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Orange peel moses
196 posts
Festival Window: Savoy
Aurally, Boulder-based Savoy could pass for an adept electro DJ deftly blending others' cuts together. The truth? Savoy is erecting all their bangers from scratch—barring a few borrowed samples—and discharging them live via three-piece PA. It's a savvy formula that's caught on like the brush fire that destroyed a portion of my southeast plains hometown. Destruction is definitely an ingredient in Savoy's live recipe, where decimating decibels keep attendees in a perpetually perspiring frenzy.
Music Monday: Lilith Fair
Like Michael Jordan or Jay-Z before it, Sarah McLachlan's Lilith Fair is coming out of retirement. The estrogen-fueled tour bus rolls into Live Nation's Comfort Dental Amphitheatre--formerly Fiddler's Green--Tuesday. Colorado's lineup isn't my personal favorite, but there are certainly some "sexcellent" specimens involved with the festival's reanimation. Janelle Monae, La Roux, Sia, Suzanne Vega, Erykah Badu and Marina and The Diamonds, to name a few. Sadly, not a single one of them is doing Denver.
Pitchin’ a Tent: Horizons
Partying under the stars is a quintessential summer activity. From large-scale massives such as Burning Man to intimate affairs like Mother Earth Sound System's Full Moon Gatherings, some of my best memories ever are made on outdoor dance floors. Paradigm Pro Audio's Alexander Brooks can relate. Ever since Moontribe took his dance music campout virginity, Brooks has fantasized about making a venue out of Mother Nature. Horizons, an indoor/outdoor event this weekend near Peoria, will do exactly that. Key scene players who've agreed to get their hands dirty too include DJs mLe, Ishe, Jantsen, Alert, Miraja, Schmid-E, Scott Everett and Trip Coffin, among others. Brooks even got to book two of his idols; desert party legends Brad and Treavor of Moontribe are set to headline. Paradigm and its Turbosound rig have spent years helping fellow promoters realize their own party dreams. Triad Dragons, Sub.mission, Euphonic Conceptions and Floorbangrs have all benefitted immensely from Paradigm's aural support. The time has come for reciprocation.
Shutterbuggin’: Beta’s fairytale campaign
Tired of being invited to nightclubs by stock photography models who'll never step foot inside? Beta, arguably the number one club in the country, offered a remedy in March when it kicked off a fairytale-inspired promotional campaign featuring actual club employees. Novel idea, right? Lauren, one of Beta's VIP hostesses, played Dorothy for the introductory Wizard of Oz images. I weaseled my way into the part of Scarecrow. And Toto was masterfully channeled by an ankle-biter belonging to photographer Jonathan Shoup's girlfriend.
Moving Pictures: Exit Through the Gift Shop
Spoiling the plot of this documentary would be a crime more severe than the supposed vandalism it depicts, but, rest assured, it's a reel doozie. The cast includes Shepard Fairy, most famous for the Obama stencil he's allegedly being sued over, Banksy (whose mysterious identity remains intact) and a number of other notable graf artists including Space Invader and LA-based newcomer Mr. Brainwash, who was recently commissioned to do a Warhol-like piece for one of the biggest pop artists on the planet.
Boob Tubin’: Denver’s Got Talent
As some of you know, I auditioned for America's Got Talent this year. Although singing and playing guitar on Power Risers—pogo stilts in layman's terms—impressed many who witnessed it, I did not advance to the televised competition. C'est la vie. There's always next year. I'm not quitting the entertainment business—ever. Turns out I wasn't the only Denver performer who tried out, though. If you caught last night's episode, you probably witnessed “belly dancing best friends†Kaya and Sadie. While each is exotic in her own right, both women reside right here in our own backyard.
NocturnOwl: Dubsteppin’ into the Mainstream
In last week's Music Monday blog, I mentioned Rolling Stone's “Dance Takeover†mini-feature. Black-Eyed Peas producer David Guetta kicks off the section and LCD Soundsystem scores the majority of ink, but half of one page is dedicated to “Fresh Beatsâ€, a chart-like breakdown of popular emerging electronica genres or “Clubland's Latest Soundsâ€. Dubstep sits at number two on the list. Duh.
Road Trippin’: Electric Daisy Carnival
Rolling Stone is a rock among print publications. It's also one of the few that I actually subscribe to. Comprehensive music industry coverage and no-holds-barred political reporting is a recipe that regularly sates my IQ appetite. Imagine my surprise when the newest issue arrived--and I found myself inside it.
Fam Damily: Sperm Donors
My dad is rad. Sure, he accepted a job transfer that significantly minimized his role in my adolescence, but he left behind vintage Playboys and a comic book called "Where Did I Come From?" Also, he's been so much more than a mere sperm donor since. Allow me to stroke his ego for a few.
Aural Pleasure: Janelle Monáe
Metropolis is in trouble. A secret society known as The Great Divide is using time travel to suppress freedom and love among its citizens. Thankfully, heroic ArchAndroid Cindi Mayweather is here to save the day. If this all sounds like the plot of a science fiction flick, that's because it's inspired by the godfather of science fiction flicks, Fritz Lang's Metropolis.
Tech-Savvy Siren: Imogen Heap
Computer music is unfortunately a primarily male-dominated field. Iceland’s Bjork is a glaring exception. And England’s Grammy nominated…
Band Freqs: March Fourth
March Fourth Marching Band is a guaranteed blast. March Fourth—M4 for short--is the Boba Fett and The Americans of Portland. Actually, more accurately, Boba Fett is the M4 of Denver, as they long preceded the bounty hunter-clad drum major and his guerrilla marching band brainchild. Anyone who's witnessed Boba and company in action will understand what exactly I'm talking about. Last July, Boba and company descended on an already lively Double Daughters anniversary soiree I was hosting, instantly transforming it into a full-on raucous ruckus.