Chris Broderick of Megadeth: "There was definitely a metal scene in Denver back in 1988"

Brandon Marshall

Lakewood native Chris Broderick on stage with Megadeth last summer at Comfort Dental Amphitheatre.

See Also: Megadeth live review at Fillmore and interview with David Ellefson

When Megadeth plays the Fillmore next Tuesday, February 28, it will be a homecoming for guitar prodigy Chris Broderick, a Lakewood native and alumni of the University of Denver, where he studied classical guitar. A onetime member of Jag Panzer, a power-metal outfit from Colorado Springs, Broderick first caught the attention of Megadeth founder Dave Mustaine while he was playing as the touring guitarist with Nevermore on the first installment of Gigantour. We recently caught up with Broderick to talk all things Denver.

Westword: You will be making your second appearance at the Fillmore with Megadeth on February 28. Do you feel a certain pride when playing in front of a hometown crowd?

Chris Broderick: I would call it more pressure than pride [laughs].

Will there be many of your family members in the audience?

Definitely. There will be a whole herd of Brodericks.

With Megadeth, you've circled the globe several times. How does the Denver audience compare to the rest of the world?

They've been awesome. The funny thing is, though, I used to generalize like that and would say, "They're over the top" or "This place is really mellow" and stuff like that. But I've been through multiple places enough times, and it kinda depends on what time you go through. Sometimes a place is really over the top, and sometimes it's really mellow. So I can't really attribute it to any particular place.

Also read: David Ellefson of Megadeth: "We had punk attitude with metal chops"

What was the experience like to play a sold-out show at Comfort Dental Amphitheatre in front of 19,000 people while Megadeth was on the Mayhem tour? For you, that must have been an overwhelming experience.

The funny thing about it was not only was there stress involved, but the stress that we were recording that show for a couple of singles that we were going to put on an import. Not only was it my hometown, with my friends and family there and 19,000 other people and fans, but we were recording it, as well. It definitely had a little bit of stress involved, but it was cool.

I noticed a camera on your guitar strap during that show. Was that something for you to keep a record of that gig?

That was actually part of the Mayhem festival. What they did was put together some video of different songs. They were the ones who put the camera there.

You studied classical guitar at DU. What was it like when you returned with Megadeth in 2010 and played on campus at Magness Arena?

It was cool to go there. It was a return to school in a way, because I spent so much time at that university. It was definitely a very cool experience.

Were you greeted by any of your professors or instructors at the show?

I wasn't...

Interview continues on Page 2.

Location Info

Venue

Map

Fillmore Auditorium

1510 Clarkson St., Denver, CO

Category: Music

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