Band Together #3

Best memories of 2009

Best memories of 2009

2009 is almost out of here so here are my fave memories of 2009 of my weird little existance on this planet. Please, please, please let me know what yours are.

Top Memories of 2009

1) The after party at the Kansas City Mayhem. The list of memories from this 3 hour slice of my life is legendary. Jager with mega stars and talking shop with legends. And actually talking to Jeanne Sagan of All That Remains for 15 minutes. She is THE HAWT!!!

2) Drunken Karaoke with Nathen Maxwell singing "Nazi Punks Fuck Off" and almost…almost starting a riot.

3) Knocking over the waitress as I ran over to Matchbox Twenty's dinner table to say hi at NAMM.

4) Signing the backstage wall at Red Rocks right above Santana when last year they wouldn't even let me see it.

5) Getting spit on 3 times by Marylin Manson in front of 20,000 people in KC.

6) Howard Jones of Killswitch Engage grabbing the camera and filming the crowd.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFKx_jpNWXM

7) New Years Eve with Flogging Molly at the Fillmore. Set the tone for an amazing year. Cheers!

8) Getting kicked out of the lunch line between Bullet For My Valentine and Trivium at Mayhem cuz I didn't know you needed a lunch ticket. Their "You Dumbass!" looks were priceless!!

9) The Escape The Fate interview. I had no idea it was going to take off like that.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbxKssVm-gE

10) The after parties at NAMM. DEAR GAWD!! You have to see them to believe them. You will get rock star burnout.

11) MCing all the events this year especially at the Gothic. I love the shit out of making a thousand people go nuts.

12) Being on channel 2. Even though it was the ghey.

13) The whole Indie 101.5 experience.

14) Doing 8 interviews, on 8 different tour busses, in 11 days. And then talking to the bands about prices and how to work deals for my future bus: The Duggernaut!

15) Realizing the guy I'm drinking beers with at The Glenn is Andy Keaton from Family Ties. This was before the "Beating people with a chair" incident.

I have no doubt that as a united music scene we will destroy 2010. Lets set the standard for the entire nation and continue to launch our brothers and sisters and ourselves into the national spotlight. Cheers!

Groovey

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!

Get to Know the Pirate Signal better....

the pirate signal EPK from the pirate signal on Vimeo.

Free stuff from our main man, John Common ...

John Common and fam are "getting everything lined up" for their CD release show on Jan. 16.

To say Happy Holidays and thank folks for their support, Man Common and his band are giving away a digital EP, named "Gift," of favorite songs from Common's last four records:

1) "In A Bookstore" from Good To Be Born
2) "LGM" from Why Birds Fly
3) "Other Side Of Town" from Good To Be Born
4) "Flesh Wound" from Why Birds Fly
5) "How 'Bout You?" from The Longest Street In America
6) "Pass That Bottle Down" from Collecting Empties

Says Common: "If you already have those records -- yay! Give it as a gift to your friends! We'll keep this EP as free until the New Year."

Here's the link: http://www.johncommon.com/store

-- Jeanie Straub

Bring your own Band - Video pilot on DEC 26th!!!

A pilot being shot this weekend, Dec 26th in Denver at the Walnut Room in hopes to bring more national attention to the
burgeoning Colorado music scene-this particular set of episodes will be Hip Hop based and features:

The Pirate Signal
Mane Rok & DeeJay Tense
Spoke In Wordz Ft. 20:12
Proxy

Hello all my Music, Photo and Life Loving Friends.

I just wanted to take a moment and share some holiday Cheer!... Many folks a gearing up for the wonders of Christmas and spending their well earned dollars on gifts for Family & Friends!

How bout a Gift to All of us who love Music!

San Diego ,CA. based Rock, Reggae, Acoustic, Dub Legends SLIGHTY STOOPID is giving Us All the FREE "Holidaze" album to download..... 7 Classic Joints for you to Listen to as you prepare for the last week before Christmas! !

These Awesome sounds are only available until 11:59 pm Christmas Eve (pacific standard time)!

Just check out their site!


HOLIDAZE LINK


BAND SITE

Peace and Much Holiday Love

~ Stu

Band Together snippet from Dec 5th!

Bands/Artists - other great music blogs to know and submit to:

Hypem.com BLOG LIST

FACE on The Sing off

So they didn't make it but, here is a cool interview of them! Go COLO Bands!!

Sunday Dec 27th - Grammy winning Trumpeter @ Dazzle Jazz Club

GRAMMY-WINNING TRUMPETER CUONG VU TO JOIN DENVER'S NINTH+LINCOLN ORCHESTRA FOR PERFORMANCE AND RECORDING



When: Sunday, December 27th at 6 & 8pm
Monday, December 28th at 7pm
Where: Dazzle Jazz Club
930 Lincoln St. Denver, CO 80203 (303) 839 - 5100
Tickets: $15
Web: www.9thandlincoln.com
www.dazzlejazz.com

The celebrated Ninth+Lincoln Orchestra will welcome Trumpeter Cuong Vu to premiere all new music by Denver composer Tyler Gilmore. Ranging from hushed atmospheres to raucous electronic improvisation, the performances promise to be innovative and impassioned. Rarely has a pioneering performer such as this joined such a reputable local ensemble, to produce what is sure to be a memorable musical collaboration.

"It's hard to avoid references to Miles Davis when talking about the trumpet, but Cuong is the nearest thing I've heard to someone encapsulating and surpassing Davis' range of textures. Imagine, if you will, Bitches Brew or On The Corner, but with more cinematic clarity and less drug-addled wank. That's where Cuong Vu and his musical juggernaut are sitting, just waiting to crush you. And you'll love it." - Splendidezine.com

"Exploring the deepest of harmonic depths opened up by the freedom of jazz-based themes, bandleader Tyler Gilmore steers the ensemble through a lush musical ocean like a modern-day Gil Evans, burgeoned by vigorous winds of acid, fusion, and even electronica." - Colorado Music Buzz

About the performers:

Cuong Vu is widely recognized by jazz critics as a leader of a generation of innovative musicians. A truly unique musical voice, Cuong has lent his trumpet playing talents to a wide range of artists including Pat Metheny, Laurie Anderson, David Bowie, Dave Douglas, Myra Melford, Cibo Matto, Mitchell Froom, and Chris Speed. Cuong, along with the Pat Metheny Group, received a Grammy Award in 2003 for their recording "The Way Up".
http://www.cuongvu.com

Composer and band-leaderTyler Gilmore is traversing a new landscape in big band and chamber composition. Influences ranging from composers of the 20th century to the electronic innovators of today combine with his own musical personality to form his aural output. He has been honored with the ASCAP/Columbia College 2009 Commission in Honor of Hank Jones, and the 2008 & 2009 ASCAP Young Jazz Composer's Awards.
http://www.tylergilmoremusic.com

The Ninth+Lincoln Orchestra is a musical project aiming to marry Denver's finest jazz players with new streams in the world of big band composition; to combine the shapes and textures of the new generation's aesthetic with the standard jazz ensemble. Its repertoire bridges the gap between jazz tradition and modern musical forms. The band features the finest performers in Colorado's music scene including members of Future Jazz Project, Hamster Theatre, and Jazz Faculty from all of the fine jazz college programs in the region. It's debut CD received positive nation-wide attention, including a 3.5 star review from Downbeat Magazine.
http://www.9thandlincoln.com

10 final bands announced for KTCL's Hometown for the Holidays

Channel 93.3’s Local Band Contest…
Hometown for the Holidays:
Top 10 Bands Announced!

Denver – December 7th, 2009 – Nearly 200 local bands entered songs for Channel 93.3’s Hometown for the Holidays local band contest. Members of the music media, Channel 93.3 Staffers, members of local bands…Single File, Meese, Tickle Me Pink and staff of the famous Blasting Room recording studio listened to and voted on the entries. The talent in Denver is getting better and better, and therefore this year we ended up with a top twelve due to a four way tie for 9th! Here are this year’s top 12 bands (in no particular order):

Battleship Agenda·
Churchill ·
DB & The Catastrophe ·
Epilogues·
Fulcrum·
HeyDay ·
Life in Electric ·
Love .45 ·
Nautical Mile ·
Reno Divorce ·
Rouge ·
Vices I Admire

Help us decide the Top 3!
Starting Thursday, December 10th the Top 12 bands will get airplay on Channel 93.3. Listeners who are Channel 93.3 Music Survey members then help us decide the top 3 bands to play the Hometown for the Holidays Concert at Andrew's on Lincoln on Friday, December 18th. The #1 band as voted by the music surveys will get recording time at The Blasting Room in Ft. Collins, a $250 Best Buy Musical Instruments gift card, a photo session with Don Searle Photography and will be invited to play at a Channel 93.3’s Not So Silent Night 2010!

From Alf at KTCL - Hometown for the Holidays time again!

The listening party went quite well, although it started late due to some people coming from far off having issues with the roads. Attendees included the on-air staff, some people from recording studios, and members of Tickle Me Pink, Meese, and Single File.


So who's in? Can't tell you. They actually haven't sent the results to me yet. I know we're doing the big public announcement onstage at the Not So Silent Night show on Sunday, but assumedly, I'll know before that...

Dec 09 Covers!!

Denver Cover



Noco Cover

Yelp and CMB!

Band Together Show Sat DEC 5th - be there! Great Lineup!!

Saturday Spectaclular Photos.....

The Colfax Trifeta !!! (Nov 16/09)

1 night... 3 shows + 3 hours + 3 venues on Colfax Ave = A Kick A$# Time!!

1) EVERCLEAR @ The Blubird!

2) The PIXIES @ Fillmore!!

3) WOLFMOTHER @ Ogden

WOLFMOTHER



PIXIES

EVERCLEAR

click here for more info!

Groovey and Stu's Exclusive Video Interviews! Tons of them!!

click here to view all the video Interviews!

Monolith Festival 2010?

MONOLITH Fans,
We are very saddened by the nature of this announcement but wanted to bring it to you first. We feel like we have always been very fan-centric, honest and open with you therefore it's important to us to communicate the severity of our current situation. We have tirelessly promoted and produced the Monolith Festival for 3 years now. Over the course of those three years we have witnessed some amazing performances, met a bunch of great friends and produced a very special event that filled our voracious appetite to deliver the most amazing new artists in the world. Many of you who know us know that we do this out of sheer pleasure, undesirable love of music and a vehicle to tout our admiration for hardworking musicians.
With that said, the future of the festival is very grim. A tough economic year and an opening day of chilling rain combined to put a serious dent in our humble operation. We have continued to pursue any and all options that would allow us to recover from this year and head into 2010 with full steam. At this point in time, we have been unable to secure any options. We are communicating this message to you - the fans, the media and the artists who have supported time and time again for good reason. We hope that somewhere, in our vast network of music lovers, that there may be someone with the means to pull us up by our boot straps and give us chance to continue building this amazing event.
If you have any input or know of someone who may be interested in investing in/purchasing our small but mighty event, we would love to speak with them. We have a number of options available for interested parties/individuals. For more information please contact jb@monolithfestival.com. Again, this is our last resort and we have explored just about every option that is available to us. To the folks who we still hold financial obligations to, we whole-heartedly appreciate your patience and willingness to work through this tough time with us.
A very special thanks to the fans who have bought tickets, told your friends, blogged and shouted from the mountaintops about their admiration and love for Monolith. We encourage you to continue this as it can only help our cause. We would also like to thank our loyal, generous sponsors who have been there for us year after year. Specific thanks and credit goes to Esurance who saw our vision for this event and remains the sole reason why this event was even possible.
Best Regards,
MONOLITH Team
Contact us at jb@monolithfestival.com

Friday's Fun Photo! (11/13/09)

If you haven't seen these Kats live, i would so recommend you do so! SLIGHTLY STOOPID is a San Diego, CA. based Chill Dub Reggae group. .... These guys keeps listeners in a relaxed euphoric state of being as they play!.. Members: Miles & Kyle, Change up Bass and Guitar flawlessly a few times during the show!.... Flipp'n SWEET if ya ask me!

~stu






More pics from the Ogden, Denver (1/11/09)


SLIGHTLY STOOPID'S WEB

Escape the Fate Interview - Awesome!!

Bless The fall interview

The concerned truck owner is the star of this one. Watch:

Epilogues New CD coming soon!

Stay tuned!
Epilogues Myspace Page

Listen - .:Futurebox:.

November 09 Denver / Northern Colorado Calendar!

New Band Together promo video

Saturday Night HipHop

In case you missed it...
Babah Fly and Mike Wird (Denver Avengerz)were on point with rhymes and mad style. Check out Fly's new joint "Electro Sufi" on Myspace/Babahfly.
Shout out to DJ Low Key for putting on a great night at Shag.
If you don't know, now ya know.

The Place To Be On Mondays - JAZZ at JACKS!

click on flyer to enlarge


Jazz At Jacks Website

Spot the loony

See if you can spot the loony in this trailer for Synthetic Element's new video for "The Fire".

Rock It 4 a Non Profit! Benefiting Mustache4Cash/Color4Kidz

4 Amazing Bands Come Together for One Night to Give Back to Our Young People!

$5 Cover – All Proceeds Benefit Mustache4Cash/Color4Kidz

Casselman’s Bar and Venue

2620 Walnut St

Denver, CO

BUY MY TICKET

Beneficiaries
M4C/C4K directly benefits The Byrne Urban Scholars and Colorado Youth at Risk. Donations will be directed towards scholarships, mentoring, tutoring and college prep programs.

The Gristle Gals - http://www.myspace.com/gristlegals
Bemused - http://www.myspace.com/bemuseddenver
Jason Vigil - www.myspace.com/jasonvigil
The Guilt Complex - http://www.myspace.com/guiltcomplex

JASON VIGIL
2008 and 2009 Westword Music Showcase Nominee in the singer/songwriter category

Sometimes the maturation process of a musical artist happens before our very eyes, and in the case of Denver based Jason Vigil, the act of writing, recording and performing over the last few years has helped that process along. Vigil released his debut, Heart Gone Sober (2006) to a sold out Walnut Room in Denver, and he's now back with Sometimes Always, (September 9) an EP that fully displays his maturity as a singer, songwriter and performer.

This Fridays FAC

From Northern Colo. Reader James Lopez

"I just read the October edition of the Colorado Music Buzz. Two things,

1. The Fort Collins section looked amazing and I loved the Arliss Nancy picture. So great
2. Whoever thought of doing the upside down double side thing is a genius.

Keep up the good work!"

Now here is some constructive criticism!

From an anon of course via our website -(grow some kahunas and put a name to drop!)

Thanks for letting us know we are doing exactly what we wanted to...and oh yea, thanks for reading CMB!

----------------------------------------------------

i just wanted to drop you a line and let you all know just how severely out of touch with reality you are. where in the world according to garp to you get your information on local music? i just read, regretfully, the issue on CO badasses, and it was a laugh riot! Give me a break, pretty please. one of the bands on the cover is the WORST band in the entire state, let alone highlands ranch, or littleton, or what have you. i have seem them live a few times, and they truly suck balls. not kick them, they suck balls. it is an insult to metal and to this scene that they continue to exsist.
i will not go any further into it, though i really want to, please do fans of real great local music out there a tremendous favor, stick to hippie jam band stuff, don't try to put on the big boy pants and embarrass yourselves and insult the ! rest of us. the minority of us are not stupid, just because the majority of you morons are, don't try to meet us on our level.

p.s. get your opinions from somewhere other than the mall and radio. silly little posers...

Friday's Fun Photo (10-9-09)

This last weekend I stumbled upon this scene at TS Board shop on S Broadway during the ENDOTREND music Fest .... Greg the Bass man from Mute Mans Microphone was not content with playing from the Back of the Bands for Lands Music Stage Truck.... So he found the next available stage spot!!...Awesome!

Denver/Northern Colorado Music Calendars

This months COVER(S)??!! Yes TWO!!

Groovey and Stu are big in .... GREECE??!!

Website link: rockyourlife.gr

3rd Annual Fall Jam!!

Yes, it's that time of the year again: The 3rd Annual Fall Jam! This annual all ages event brings the community together to celebrate the diverse Colorado music scene and give people of all ages the chance to see great live music. Stanky Pockets will be headlining!

Here are the details:
Saturday, October 3rd@Lizard’s Bar and Grill
1920 Blake Street Denver, CO
Doors 5pm, Showtime 6pm
All ages and 21+ w/ID
$10 advance, $12 at the door; children 12 years of age and under free
Free compilation CD of performing bands, free drink ticket and free raffle ticket with ticket purchase

Bands:
Miracleband
GrownAss Man Band
10-4 and the Good Buddies
Ground Up
Stanky Pockets

Tickets are on sale now! Save yourself $2.00 be getting them early...they're going fast! To purchase tickets please go to:
www.myspace.com/jbdrumz JB(event organizer)

Calling All Colorado Composers!

The average classical composer may work in obscurity for years before his or her material is ever performed in concert. Oftentimes the only path to a public performance involves renting a hall, hiring musicians, and then trying to sell tickets to recoup some of the expenses.

But there is another way! The Playground Ensemble, a group of professional musicians who also happen to be the official Artists In Residence at DU's Lamont School of Music, sponsor an annual program that offers some valuable exposure to budding Beethovens and Mozarts -- or perhaps the next incarnation of Philip Glass.

On April 30, 2010, The Playground Ensemble will present its fourth CoCoCo (Colorado Composers Concert), providing valuable exposure to some of the state's most innovative musical minds. In the group's first such concert [2007], 30 pieces were offered for consideration and eleven were ultimately selected for performance. In the ensuing years the number of submissions have continued to grow.

Executive director Conrad Kehn said, "Because we have designed CoCoCo as a 'call for scores' rather than a competition, we judge the entries on their own merits instead of according to how they compare to each other." He went on to explain that the selected works have ranged from improvisational jazz to tonal neo-classical and avant-garde. Many of the pieces have gone on to become a regular part of the group's annual programming.

Visit this link to learn more about CoCoCo and to download a submission form.

Check out the October issue of Colorado Music Buzz to read a review of The Playground Ensemble's September 18 concert.

EchoFest this Weekend!

~Femme Fatale Four~

As a woman, events like this one fill my soul with intense pride. So many gifted and creative ladies coming together to not only support one another, but to share their talents with others. Don’t get it twisted gentlemen; this is not a feminist, man-bashing event, just a celebration of art and music with a feminine touch. Everyone is welcome.

This Thursday, September 24^th is the 4^th annual Femme Fatale event at the Bluebird (3317 E Colfax Ave Denver). This exciting evening features live painting, many local vendors and live performances including: African dance, break dancing, burlesque, spoken word, and a fashion show. Also in the mix, DJ’s Beretta, Mimi De Masala and Manizer will keep the night moving. It will be a night filled with fun, friends, entertainment and camaraderie. What am I most excited about? The much anticipated performance by MC, Xencs L. Wing.

I wouldn’t miss out, if I were you.

For more info, or to see articles about the individual performers go to: www.FemmeFataleLife.Blogspot.com

Frightened Rabbit interview

I don't actually interview a frightened rabbit cuz that would be mean, but I do interview Scott from the Scottish band Frightened Rabbit at Monolith.

Friday's Fun Photo (9/18/09)

At the MONOLITH MUSIC FEST, @ Beautiful Red Rocks amphitheater.... As I was walking back up the stairs from The Dandy Worhols set when this Crazy Cool cat spotted me... As you can see,... it was AWEsome!... He seem to be in a Good mood and was just enjoying the day!...... Neither one of us said anything to each other, just a nod of appreciation, his nod was way cooler for sure!.... I also think that the fan in the background was just as surprised as I was.... Imagine if someone took a picture of my reaction?!...

More fun Photos

Have a Safe Wonderful Weekend!

~Stu

Lynne Ryan feedback from Monolith

Monotonix at Monolith

The crowd is the stage for these guys and their show is full on crazy.

Opera Colorado Announces 2009–10 Young Artists

One of the joys of having an organization like Opera Colorado as part of our community is its dedication to public service. Cherity Koepke is OC's manager of education and community programs, the person responsible for bringing the operatic art form to school children and the general public throughout the year—at ridiculously reasonable fees. Koepke today introduced her company's Young Artists for the upcoming season; these are the singers who provide the entertainment in Opera Colorado's Arias & Ensembles program—highlights from the operatic repertoire—plus semi-staged one-act operas that this year include Richard Wargo's The Music Shop (based on stories by Chekov) and a scaled-down version of Charles Gounod's Romeo et Juliette. They take up the primary roles in the student productions of Opera Colorado's three seasonal offerings, act as backups [known in the profession as "covers," i.e., understudies] to the principal singers in those same productions, and also fulfill supporting ("comprimario") roles such as the prima donna's maid or the guy who comes onstage to announce the arrival of a visiting dignitary.

Pictured above (l–r) are Donata Cucinotta (soprano), Julia Tobiska (mezzo-soprano), Brendan Daly (tenor), Ted Federle (baritone), Alexander Scopino (bass), and Steven Arguiló-Arbues (coach and accompanist). As would be expected, each of the five singers boasts an impressive resume, having won or placed highly in numerous regional and national vocal competitions as well as appearing on stage with third-tier companies ranging from Shreveport (La.) to Nashville to Greensboro (N.C.). Ms. Cucinotta received her master's degree from Mannes College of Music (N.Y.) and was a Metropolitan Opera National Council regional finalist. Ms. Tobiska is a graduate of CU-Boulder, where she earned a master's in vocal performance. Mr. Daly did his undergraduate work at Harvard and earned a master's degree at Boston's Longy School of Music. Mr. Federle was awarded a master's degree from UNC/Greensboro (N.C.). Mr. Scopino earned his master's degree from Binghamton University (N.Y.).

Mr. Arguiló-Arbues is charged with holding the group together and accompanying them on the piano for each of their outreach productions. He did his undergraduate work at CU-Boulder and earned a master's degree in vocal accompanying from the Manhattan School of Music (N.Y.). As a coach, he has helped to prepare such operatic productions as Madama Butterfly, Don Giovanni and Don Pasquale, plus Broadway-type productions that have included A Chorus Line and Oklahoma!

Opera Colorado's outreach program has proved so successful that Ms. Koepke has been forced to increase the time in which these artists are under contract for the season. "Our schedule this year is quickly filling up," she cautioned. That's good news for these young performers, and even better news for the people who get to listen to them sing.