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Denver

BandWagon Magazine has covered Denver in 426 stories since 2012, including 156 features, 143 reviews and 72 photo galleries.

426 stories · Page 7 of 22

Four men pose outdoors in front of a weathered corrugated metal wall with overgrown grass, with no instruments visible.

FeaturesWelcome to Thrash Hard City (Take Two)On the first of April this year, Northern Colorado metal bands Thrash Hard City and Phantomstone played back-to-back opening sets at the Moxi Theater’s 10th anniversary.Landon Ungerman · Oct 4, 2023

Three performers on a dark stage with pink lights, one in a striped shirt playing guitar near a drum kit.

FeaturesThe Greeley Block Party Unveils its Lineup for FREE Upcoming Music FestivalSchool is back in session and summer’s end is around the corner, which means it’s time for Greeley’s biggest, most diverse music festival of the year!Landon Ungerman · Sep 5, 2023

Four people pose against a pale blue backdrop, one in a cap and graphic tee, several with tattooed arms.

ReviewsPRBLMS by NOT A TOY – Album ReviewNOT A TOY’s new album, PRBLMS, is a thrilling, genre-defying gem. Lead singer and producer, Branson Hoog, brings a unique vocal timbre to every track, delivering an authentic sound, while exploring an array of musical styles. To put it simply, PRBLMS is versatile. By seamlessly blending rap-influenced verses, catchy pop melodies and dance patterns, NOTLandon Ungerman · Aug 21, 2023

FeaturesBen Chapman: The Trail to and from NashvilleThe heart of country music lives in Nashville, and Red Dirt Country artist Ben Chapman is capturing the heart of the city after his last two records and national tour with Lainey Wilson.Landon Ungerman · Aug 8, 2023

piesmodernlife performs at The Black Buzzard in Denver (photo 1 of 5)

Concert Photospiesmodernlife Headlines The Black Buzzard in Denverpiesmodernlife played a headline show at The Black Buzzard in Denver, and the photos from the night are up.Jason Alfaro · Jul 10, 2023

Jacklen Ro performs at The Black Buzzard in Denver (photo 1 of 3)

Concert PhotosJacklen Ro Live at The Black Buzzard in DenverJacklen Ro played The Black Buzzard at Oskar Blues in Denver on June 21, 2023, and the photos are up.BandWagon Magazine · Jun 28, 2023

Photo for “Milquetoast Renditions A Timeless Classic On “Nights In White Satin””

EditorialsMilquetoast Renditions A Timeless Classic On “Nights In White Satin”Frontman James McAndrew and bassist Dan Zangari from the Denver-based sextet Milquetoast & Co.Landon Ungerman · Jun 1, 2023

Photo for “It’s OK To Feel Blue, Just Don’t Rap About It”

EditorialsIt’s OK To Feel Blue, Just Don’t Rap About ItDNA Picasso Deconstructs Vulnerability in Hip-Hop with his New Album “The Colour Blü “Landon Ungerman · May 16, 2023

Four bearded, tattooed men in dark t-shirts pose in front of a moody red brick wall, no instruments visible.

FeaturesxDeadBeatx Ignites a Hardcore Punk Resurgence in Fort Collins“When I moved to Fort Collins, I didn’t want to have to drive to Denver to go to hardcore shows,” Billy Fabrocini tells BandWagon. “Now people will drive up here to go to shows. That’s what DeadBeat was always about. DeadBeat was about showing people, ‘yeah, we can do it ourselves. We can do it here.’” In addition to being a hardcore band, xDeadBeatx is “straight edge,” a label that arose from the hardcore scene in 1981, after the seminal band Minor Threat released a 46-second track by the same name that disparaged drug and alcohol abuse. Since then, straight edge has evolved, morphed and splintered into its own genre and subgenres. A strict set of ethical guidelines come along with the musical characteristics — no drinking, smoking, drugs, promiscuous sex or addictive behaviors of any kind for life. Each member of xDeadBeatx has his own reason for embracing the straight edge ethos. Each of those reasons can be traced back to long before the band was founded in 2019.Gabe Allen · Jan 31, 2023

Six people pose with guitars in a small room with exposed wooden beams and posters on the walls.

FeaturesSilver & Gold: Saving FaceThe band members in Silver & Gold don’t seem to believe it, but it was a decade ago when they were just a group of college kids crowded together in a music rehearsal room at the…Dan England · Jan 17, 2023

Trash. poses at night inside a large rusted metal ring sculpture, four members in dark clothing.

MusicAlbum Review: Trash. – GhostsLet’s face it. For many, the past couple of years have been pretty garbage, in a lot of ways.Nate Wilde · Dec 13, 2022

Features100 to 16, Now Down to 4: BandWagon’s Battle Of The Bands Closes in on Title BoutEternal Glory, $5,000 and the cover of BandWagon Magazine are grounds for musical fisticuffs in Colorado.Kevin Johnston · Dec 6, 2022

Black-and-white portrait of a man with tousled hair, palm-print shirt, and chain necklace, holding a hat by a wall.

FeaturesNothing to Hide Behind: Wheelwright’s Jared Kolesar After The Mill“I think there’s an element of a lonely cowboy out on the trail,” Jared Kolesar of Wheelwright tells BandWagon. “There’s many songs now with a story that is best told while I’m alone with my guitar.” The reworked songs give his Jared & The Mill fans a chance to preview his new sound, one he calls more sonically interesting, with more synth and more effects to his vocals to go with some new hip-hop vibes. He calls the sound Neo-Western and compares it to a mix of 80’s futurism and Americana. Or, in his own words, “like Blade Runner with more cowboy vibes.”Dan England · Oct 10, 2022

Layered triple-exposure portrait of a bearded man in a plaid shirt, lit warmly beside a sheer curtain.

FeaturesBirth, Death and Time In The Sun: SUSTO’s Justin Osborne Finds new Dimesion“There were ravines growing between me and people in my life,” Justin Osborne tells BandWagon.Kevin Johnston · Sep 12, 2022

Person with long pink wavy hair, red round sunglasses, and a black beanie in a red plaid coat against a blue backdrop.

FeaturesPlay it For Your Mates: Tones And I Rises Up Solo; Puts the “I” in Team-MacklemoreYou’ve heard it. It was written by a busker, in a closet, for a few friends at a youth hostel but somewhere on Planet Earth in the last three years, you’ve heard it.Kevin Johnston · Aug 11, 2022

Band performs under blue stage lights, with a guitarist, keyboardist, and drummer behind a red drum kit.

MusicAlbum Review: mon cher – tell me babyDenver’s femme trio, mon cher, explore synth-driven dream pop in their new EP tell me baby. It’s meditative and vibey, reminiscent of synth-pop groups like Washed Out (the group that wrote the “Portlandia” theme) and the Minecraft’s ethereal composer, C418.Valerie Vampola · Jul 19, 2022

Photo for “The Bones of J.R. Jones: Desert Rhythms and Dancing Through the Blues”

FeaturesThe Bones of J.R. Jones: Desert Rhythms and Dancing Through the BluesJ.R.’s life as a touring bluesman came later than some. In his late 20’s, he was living in Brooklyn, bartending and teaching at a pre-school. He had a masters degree in printmaking, but the medium was quickly being usurped by digital alternatives. Still, he needed a creative outlet. A few years before, J.R.’s college roommate had introduced him to a song that made him fall in love with the blues. It was Blind Lemon Jefferson, a 1920’s singer and guitarist who is sometimes credited as the “Father of the Texas Blues.” “I had never heard that raw, gritty passion in anything else,” he said. “It just kind of leveled me.” From then on, J.R. spent his in-between time — in between work, school, relationships and everything else — playing the blues. “There were a lot of DIY venues that popped up in loft spaces or garages. They were perfect for the type of music I was playing,” he explained. “All you needed was a condenser microphone, a picnic table and a cooler of PBR.”Gabe Allen · Jul 14, 2022

A man with long dark hair and a gray blazer plays a mixing board with colorful cables under purple stage lights.

FeaturesMichal Menert: Things Burn DownMichal Menert has been thinking about fire.Gabe Allen · Jul 12, 2022

Photo for “Album Review: Musuji – Blanket Statement”

MusicAlbum Review: Musuji – Blanket StatementTo say that Musuji’s reputation precedes them would be an understatement. Known for their “wild with madness” moniker, Musuji mash together layer upon layer of sound and energy to create their own blend of funky, intense indie rock that is equally as chill as it is disastrous – and that’s in a good way.Nate Wilde · Jul 7, 2022

Six men pose for a group portrait against a dark backdrop with purple and green geometric shapes.

MusicSingle Review: Eufórquestra – “Arizona to Georgia”Eufórquestra’s recent single, “Arizona to Georgia,” leans into groovy funk-rock, with jammy vibes and a big sound, reminiscent of early Steely Dan or Steve Miller’s “Fly Like an Eagle.” This song has a lot of potential to extend to a full jam, pushing audiences to have a “little less talk, a little more listen” as the lyrics demand.Valerie Vampola · Jul 6, 2022