Facebook

Some more sad news to report for a music community that's still grappling with the losses of some other dearly departed friends: If you haven't heard, Joe Cahill, Leftover Salmon's lighting designer, passed away last week in New Orleans.

According to an item filed by the New Orleans Times-Picayune, Cahill, who had just finished a string of dates with Leftover Salmon, was shot during a home invasion in New Orleans on Sunday, April 28, where he was reportedly involved in a disturbance.

See also:
- R.I.P., Chris Haney
- R.I.P., Barry Fey
- Horns for Haney: A photo tribute to Chris Haney

More »

Andrew Segreti

In an ongoing testament to the generous spirit of the people that make up our local music scene, the number of benefit shows devoted to Mike Marchant, one of our town's prized songwriters, who was recently diagnosed with lymphoma and is in the midst of undergoing chemotherapy, continues to grow.

See also:
- The scene rallies around Mike Marchant, who was recently diagnosed with lymphoma
- Profile: Creative memories of Widowers
- Mike Marchant's new EP inspired by bummer summer

More »

Monica Jatko-Gamache

A photo of Roy Waines shared on the Royz House Facebook page.

Update, 5 p.m. March 3: Some sad news to share if you haven't heard yet, Roy Waines passed away on Friday night. Tonight's Royz House benefit will still be taking place as originally planned tonight at the Church in support to Roy's family, and it will also now serve as a celebration of his life with friends and family remembering Roy and sharing stories. Keep reading for more on this beloved Denver nightclub scene icon and more details on tonight's event.

More »

Andrew Segreti

Although to our knowledge, Mike Marchant's name has never appeared in bold print in the New York Times touting the local scene, he's a local treasure and has most certainly played a crucial role in helping to make the music in this town infinitely more compelling. He first made a name for himself a half dozen or so years ago as the creative mastermind behind Widowers before spending time with Houses and then fronting his Outer Space Party Unit. Over that time, he's proven to be one of the most gifted songwriters in Denver, and, more important, one of the kindest, gentlest, most genuine guys we've ever met.

See also:
- Thursday: Concert for Mike: A benefit for Mike Marchant at the Larimer, 2/14/13
- Profile: Creative memories of Widowers
- Mike Marchant's new EP inspired by bummer summer, new Widowers record in the works

More »

On Friday, Ryan Tedder from OneRepublic was sitting a hotel room in San Francisco, struggling with some powerful emotions. It was anger at first, anger at the inexplicable deaths of more than two dozen first graders and their teachers in Newtown, Connecticut. But like the rest of us, that fury quickly turned to sadness, sadness for the tremendous loss of innocent lives. Paralyzed by grief and feeling helpless like the rest of us, he also felt like he just had to do something to help. So he directed his energy into something productive, namely setting up an Indiegogo fund for the families of those affected with a goal of raising a half million dollars in thirty days.

See also:
- New shows: OneRepublic's Denver Acoustic Christmas, Galactic at the Ogden and more
- OneRepublic's Ryan Tedder enlists friends for inaugural holiday concert at the Ogden
- 2012 Grammy Awards: Ryan Tedder of OneRepublic wins, 2/12/12

More »

Eric Gruneisen

Big Head Todd and the Monsters already devote a good deal of time and energy to charity-related events and organizations. But when the outfit plays an intimate show at the Soiled Dove Underground this Friday, October 26 (with Johnny Hickman from Cracker, who's opening the show), it will be for a cause that hits close to home. Very. Keyboardist Jeremy Lawton has a brother who sits on the board of the organization that will benefit from the show, the Raymond Wentz Foundation. The mission of that group is to help give emergency aid to cancer patients -- and as it happens, one of the band's members is a recovering cancer patient.

See also:
- Review: Big Head Todd and the Monsters at Red Rocks, 6/10/12
- Photos: Big Bad Bill Murray is apparently a big fan of Big Head Todd
- Buy Big Head Todd's Washington Park bungalow
- Cubs Opening Day: Bill Murray and Big Head Todd sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame"

More »

Catch Christian Martin this weekend and help out a good friend of the scene.

This weekend, Christian Martin is coming to NORAD Dance Bar. And while this was noteworthy enough to us to feature Martin's appearance in this week's Scratchin the Surface, if you ask NORAD owner Preston Douglas, there's a bigger, much more important reason to head to his club this weekend. A few weeks ago, a good friend of the scene was seriously injured and he's in need of help. Keep reading to get the full details and more on how you can help.

See also: Christian Martin will build tension at NORAD on October 20

More »

Whitney Stephens

Jessfest kicks off this afternoon at 2 p.m. at the Denver FilmCenter, followed by a show featuring Cougar Pants and more at 6 p.m.

See also: Karen Cuda benefits - Hemi Cuda bassist needs surgery to repair degenerative neck condition

Jessica Hughes wasn't too worried about the numbness and tingling in her hands and feet when it first started -- she chalked it up to a case of carpal tunnel. The Cougar Pants drummer figured she could deal with it, and going to the doctor didn't seem feasible without insurance, anyway. But things got worse. "My motor skills started to suffer significantly," she remembers. "It got so bad after a few months I started to drop my drumsticks while playing. I decided to bite the bullet, wait for some insurance to kick in, and go see a doctor."

More »

Jon Solmon

Update 8/22/12: Info and lineup for Karen Aid benefit at Bender's Tavern next Thursday added below.

Original item 8/13/12: Karen Cuda, one of the most badass bassists this town has ever seen, needs our help. The talented four-string assassin (aka Karen Exley), who has held down the low-end for Nashville Pussy and Hemi Cuda, has several herniated discs in her neck. And while she's taken some time off and been seeking treatment to help alleviate the painful effects of that. She also recently discovered that she has Cervical Myelopathy, a degenerative malady in which her discs are not only pressing on her nerves and causing her discomfort, but, without surgical intervention, it will eventually cause irreversible damage to her spinal cord, perhaps even resulting in paralysis.

More »

Instagram photo by joshcastaneda

The Waldo Canyon fire in Colorado Springs.

As firefighters continue to tackle the wildfires ravaging large portions of the state, local communities are searching for ways to provide aid, even from hours away. In Denver, a handful of local live music venues and companies have already stepped up to launch shows to benefit fire relief efforts -- and in Fort Collins and Colorado Springs, the number of events is even larger. So far, no one has organized a large-scale benefit featuring the state's biggest names, but that doesn't mean that show's not in the planning stages right now. In the meantime, click through for an early rundown of local ways to pitch in and listen up at the same time.

More »