory to the artist's career and provides further understanding of how his style developed and matured.

I guarantee you will develop an appreciation for the artist as well as an appreciation for the Abstract Expressionist movement after a visit to the museum. 

Swedish Fish

The guitar prevailed Wednesday night during the Craft Spell's opening set Although lead vocalist (Justin Paul)  visually filled the part, it was the succinct melody of the two guitars that carried the sound. The closing song "You Should've Closed the Door" was a finishing punch to lead into the Drums set.

On the Drums: The scene playing in your head of what it would be like to see Skipping Town live couldn't be further from reality. Songs were a mixture of 50's surfer rock intertwined with dark Euro (Berlin/Scandinavian) post-punk rock. The result is a performance fit for any mindset. Laying in a hammock breathing in the salty-humid morning air? Listen to We Tried. On a rampage through an alleyway in late night Edinburgh? This is because the Drums combine jabbing lyrics with happy-go-lucky melodies in a way that approaches the challenges of youthful desperation. The set list provided a range of the Drum's abilities and sounds. I guarantee if you see this show you will not be disappointed.

"Thanks Denver goodnight....oh yeah, and you can stick around because we're not going to stop playing."

Step Right Back Into Time

Rainy weather trouble tune: Tom Waits Step Right up 1977 in Germany

Driven by big waves of fire

M83 and I Break Horses at the Ogden

The M83 experience was equivalent to a nineties French dance party on Saturn. I Break Horses enchanted the crowd with progressive psychedelic beats - resulting in a spellbound the crowd for about ten minutes.


Keyboardist and vocalist Morgan Kibby kept the show riveting from beginning to end- her hair oscilating around the keyboard. By the last song, Year One, UFO, M83's Anthony Gonzalez looked like he was about to faint himself from conducting the entire act.

I'm convinced this show is still going on late night beach party in Majorca.