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.

The Colorado Sound Playlist - Sept 12, 2009

The Colorado Sound airs on KRFC Fort Collins (Sat 5PM-7PM), Mountain Public Radio in Summit County (Fri/Sat 7PM-9PM) and KDNK Carbondale, Aspen, Leadville, Glenwood Springs, Roaring Fork Valley (Thurs 1AM-3AM).


NEW - Coles Whalen “Go Child” from The Whistle Stop Road Record (2009)
The Informants “Salvation” from Crime Scene Queen (2009)
Hello Kavita “Midnight Sound” from And Then We Turned Sideways (2008)
The Primroses “The Jungle” from No More Light of Day (1997)
Rob Drabkin “Sweet Things” from On These Heavy Feet (2009)
Euforquestra “The Events of December 11” from Soup (2009)
Debajo Del Agua “Aguas” from The World Upside Down (2009)
Jux County “Mirror” from Junk Country (2001)
Danielle Ate the Sandwich “Goodbye Frankie” from Things People Do (2009)
Yonder Mountain String Band “Out of the Blue” from The Show (2009)
The Subdudes “Wedding Rites” from Flower Petals (2009)
Keith Oxman “All Dudes” from Doing All Right (2009)

Tinkers Punishment “June Cleaver” from If This Can't Last Forever (2000)
Fierce Bad Rabbit “Everything Is Alright” from Fierce Bad Rabbit (2009)
NEW - Ode to the Marionette “Uncomfortable Situation” from Uncomfortable Situation (2009)
Lelah Simon “To Be Oblique” from Third Week of April (2009)
Halden Wofford and the Hi Beams “Blues Fallin' Down” from Midnight Rodeo (2006)
Hickman Dalton Gang “Mexican Jail” from The Hickman Dalton Gang Vol I (2007)
The Beautiful Loser Society “Talkin to the Devil” from Aim Low (2008)
Lindsey O'Brien Band “Broke My Heart” from As Long As It Matters (2008)
Jill Sobule “I Kissed A Girl” from Jill Sobule (1995)
Saints “Guiding Light” from Saints (2009)
Speakeasy, Tiger “Oil Rising” from The Public (2009)
Fred Hess “For Thomas” from Hold On (2009)

World Hoop Day!

http://www.hoopitforward.org/.

Join us at World Hoop Day for a Saturday afternoon you don't want to miss! We will be giving away 200 hoops this year, so make sure to bring some new hoopers so they can decorate their own and take one home. We have a fantastic lineup of DJs in the works for your hoop shakin' pleasure. The more hoopers we have the better, so call up your friends and spread the word, or download the flyer and distribute. If you haven't been to City Park before, know that it can be a maze to drive through. We highly recommend that you check out the map:

FoCoMA Turns 2!!

The Fort Collins Musicians Association will be celebrating their 2nd birthday this Saturday, September 12th at the Aggie Theatre in Fort Collins, CO.



The organization made the executive decision to make it a Kyle King Memorial Show, in honor of our fallen friend. All proceeds for the evening and a percentage of the bar sale will go to the memorial fund that his parents set up. Also, about 35 local bands have donated CDs that we will be selling for a $5 donation to go to his fund. It's free and the lineup includes: Arliss Nancy, Paean, 10-4 Eleanor, and Scary Ghosts. Doors are at 8 PM and the show starts at 9 PM.

FoCoMA received their 501(c)3 this past April and are proud of the whole music community for pulling off some pretty cool things even without it.

Some highlights include:
-Hosting 2 FoCoMA Peer Awards
-Holding once a month free workshops
-Sponsoring new talent showcases for new/young bands to have a chance to play (instead of being reduced to working with Big Time Entertainment)
-Producing the children's workshops at the Fort Collins Jazz Festival for 2 years
-Producing the JazzFest Kickoff Party/ Crawfish Boil for 2 years
-Raising $1500 for the Windsor Tornado Relief efforts
-Sponsoring the CSU Back to School show
-Producing the Fort Collins Music Experiment (FoCoMX)
-Working with the CMB to provide a NoCo section
-Working with the Colorado Music Lounge to help promote bands on campus
-Holding "Bake for the Cure" (local musician bakesales) to raise money for our Musicians for Mammograms program
-Producing the Old West Fest party (new west fest after party)
-Co-Sponsoring Battle of the Bands with the Aggie (where each band was paid)

This fall, FoCoMA are bringing the Dirty Dozen Brass Band out on September 19th to march with the CSU Marching Band at halftime and then come play the Aggie Theatre that evening. They've been accepting donations to help raise $15,000.00 to rebuild one house for the Saint Bernard Project on behalf of the Fort Collins Music Community.

They're producing a Bowling for Boobies event at Chippers Lanes in October for the Musicians for Mammograms program.

They're also working with Star Excel Radio to produce a show that will be rebroadcast from KRFC to their terrestrial station in LA and podcast to music communities around the world that they work with. It will be a NoCo band and a CO band for each segment, in our efforts to bridge the gap between the different scenes.

Offenbach Gem Added to 2010 Central City Lineup

Central City Opera has announced a change in next season's lineup, replacing the somewhat nebulous "Blast of Broadway" revue with a full production of Orpheé aux Enfers (Orpheus in the Underworld) by Jacques Offenbach. Performed in French with English supertitles, it is a prime example of the "opera bouffe" works that filled Parisian stages during France's golden age of operetta, which effectively came to an end in 1870 with the country's defeat in the Franco-Prussian War.

Orpheus (1858) is the first in a string of seven major Offenbach hits that essentially created the concept of satirical French musical theater. Along with his librettist collaborators (Meilhac and Halévy), the operettas by this trio are often compared to the works of Gilbert & Sullivan, especially given their sting of social commentary delivered in rapid-fire rhyming lyrics. This particular piece deals with the mythological story of Orpheus descending into the Underworld in order to rescue his estranged wife (Euridice) from her new lover, Pluto. Unlike more serious musical versions of this story -- in the opera by Gluck, for example -- many of the lines delivered by the characters have a double meaning, intended to satirize both the government and the society of Offenbach's day. While these references are generally beyond the ken of today's audiences, the story is told in such an entertaining manner that the subtext is inessential to enjoying the performance.

Offenbach's music is highly distinctive, and the tunes he wrote are just as delightful in a standalone version as they are within the context of their operettas. [Operetta is distinguished from "opera" in that the musical pieces are separated by spoken rather than sung text.] One of his most famous tunes occurs in Orpheus, the "Galop Infernal" that will forevermore be associated with the dance, the can-can.

Here the brilliant conductor Marc Minkowski leads an ensemble in the "Galop" to wrap up an Offenbach gala presented in Paris in 2001.

Sept Calendar - click on em to make em big...

Now Playing at the Mayan Theater!

The electric guitar has dominated popular music for the last half century. Anyone who has ever plugged into an amp understands its power. So does the average stadium crowd. But if you have too much exposure to amateurs, you might forget the incredible range of expression that the creation pioneered by Les Paul can achieve in the hands of masters. Director Davis Guggenheim, well-known for his Academy Award-winning documentary An Inconvenient Truth, deepens our appreciation for going electric by bringing together three virtuosos from different generations: Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin, The Edge of U2 and Jack White of The White Stripes. It Might Get Loud weaves together their stories to reveal how each of them developed a unique sound. Unlike rock 'n' roll documentaries that focus on backstage drama, this one concentrates on the music, giving us intimate access to the creative process. What's more, we see each musician play new work that has yet to be released. You don't need to be an aficionado to enjoy the pleasure of this company. The film might not affect how you play, but it will change how you listen. Official Web Site

Electric Valentine shows next weekend

Some friends of mine are coming through Colorado next weekend on their national tour. If you want to get your dance on then go check them out. Cuz they put on awesome shows:

http://www.myspace.com/electricvalentine

The Colorado Sound - September 5, 2009

The Colorado Sound airs Saturdays at 5PM on KRFC Fort Collins, Friday & Saturday at 8PM on Mountain Public Radio Summit County, and Thursdays at 1AM on KDNK Carbondale.

Earth, Wind & Fire “Evil” from Head to the Sky (1973)
Juno What?! “Body Double” from Late Night (2009)
NEW Euforquestra “Soup” from Soup (2009)
Kyle Hollingsworth “Too Young” from Then There's Now (2009)
Maree McRae “Speak Your Mind” from Urgency (2009)
NEW Yvonne Meek “How Can I Make You Stay” from Mosaic (2009)
NEW The Subdudes “Town Square” from Flower Petals (2009)
Paper Bird “Lost Boys” from A Sky Underground (2009)
Gregory Alan Isakov “Big Black Car” from This Empty Northern Hemisphere (2009)
Yonder Mountain String Band “East Nashville Easter” from Yonder Mountain String Band (2006)
NEW Andy Ard “That's What She Did to Me” from What She Did (2009)
Flying Dragon Orchestra “November” from Flying Dragon Orchestra (2009)

NEW Chris Daniels & BMaster “Don't Change Horses in the Middle of a Stream (live)” from We'll Meet Again (2009)
Otis Taylor “Feel Like Lightening” from Below the Fold (2005)
NEW Emmitt-Nershi Band “I Come From the Country” from New Country Blues (2009)
Drag the River “I Remember Now” from Bad At Breaking Up (2009)
Angie Stevens & the Beautiful Wreck “Anything” from Queen of This Mess (2009)
The Motet “Mighty” from Dig Deep (2009)
Yo, Flaco! “Skeptamistic” from Skeptamistic (2001)
Fafi aka 3Percent “6 Dayz A Week” from Groove or Die (2009)
GT and the Sidewinders “Across America” from Across America (2009)
Boulder Acoustic Society “Slip Baby Slip” from Punchline (2009)
Ricky Sweum “Pulling Your Own Strings” from Pulling Your Own Strings (2009)

Nathen Maxwell and Mike Blecha performing "My Little One" at Nathen's daughter's birthday party

More radio chartin' going on.

Xiren is once again among the most added at Adult Contemporary radio with his hit "Ship of Fools" (it's called Big Enough on the album TRIP-R) ... that's gotta be some kind of record, as it's the 3rd week in a row for most added nationally.

Also on the Adult Contemporary radio front, Maree McRae has broken the Top 40 -- debuting at #35 nationally, with "Breeze" from her latest "Urgency." Also, look for this album to be deep enough to potentially chart at Americana. 2008 Americana "Promoter of the Year," Peter Knapp, who also worked Angie Steven's "Queen of this Mess," has been tapped to work the album to Americana radio nationally. The Rocky Mountain Music Network is being brought on to get the album out to Colorado radio and press, so be looking for it soon. Maree is in preproduction for an upcoming video for Breeze, that we hope will be a chart topper on VH1 this season.

Paonia's Honey Don't, featuring Bill Powers and Shelley Gray from Sweet Sunny South has found their self titled debut release breaking the Top 40 of the national Americana radio charts.

The Subdudes have been gaining more and more attention, at least here in Colorado, but as of today, their latest, Flower Petals is slipping a bit, falling from 34 to 44 on the AAA Public Breakout charts at FMQB.com ... hopefully that one too will break out at Americana radio here soon.

Otis Taylor's "Pentatonic Wars and Love Songs," is slippin on the Roots Rock Music Report Blues Chart, falling from 6 to 12 this week, while Spring Creeek's "Way Up on a Mountain" climbs a notch to #30 on the RMR Bluegrass chart ... Ethyl & the Regulars hold onto the #2 position on the RMR True Country charts with their latest Filler Up With...Ethyl & the Regulars.

THE RINO NEIGHBORS 1st ANNUAL BLOCK PARTY PRESENTED BY THE WALNUT ROOM

Sat Sept 12th - 3pm - 8pm

DENVER – August 18, 2009 – The Walnut Room, in association with the RiNo Neighbors, will toast thesummer with the 1st Annual RiNo Block Party. The annual event will be hosted in The Walnut Room parkinglot, located at 3131 Walnut Street in Denver. A full bar, food vendors, and local artist and retail displays,along with an outdoor stage will set the scene for this first year event, projecting over 500 in attendance.

Rocco DeLuca and The Burden will headline the event with other local performers and DJ’s, including Matt Morris, rounding out the bill. This event will help bring awareness to the growing RiNo (River North)neighborhood and all its offerings, as area artists will showcase their recent works and retailers will offer
samples of their products and services on-site.

The RiNo Neighbors 1st Annual Block Party will feature free admission, free, off street, parking, and a community feel that will bring neighbors and Denver residents of all ages together. The Walnut Room Denver will donate a portion of their food and liquor proceeds to Youth Biz, a local children’s organization, and donations will also be accepted on-site. The event is sponsored by RiNo Neighbors, Fire Clay Lofts,
Soundstructure Studios, and The Walnut Room Denver.
Walnut Room Website

Last Night of the BBC Proms: Live for the First Time on Colorado Public Radio, Sept. 12

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (Sept. 1, 2009) – Colorado Public Radio (CPR) Classical Music will broadcast live the last night of the BBC Proms – the world's largest classical music festival – on Saturday, Sept. 12, from noon to 4 p.m.

Set among the sounds of an enthusiastic live audience, this year's broadcast will feature David Robertson leading the BBC Symphony Orchestra with soloists Sarah Connolly and Alison Balsom.

“The BBC Proms is an 8-week concert extravaganza in London and the last night is always the most exciting,” said Colorado Public Radio Classical Music Program Director Karla Walker. “The audience – known as 'Prommers' – can often sound more like they're at a soccer game than a classical music concert, which makes the concerts even more exciting to listen to. This is the first time CPR is airing the final Proms concert and we couldn't be more excited. We hope our listeners love it as well.”

Host Brian Newhouse will also take listeners through a 30-minute pre-broadcast program called “The Glories of the 2009 Proms,” a musical presentation of the 76 concerts' best performances, prior to the start of the live program.

Colorado Public Radio is among the American Public Media outlets given permission to air this special live broadcast from the last night of the Proms festival.

Colorado Public Radio Classical Music is heard on: 88.1 FM in Denver, 91.9 FM in Pueblo, 94.7 FM in Colorado Springs, 89.9 FM in Vail, 90.5 FM in Glenwood Springs, 103.3 FM along the Western Slope, and online at cpr.org.

Details about the upcoming BBC Proms Last Night live performance can be found at www.bbc.co.uk/proms/2009/.

Guess 100 copies at The Walnut is not enough...

Photo: Stu Kennedy