Live Music Tag

Walking into the Fox Theater, you can definitely tell you’re in Boulder, Colorado. Tattoos, wide brim hats, and beards: the classic recipe for a Rainbow Kitten Surprise concert.  With a name that never fails to raise eyebrows and initiate some giggles, RKS has a unique sound that melds well with their namesake. Originating in their college dorm room, this 5 piece band from North Carolina has taken the indie music scene by storm, reinventing what this genre means to many. With bluegrass, rock, and rap influences mixed into unexpected andRead More

It’s a brisk night in late fall in Colorado and the wind is biting as people rush into the 1STBANK Center in Broomfield, CO. But the cold isn’t keeping the crowds from coming tonight – with producer RL Grime headlining and Jai Wolf as the main supporting act, dance music fans would be crazy to miss out on this show due to the weather. The energy is already electric when Jai Wolf comes on to stage. I’ve seen the producer multiple times and can tell you with certainty, you neverRead More

A fixture in the Colorado dance music scene for a while now, Denver-based Producer Illenium has gone from local favorite to critically acclaimed over the last few years. The twenty-something DJ has been turning heads not only with the high profile remixes that he takes on (i.e. Don’t Let Me Down by The Chainsmokers and Say It by Flume), but also with his original music (Illenium released his full-length album Ashes in February, 2016). Despite being a staple in the Denver EDM world, I hadn’t seen Illenium live until recentlyRead More

A hush fell right around 9:05 p.m. on night one of Decadence 2015 at the Spaceport stage. The anticipation in the air was palpable as eager ravers looked from the people in their groups to the stage, waiting. With the initial sound from the first song JackÜ played, came a roar that echoed through the massive hall on the top floor of the Colorado Convention Center. From that moment on, the set was a party. Heavyweight producers Skrillex and Diplo, who came together to form their massive side project JackÜ,Read More

Pre-Concert You’re excited, but it hasn’t really sunk in yet. Are you sure you have legitimate tickets? What if somehow you got sold a double and when you get there, they won’t let you in? Oh God, are you sure you’re even ready to go? Mostly you’re just nervous about having everything. Your cell phone? Charger? Wallet with merch money? All the Could-Go-Wrongs and Might-Happens are in full force, and the nerves are overriding the crazy waves of euphoria you should be feeling right now. It means so much toRead More

I went to Global Dance Festival (GDF) in 2014 and honestly thought I’d never have a better weekend in my life. Now, another GDF has come and gone, and I have to say, Global is definitely THE electronic dance music event of the summer in Colorado. With a lineup to rival the most popular EDM festivals in the world, GDF 2015 went off successfully, selling out the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, CO July 17-19. Big name producers like Tiesto, Above & Beyond and Seven Lions were joined byRead More

The Hi-Dive in Denver, Colorado is quiet as the opening band packs up their own equipment and exits the stage. A quiet electricity hangs in the air; the sounds of clanking classes and friendly conversation replacing the music that was just being played. In the small, standing-room-only venue, you won’t find any top-40 artists or teenaged fanboys and girls waiting around to meet their idols.The Hi-Dive is a bar, and half of the patrons are just there to drink a few beers and check out whatever artists happen to be performingRead More

For every band living the rock and roll lifestyle – smashing guitars and raiding the mini bar a la Iggy Azalea – there is another that’s traded in the high life for an adult one.  And that philosophy doesn’t only apply to tucking in their shirts and adopting 401Ks.  Some have created an entire identity for themselves, completely autonomous as both artists and people.  It’s rare that an indie group is truly independent by these standards, but every once in a while one will peek through the rows of label-puppets.Read More

In one of my classes yesterday, we were discussing a point in time where we felt infinite or a time when everything just felt right. I raised my hand and spoke. Over Labor Day weekend, I went to Imagine Music Festival in downtown Atlanta. I live in Atlanta, and this was my first music festival, so I didn’t quite know what to expect but I was so excited. Well that didn’t matter, because it was everything I imagined and more. The positive vibes, the beautiful people, the moving music, andRead More

If you love music then you probably grew up listening to classic bands like The Beatles and Rolling Stones. We may have lost Jimi, John, Jim, and Janis, but amazingly a lot of the musicians your parents listened to when they were in high school are still touring today. After decades of touring these artists have mastered their craft and can play hours of hits you know the words to, even if you don’t realize it. You need to catch them in concert before you lose your chance.    Read More

In modern music, true musicianship, true composition, has largely gone by the wayside. Relatable lyrics, power chords, and computer-automated sheen has become the norm. However, there exist several groups, generally categorized as “post-rock,” that continue to focus on the music – the real nuances and complexities of melody, progression, and instrumentation – to create sonic soundscapes that allow a listener to truly lose themselves in the sound and the environment it creates. Perhaps the best known band in the genre is Austin’s Explosions in the Sky, who have found breakthroughRead More

Here in the North West sector of our country, the rain has let up (sort of), school’s out (for those who are students and don’t go to U of O or any other school on the god forsaken quarter system), and people are trading in pants and flannels for shorts and tanks (they’re not), which means… It’s time for Sasquatch, the Northwest’s premier annual music festival!   For those of you who are unfamiliar, Sasquatch is a three-day, outdoor music festival stationed on the cliffs of the Colombia River Gorge.Read More

Believe it or not, nine years have passed since a little known five-piece from San Diego burst onto the scene and into the ears of every American with a melancholy, beautiful power-ballad by the name of “Boston.” Seemingly overnight, Augustana – the creation of crooning frontman Dan Layus – found themselves thrust into the mainstream. “Boston” appeared on everything from MTV’s TRL (THAT WAS STILL A THING!) to episodes of Scrubs and One Tree Hill, and was played repeatedly on every major radio station. The song went on to becomeRead More

I just got back from Counterpoint in Georgia which was my first music festival, aside from “that time I spent 5 days back in October chasing rappers around Atlanta,” aka the A3C Hip-Hop Festival. This time I did the whole “sleep in a tent for three days and don’t shower” thing, and I learned a lot. Thankfully I’m not being selfish with the wisdom and I’m choosing to share my knowledge with you because I’m #based. 1. Don’t wear a leotard I know, I know, you see that neon greenRead More

The first time I saw Odesza, it was completely by accident. I stood in line at the coat check at Mezzanine, a smallish venue tucked away in the SOMA district of San Francisco, as they opened for Emancipator. I had no idea that this was their first-ever show in this city, as my friend and I remarked, “Wait…I really like this!” It was the kind of upbeat, laid-back electronic sound that perfectly emulates how you want to feel 24/7. Walking out of the venue later that night, we happened toRead More