A half-full venue didn’t deter the Gaslight Anthem at the Black Sheep last week. Photos and text by Heather Browne.
The Gaslight Anthem are a study in contrasts: young earnest faces (broken frequently by wide smiles), paired with the tattoo-covered arms of convicts. A rabble-rousing punk urgency that’s heavily influenced by old-fashioned soul and blues. It’s an explosive blend that connected viscerally with a wide variety of folks in the Colorado Springs audience last Thursday night — from meaty guys with tattooed necks to the underage [...]

Bad Luck City’s Dameon Merkl points in the direction his vocals should be going at 3 Kings Tavern. Photos by Jason Claypool.
What I really dig about Bad Luck City — alongside the music — is the band’s fondness for professional presentation. Much like fellow locals DeVotchka, their sartorial attire brings a sense of formality and gentility to their performances. At 3 Kings Tavern on Saturday, for example, the band took the stage in dark suits, dress shoes and black ties.

Too young for Soundgarden? Chris Cornell tore through songs from that band, Audioslave and his own solo catalog at the Ogden on Friday. Photos by Soren McCarty.
The Ogden Theatre has been the perfect venue for many big-name artists who want to bring a smaller, more personal show to their fans. Chris Cornell was not an exception when he graced the Ogden’s stage Friday. I’d once forced myself to sit through an Audioslave concert solely because I was too young to ever see Soundgarden play. Luckily, [...]

Neil Young, seen here playing Magness Arena on Monday, is like a good wine. He gets better with age, and the music that pours out of him still tastes damn fine. Photos by Tim Rasmussen.
Cars and rock ‘n’ roll have been going steady since the 1950s when the high-octane, bastard son of rhythm & blues and country music revved into first gear with “Rocket 88.” Pioneering musicians helped to create a car tune culture that would continue to rumble throughout the evolution of rock ‘n’ [...]

The Photo Atlas’ Alan Andrews — seen here at last summer’s Mile High Music Festival — is a fierce presence on the stage. Photo by Laurie Scavo.
“I gotta set up my shit, man,” said Alan Andrews, Jr., before darting quickly out of the rain and into the front door of Hi-Dive on South Broadway.

Blasters frontman Phil Alvin — seen here at the Gothic Theatre on Saturday — still stinks of rockabilly. Photos by Todd Radunsky.
The Blasters made a stop in Denver on Saturday night to serenade a giddy Gothic Theatre audience with their high-energy blend of roots, rockabilly, punk and traditional blues. Vocalist and guitarist Phil Alvin wore his characteristically giant, frantic smile as proof that the place met with his approval, and the ceaseless swing in front of the stage signaled the audience’s approval of the band’s [...]

Former Del Fuegos leader Dan Zanes appeals to kids — and their hipster parents — with a friendly, indie rock aesthetic. Photo from danzanes.com.
While there has always been “family music,” Dan Zanes leads a recent movement to reclaim the music from corporations producing little songs for little characters — stripping away the furry costumes and playing unpretentious songs that kids and parents alike can feel good about. Saturday afternoon, Zanes and his six-piece band performed in a Boulder Theater well-populated with proud parents and exuberant [...]

Green Day is at it again. They’ll release a new rock opera in May and then hit the road for two months, including a Denver date at the Pepsi Center in August.
Green Day sold more than 12 million copies of its last critically acclaimed rock opera, 2004’s “American Idiot.” And so of course we’re excited to hear “21st Century Breakdown,” the latest CD — and another rock opera — from the Bay Area punk-pop trio.

CD reviews: Silversun Pickups, "Oh Happy Day" comp, Maria Bamford, Obits

Chris Pureka has the songs — but not the performance — to make for a great show. Photos by Quetzo Herejk.
The b.side lounge in Boulder was packed with faux-hawks and cowboy shirts — a fan-base of mostly 20- and 30-somethings ready to welcome Chris Pureka to the stage. A Northampton, Mass., native, Pureka has found herself on a three-month tour to celebrate her latest EP, “Chimera.” Currently, Pureka is accompanied on stage by electric bass and violinst Lyndell Montgomery, and a lovely unnamed red-head on [...]