I suppose I am that local person who is now taking over and offering some information on the Denver music scene. Let me begin by saying, props to those who came before me…giving concert information and some phenomenal “song of the day” selections. I shall do my best to fill these shoes and give some perspective on what lyrical and musical talent is coming out of or to Denver. I am a local…in that I reside in Denver and have done so for about 6 years. I am named after a combination platter of Gilligan’s Island and a Beatles Album, have a knack for religiously remembering lyrics to about every song I listen to, have a red Fender Squire kickin’ it in the corner of my living room (for which I play a mad 4 chords), kicked ass on the recorder in grade school, and can honestly say…music moves me. I am no music expert and as with all things, our ear for music isn’t always in tune with the rest of the world. Our choice in genre is not in sync with our neighbors. Our favorite bands may not stand up to the mainstream American Idol epidemic.

With that being said, I will do my best at tapping into the Denver Music scene as a whole. I will offer information on all genres, types of musicians, venues, etc. I will get insight from friends and family here in Denver, who have different ears for music and may lend us an interesting avenue to take for the day. All big cities have bands, musicians and performers…Denver is no different. Yet the musical venues are numerous and catching local entertainment or knowing where to look, isn’t always the easiest adventure.

I will tackle this challenge here. Not necessarily beginning with a specific musician or band to follow, but rather the various venues which are laying the stage for performers, both local and national.  Whether you are trying to land a gig or see what Denver has to offer, these places can give you some direction, some local flavor, and a night out on the town seeing the city from the mouths of people living here. 

There are pretty big venues in Denver, that most people at least, know about or have heard of. They don’t specifically showcase local bands, but rather, music in general – local, out of state, well known, etc. These include but are not limited to:   The Ogden, The Bluebird Theater, The Fillmore, The Gothic, Pepsi Center, Comfort Dental Amphitheatre, Paramount Theatre, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, The Grizzly Rose, Infinity Park, 1^st Bank Center, Dick’s Sporting Goods Park and Magness Arena.  Most of these have direct websites which can give you specific information on upcoming shows. If not, Ticketmaster is always a good source of information for upcoming show listings.

There are smaller scale venues, as well. These venues may be more familiar territory for the locals - yet offer an eclectic array of music and musicians.  If you’re like me…small, quaint, more intimate settings/venues can often times be home of some of the best tunes. I’m not necessarily referring to listening to music in a room the size of your closet, but rather a venue offering less of the Auditorium, 3000 people in tow, type atmosphere. If this is more your cup of tea or glass of beer, check out some of these venues as well: Herman’s Hideaway, Larimer Lounge, Hi-Dive, Sputnik, Marquis Theatre, Soiled Dove Underground, El Chaparral Night Club, 15^th St. Tavern, Lion’s Lair, Mercury Café, Cervantes, and Funky Buddha. This is a small list in comparison to what is scattered throughout the streets of Denver and surrounding cities, yet not a bad place to start.

As I noted, I am not music expert, but I love the scene and love the variety of music at Denver’s disposal. I will do my best to keep you posted on what is happening here. I will do my best to highlight artists, bands, musicians, venues, concerts… whatever Denver is willing to give me.

Direct from the mouth of a band straight out of Denver, we will close with this: “It feels so good that people are listening to begin with and even if they don’t connect with the lyrics or connect emotionally, I’m happy that people are hearing them, it makes leaving home and being gone all the time, easier and for good reason.” –The Fray