Wyclef Jean rocked, climbed and smoked all over a nearly capactiy Gothic Theatre on Tuesday. Photos by Reverb contributor Brian Carney.
Wyclef Jean isn’t your average hip-hopper.
The Haitian-born multi-instrumentalist/MC/guitarist/producer/singer is a true talent, and that’s something you can hear in his work.
But you’ll never truly see or hear how talented ’Clef is until you see him perform live. He’s one of those performers who transcends the medium, whether he’s laying down a sick guitar solo with the instrument behind his head or climbing around a theater’s [...]

Eardrums were christened with the De La vibration Sunday night at Aspen’s Belly Up. De La Soul’s Posdnuos (Kelvin Mercer), Trugoy the Dove (David Jude Jolicoeur) and Mase (Vincent Mason) carried their socially-conscious hip-hop sounds into Aspen’s most intimate and rocking venue, after a Red Bulled week of X Games madness.
Backed by a Mase-spun bass that nearly shook the Belly Up’s Fillmore-esque collection of photos off the walls, the happy trio of razor-tongued and rapier-witted rappers served up their fun-first, eclectic hip-hop to a sold [...]

Sound Tribe Sector 9: Jammy, spacey and illuminated at a packed Fillmore Auditorium. Photos by Reverb contributor Brian Carney.
At times, the extravagant, baroque musical quality of the jam band can be overwhelming to a person who considers simplicity a virtue.
The novelty of long, seemingly improvisational songs wears thin after the fifth minute and wears out at the 10th. One questions the motives of the band… are they really that self-absorbed in the music that they don’t notice the only people still dancing are [...]

Chad Price (above) and his band bade Colorado farewell on Saturday with an intense but unassuming set at the Aggie Theatre. Photos and text by Reverb contributor Matt Schild.
For its last-ever show in Colorado, Drag the River couldn’t have found a more fitting way to end things: Singer/guitarist Jon Snodgrass cut the band’s perfunctory encore short so his band would have a few minutes before last call to mingle and hang out with fans. It probably surprised nobody that most of the audience would rather [...]

The Mars Volta easily overwhelmed the intimate Fox Theatre on Sunday night. Photos by Reverb contributor Laurie Scavo.
The Mars Volta normally plays at larger venues than Boulder’s Fox Theatre. For the psych-prog group to play there was the equivalent of putting a saber-toothed tiger into a small coat closet. Many publications compare the Mars Volta to a modern day Pink Floyd but do so mistakenly because they likely haven’t heard King Crimson.
Much like King Crimson, Mars Volta’s sound is intricate and themed. Every Mars Volta [...]

Wendy Woo (left) and Nina Storey showcased their ever-expanding catalogues at Swallow Hill on Friday. Photos by Reverb contributor Brian Carney.
Singer-songwriters Nina Storey and Wendy Woo took over Swallow Hill Music Association, Englewood’s epicenter of folk, roots and acoustic music. The impassioned Friday sets drew from both artists’ ever-expanding catalogues (sample them here and here). Reverb contributor Brian Carney was on hand to catch the action.

Special guest Hugh Ragin joined the free jazz series at the Lab @ Belmar. Photos by Reverb contributor Doug Beam.
On Friday, the Lab at Belmar played host to part one Creative Music Works’ three-part series on jazz, curated by Andrew Lindstrom (Nightshark, Git Some), with special guest Hugh Ragin on trumpet. The first half of the show consisted of free improvisation, and the second half offered the quartet music of Ornette Coleman. Check out these photos by Reverb contributor Doug Beam.

A little sip and a little tease at the Pink Elephant Room. Photos by Reverb contributor Laurie Scavo.
Denver’s very own Burlesque As It Was turned up the heat at the brand-spanking new Pink Elephant Room off of East Colfax on Saturday night. You can read more about the bar at 1515 Madison St. in Bill Husted’s column from Jan. 11, and check out some of Laurie Scavo’s photos below.

Bad Weather California’s Chris Adolf (right) makes you believe music can change the world. Photos by Reverb contributor Laurie Scavo.
On the last Friday of the month the Denver Art Museum invites people to live in the moment, rock locally and declare “art is now” by attending its “Untitled” series. And when you enter the room where the local rock is happening, your first thought is for your ears because is seems as though the acoustics in that room are going to hurt them. However, on [...]

Apathetic Drive singer Margo McKenney threw down at the Larimer Lounge on Friday. Photos by Reverb contributor Brian Carney.
Apathetic Drive played an impassioned show at the Larimer Lounge on Friday. Reverb contributor Brian Carney shares his photos from the night.