25 reasons the Denver music scene rules

goat4

1 Like

Please allow me to add several more reasons Colorado rocks.... KAFM KBUT KCSU KDNK KRFC KUNC KGNU KDUR KOTO KVNF KUVO Radio 1190. Open Air 1340. All air decent amounts of CO music

dave.herrera moderator editor

@goat4 True, true, Goat. Thanks for chiming in!

Aaron Garcia

Nice work Dave.

Jennifer Underwood

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Well our band from Colorado just won third place at the International Blues Competition in Memphis. Over 200 bands from all over the world competed. We got it going on here in Denver!

zach.pasdoe

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@Jennifer Underwood Every metro area larger than Denver (I think there are 20) and several smaller metros (probably 20+) have it going on. That said, there is really no reason to sit and thump our chests.

Graham Marshall Mueller

hell yeah it does!! https://www.facebook.com/events/501393229903865/

mspmidway

1 Like

The Denver music scene rules? When I think of amazing music scenes or in your words, scenes that rule (musicians, support, venues, etc...) cities like New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Portland, San Francisco and Austin come to mind. Denver has a long way to go before it can be grouped with those cities. As of right now, the Denver scene is where it should be for a city / metro this size. BTW, I knew this article was a joke when the Fray and Lumineers (who aren't even from Denver) were mentioned.

stokednco

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@mspmidway @mspmidwayI'm sorry but you haven't a clue what you are typing my hard rocking Amigo! I've spent the last few years on the the west coast trying to find what Denver brings to the table and it's just not out there yo. What makes this place a bedrock for music IMHO is the bluegrass scene and if you're not on board with that then I'm afraid I'm going to have to say goodnight. Show me a place anywhere in the country that compares. Show me a place that I can plan my entie year aound so many bands that I can see without even leaving the state? OK, this is about Denver but overall, String Cheese Incident, YMSB, Pretty Lights and EOTO just to name a few really decent and respectable bands are always in town in some form or antoher.

robbygriswold

@mspmidway I can second this I've lived in Denver my whole life and recently just moved to Austin. The author of this article should try getting out to some other cities.

dave.herrera moderator editor

1 Like

@robbygriswold@mspmidwayI've been to other cities, most of the ones you mention, in fact, and while I love Austin and some of those other places, I much prefer to live here. But, listen, while we're on the subject, what, specifically, makes you think those other places are so vastly superior to Denver? Eager to hear your opinion.

dave.herrera moderator editor

@robbygriswold

In the interest of not further stoking the fires of what seems to have the potential to become an ad hominem exchange here, I'll try to offer a reasoned response to your points, rather than making broad, unfounded assumptions about you based on your assertions, as you appear to have with me.

Let's see, for starters, by "adventurous," I was referring to music fans here, whom are clearly willing to give unheralded acts a chance -- in this case, groups like DMB and Phish, which were both unknown and unproven quantities elsewhere when they gained a strong, grassroots foothold here -- as opposed to those specific acts themselves.

Just the same, while you could certainly make a viable argument that both of those acts were progressive in the own ways in the context of pop music at the time they came to prominence in the early '90s, to suggest that they're envelope pushers these days is not only silly and remiss, it's besides the point.

As far as my tastes are concerned: Considering that I never mentioned Pretty Lights or even got into specifics regarding my EDM inclinations, it's a bit baffling that you assume that my tastes are generic and/or lacking. There's truckloads of "progressive, truly adventurous music," as you put it, being made here:

To wit: There are no shortage of acts I'd consider to be progressive here, from Men of Burka and CacheFlowe to Rubedo and BLKHRTS, but perhaps more salient to this particular discussion, you can make a case for acts like EOTO, Big Gigantic, Project Aspect, Ieungliss or Yawn Tron making forward thinking electronic music, IMHO. Out of curiosity, what acts, specifically, do you consider to be progressive?

If you'd like to get a feel for my actual sensibilities, you're welcome to peruse my individual picks in our weekly Heavy Rotation feature; that should give you an apt feel for my current and recent proclivities.

Now, back to the original point, I'd love to hear your perspective on how and why these other cities are so vastly superior to Denver. What makes them so? Is it the caliber of talent, the infrastructure, the venues, what? Surely you can offer up at least a couple of concrete reasons -- I mean, I've listed two dozen.

Eager to hear your take...

robbygriswold

@dave.herrera I really can't get over the fact that you think Dave Matthews band is adventurous... what a joke! The dubstep scene is the most progressive in Denver but there is so much more to electronic music than that. As far as experimental forward thinking electronic music and hiphop Denver has a long way to go. If you think pretty lights is original or innovative you don't have a clue... ok I take it back maybe it's not you're lack of experience with other cities. You just have generic limited taste/knowledge of progressive truly adventurous music. Lol fucking Dave Matthews band... get out of here did you become a music journalist?

mspmidway

@dave.herrera Wait. Now you want to discuss where one prefers to live?

Tchoupitoulas

1 Like

#21 ease of access to any venue or bar, listen to any type of music you like, have a few beers and be home in 20 mins to get some sleep for work the next day.

Brandon Young

Now if some of the good acts will stop skipping denver, we'll be in good shape.

Brian Villers

1 Like

Great article. I love our thriving scene!

Matt Nasi

Big upps to the Colorado Voice Clinic! Miracle workers!

Mackenzie Royal

I have to say how supportive everyone is in the music scene to eachother. You see other bands at shows all the time, supporting eachother and just enjoying great music! And, its always fun when random other band members pop up on stage :)

Tim Tindle

The Raven and the Writing Desk, Scott Mcormick, am 1340!

Kyle Hartman

Maybe if you are a jam band, EDM, or civil war wave artist it's a good place to be. I have been seriously unimpressed with the CO music scene lately and I'm a Denver native. Hell we don't even have a legitimate music festival, and don't even bring up Snowball because its a joke.

Todd Spriggs

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Denver is the only town with yuppies and crooked cops? I didn't know that thanks, back to the subject. ...places like 3 kings, hi dive, bluebird. People like Jim Norris, Dave Herrera, Tom Murphy. new bands popping up all the time lots and talent in town. Focus on the good y'all ...we have lots to like

Travis Burns

red rocks rules.. but denver still sucks.. so glad i moved away from that wretched city.. music alone isn't gonna keep me there.. nice try though.. get rid of the crooked cops, and crooked political system, grow an ocean, and get rid of the yuppies and colorado might be a nice place to live..

Mantonat topcommenter

@Travis Burns What's a yuppie? You're just making words up.

rev.jim.3kings

4 Like

#26 Dave Herrera

Blue Mountain Belle

Red Rocks for Sure

Stacy Jackson

1 Like

Well, we do have our very own WSMFP DAY!!!!

Squi Rrel

I'm a musician who moved to Denver from LA, and back to LA. My wife and I used to run a little coffee place on 17th called illegal grounds back in 08, and I was in a few bands, played out more than once a week plus all the open jams at Ziggies and Bushwackers... went to shows all the time too. I can say I played out more in a month in Denver than a year in LA, I went to more shows in a month in Denver than a year in LA

Armando Provencio

Yeah, other than that music in Spanish is almost nonexistent other than Ched in places you probably wouldn't want to go anyway.

Naomi Ochoa

Live music any night of the week! Gotta love Denver!

Juan_Leg topcommenter

Red Rocks is Colorado's 'only' elite ..

Michael King

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Tom Murphy, OpenAir 1340, Radio1190, Brass Tree/Sounds on 29th, Wax Trax, UMS and Westword showcases...

Susan Na

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1) RED ROCKS 2) RED ROCKS 3) RED ROCKS 4) The rest of our gorgeous state and our plethora of year round indoor and outdoor venues 5) There's a little something-something for everyone! 6) Conscious Alliance posters 7) Roots run deep in CO