“The new EP by the Knew? Sounds perfect.” Photos by Doug Beam.
When talking about the Knew’s latest EP, “Boom Bust,” it’s good not to use the word “new,” as that tends to make you sound speech-impaired. “They’re having a CD release party!” “Who?” “The Knew.” “Oh, you mean the new Knew EP?” “Yeah, that one.” “Wait… what?”
“Who’s on First” jokes aside, the Denver band released its latest disc to a fairly healthy crowd at the Hi-Dive on Saturday. Check out photographer Doug Beam’s photo essay [...]

Matson Jones reunited for a pair of shows along the Front Range, including a July 24 stop at the Bluebird Theater. Photos by Laurie Scavo.
Yeah, yeah: We know it was a week ago, but we haven’t had a chance to post this photo essay from the July 24 Matson Jones/Monofog show at the Bluebird Theater because we’ve been busy with our 8th annual Underground Music Showcase. Better late than never, right?
The show, by all accounts a fitting reunion set for the much-loved Fort Collins band [...]

We Are! We Are! practically dehydrated themselves playing a tight, dance-worthy set at their CD release show on Friday. Photos by Brian Carney.
Denver instrumental trio We Are! We Are! projects more energy on stage than a herd of stampeding elephants. For the dance-rock set, the band might just be the most underappreciated band in the city. Of course, I’m biased as hell, having been in love with them since an Old Curtis Street Bar show earlier this year.
Trying to pin them down to a genre [...]

Boris brought the bouquets and bullets to the Marquis on Friday. Photo from Wikipedia.
By all accounts, the late ’60s were loose. Who knows if Flower Travellin’ Band ever met Arthur Lee, or what drugs were involved, or what teenaged indiscretions they suffered?
Enter Japan’s bastard orphan-child Boris; a three-guitar, four-necked, nine-headed muck monster that crawled up the stage at the Marquis Theater Friday night and sonically scrubbed a capacity crowd who hadn’t touched soap to skin in at least a week.
Atsuo, Wata, Takeshi, and guest touring [...]

The Offspring performing May 18 in Santa Barbara, Calif. Photo from Offspring.com.
As I sat, swayed, danced, and bounced through the Big Gig, one song kept bubbling to top of mind: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club’s “Whatever Happened To My Rock ‘n’ Roll.” Surrounded by the next generation of punk rock girls and boys, happily bouncing and pogo-ing to the tunes Saturday at Fiddler’s Green, I tried to share the bliss they were feeling.
But I missed any sense of urgency, or riot, or anger, or passion — [...]

The Infamous Stringdusters play the Rockygrass festival at Planet Bluegrass Ranch in Lyons on Saturday. Photos by Candace Horgan.
Every year about this time, Planet Bluegrass Ranch in Lyons hosts the annual RockyGrass festival, three days of music and camping along the bubbling St. Vrain River. Reverb contributor Candace Horgan made the trek to capture the Saturday proceedings for this photo essay.
Check out her snapshots below acts like the Infamous Stringdusters, Donnell Leahy, Psychograss, Punch Brothers, Chris Thile, Abigail Washburn & the Sparrow Quartet featuring Béla [...]

Jandek, the enigmatic singer-songwriter from Corwood Industries, in younger days.
Jandek has never played Denver in his 30 years of releasing records, you say? Well, break out the confetti.
Fans and gawkers alike funneled themselves down the aisles of the claustrophobic Bug Theatre on Friday night, excitement flaring gently in their nostrils. Collected onstage were notable Denver faces, including Andrew Lindstrom of Nightshark and Brittany Gould of Married in Berdichev. Perhaps this was an act of goodwill to appease the Denver avant-gods, who, luckily, are more turns [...]

Walking down Clarkson Street toward the Rancid show Saturday night, I was overwhelmed with feelings of adoration and respect for a band I was unexpectedly excited to see.
A warm but mild summer evening set in as kids littered the sidewalk of the beautiful 1907 (now-christened) Fillmore Auditorium in small groups, some smoking, some kissing, some gathered around a boy playing “Salvation” on a beat-up acoustic guitar. It was like a millennial punk Summer of Love.
The evening was an odd but appropriate line-up that in addition [...]

John Mellencamp engaged in heavy stage banter between hits and new songs at Red Rocks on Sunday. Photos by Jason K. Powers.
I went to see John Mellencamp and Lucinda Williams at Red Rocks on Sunday night expecting to relax and take in a few hours of classic, straight-ahead Americana-tinged rock ‘n’ roll. And for the most part, that’s what happened. Despite any misgivings about his age, his longevity in rock or his apparently Springsteen-derived style, Mellencamp and his touring band turned out quite a performance [...]

Pinhead Circus rocking out circa 1997. Photo from Kate At Yr Own Risk.
As floodgates of nostalgia cracked wide-open Saturday night at the Marquis Theater, the dense crowd of sweaty, drunk fans raised their glasses and fists in a raucous salute to Denver’s seminal punk band reunited, Pinhead Circus. Fans weren’t just singing along with singer/guitarist, Scooter, they were thrashing their vocal chords to match the bursting pride thumping in their chests. It was not only a reunion for the band, but a reunion for many [...]