The Colorado Sound’s My5 – October 2019

by BandWagon Magazine

1. Ft. Collins Downtown ArteryWe’ve heard great artists and held some Colorado Sound Music Meetings here. We’ll miss this wonderful, intimate ‘right downtown’ venue, but look forward to it’s new incarnation.

2. Western Stars film – Bruce just turned 70 and he’s showing no sign of stopping, retirement or even slowing down! There’s a hint at a new E Street album AND TOUR on tap for 2020!

3. Colorado Edition – KUNC’s new 30-min daily show (6:30pm) is a window into life in the Centennial State with news and lighter stories showing why we love living here!

4. Robbie RobertsonA new album (Sinematic), a film about The Band (Once Were Brothers) and an amazing, globally performed Playing For Change treatment of “The Weight” on YouTube. Like Bruce, this guy ain’t slowin’ down at age 76!

5. Denver Art Museum’s Monet Exhibit – A true once in a lifetime chance to see so many masterpieces by this artist in one place. I’ve got tix for right after it opens Oct 21, but they may all already be gone by the time you read this!

With the nights shorter and cooler, I made a list of music books for when you’re curled up under a blanket, preferably with a hot beverage. Happy Reading!

1. Country Music: An Illustrated History by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns – This is the companion book to the PBS documentary Country Music.

2. Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History Of The Hip-Hop Generation by Jeff Chang – A thorough history of the roots of hop-hop through the social changes from the early 1970s on.

3. Memphis Rent Party by Robert Gordon – Though this book highlights people from the Memphis music scene (Alex Chilton, Jeff Buckley, etc) it’s more about how the city of Memphis itself influenced the work of so many musicians.

4. William S. Burroughs And The Cult Of Rock And Roll by Casey Rae – The writer William S. Burroughs was on the periphery of big moments in music and this book serves almost as an alternative music history about his time covering music and musicians.

5. 1971 Never A Dull Moment by David Hepworth – The author makes a case it was 1971 and not any other year that was the greatest year in rock music. His point centers on the (now iconic) ’71 releases from the Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Who, and David Bowie, among others.

1. Colorado AvalancheI love coach Bednar and look forward to a continuation of last season’s momentum! With newly signed forward Valeri Nichushkin, the first full season for Cale Makar and return of Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon, the Avs should be playoff contenders again!

2. Ford v Ferrari This film highlights the struggle Ford’s drivers Carroll Shelby  and Ken Miles faced trying to outdo the legendary Ferrari 330 P3 in a crazy-short amount of time – allegedly as little as 90 days – at the 1966 Le Mans. Starring Christian Bale and Matt Damon, it opens November 15.

3. Music Meetings – Every month we love spending time with fellow new-music-lovers! We play samples without telling you the artist, you vote on it and, almost guaranteed, a lively discussion will ensue. Join in the fun: October 10 at Verboten Brewing in Loveland & November 6 at The Post in Boulder.

4. IMAX – Apollo 11: First Steps Edition – Todd Douglas Miller’s Apollo 11 was exclusively edited for IMAX’s giant screen experience. Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing, it’s a behind the scenes look at of one of humankind’s biggest achievements. Stunning shots from hidden archives + stellar soundtrack = must-see even the most earthbound. Tickets for IMAX in Denver here.

5. Joan Shelley: Like the River Loves the Sea – A beautiful folk tapestry anchored by the native Kentuckian’s angelic voice, a la Laurel Canyon in the 70s. An astute life-observer, she addresses the human condition without being overly sappy or saccharine sweet. Weyes Blood and Joni Mitchell fans take note!

1. Ken Burns Country Music Documentary SoundtrackNot only is this film one of the best in Burns’ career, the soundtrack contains 41 of the best songs ever created. If you’re just discovering country, it’s an excellent primer. Everything from the Carter Family, Hank Williams, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Bob Wills and Bob Dylan make an appearance.

2. Goo Goo ClustersDifficult to find outside of Tennessee, this is the first candy bar ever created. Sweet successors try to reach the same standard but always fall short of this perfect combo of good chocolate, peanuts and caramel.

3. Halloween – The most Rock & Roll of all holidays is also the day you can be anything you want. Going as Dracula or Scooby Doo doesn’t matter as long as you’re having fun! Celebrate at 105.5 with 24 hours of non-stop Halloween tunes on air the 31st.

4. DJ Shadow: “Rocket Fuel” – We haven’t heard from DJ Shadow since 2017 but the wait was worth it. With vocal help from De La Soul, this banger has enough energy to propel any party. Shadow goes nuts on the turntables, tipping his hat to Herbie Hancock’s “Rockit” which no doubt served as inspiration.

5. The Spy: A Netflix Original– I was skeptical of a thriller starring Sacha Baron Cohen (the guy who plays Borat) in a serious role, but I was wrong. This six part thriller based on the true story of Eli Cohen infiltrating the Syrian government in the 1960’s is an edge-of-your-seat binge-watch!