Denver Blog

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Last night, Doug Beam caught the De La Soul show at the Bluebird. After the jump, we've posted a few choice shots from the night. Enjoy!

About 700 hip-hop heads came out to Beta Nightclub last night to see twelve producers battle toe-to-toe in Red Bull Big Tune competition. Among the familiar faces that competed included Yonnas of the Pirate Signal, who was surprisingly ousted in the first round by Xperiment of Educated Figures. There were some grumblings in the crowd that there should have been a panel of judges to decide winners instead of letting the crowd decide who gets to move on to the next round.

Todd Roeth

Got there late and didn't stay for the whole thing -- mostly because I'd already had a full night taking in bits of Reverend Deadeye's set at 3 Kings and SoundRabbit at the hi-dive, not to mention a few too many cocktails -- but I was pleasantly surprised to catch Brandi Carlile sitting in with Gregory Alan Isakov at the Meadowlark. I'd tell you that he was on, but then, he's always on, so that wouldn't exactly be breaking news. But yeah, Carlile, a frequent collaborator with Isakov whose vocals are all over his new record, This Empty Northern Hemisphere, stopped by after her set at Swallow Hill last night, nonchalantly made her way to the stage mid-song and quaintly nudged Isakov over and began singing the sublime harmony before anyone even realized who she was. Pretty sure folks were still wondering who the owner of that bewitching voice was when Isakov told us, "That was Brandi Carlile, everbody." The whole thing made for a wonderful capper to an otherwise dreary Thursday night.

I was shuttling between the hi-dive and the Larimer Lounge on Friday night, so unfortunately, I didn't catch Reno Divorce and Slim Cessna heating things up for Reverend Horton Heat at the Ogden. But from the sounds of it -- Jon Solomon was at the show -- both acts tore it up, and although it took the Rev and company a couple of songs to get their legs, they were dependably on point as well. Check out a few songs from Reno's set after the jump.

The Black Crowes, Vetiver
Saturday, Dec. 13
Fillmore Auditorium
Better than: Revisiting the sounds of '60s soul and '70s rock with a middling bar band.

"I swear I've heard that riff before." That was the recurring thought as I watched the Black Crowes and Vetiver perform Saturday, as the solos, the vocal lines and the song structures recalled countless precedents, from the Allman Brothers to Lynyrd Skynyrd.

Mickey Avalon and his crew brought their unique brand of raunch through to the Ogden last night. Our man Aaron Thackeray captured the whole scene and sent over some pictures to prove it.

I didn't Google-map the location of the MySpace-sponsored Nelly show on Monday night. I had a general idea of where I was going, but no actual concrete directions, which made it difficult, since finding this venue -- the sprawling Mile High Station -- is pretty much impossible. I drove around for about 20 minutes, snaking below the Colfax viaduct, and finally arrived the somehow classy/sketchy club. Once I arrived, there was a line out the door and through the parking lot. But there was something different about this crowd, something that wreaked of old money. Or was it old fashion?

Today started out like any other day: 6 a.m. coffee, a couple of smokes, some news and left overs from the night before. I turned on the TV and flipped to MSNBC, because that was the one big news network that I happened to see setting up Sunday afternoon by the train station. As soon as I turned it on, I noticed the network was not broadcasting from that stage, but instead they were set up in a diner. I quickly recognized the place, Sam's # 3. Suddenly had an insatiable craving for some bacon and eggs.

Who’s the “Pussy’ole?” I had to ponder this question last night as I wondered why the Dizzee Rascal concert went so wrong in every way. First, he didn’t show up, which is, well, like, a problem in itself. More importantly, though, the audience at Cervantes didn’t know why he didn’t show up, or even of the concert’s eventual cancellation until a quarter to midnight. Most importantly, the concert seemed strung along until that point to maximize liquor sales.

After the Denver stop of the Warped Tour, Jeffree Star, in all his electric pink maned goodness, Travis McCoy from Gym Class Heroes, who killed it on the ones and twos, and a bunch of other acts stopped by the Marquis Theater, where they got it on and on until the break of...well, we're pretty sure they were all back in their buses and off to the next city before dawn. But you get the picture. Speaking of pictures, here's a bunch of candids from the party. Enjoy.