Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Contact: John Eisel, Senior Public Communications Specialist, 303.450.8930, jeisel@northglenn.org

SUMMER EVENT LINE UP:

FREE Teddy Bear Picnic & KID’S CONCERT: Mountain Buddies – mountain-buddies

Thurs., June 4 at 10 am | Ages 0-12
Festival Lawn, 1 E. Memorial Parkway
This annual FREE event for pre-K to early elementary kids and their favorite stuffed pals is tons of fun! Bring a stuffed pal, pack a picnic lunch, and enjoy the show!

FREE JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION: Co-hosted with City of Northglenn’s DISE Board; Created in partnership with DCI Tours featuring Hazel Miller & The Collective

Friday, June 19 at 5-9 pm
Festival Lawn, 1 E. Memorial Parkway – Sponsored by King Soopers

FREE SESQUI SEMIQUINCENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

Sat., August 1 at 10 am
Eleanor M. Wyatt Centennial Park & Sculpture Garden, 275 Kennedy Dr., Northglenn

Celebrate three significant milestones – 250 years of the United States – 150 years of Colorado statehood and Centennial Park’s 1976 time capsule unveiling!

FREE SUMMER CONCERT: Hazel Miller & The Collective
High-energy Jazz, sexy Soul, jumping Funk, and dreamy love songs. The evening will feature a vendors marketplace, wellness demonstrations, food trucks, a variety of powerful performances, and a final “Dream Flow” collaborative music creation to celebration community and creativity!

FREE SUMMER CONCERT: The Spicy Pickles

Thurs., June 25 at 7 pm
Festival Lawn, 1 E. Memorial Parkway

8-piece band with Jazz roots & funky Pop grooves.

FREE SUMMER CONCERT: Co-Hosted with Anythink Libraries Community Concert Series; featuring Blessing Bled Chimanga

Thurs., July 9 at 6:30 pm
Festival Lawn, 1 E. Memorial Parkway

Energetic blend of African rhythms & Marimba beats.

FREE SUMMER CONCERT: Tumbledown Shack

Thurs., July 23 at 7 pm
Festival Lawn, 1 E. Memorial Parkway

Grateful Dead meets piping hot jams.

FREE SUMMER CONCERT: Los Mocochettes

Thurs., August 6 at 7 pm
Festival Lawn, 1 E. Memorial Parkway

Xicano/Funk band – Revolutionary music you can dance to.

The Summer Series is funded by the Northglenn Arts and Humanities Foundation. Events will take place on Festival Lawn – the beautiful grass area between the Northglenn Recreation Center’s main doors (at 1 East Memorial Parkway) and the Veterans Memorial (right off Community Center Drive) in Northglenn, Colorado, with the exception of the Sesqui semiquincentennial Celebration, which will be held at the Eleanor M. Wyatt Centennial Park & Sculpture Garden. For more information about the Summer Series, please call the Northglenn Arts’ Box Office at 303-450-8888 or visit northglennarts.org.

###

The post Free 2026 Summer Series in Northglenn appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole. 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nederland’s Jazz & Wine Festival Celebrates 5th Anniversary with a Stellar Lineup and Local Flavors

NEDERLAND, CO – The 5th Annual Nederland Jazz & Wine Festival is set to captivate audiences on Saturday, August 22, 2026 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. This year’s event promises a world-class experience, hosting jazz performances from New Orleans to Brazil with a curated selection of Colorado’s finest wines, spirits, and non-alcoholic beverages. Held at Chipeta Park, the festival is a celebration of local and abroad talent, and community spirit. It’s the only festival now in Nederland, once home to Frozen Dead Guy Days.

Ned Jazz & Wine Fest has become a must-attend event, known for its intimate atmosphere and commitment to featuring Colorado-based artisans. It has sold out every year and is an opportunity for attendees to connect with the makers behind their favorite products while enjoying the beautiful mountain setting.

Event Highlights:

Live Music: The festival will feature a dynamic lineup across two stages, with 16-year-old River Eckert as the headliner. He performed in his hometown at New Orleans Jazz Fest this year. Ned Jazz Wine will be his Colorado performance debut. Other notable performers include Joslyn “JoFoKe” Ford-Keel & Same Cloth, and the Gabriel Santiago Trio.

Tastings from 26 Colorado Vendors: Tickets include unlimited tastings from a diverse group of Colorado wineries, breweries, distilleries, and non-alcoholic artisans. Highlights include majority local wineries, including The OBC Wine Project, which started in Fort Collins during the pandemic as a branch of Odell Brewing.

Artisan Marketplace: Explore over 15 local food and fine art vendors offering unique goods and delicious food to complement the tastings. The Food Truck Court hosts four savory food trucks, including The Wandering Potato.

Supporting a Local Cause: Proceeds from ticket sales and a prize drawing will benefit the TEENS, Inc. Outdoor Leadership Program, supporting the development of area youth.

Collectible Poster: This year’s official festival poster, designed by Nederland hyper-real artist Kate Woodliff O’Donnell, will be available for purchase.

Community Focused: The event’s major sponsors—Eldora, Ameristar Black Hawk, RE/MAX’s Homes by Jackie Jones, Allstate’s Harrington Agent, Colorado Mortgage Collective, and Nederland Downtown Development Authority—are all deeply committed to the local community. They provide valuable services and advice, from hosting visitors and locals to offering expertise on homeownership and safety.

Tickets are going fast, and the event has a history of selling out. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.nedjazzwine.com. 

EVENT SNAPSHOT

What: 5th Annual Nederland Jazz & Wine Festival

When: Saturday, August 22, 2026, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Where: Chipeta Park, Lakeview Drive, Nederland, CO

Tickets: Available at www.nedjazzwine.com/wine-festival-Tickets  

Social: @nedjazzwine

Contact:

Stephanie Andelman

event@nedjazzwine.com 

303-931-9017 

https://nedjazzwine.com – website

https://www.youtube.com/@NedJazzWine – YouTube

https://www.instagram.com/nedjazzwine – Instagram

https://www.facebook.com/nedjazzwine – Facebook

https://clients.sdvphoto.com/gallery/19032707 – photos of the past four festivals

###

The post Nederland’s Jazz & Wine Festival Celebrates 5th Anniversary with a Stellar Lineup and Local Flavors appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press releases are provided to Yellow Scene Magazine. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

Denver, Colo., January 13, 2026
All dance performances sold out; video on demand Black History Month February 2026 of January 17 Raise The Roof Grand Opening Concert

For more information
Patricia (Pat) Smith/For Cleo Parker Robinson Dance
303.807.7086 | pat@ontargetpr.net

Media Preview Site Tours + Interviews: January 14, 2026 | RSVP to Pat Smith (see above)

Editor’s Notes: 1/ Follow-up interviews also available after the preview. See the schedule below with project/team principals at the Media Preview.
2/A full digital media kit will be available January 14 with B-roll, architectural photography, and detailed project background information from Pat Smith. She, Jonathan Deutsch, and Alex Lemke will staff the Media Preview with their principals.
3/ Why two addresses? 119 Park Avenue West and 2020 North Washington are currently distinguished because of fire code.

Where: Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Center for the Healing Arts, 2025 North Washington Street, Denver 80205

How/Format: Introductory comments, guided site tours by CPRD Team concurrent with scheduled and flexible interviews. Contact Pat Smith to schedule interview times so you can meet filing deadlines.

Who/Tour: Site Tour Locations/Project Principals

• Cleo Parker Robinson/CPRD Founder and Artistic Director and Malik Robinson/CPRD President + CEO: CPRD Flex Theatre (off of the Main Lobby); a unique blend of proscenium and Black Box with retractable seating
• Curt Fentress and Kahyun Lee/Fentress Studios: Freeman Studio (2nd level) bathed in color and light
• Brian Fitzpatrick/Mortenson VP and Tori Vendegna/Construction Site Manager: Lobby
• Hillary Harding, CPRD VP of Development and Communication and Gwen Brewer/CPRD Board Chair: Lobby near the donor wall art: the Junkanoo Queen by Jenn Goodrich
• Exterior photos/videography narration: Cleo and Malik in front of the East-facing solar cladding with Labanotation; this can be scheduled at Noon or by arrangement with Pat Smith.

When: Wednesday, January 14, 2026
10 a.m. – Introductory Comments by project principals (see list below)
10:30 a.m. – Guided site tours begin with CPRD Staff Hillary Harding, Colleen Curran, Micah Bursh, and Hanna Ghadessi
10:30 a.m. – Begin scheduled interviews with principals
Noon – Photo/video shoot with Cleo and Malik at the East-facing exterior solar cladding wall with Labanotation
1 p.m. – Media Preview Wrap Up (don’t miss the 3 p.m. Open Rehearsal and interview block with Lil’ Buck!)

Visuals: January 14
The entire facility! CPRD Flex Space Theatre, the Junkanoo Queen Donor Wall Art, the expansive Lobby, the 28-ft tall Freeman Studio with colored window fins to the exterior. Exterior East wall with photovoltaic (solar) panels layered with Labanotation choreography symbols. Open Rehearsal With Lil’ Buck.

Open Rehearsal Observation and Interview Time with Guest Artist/Choreographer Lil’ Buck
Watch Lil’ Buck (Charles Riley) as he creates a new work (The Process) with the CPRD Ensemble with a partial preview performance included during the sold-out RaisingThe Roof Grand Opening Concert January 17 at 7:30 p.m. (on-demand video of this performance will be during Black History Month, February 2026). He has performed in dance festivals throughout the U.S., including with the CPRD Ensemble at the 2021 Vail Dance festival in the Standing On The Shoulders World Premiere choreographed by Cleo Parker Robinson.
3 – 4 p.m. – Observe an Open Rehearsal with the CPRD Ensemble and Lil’ Buck
4 – 4:30 p.m. – Interview time Lil Buck. Dance Genre: Street style Jookin’ on point.

Thursday | January 15 | Private Showcase event | SOLD OUT | VIP Thank You to Aya and Sankofa Societies

What: A Donor Thank You and Art Unveiling of the Junkanoo Queen in the Main Lobby
CPRD Ensemble Dance Performance and Evening of Jazz featuring Grammy Award winner Dianne Reeves accompanied by Jazz pianist Billy Childs. Performances by Isaiah Collier, Saxophonist and Percussionist Tim Regis

When: Refreshments and appetizers begin 5 p.m.; art unveiling, transition to dance performance, intermission, and return to the theatre for the jazz performance. Wrap up 9 p.m.

Who: Filmmaker Nicole London in collaboration with Run and Shoot Filmworks

Where: CPRD Center for the Healing Arts Theatre

Why: See original art by Denver designer/illustrator Jenn Goodrich, dance and jazz by internationally renowned artists, and the transformation of the new CPRD Flex Theatre from a proscenium stage to a jazz venue as floor space is expanded with retractable theatre seats.

How: Limited media access; no seats available; we are mindful of fire code. Contact Pat Smith.

Friday | January 16 | CPRD Grand Opening Film Festival – Part I

When: 7:30 p.m.

What: We Want The Funk dance film and after-screening talkback with the filmmaker

Who: Filmmaker Nicole London in collaboration with Run and Shoot Filmworks

Where: CPRD Center for the Healing Arts Theatre

Why: About the film: Directed and produced by Stanley Nelson and Nicole London, WE WANT THE FUNK! is a syncopated voyage through the history of funk music, spanning from African, soul, and early jazz roots, to its rise into the public consciousness. Featuring James Brown’s dynamism, the extraterrestrial funk of George Clinton’s Parliament Funkadelic, transformed girl group Labelle, and Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat, the story also traces funk’s influences on both new wave and hip-hop.

How: Find tickets here!

Saturday | January 17 | GRAND OPENING Ribbon Cutting + Open House | Open to the public

10 a.m. – Ribbon Cutting; local dignitaries and public officials | Mayor Johnston, Senator Bennet, Councilman Watson
10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. – A Kim Bimestefer representing Governor Jared Polis; Open House for Self Tours
1:30 to 3 p.m. – Open Rehearsal (quiet observers only); Lil’ Buck and the CPRD Ensemble; other companies

Cleo Parker Robinson Healing Center Opening

Saturday | January 17 | SOLD OUT | Raising the Roof! Grand Opening Dance Performance

When: 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.

What: Raising the Roof Grand Opening dance concert by Presenting Denver
Lil’ Buck will present a newly choreographed piece of The Process; it is set on the CPRD Ensemble. Its completed World Premiere performance is scheduled for the CPRD Legacy Spring Concert, 2026 Mother’s Day Weekend

Who: Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble, Lil’ Buck, ArtistiCO, Colorado Ballet, Schyleen Qualls, Poet; PHILADANCO!, Joan Myers Brown, Founder, PHILADANCO! —will be honored at this event. She was the founding principal of the International Association of Blacks in Dance, recipient of the National Medal of Arts.

Where: CPRD Center for the Healing Arts Flex Space Theatre

Why: Inaugural performance! Sharing our new stage with our wonderful fellow Colorado dance companies!

How: Media registration only with Pat Smith; SOLD OUT; limited space because of fire code
A video on demand of this performance will be available during February 2026 Black History Month.

Sunday | January 18 | Community Church Service + Reception | Public Invited

When: 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

What: Dare to Believe “We are the World” Church Service, Dance Performance, Choir Performance, and Reception following service.

Who: Reverend Big T Hughes, Reverend Downing, Reverend Terrance Carroll, Cleo Parker Robinson Youth Ensemble, Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Legacy Choir with Daryl Walker, Minister of Music

Where: Historic Shorter AME Facility, 119 Park Avenue West | Old CPRD Theatre
Reception after service next door in in the lobby of the new building at 2025 North Washington

Why: A community blessing connecting a new era of the Historic Shorter AME Facility to the new CPRD Center for the Healing Arts

How: Free of charge and open to the public

Sunday | January 18 |CPRD Grand Opening Film Festival – Part 2

When: 6:30 p.m.

What: Satisfied film screening

Why: The documentary of Tony winner Renée Elise Goldsberry after the meteoric success of Hamilton.

Where: CPRD Center for the Healing Arts, 2025 North Washington Street/New CPRD Theatre

Who: Filmmaker Melissa Haizlip in collaboration with Run and Shoot Filmworks

How: Find tickets here!

Friday | January 23 – Arts-In-Education full day of school outreach with neighborhood schools

When: 10 a.m. through 3 p.m.

What: Student outreach with movement/dance/global cultural education performances

Where: CPRD Center for the Healing Arts Flex Space Theatre

Why: Arts-In-Education outreach to underserved elementary/middle schools in nearby/walking distance neighborhoods near CPRD.

How: By registration only with Shelby Jarosz, Senior VP, CPRD Education Programs (Shelby@cleoparkerdance.org) or Mimi Patel (mimi@cleoparkerdance.org).

Visuals: Photo/video opportunity with day-long sessions scheduled with neighborhood school groups: Curtis Park Elementary, Hallett Elementary, Whittier Elementary schools near CPRD/Five Points

Saturday | January 24 – CPRD Academy – Free classes all day for the Village! |

When: 8 a.m. through 5 p.m.

What: All genres of dance offered by the CPRD Academy! Open Levels

Why: Get to know the CPRD Academy where all students from 1 to 101 can dance!

Where: CPRD Center for the Healing Arts, 2025 North Washington Street/New CPRD Theatre

Who: CPRD Teaching Artists

How: Register in advance online here; class registrations, genres, and descriptions linked to the MindBody website.

About Cleo Parker Robinson Dance: 55th Anniversary Season 1970 to 2025/26

 Cleo Parker Robinson Dance (CPRD) is in its 55th  season in 2025/2026, serving the artistic and educational needs of the community. CPRD was founded with the belief that the language of dance transcends the boundaries of culture, class, and age. CPRD is a 501 © (3) non-profit, multi-cultural performing arts organization based in Denver, Colo. This institution is committed to bringing dance into the lives of diverse people. CPRD operations constitute five pillars:

Dance Ensembles: a modern dance ensemble (Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble) and second company (Cleo II) which tour both nationally and internationally, a Youth Ensemble, and a Junior Youth Ensemble. The professional ensembles tour locally and internationally; local performances also serve the seven-county members of the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District communities.

A year-round Academy of Dance teaching more than 1,000 students of all ages, and collaborating with Metropolitan State University of Denver in a BA Dance degree program, an international summer dance institute (ISDI), and an in-school lecture demonstration and teaching residency series during tours.

Arts Development/Facility Rental in a renovated 240-seat CPRD Theatre and a new 240-seat Flex Space Theatre, also home to nearly 30 non-profit and arts organizations who rent it to develop, rehearse, and perform their work; a rebuilt stage with technology upgrades and a new sprung floor launched in January 2021 to enable rental groups to present their virtual performances; recent ADA updates included. The new CPRD Center for the Performing Arts is launching January 15 to 24, 2026 with a state-of-the-art Flex Space Theatre, four dance studios, an expansive Lobby and Café, and administrative offices. The adjacent outdoor CPRD Amphitheatre is home to the annual Mile High Dance Festival and scheduled outdoor dance classes and events.

An Arts-In-Education (AIE) outreach program with multiple curricula serving 240 schools and nearly 30,000 students, and the STREAM theatre technology program for middle school, high school, and post-secondary students (offered live and virtually by request). A post-secondary theatre tech apprenticeship certificate is now available endorsed by the Colorado Department of Labor.

Arts-In-Wellness (AIW): Expanding CPRD’s Arts Outreach into wellness, this new operations pillar creates collaborative partnerships in the areas of movement, health, civic engagement, and community events as well as policy development for arts advocacy in education and health equity. Moving AHEAD statewide arts advocacy programs and Mental Health is Wealth middle/high school civic engagement programs and internships engage 12 Denver Public Schools.

For more information, to buy tickets, attend classes, or organize school outreach programs, please visit cleoparkerdance.org or Cleo Parker Robinson Dance on social media: Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

###

The post Grand Opening Schedule – Cleo Parker Robinson Center for the Healing Arts appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Since the days when Yellow Scene Magazine (YS) was printed on actual yellow paper, we’ve tried to give you a little bit of insight into the music community. Sometimes we found an interesting story about an artist in your backyard that you really ought to be listening to. But, on more than a few occasions, we managed to pull an interview with a fairly big-name artist for a small indie magazine based out of East Boulder County.

I recently took over doing our artist interview spotlights for our last few issues. I have a good amount of experience with interviewing musicians for other publications, but YS is a little different. Either you’re looking to find the interesting story in an up-and-coming artist that the reader hasn’t heard of yet, or you’re trying to find the appeal of a big-name artist for our particular corner of Colorado. In a lot of ways, it’s about finding the stories behind the music that are smaller, but still fascinating.

To celebrate 25 years of YS, we decided to pore over the artist interviews from the past 25 years to pick our 25 favorite interviews. While a lot of them are with the big-name artists we consider ourselves lucky to have gotten a chance to feature, a few of them are from local artists with really interesting stories. But that’s the one thing that unites these 25 interviews: they were all instances where we found riveting stories behind the music that are still interesting to this day.

The Dreamy Jason Mraz, September 2009

Our interview with singer/songwriter Jason Mraz came out when his song “I’m Yours” was becoming popular (and it remains his highest charting song to date). Mraz told us it was his “happy little hippy” song about generosity of spirit and giving your time to someone else, and explained how time in Hawaii and a visit to Bob Marley’s house in Jamaica inspired the tune. He explained that he wrote the song in a stream-of-consciousness style by simply picking up the guitar and seeing what he came up with. He was also donating his tour proceeds at the time to VH1’s Save the Music Foundation, which was fighting to keep music education in schools.

Irish Rockers Flogging Molly, September 2009

Irish band Flogging Molly isn’t the first band to combine Celtic music influences with punk rock, but they are definitely one of the most genuine and authentic bands to do it. In our interview with them, they explained how they thrived on a smaller indie label (at the time, all of their releases had been through SideOneDummy Records, which has gotten a bit bigger since then). They explained that industry professionals told them that their style of music wasn’t going to catch on, so they opted to take matters into their own hands rather than relying on a music industry that thought they were destined to fail.

Spotlight on Mandy Harvey, August 2010

The story of local jazz singer Mandy Harvey is genuinely one of the most unique and fascinating stories we’ve ever had in an artist interview. Harvey grew up in Longmont with dreams of being a singer, and trained her entire life to achieve her dream, only to be dealt a crippling setback in adulthood when she went deaf from progressive nerve damage affecting her cochlear nerves. After deciding, on a whim, to put together a recording of “Come Home” by One Republic for her husband while he was away on a trip, she came to the realization that her singing career was not over, saying that, “a light came on in my head that music was just another thing I needed to do differently.” The amazing singer, who has perfect pitch, by the way, later went on to be a contestant on the 12th season of “America’s Got Talent,” where she performed her own original work.

John Medeski, February 2011

Keyboardist John Medeski has been playing with his band Medeski, Martin, & Wood since 1991, playing a unique style of jazz fusion that incorporates funk, hip-hop, and even jam band elements into their sound. 2011 marked the 20th anniversary of the band’s formation, and we got a chance to talk to Medeski about their longevity as a band. According to Medeski, the band managed to survive changes in the music industry because, as an instrumental band, they never relied on radio play or record sales as their main source of income, but rather focused on selling tickets to their electrifying live show. As someone who has seen Medeski, Martin, & Wood live, I can confirm that their live performance is enough to win over anyone who doesn’t think an instrumental band has a lot to offer.

Hanson, September 2011

Everybody remembers Hanson for their 1997 pop hit “MMMBop,” which came out when the band members were literal children. What a lot of people don’t know is that Hanson is still around today and continues to release albums and tour with a much more mature sound now that they’re well into adulthood. In our interview, we talked with Taylor Hanson about his feelings on their first hit single, “MMMBop,” and how it was 14 years later. Hanson said that, while he would like the band to be noticed for their complete body of work, he still has positive feelings about their first monumental hit single. “There’s no question you always desire for people to have a wide and varied perspective on your career beyond a few hit songs,” he explained, “but you also have to be proud of anything that can reach millions of people, especially when it is with something that you created and has meaning to people.”

Four Questions with Pop Favorite: G. Love, January 2012

Garrett Dutton, aka G. Love — frontman of the trio G. Love & The Special Sauce who blew up onto the alternative music scene in the mid-’90s with their unique mixture of soul, blues, funk, and hip-hop — sat down with us in 2012 to discuss the history of the band as it approached its 20-year anniversary. When asked about what Dutton missed most about the early days of the band, Dutton said that he missed the “innocence and blindness” of being a 20-year-old who thought he knew everything while driving around to do 250 shows a year in a “crappy van.” Now that he had a tour bus and lost that blind innocence, it seemed like some of the magic was gone.

10 Questions With Jazz Great Ron Carter, October 2012

Ron Carter has been involved with a lot of different projects as a jazz musician, ranging from his early breakthrough as a member of Miles Davis’ Second Great Quintet to his appearance on alt-hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest’s seminal 1991 jazz-rap album “Low End Theory.” In the interview, Carter explained that his upbringing in Detroit didn’t inspire his jazz career because, when he left Detroit around the age of 17 or 18, he was still playing classical music. It wasn’t until he got to New York and became influenced by the likes of Paul Chambers, Sam Jones, and Charles Mingus that he got turned on to the magic of jazz.

Weird Al Yankovic Talks Parodies, Movies and Children’s Books, June 2013

“Weird Al” Yankovic is a music legend for his parodies of songs, and most musicians consider it an honor and a privilege rather than an insult to be parodied by the legendary comic artist. But in our interview, we talked to Yankovic a little bit about one of his then-new endeavours of writing a children’s book called “When I Grow Up.” In the time since the interview, he wrote a second children’s book called “My New Teacher and Me!” Yankovic explained that he had always wanted to write children’s books and, when an editor from Harper Collins named Anne Hoppe approached him randomly and told him that his clever wordplay would work well in children’s books, he jumped at the chance to fulfill one of his dreams.

Ani DiFranco, March 2015

LGBTQ+ icon and seasoned indie folk artist Ani DiFranco has been a trailblazer in independent music both for her creative talent and her business sense. We talked to her about how her decision to start her own label, Righteous Babe, instead of tying herself to a big label was groundbreaking and almost as important as her music, but she didn’t seem to agree. She said that she gained fans with her music, not her decision to go independent, and that that’s what her staying power has been in her career, which has spanned, at this point, about 35 years.

Duran Duran, September 2015

British new wave legends Duran Duran stopped in Colorado in 2015 to promote their 14th album as a band, Paper Gods. The band took us through some of the details of the two years they spent working on the album and how they connected with collaborators for the album. The first collaborator that contacted them was Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante. The band wasn’t looking to collaborate with anyone, but felt they couldn’t turn down such a talented guitarist as Frusciante. Saying yes to Frusciante opened the door to further collaborations with the likes of Nile Rodgers, who co-produced the album, as well as another co-producer named Mr. Hudson, who has worked with Kanye West and Jay-Z. The result was one of the best albums of Duran Duran’s long and storied career.

Spotlight on Tammy Ealom, March 2016

Tammy Ealom’s Denver-based indie pop band, Dressy Bessy, holds a lot of distinctions that give them indie cred including having had their songs featured in the cult queer classic film “But I’m a Cheerleader” as well as being one of the few Denver-based bands to be part of the legendary Elephant 6 collective. In 2016, we talked to Ealom about the story behind the band’s sixth studio album, “Kingsized,” which was their first album in eight years. Ealom said she never thought of the time in between as a hiatus because she was writing the whole time. The death of her father and the economic impact of the recession were major factors that she cited as the reason for the gap between albums.

Spotlight on Flo, April 2016

Multi-instrumentalist and percussionist Bill Summers has had a lot of major accomplishments in his career, but the one that probably stands out the most is his work on the iconic jazz-funk fusion album “Head Hunters” by Herbie Hancock. In this interview, Summers took us through his journey from dropping out of high school, to working at a racetrack, to winning enough money to go to California and enroll UC Berkeley as a music major where he put together a band that opened for Hancock, leading to him being invited to participate in one of the most important jazz albums of all time.

Spotlight: It’s Times Like These We Need Flobots Most, May 2017

Hip-hop group Flobots may be remembered by the rest of the country as a one-hit wonder for their 2007 hit “Handlebars,” but in Colorado, they’re known for being a pillar of the local hip-hop scene and political activists. In the interview, MC Johnny 5 (aka James Laurie), told us about the Flobots’ mentor, the late Vincent Harding, who was a social activist and Professor of Religion and Social Transformation at Iliff School of Theology in Denver. Harding encouraged the band to think more deeply about what protest music really was, so the band started gathering people together to come up with songs that could be sung at rallies, which became the basis for Flobots’ 2017 album “Noenemies.”

Spotlight on Josh Barrett of The Wailers, March 2018

Reggae band The Wailers were once the backing band for the legendary Bob Marley, but since his death in 1981, they’ve soldiered on without him. In 2018, we talked with the band’s then-vocalist Josh Barrett about filling the huge shoes of Marley, and he spoke about his journey from singing in church choir, to learning instruments from his community, to starting his band, Judah Tribe, which had the opportunity to open for the Wailers in 2012. Barrett talked about the privilege of fronting such a legendary band and how the music that Marley wrote is still relevant today.

Spotlight on Bill Frisell, June 2018

Bill Frisell is not just a legendary guitarist — having appeared as a session musician on tons of albums, not to mention his solo material and his long-standing working relationship with the legendary John Zorn — he’s a local legend, having grown up in Denver and graduated from Denver’s East High School. In this interview, Frisell talked to us about how he started playing music with neighborhood kids, but he owes a lot of his musical education to music programs in local schools like Teller Elementary and the now-defunct Gove Junior High. “I’m so glad they still have a music program in Denver because in so many places it goes away,” Frisell told us.

Brian Setzer’s Rockabilly Riot!, June 2018

Brian Setzer is famous for his role in the legendary rockabilly group Stray Cats as well as his role in the ‘90s swing revival when his band, The Brian Setzer Orchestra, covered Louis Prima’s “Jump, Jive, an’ Wail.” In this interview, when he was promoting his latest “Rockabilly Riot!” album, we talked to him about the changes in the music industry since he started, and he talked about the changes in how important record sales and music videos were and how so much has shifted to the importance of live performances. Luckily, Brian Setzer could always put on a good live show.

Spotlight on Jeff Gutt, August 2018

Iconic grunge band Stone Temple Pilots has had bad luck with frontmen, with both of their first two lead singers — Scott Weiland and Chester Bennington — having died at tragically young ages. Former Dry Cell frontman and “X-Factor” contestant Jeff Gut became the third person to step into the lead vocalist spot in the band, and we talked to him about the process of auditioning for the gig. He talked about how nerve-wracking it was to meet a band he had admired for so many years, but eventually his idols turned to friends as they worked together on the band’s second self-titled record.

SPOTLIGHT on Nick Urata of DeVotchKa, January 2019

It’s hard to talk about the Denver music scene without bringing up the dark, indie folk powerhouse that is DeVotchKa, who rose to prominence in 2006 with their talked-about performance at Bonnaroo as well as their score for the Oscar-winning film Little Miss Sunshine. In 2018, the band released their album “This Night Falls Forever,” their first record in seven years, and we talked to them about the gap between albums. They said that, with all the opportunities they had gotten since their previous album — including working with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra and being involved with movies like “A Series of Unfortunate Events” and “Paddington” — they had to take the time to make their new album as grand as all their other side projects.

SPOTLIGHT on Tivoli Club Brass Band, April 2019

Denver’s Tivoli Club Brass Band isn’t your traditional brass band, with their 2019 debut album featuring covers of Queen, Taylor Swift, The White Stripes, and even Aretha Franklin. In our interview, bandleader and percussionist Dean Hirschfield talked about the band’s origins, which apparently started with a meal at Jose O’Shea’s in Lakewood when someone asked, “What would the song ‘Seven Nation Army’ sound like if it were played by a brass band?” They also talked about the Kickstarter campaign to finance their album, which was initially planned to be an EP. However, after the overwhelming support for Kickstarter, they decided they might as well put out an LP.

Spotlight: Jimbo Mathus and the Squirrel Nut Zippers, June 2019

Squirrel Nut Zippers are somewhat of a relic of the short-lived neo-swing craze in the 1990s, despite the fact that they didn’t quite fit in with the other swing bands with their neo-vaudevillian style. We talked to the band three years into their reunion and talked to founder and frontman Jimbo Mathus about why he chose to reunite the band in 2016. Mathus said that he thought of just doing a few shows around the 20th anniversary of their 1996 album “Hot,” but decided that there was so much theatricality and musicianship that went into the band that doing a few one-off shows seemed hardly worth it, and it would be better to revive the whole band and jump back into the swing of things, so to speak.

Spotlight on Lynyrd Skynyrd, October 2019

Lynyrd Skynyrd was probably the biggest name band that we have ever interviewed. At the time, the band’s so-called farewell tour was coming through Fiddler’s Green, and we talked to the band’s guitarist, Rickey Medlocke, about why they were retiring from touring. Medlocke talked about how it was no secret that founding guitarist Gary Rossington was having heart issues and the band could no longer handle rigorous touring. Still, Medlocke assured us the band was not completely done and might record another album and play one-off shows. “The funny thing about this all is — when you’re a musician that’s been playing for as long as we’ve been playing, you just don’t wake up one day and say, ‘Okay, I’m going to put my instrument down that I’ve had this big love affair with for 50-60 years,’ and not pick it up anymore and not want to play music or anything like that,” Medlocke told us. Sadly, Rossington died in 2023, but the band continued on and did another tour with ZZ Top in 2023-2024.

Spotlight on Reese Roper and Five Iron Frenzy, March 2021

Since their founding in 1995, Denver’s own ska band Five Iron Frenzy has made a career out of Christian-ish music, but it was always a more progressive form of Christianity than what we’ve come to expect from the religious right. Frontman Reese Roper talked to us about his brand of Christianity and said he didn’t align with the right-wing form of the religion, which he chalked up to a plot between Richard Nixon and Jerry Falwell to turn the Republican party into the Christian party by using wedge issues like abortion to garner Christian votes. “There are so many diabolical things that have been done in the name of Jesus Christ in this world,” Roper told us. “But, I cling to the character of Christ. I know that what He offers is redemption and forgiveness.”

Spotlight on Taj Mahal, March 2022

Legendary blues musician Taj Mahal is one of the most prolific and enduring musicians in the genre, having put out over 50 albums in the course of about 60 years. We talked to him about what was, at the time, his most recent album, “Get On Board,” which was a collaboration with fellow music legend Ry Cooder. Mahal told us about how Cooder had worked with him on the 1966 album “Rising Sons Featuring Taj Mahal and Ry Cooder” and on Mahal’s 1968 self-titled album. After Cooder and Mahal ran into each other and started hanging out again, they decided to collaborate again, but the pandemic got in the way until 2021, when restrictions had lifted enough for the two great guitarists to work together again.

Courtesy of Steve Schnepel

Spotlight on Faceman, December 2022

FaceMan is both the name of a Denver-based indie-American trio and the stage name of the band’s mysterious frontman, Steve Schnepel, who performs in various masks and costumes that give him different faces. Schnepel told us that the idea was inspired by his youth when his father told him he had a “rubber face,” and, in 2008, after taking a brief hiatus from music, Schnepel came up with the vision of a band he could front anonymously with a constantly changing face. The idea really took off when he met designers Justin Hicks, Katie Webster, and Kellie Sequoia from the Denver Center who elevated his basic idea into an even bigger spectacle.

Dervish Takes the Stage with Traditional Irish Music | Spotlight, February 2025

Traditional Irish band Dervish has been lighting up stages with their unique take on Irish music for almost four decades now, since the early days when the original members met at a pub and named themselves the Boys of Silgo, after their hometown in Ireland. We talked to them about their music, which is about 90% traditional songs, and they explained how there’s still a lot of writing and creating that goes into playing traditional songs, including creating new arrangements, harmonies, and instrumental breaks, to the point where traditional music practically becomes their own.

Like journalism like this? Support the local press that’s been telling the truth for 25 years. Become a sustaining member and get our monthly print edition at home. We’ve weathered 9/11, floods, fires, economic crashes—and some deeply chaotic years. With your support, we’ll keep going. Because democracy still depends on journalism.

The post Spotlight on Spotlights: 25 Years of Yellow Scene Artist Interviews appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Shelvis and the Roustabouts @ Nissi’s, May 1st, 2025

Don’t miss out, daddio, because Denver’s own Shelvis and the Roustabouts are coming to shake, rattle, and roll Lafayette with their trademark brand of rockabilly and Americana. Voted Denver’s Best Band in 2019 by the readers of 5280 Magazine, this retro powerhouse hits like a force of nature. Whether they’re playing the hits of Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, or Johnny Cash, or belting out one of their original tunes like “2:00 am at the Breakfast Kings,” it’s hard to resist the band’s infectious energy. As the band’s devoted fans will all tell you, this is more than just a simple rock show, it’s a full-on rockabilly experience that you won’t want to miss. If you don’t catch Shelvis and the Roustabouts on May 1 at Nissi’s, you ain’t nothing but a hound dog. Tickets start at $20 from Nissi’s.

Nada Surf @ The Fox Theater, April 29th, 2025

For some, Nada Surf is a beloved one-hit wonder for their hit ‘90s grunge tune with sprechgesang vocals, “Popular.” What some don’t know is that, after the popularity of “Popular” faded, Nada Surf clawed their way into a cherished spot in the indie rock underground with their 2002 cult classic album “Let Go,” which set the tone for the rest of their career as darlings of the indie scene. Albums like “The Weight is a Gift,” “Lucky,” and “The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy” demonstrate the melodic power of indie pop in ways that few could imitate. Coming off the critical acclaim of their 10th album, “Moon Mirror,” which landed a spot on Rolling Stone’s “50 Best Indie Rock Albums of 2024,” Nada Surf are ready to show off their gorgeous melodies for a Boulder crowd. So don’t miss Nada Surf on April 29 at The Fox Theater. All the popular kids are doing it. Tickets start at $25 from Z2.

Sarah and the Safe Word @ The Pearl, April 28th, 2025

Known for putting on a show that perfectly suits the kind of person who is equally at home at a pop-punk show or a Broadway musical, the queer, dark cabaret act Sarah and the Safe Word puts on an unforgettable show every time they take the stage. It’s been over two years since the release of their last full length album, the excellent “The Book of Broken Glass,” but 2024 saw them release the non-album singles “Pornstar Martini” and “Invert the Jenny” to hold over their rabid fan base in their wait for the next powerhouse album. Come join the celebration of queer joy and gothic weirdness when Sarah and the Safe Word takes over the newly redubbed Pearl in Denver, formerly known as The Mercury Cafe. Tickets start at $15 from Tixr.

Delta Sonics @ Bricks on Main, May 9th, 2025

Denver’s own Delta Sonics have been racking up the accolades for their unique blend of blues with swing, delta, New Orleans R&B, and classic rock ‘n’ roll. They were awarded “best blues band in Denver” in the Westword Music Showcase every year from 2011 through 2016. They were named “Favorite Blues Band” and “Favorite Blues Duo” by Colorado Blues Society in 2023 and 2024, and their member, Al Chesis, was given a Lifetime Achievement Award by Colorado Blues Society in 2022. There’s no question that they’re a blues powerhouse right in Colorado’s own backyard, and they’ll be tearing the roof down in Longmont with a swinging show at Bricks on Main on May 9. Learn more at Bricks on Main.

Matt and Madeline Shugert @ Muse Performance Space

Originally hailing from Crested Butte, Colorado, Matt and Madeline Shugert weave together a unique tapestry of acoustic folk, bluegrass, and jazz, and they find some really creative things to do with it. Their 2020 album The Aim Was Song is a collection of 10 tracks that are each inspired by a different poem from beloved New England poet Robert Frost and turned into lush soundscapes with intricate layers of percussion and stunning vocal harmonies. It’s a performance not to be missed when they take over Muse Performance Space on April 27. Tickets start at $10 for students and $20 for adults at Muse Performance Space.

The post Scene Stealers | April 2025 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Boogie Machine: The Super 70s Disco Dynamo @ Nissi’s

When the world tried to declare disco to be dead, the members of Boogie Machine responded back defiantly: “I Will Survive”! Led by career musician Jerry Bergeson, this nostalgic group of retro music lovers (who also perform elsewhere as ‘80s tribute band Ronnie Raygun and the Big ‘80s) are ready to take you on a journey through all the biggest disco hits of the ‘70s from Kool & The Gang to K.C. & The Sunshine Band to Donna Summer, The Bee Gees, and Earth, Wind and Fire. The time machine launches on April 4 at Nissi’s. Tickets start at only $15 from Nissi’s.

Franz Ferdinand @ Boulder Theater

For many, Scottish post-punk revival band Franz Ferdinand may have seemed like a flash in the pan with their eponymous 2004 debut album that dazzled the critics and the indie-rock faithful at the time. While it may have been a few years since you’ve heard the band’s name, they’ve been going strong ever since, and they’re riding high off the rave reviews for their new album, The Human Fear, that came out in January. Whether you’re a die-hard devotee or just remember hearing “Take Me Out” a lot of times in your dorm building, Franz Ferdinand’s legendary live show promises not to disappoint. Take yourself out to see them on April 1 at Boulder Theater. Tickets start at $39.50 from Z2.

Restless Road @ The Grizzly Rose

Country boy band Restless Road was formed when three different singers tried out as individuals for the third season of Fox’s singing competition The X Factor and producer and judge Simon Cowell realized that the three singers might work better together competing as a group than they would be as individual singers. The rest, as they say, is history, with the band still playing off the success of their 2023 debut album, Last Rodeo. Despite the title of their album, Restless Road shows no signs of slowing down, and there seem to be a lot more rodeos on the horizon for this trio. Catch your first rodeo with Restless Road on March 28 at The Grizzly Rose. Tickets start at $20 from The Grizzly Rose.

Modern Jazz & Soul Fest @ Roots Music Project

Jazz and soul are too often viewed mistakenly as artifacts from the past, which largely ignores the vibrant modern jazz scene that’s full of some really remarkable artists taking the genre to the next level. Roots Music Project understands that better than most, as evidenced by the outstanding lineup for their inaugural edition of the Modern Jazz & Soul Fest. At the top of the bill is two-time Grammy winner Derrick Hodge whose blend of jazz with hip-hop adds new dimensions to both genres. Add to that the likes of Gabriel Mervine, Wellington Bullings, Dandu, and more, and the first year of the festival is off to a great start. Find your modern soul at the festival on April 11 and 12. Tickets start at about $38 from Roots Music Project.

Many Mountains @ St. Vrain Cidery

Longmont’s own genre-bending folk rock duo Many Mountains make a local appearance in their hometown for a very special show. The duo, made up of Katie Rose Nelson and Dustin Moran, have been perfecting their unique sound since 2013, blending the contrasting vocals of both songwriters to create something truly dynamic. Having shared stages with the likes of Gin Blossoms, Dylan LeBlanc. You can find them at St. Vrain Cidery on the 28th of March.

Like journalism like this? Consider becoming a sustaining supporter (and get our printed copy monthly at home.)

Democracy needs journalism more than ever. We’ve been telling the truth for 24 years. Your support helps us keep telling it for at least the next four years.

Democracy needs journalism more than ever. We’ve been telling the truth for 24 years. Your support helps us keep telling it for at least the next four years.

The post Scene Stealers | March 2025 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Think jazz isn’t for you? I’m here to convince you otherwise. Summer may be drawing to an end but that doesn’t mean live music has to stop by any means! With several live performances within the next month, there is a jazz band for all. It’s not all avant-garde freestyle experimental stuff (but you can find that if you like it!) there are plenty of approachable bands with excellent musicianship to check out. Jazz is all about improvisation, playing off of what the other musicians are doing, a swinging rhythm, and incredible musicianship. Whether you’re a novice to the genre or a seasoned pro you’ll find a range of styles from hard bop to easy listening.

Hazel Miller & The Collective

August 24th at Superior Commons Amphitheater

Come catch “One of the tightest and most versatile bands on the scene,” Hazel Miller & The Collective as they blend genres and broaden minds. Not strictly jazz by any means, but they know how to throw down on a standard still. You’ll find blues, soul, rock and roll, plus jazz classics and jazz-influenced playing as the guitars, vocals, and rhythm section belt out a tune. Hazel’s voice fits the style perfectly, powerful and emotive.

Voodoo Lilly

September 7th at the Hotel Boulderado

Looking for an upscale environment in a speakeasy setting? Sip a high-end martini while the bass walks a line under a trumpet flair? This is where you want to be. Not only is the underground — literally — club a fun place to catch a show (they even host comedy here!) Voodoo Lilly is something special to see. With a mixture of jazz sub-genres, there will be a sound for everyone. Gypsy jazz? Check. Swing? POf course. Blues? Why not. Jazz is about expressing yourself any way you can.
RVSP here

CJRO Latin Jazz Ensemble with Marion Powers

September 8, Aurora Fox Arts Center

Keep the upbeat vibe and dancing going with some live Latin jazz with CJRO Latin Jazz Ensemble with Marion Powers when they play at the Aurora Fox. Nothing beats the insane groove great Latin jazz can bring when performed live. Even those who don’t “get” jazz will find themselves smiling, swaying, and clapping along. It’s a gateway drug to the genre with wonderful horn work and infectious drums. Marion Powers brings a powerful performance leading the way.
purchase tickets here

Colorado Brazil Fest: Brazilian Jazz Night Feat. Gabriel Santiago Project

September 19th at Roots Music Project

Eclectic, upbeat, funky — these are all terms commonly used to describe the Gabriel Santiago Project. Plus the venue is phenomenal. Check out our profile on them in this issue if you haven’t already. Better yet, stop by for a show. Nothing would be better than the thriving beats and enticing dance moves that Brazillian Jazz typically brings out in crowds. Rhythm is a big deal as well, you aren’t likely to hear many straight 4/4 beats, but instead a multitude of polyrhythms create a percussionist’s dream. Fantastic guitar work and soaring vocals bring it all together harmoniously. Make sure not to miss it.
purchase tickets here

Wine & Jazz with the Stephen Brooks Quartet 

September 25th at Nissi’s
What pairs better with jazz than wine? Come find out for yourself at Nissis with a performance by the Stephen Brooks Quartet. The website mentions that “The current lineup includes Boulder favorite Mark Diamond on bass, Chris Kroger on piano, Stephen on drums, and Matthew Clement on trumpet and vocals, doing a diverse range of music—from Sinatra to Sting to Bill Withers—but always rooted in the jazz tradition.” That means you’ll get a nice selection of popular jazz standards plus plenty of wine to sit back and enjoy the music with.
free admission

The post Scene Stealers | August 2024 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Press Releases are provided to Yellow Scene. In an effort to keep our community informed, we publish some press releases in whole.

6/1, 7PM – Andrew Vogt Sextet
6/2, 7PM – Three Tenors
6/8, 7PM – Kimmerjae & Kent McLagan
6/9, 7PM – The Magic Within: Psychic Explorations with Erica Sodos
6/10, 7PM – Alfredo Muro
6/11, 1:30PM – King Kamehameha Celebration
6/11, 7PM – Boston Imposters
6/15, 7PM – MuseCycles Open Jam
6/17, 7PM – Jacob Larson Trio
6/24, 7PM – Gabriel Santiago
6/30, 7PM – MaryLynn Gillaspie Band Du Jour
Every Monday, 7PM – Jazz Jam Session

Get your tickets at www.museperformancespace.com

The post What’s Happening at The Muse? (June 2023) appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Boulder Creek Festival

Long-celebrated as the unofficial start of the summer in the Boulder area, the Boulder Creek Fest returns to its usual Memorial Weekend dates (it was pushed last year due to COVID-19). The family-friendly 3-day festival along Boulder Creek features myriad vendors, artists, food and drink purveyors, and some of the best live music Colorado has to offer, spread across three different stages. Danny Shafer, The Alcapones, the Miles Lee band, John McKay, and Hazel Miller are just a handful of the acts you’re going to want to make a beeline for. May 28–30, along Boulder Creek from 9th to 14th Streets between Canyon Blvd. and Arapahoe Ave. Admission is free for all ages. See BoulderCreekFest.com for more information.

Five Points Jazz Fest

It was no misnomer when Denver’s Five Points neighborhood was dubbed the “Harlem of the West” in the 1950s. The neighborhood around the 5-block convergence at 25th and Welton Streets was the epicenter of Black culture and art, thanks to the pulsing jazz scene at venues like the historic Rossonian Hotel. Five Points played host to legends like Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday, and Duke Ellington back then, and the Five Points Jazz Festival pays tribute to the history of this legendary stretch on the edge of Downtown Denver. Opening with a short parade by the Tivoli Club Brass Band, the schedule includes some of the best jazz in the state spread across several stages, including the Matt Skellenger Group, the Annie Booth Sextet, Purnell Steen and the Five Points Ambassadors, Hugh Ragin and the Messengers of Peace, the Colorado Mambo Orchestra, Conjunto Colores, and dozens more. June 4, 25th and Welton in Denver. Admission is free, ArtsAndVenuesDenver.com for more information.

Something Rotten! at Longmont Theatre Company

If you’re looking for laugh-out-loud comedy, act fast. There are just a few performances left to catch the hilarious musical comedy Something Rotten! at Longmont Theatre Company. The new musical was a hit on Broadway in 2015, when it was nominated for 10 Tony awards, including Best Musical. Something Rotten! is the story of the Bottom brothers — Nick and Nigel Bottom — who are trying to compete with the most popular playwright of their time, William Shakespeare. Longmont Theatre Company presents Something Rotten! through May 28. Tickets are $34.50 at longmonttheatre.org. 513 Main Street, Longmont. 303.772.5200

Blue Ridge at Miners Alley Playhouse

Now that the weather is warm and the roads are clear, it’s a great time to make the trip to Golden to visit Miners Alley Playhouse, where they’re offering a brand-new regional premiere — Blue Ridge. This dark comedy premiered in 2018 at the Atlantic Theater Company, where it was greeted with rave reviews. It’s the story of a high school teacher who has been sentenced to six months at a church-sponsored halfway house for retaliating against her dishonest boss. Equal parts heartbreaking and healing, this new dark comedy is only playing through June 5. Tickets range from $15 to $37 online at minersalley.com. 1224 Washington Ave., Golden. 303.935.3044

Photo: Adams Visual Communications

Quixote Nuevo at Theater Company at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts

Always on the forefront of compelling and exciting new theatre, the Theater Company at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts offers a modern-day twist on the classic Don Quixote. The new musical Quixote Nuevo is set in the fictional Texas border town of La Plancha, where the famous Quixote and his beloved sidekick, Sancho, embark on a fantastical quest for love. This new reimagining of the classic is infused with Spanish language and music, bringing an exciting celebration of Tejano culture to the stage. Tickets start at $30 at denvercenter.org. The show runs through June 12 at the Wolfe Theatre at the Denver Center Performing Arts Complex. 1301 13th St., Denver. 303.893.4100

Photo: RDG Photography

Singin’ in the Rain at Candlelight Dinner Playhouse

One of the most-loved musicals of all time is now playing on stage thanks to Candlelight Dinner Playhouse. Singin’ in the Rain has been faithfully adapted to the stage — complete with all the show-stopping musical numbers, dancing and, yes, rain. Expect all your favorite moments from the classic MGM film as the story of the first Hollywood movie musical comes to vivid life on the Candlelight Dinner Playhouse stage. Now playing through June 26. Tickets range from $29 to $59 at ColoradoCandlelight.com. 4747 Marketplace Drive, Johnstown. 970,744.3747

The post Scene Stealers | May 2022 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

In its earliest days, the five-point intersection of Washington St., 27th St., E. 26th Ave. and Welton St. was a bustling epicenter for the upper crust of Denver business men, mostly silver magnates who had come to the Queen City of the Plains to make their fortunes on the Rocky Mountains’ deep ore veins and the industry that sprang up around them.

But eventually the bottom fell out of the mine shafts littering the hills. The resulting economic downturn found Five Points in flux. The magnates spread out, creating opportunity for an influx of new Black residents who founded a cultural hub in the heart of Denver, building what soon became known as the “Harlem of The West.”

The spotlight shone brightest on the Rossonian Hotel at 2642 Welton St. Originally built in 1912 as the Baxter Hotel, The Rossonian changed hands and opened a legendary jazz lounge that became a polestar for the country’s touring greats as they traversed from coast to coast. In the vast cultural desert between Los Angeles and either St. Louis or Chicago, The Rossonian was the lone lighthouse where artists like Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Charlie Parker, and Nat King Cole — to name but a few — found respite on the road, a place to stay for a few nights and an adoring audience to perform for.

Over time, Five Points became the entertainment destination for thousands, with more than 50 bars and jazz clubs in the neighborhood and a steady spate of all-stars holding court on their stages — up until Prohibition hit, which all but devastated the scene altogether. The music was still here, but there wasn’t a place to play it.

The next chapter of jazz history began on Dec. 6, 1933 — the day after the 21st Amendment to the Constitution was ratified repealing Prohibition, and bars like the Cruise Room (1600 17th. St., inside the Oxford Hotel) opened their doors. And although El Chapultepec was among them, it wasn’t until 1968 that it became the epicenter of Jazz in the Mountain Region, when Jerry Krantz bought it from his father-in-law Tony Romano and his partners and began hosting the nation’s elite players on its impossibly small stage.

Cotton Club, Colorado Springs, 1970

“In its late 20th-century heyday, music icons such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, and Ella Fitzgerald stopped in to listen and perform, as well as visiting rock stars like Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger,” wrote John Wenzel in a story covering the closing of The ’Pec last December. “Even President Bill Clinton played his tenor sax on stage there.”

It wasn’t the only casualty in a brutal year for jazz in Colorado, which started with the death of long-time resident saxophonist Freddy Rodriguez Sr. who died on March 25, 2020 of COVID-19 at 89 years old. Another tremendous loss was Live at Jack’s, a perennial jazz club in the Denver Pavilions owned by Sandra Watts, who Yellow Scene interviewed a month prior to the club’s closing in June of 2020. “My fear is this will be the end of an era,” Watts said. “The overhead, combined with new restrictions, public fears, lack of funding, and loss of thousands of dollars during the mandated closures will be difficult to overcome.” Since then, Watts has launched Live at Jack’s Entertainment (liveatjacks.com) and is managing and booking bands for stages across the state.

With all this turmoil in mind, City Park Jazz — Denver’s weekly free jazz series, now in its 35th year — is hosting Denver Jazz Heritage Day on July 25 at their show which runs from 6–8 pm at the bandshell at the west edge of Ferril Lake in the park. The day will feature a proclamation by Denver Mayor Michael Hancock, and performances by the “El Chapultepec All-Stars” featuring long time house drummer Tony Black and players like Freddy Rodriguez Jr., Andrew Hudson, Chad Aman, and several more, bringing the spirit of the weekly jazz jam at ’The Pec back to the stage for one last hurrah.

“Denver’s jazz history is legendary, and the players we brought together for this one are all iconic — both in terms of local status and nationally as well,” said Andrew Bercaw, President of the Board of Directors for City Park Jazz as well as the music director. “It’s gonna be an emotional day, for sure. We’ve got Freddy’s (Rodriguez Sr.) son playing, for example, in tribute to his father who played at The ’Pec forever. The list of players who cut their chops on that stage in this town is a Mile High, and we all lost a piece of ourselves last year. This show should be a catharsis for all of us. A chance for all of us to celebrate Denver’s unique and beautiful jazz heritage and pay our respects to those who came before us.”

City Park Jazz runs 6–8 p.m. every Sunday in the summer through Aug. 8, rain or shine, and is free to the public. For more information, check out www.CityParkJazz.org.

The post Spotlight on Colorado Jazz History appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

.

On a recent brisk Wednesday night, The Midnight Hour traveled to snowy Denver, CO, to grace us with their warming funky-soul and jazzy vibes for a one-of-a-kind live show. Hailing from Los Angeles, The Midnight Hour is a band comprised of founding members Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammed, two profound Hip Hop producers and composers with mass influence on all walks of life for the past few decades. Touring with them is an 8-piece orchestra, with lead singers Loren Oden and Angela Muñoz, Jack Waterson on the guitar, Malachi Morehead on the drums, and a two-man horn piece that blew us away. 

Presented by the Jazz is Dead movement, released by Linear Labs, The Midnight Hour is the fourth installment, and we were on hand when they brought their eclectic style to Globe Hall, a bar and music venue established in 2015, in a 100 year old building. It started off as a frosty night from the snowstorm leaving mushy, city brown piles of snow on the ground from the previous day, but the band withstood the low temperatures and guided us to another era with heated performances. The room mellowed out and transformed to a Harlem [of the West] Renaissance vibe mixed with a Black James Bond experience. 

With songs on the album featured by Raphael Saadiq, Marsha Ambrosia, QuestLove, and Ladybug Mecca from “Digable Planets”, and more, it’s a sound that sets a high standard for musical depth, while successfully navigating an oversaturated industry of talented artists. Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammed coordinated a black and gold ensemble on stage, draped in a polished, dapper fashion; from their debonair velvet vests, to their irradiant tailored gold pants, Muhammed in swanky loafers, while Younge rocking vintage oxfords. All members had their own style, showing how unique and individual the band is, from their music style to the demographics of the members.

The band opened up with “Black Beacon” from their self-titled debut album, “The Midnight Hour”, a twenty track wanderlust retro infused feel with a progressive jazzy vibe sure to soothe your soul and take you away into the experimental world they create. “Black Beacon” made you feel like you were in a 70’s all Blaxploitation action movie, clearly showing why Adrian Younge was picked to do the “Black Dynamite” movie score. Filled with complex sounds, big horns and invigorating bass guitar riffs, The Midnight Hour successfully aimed to immerse you into their ode to the Harlem Renaissance. 

Ali Shaheed Muhammed, formally from the iconic 80-90’s hip hop group, A Tribe Called Quest, and Adrian Younge, a quintessential producer of various Grammy-nominated projects, formed The Midnight Hour back in 2013. Though it was pushed to the side as the two were set to compose the 2016 Netflix and Marvel “Luke Cage” series score, the idea wouldn’t soon be forgotten. Reviving their work in 2018, they released their album using 40’s and 50’s original recording software, to make sure to give the audiophiles a more authentic sound to vibe to, dedicating their skills and intentions to providing quality music. 

Adrian Younge is a self-taught musician of numerous instruments since the late 90’s, most known as a notable Jazz composer and music producer. He has worked with up-and-coming young artists like Gallant on his song “Strobe Light”, and Hip-Hop legends like Ghostface Killah on his “Twelve Reasons to Die” album. Younge’s work has been sampled by a multitude of artists from Jay Z to Kendrick Lamar’s “Untitled 06”. Friend and co-member, Muhammed, provides his Brooklyn native energy and old school Hip Hop mastery. As a former member of legendary ATCQ, and the late 90’s Grammy award winning group, Lucy Pearl, he is able to take his multitude of skills and freely immerses himself into this TMH project. Muhammed has released his solo album “Shaheedullah and Stereotypes” in 2004, and has been in the game since the late 80’s, from being a house DJ to an iconic producer of big hits today. When “Redneph in B Minor” was performed, it exhibited the duo’s musical caliber and matured sound, perfectly mashing their sounds together to brand a jazzy hip-hop soul infused masterpiece.

Contributing an edgy sound to the band, Jack Waterson kills the guitar riffs like a true multi-generational rock star. His roots are in being a founding member of a 70’s punk-rock group called “Green on Red”. Younge, inspired by a two-decade long friendship with Waterson, and Waterson were able to take fragments of each others interest in contrasting genres all these years and blend it into this album. Part of the appeal of TMH is the unusual but, as pointed out, masterful blend of so much: ages, races, influences, backgrounds. This is music for the modern age firmly rooted in the glory of past musical epochs.

Angela Muñoz is a 17 year old prodigy with a mesmerizing, bellowing, big voice that commands the room’s attention by effortlessly belting out a single note. After getting TMH’s attention by submitting a song she wrote at age 14, she is today a new songbird for the new generation, here to conquer the scene. Reminiscent of the late Amy Winehouse, mixed with a strong influence from Guns N Roses, this songstress gave the room a burst of chills with her spellbinding vocals. Captivating the audience by showcasing her expansive range, she flawlessly conveys the emotions of her performance of “Bitc*es do Voodoo”, her single that was added to the album, an ode that seems to be about an old crush who opted for a different girl, which is a heartache most have experienced at one point of our lives; the song, she told us, is actually about her brother and the girl he fell for. Muñoz was selected to be a member of the band when she shot her shot and sent her music to them via Instagram;they recognized what would set her apart from other singers as a legend in the making. 

The melodic drums and bass guitar bring us back to life as “There Is No Greater Love” is introduced, bringing Loren Oden to the stage, blessing us with his euphonious voice full of passion and soul. Oden’s sultry and classic style adds a soothing flow while immersing us into each song he touched. Also based in L.A. with a musically inclined family, he has been in the industry as a background singer for greats like Stevie Wonder and Erykah Badu. A longtime friend of Shaheed and Younge, he has since worked with them both when he supplied his vocals to the Netflix series “Luke Cage” and the 2009 film “Black Dynamite”. As a lead singer on a majority of the The Midnight Hour project, he performs “Questions”, which fans have proclaimed has a Brazilian undertone, is originally sung by CeeLo Green, but Oden surely makes his own. The band continues to rock the house and Oden performs “Harmony”, a song about being in a serendipitous love, that maintains but also reignites the romantic side of music that some of us have grew up on and long for. Whenever Muñoz and Oden bring their strong vocals to the stage together, they compliment each others voices and become a harmonious powerhouse duo, giving incredible presence.

The take-away from the show, which was both impressive and stood out, was the fact that the band was able to engage and connect with their audience in such a genuine manner. Between their song “Feel Alive”, featured on Ava Duvernay’s Netflix short-series “When They See Us” about the exonerated Central Park Five, and touring throughout the U.K. and U.S., The Midnight Hour has been on a roll of achieving greatness and quickly becoming a household name. Each member switches instruments, showcasing their array of talents and coordination with each other as a unit, from the keyboard to the drums, transitioning with ease. The two-man horn set had their solo moments shining through, along with Malachi spotlighting his solid drumming style, both firing the crowd up. 

Younge took a moment to engage by unexpectedly stepping off the stage and maneuvering through the crowd while jamming on his guitar to heavy Rock and Roll Blues. Muhammad and Younge took the time to speak to the crowd, giving a shout out to the late Phife Dawg with a short “What’s the Scenario” rendition, additionally introducing their visions for the future as artists and as a collective. The way they all rocked the show in unison, smiles, and hugs, it was apparent they’re a family that’s unique in the way that each member is also individually and artistically different. From a meet-and-greet at the end of the show, where the fans got to interact with the members intimately one-on-one, to a friendly farewell on stage by the members banding arm in arm in a line facing the crowd giving the fans encouraging words to leave the concert with something to remember, Muhammad says, “Keep the faith, keep strong, and know that everything will be better” as a fond adieu. If you haven’t experienced The Midnight Hour yet, there’s a handful of cities left in the last leg of their tour, so hurry and get on this new wavelength and check out their album; it won’t disappoint.

All images by De La Vaca

The post A Kindred Soul Affair: The Midnight Hour | A Jazzy Hip Hop Psychedelic Experience  appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

The Lincoln Center. It’s a gorgeous theater up in Fort Collins. Perhaps you’ve heard of it, perhaps not. Entertaining us on stage at the Lincoln Center this past January 20 was the vibrant and eternal Mavis Staples. “At the beginning of her eighth decade of singing truth,” her Lincoln Center bio tells us, “Mavis Staples has delivered a new recording, If All I Was Was Black, featuring ten songs about America today where the present is filled with ghosts of the past.” We were excited to be in the crowd. As noted, “Mavis Staples is an alchemist of American music and has continuously crossed genre lines like no musician since Ray Charles. Weaving herself into the very fabric of gospel, soul, folk, pop, R&B, blues, rock and even hip-hop over the better part of the last 60 years”

The crowd was not disappointed. From the first moments of her entry and the start of the show the entire venue and stage was pulsing with a buzzing energy. Having earned a place in both the Blues as well as the Rock-n-Roll halls of fame, Mavis has been at this for 71 years. She opened by saying she wanted to send out “positive vibrations” that night, and they were well received.

There was one word running through my mind the entire night, that word being history. It was reflected in everything that night: from the music itself, the playlist, and all the talking points. This is compounded by the fact it was the night before Martin Luther King Jr Day, this being important because Mavis marched with him on the streets during the civil rights movement. Every aspect of the show was infused with events of prior years, used to inform the present and affecting the show in minute as well as major ways.

The most noticeable aspect being the talking points, the lyrics, the words. Staples told us stories about what she did in the civil rights movement, about marching in the streets and being arrested for singing and walking. She told us about equal rights movements today and how we can draw parallels from the past. It was beautifully poignant in an America that is witnessing some of its most divisive times in a generation.

However, as I mentioned, this is not the only place history was shining through that night. The next most obvious way was through the music selection. She played mostly original music from throughout her discography, but performed a few key covers from various eras, most interesting to me being her choice of Slippery People by the Talking Heads. Speaking in Tongues was released in 1983, and Mavis has been active since 1950. This may be confusing, because I’ve been talking about history and how the past has affected the present, so if the album came out after the most active years for soul music, that seems contradictory. However, this choice represents an understanding of how new music can affect old, and how it can help older styles of music evolve. Playing newer music in styles of older genres shows that we must be aware of the future and that we must be dynamic to changing times.

Finally, the least obvious way (at least to those without a background in music theory), is within the music itself. She plays what can only be described as quintessential soul music. Soul music is the culmination of jazz music from years prior as well as gospel music before it. Jazz most affects the sense of rhythm, feeling beats 2 and 4, feeling the syncopation, while the gospel music affects the accessibility of the music in the form of crowd participation and simple chord changes. While this may sound like a criticism of the music, I would say it’s one of this genre’s strongest aspects; it allows everyone to join in, which is the entire point.

This leads me to the thing that was occupying my thoughts second-most often – Inclusivity. Because of the band’s charisma and the chemistry between its members, as well as the crowd’s energy, everyone in that room was included in the fun that night, which isn’t always the case. Staples would get the crowd to sing along with her, and you would see her laughing on stage with her band members and interacting with them. This alone captures the entire essence of the music: everyone join in, loves each other, and contributes.

Returning back to my point about jazz and gospel, the influence from these genres is also seen in the interaction. Jazz is often about interaction between band members (at least in small groups of trios to quintets). The point is to listen to what any one member is playing and play it back with your own twist. You could see each member looking at each other, as if to say “here’s what I’m saying” and the other members listening back saying “I hear you”. Gospel music is about getting everyone in the pew to sing along, and it sure seemed like everyone in the crowd was singing along. No one was left out. Staples even made jokes about taking the crowd on tour with her on extra busses.

Tying back in to my point about the setlist, her choice of covers and her own music is also what made this event so accessible for everyone – there was at least one song everyone knew and could sing along to. I saw people of all ages in the crowd, so covering the Talking Heads was a way in for the middle aged people, and her music was a  way in for the older people who grew up with her music.

Her ability to speak on current events, overlapping with her life of involvement with the civil rights movement, tied both generations together. Our society is faced with similar problems of racism and bigotry today as it did then. To quote Staples: “We aren’t done yet”. When she got arrested, she told us that they would just go back out and start up again. In her Freedom Highway song, one particular lyric stood out to me: “Made up my mind and I won’t turn around”. We’ve come too far to turn around now, and we have to keep marching, together, and remember how far we’ve come together and remember what has brought us here today. Good thing we have soundtracks from Mavis Staples to keep us smiling and singing along the way.

For the new album from Mavis Staples, If All I Was Was Black, you can check out her Bandcamp or her website. Her next album, Live In London, will be available February 8, 2019.

The post Mavis Staples brings old ghosts to new music at Lincoln Center appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

In 1973, Herbie Hancock led a recording session that changed the face of jazz and popular music profoundly. That album, called Head Hunters (Columbia), established jazz-funk fusion as a new force—and it became the moniker of the band he assembled for that recording, which included multi-instrumentalist/percussionist Bill Summers. Here, Bill talks to us about being a part of such a seminal moment in history, betting on the ponies, and helping today’s youth protect their intellectual property better than he did.

French Davis: How did you come to be a part of The Headhunters recording in 1973?

Bill Summers: Let me take you back a little ways. I think it’s important how I met Herbie (Hancock). I was a senior in high school and dropped out. I was a musician and played in clubs and had odd jobs…I joined the Ford Motor Company and worked on an assembly line. I did that for about six months and they kind of taught me what slavery was. So I quit that again and got a job at a Detroit race house. This was a big incident that changed my life. So here was a black guy who was shining shoes there. Employees would go over to him and he’d place the racing form and if you won, he got a percentage of it. So I got chip money playing on the horse races.

One day I won a horse race—they called it the daily double where you had to [pick winners] in two different races…For my age, 18, it was a lot of money. The first thing I did was take a trip to San Francisco, California. So I got to San Francisco, and I’m a high school drop out. I had relatives there. My uncle said if you were a resident of California, you can go to college free! I couldn’t believe what he was saying. I asked how could I do that? I mean I don’t have a diploma…so how could I do that? He went everyday and talked to them about me to UC Berkeley; I can’t believe they accepted me!

My senior year, I was a music major and a graduate TA [Teacher’s Assistant]. I don’t know if they do that anymore. I had a group that did African, Haiti, and Brazil-type music. We opened for Herbie and that’s how I met him. We were at this concert and he asked me if I would come and sit in with his band! It didn’t go so well. I played sax but also percussion, kind of valuable since I could do both. [Later on] I got a call from him asking me to drive to L.A., my first paying gig with him. I said all I saw on the stage was a harp and piano Herbie said that’s all that’s going to be. You and Alice Coltrane.

FD: So did you know you were creating a new era in Jazz? Did you have any idea how revolutionary that would be?

BS: No of course not, no. Kind of a big dream. Can’t really call it hip-hop music. But kind of similar.

FD: Here we are, what, 43 years later: What are some of the ripple effects of that album? How did it impact your career?

BS: Some of it was constructive, some negative. Went platinum—my first recording with Herbie. I’m on four songs and two of them became extremely famous. One was called “Chameleon” and one “Watermelon Man,” I composed something really different and exotic… So years later, this recording? Yeah, I shared none of the residuals of that.

FD: Wow. Oh my gosh.

BS: Back in the day you could record a few seconds of a song, maybe four or five seconds and loop that over and over. It gave birth to creativity with new technological advances, compose and recompose. This song “Watermelon Man” became one of the most widely traveled sounds, and the CD went double platinum. It expanded my relationship with Herbie. I love him like a brother. But the fact of the matter is, the future of music and how young people are treated have a lot to do with how us who are older speak up to the injustices. Do you stand up and tell the truth and hope no one gets hurt? I mention this over the years to the people that interview me because these are not accidents. We were seriously abused.

It was against the law to teach African American heritage. There’s a lot of catching up to do, understand what I’m saying? So when people wrote black music it was very powerful. We couldn’t participate in the business of music. People like Jelly Roll Morton and Scott Joplin were being taken advantage of. So this thing that happened to me is and was part of the fabric of the music business at the time. Unfortunately some of the people that were involved became the abusers. But at the same time I traveled around the world. I launched my career, and that’s it. There weren’t too many guys playing professionally. It wasn’t usual to see an African American percussionist, it was a rarity.

FD: I would love if you would talk a little about working with Quincy Jones as a contrast to Herbie.

BS: Well, Quincy Jones is like the top of the heap. You’re with, like, the Minister of Culture. I can’t say enough about him. We talk fairly frequently considering his schedule and who he is. I worked with him on the ABC (TV) series Roots. I was asked to support a musical tour of some of the scenes in episode one with Kunta Kinte, a very special experience. I don’t know what to say about him, he’s a completely regular person. He knows how to get the right people together. He plays people like a champ—Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Dizzy Gillespie, for just one song. He’s incredible. Most of all he’s a great person, a nice person. He’s nice really nice.

FD: I would love to get your take on the state of Jazz today.

BS: It’s alive on the dance floor. It’s healthy, it’s good. It’s in good shape.

FD: What else are you working on?

BS: I’ve got a couple of projects I’m involved in. One is NUMM — New Urban Music Movement. NUMM has a lot of satellite projects and works with lots of young people. We have something called KLUB K.I.D. (Knowledge, Independence, Determination). We go into high schools and teach the kids to set up a complete entertainment company which contains a lot of stuff. They have to open a business, set up an LLC etc. They have to do paperwork. They come to the campus and do a talent challenge and sign a recording contract. They have to arrange the music, go into a studio with professional engineers, record the project by learning all the aspects in production and engineering, and get it done. They have to do the recording, labels, publishing papers, artwork; manufacture the project and they have to shrink-wrap it. Commandment number one is to get paid. Instead of getting ripped off like I did, they have to know how to protect their intellectual property. We use the history we have and they learn from that. We teach them the good, bad, and the ugly.

Bill Simmons and The Headhunters play  a tribute to Herbie Hancock at the Fox Theatre on May 13 at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $25, www.billsommersepk.com for more information.

The post Spotlight on Bill Summers appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Photo courtesy of https://karldenson.com

Co-founder and leader of the Greyboy Allstars, saxophonist Karl Denson just spent most of the last year on the Zip Code tour with the Rolling Stones. With a resume that includes backing Lenny Kravitz and recording with acts like Slightly Stoopid and Blackalicious, Denson’s popularity might be biggest with his side project Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, an especially loved dance band steeped in jazz, ’60s supersoul and ’70s funk. Here, he talks about playing with Jagger, covering the Beastie Boys and the heartbreak of being a Kansas City Chiefs fan.

Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe plays the Boulder Theater on Sept. 25 at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25+. www.bouldertheater.com

The post Spotlight on Karl Denson appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Local acoustic rock group the Richie Allen band plays at the Meadowlark Bar in Denver on Thursday (October 23), so we took the opportunity to speak with Allen himself…L

The Richie Allen Band plays with Float Like a Buffalo at 9 p.m. on Thursday, October 23 at the Meadowlark Bar; 2701 Larimer St., Denver; 303-293-0251; no cover.

The post A brief chat with Richie Allen appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

The Psychedelic Furs

On October 29, the Gothic Theatre will host a night of nostalgic alt-rock revelry. The Psychedelic Furs and the Lemonheads are on tour together, and that Denver show is a must see. We grabbed original Fur Tim Butler to find out what we can expect…O

The Psychedelic Furs play with the Lemonheads at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, October 29 at the Gothic Theatre; 3263 S. Broadway, Englewood; 303-789-9206; $35

Yellow Scene: It’s been a while since you were here – what have you been up to?

Tim Butler: We’ve toured pretty regularly. I’ve been working, trying to sort out a new record. We have the song ideas, we’re just waiting for Richard [Butler, singer] to get up to speed on the lyrics.

YS: It’s been a while since the last record…

TB: Oh yeah, it’s been since 1992. Of course, we took a break. Rich and I formed Love Spit Love. Then I left that and formed my own band, which didn’t do anything. We got back together in 2000. It’s not so long. But it’s still 14 years since we got back together, so I’m starting to get a bit agitated too.

YS: In those three years, has the line-up changed at all?

TB: No, it’s pretty solid. I think this is the best line-up we’ve ever had.

YS: Do you enjoy playing Colorado?

TB: Oh yeah, and especially the Gothic Theatre. It’s one of my favorite places in America. I love the old cinema with the bottom level taken out and the second level seats. The atmosphere at those sort of places and the Gothic in particular is a favorite of the whole band.

YS: What are your plans for the set?

TB: The hits and the almost-hits, of course. You get lynched if you don’t do those. The last few outings, we’ve been doing stuff that we haven’t played for a while from the first album and the second album.

The post Editor’s Picks – Bands and Burlesque appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

There’s a reason jazz bassist Ron Carter is the most prolific player on the planet. He’s that good. He’s won every award there is for a musician, and he teaches at Julliard. From the heady breakthrough days of the Second Miles Davis Quintet to his work on what was arguably the seminal hip-hop album of all time, Carter’s playing has spanned as many decades as genres, and all have been improved by his contributions. Here he talks about playing with Q-Tip, living through the Civil Rights struggle and what he’d do with a time machine.

French Davis: The first time I “discovered” you was listening to Tribe Called Quest’s album, Low End Theory, on the track “Verses from the Abstract.” Did it occur to you at the time that this gig might be introducing you to an entire new generation of fans?

Ron Carter: I was aware of the possibility—I knew these guys were at the forefront of what they were doing, but I didn’t go into it looking for that. It just turned out to be something a little more than what I thought might happen.

FD: Have you ever figured out how many albums you’ve been on?

RC: Well, every once in a while someone sends me one I completely forgot I was on, so, I’m never totally sure, but I’m comfortable saying it was around 2,000, give or take a few.

FD: You grew up in the Detroit area in the ’40s and ’50s. Did the setting influence you as a player?

RC: Not really. When I left Detroit, I was 17, 18 years old. In Detroit I was only a classical player. … When I got to New York, the scene there certainly affected me, in terms of what I thought was possible. So many great players were here, like Paul Chambers, Sam Jones, Red Mitchell … Mingus was still here. There was this wealth of bass players to follow, and that definitely affected my process.

FD: Reading Miles’ autobiography creates the sense that drug use was prevalent all over the scene then. How did you steer clear?

RC: Well I was a very good athlete in my youth, even played one year of college basketball at a pretty decent skill level, so that helped. And for me, music was so important. It was such a focus for me that drugs never entered into my point of view at all.

FD: Your big break with Miles Davis took place during the height of the civil rights movement. Did all the social upheaval inform your playing then?

RC: Well, of course it certainly affected my social attitude. But I don’t think it really had an impact on my playing. Most of us at the time weren’t having it affect our performance level. I mean, we were in California at the time of the Birmingham church bombing that killed those four young girls. And it affected us terribly. But we didn’t play with anger or vitriol. Critics were eager to single out bands that were being political in their music at the time, but that wasn’t us—certainly not me.

FD: If you had a time machine, which group would you go back and play with again?

RC: I’d play with all of them. I’ve gotten better over the years and would like another shot at it if possible.

The post 10 Questions With Jazz Great Ron Carter appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Festival on Main in Longmont:
Friday, August 26 at 6 pm. Soul Sacrifice and the Last Men on Earth provide the ambiance for a ridiculous number of fun activities for both kids and parents. The kids’ll leave looking like circus animals (face painting anyone?), begging to learn the flying trapeze, but it’s a guaranteed good time.

Art, Wine & Jazz:
Saturday, Aug. 27 at 6 pm. The Longmont Council for the Art’s major fundraiser features wine and beer tastings, appetizers, a wine pull, live and silent auction, artist demonstrations, live Jazz and an Art 2 Go section. Proceeds from art, wine and jazz benefit the LCA’s nine programs including Artist in Residence, the Muse Gallery and Friday Afternoon Concerts.

Boulder County Aids Project’s drag show Absolute! Fabulous! Gorgeous!:
Saturday, Aug. 27 at 7 pm. Join BCAP and Atlas at the Dairy Center for their sixth annual drag show and community celebration promoting HIV awareness with a fun, festive and fabulous evening of performance. Ages 18 and older only! All seating is first come, first served. Those who want the action right in their laps should throw down $25 for preferred seating in the first four rows.

Brides Against Breast Cancer’s Tour of Gowns:
Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 27-28. The 2011 Brides Against Breast Cancer Nationwide Tour of Gowns is underway! More than half of the gowns sold are brand new, the rest are vintage, retro and fabulous. Visit here to register.

Just Between Friends Huge Kids Sale:
August 26-30 at 9 am. Head to the Boulder County Fairgrounds for great deals on all of the essentials for kids and some awesome stuff for moms, too! Get out with the old and in with the new at the new swap and shop boutique or just peruse this year’s great selection.

Other great options include:

Cabaret for a Cause 7 pm Saturday at the Boulder Theater
Out Boulder PrideFest noon Sunday in Central Park
Avenue Theater’s Annual Fun & Games Fundraiser 6:30 pm tonight (Aug. 26)
Venue de Miles 7 am Sunday at Prospect New Town in Longmont
Educate!’s 3rd Annual Hike for Africa Saturday 8:30 am Flagstaff Mountain to Green Mountain and back

or visit our calendar for music, festivals and more. Click here to check out everything awesome in the Boulder, East County and North Metro region!

The post Aw Baby! appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Peachy Keen

There are a few things Colorado does well; microbrews, jamgrass and pot consumption chief among them. But if you’re into agriculture—or eating—you know Olathe sweet corn and Palisades peaches are the two finest examples of their respective foods. The Lafayette Peach Festival focuses on the latter. More than 30,000 pounds of Western Slope peaches are trucked in for the event, which blends them into a creamy froth of live music, a gazillion takes on cobblers and pies and other foods and vendors, including plenty of artisans and antique dealers. Aug. 20, 9am, City of Lafayette, Public Road in Old Town, Lafayette, 303.549.1907

Take Pride

Considering the ridiculousness of the anti-gay camp, there’s no reason to miss a chance to stand up for the rights of this unfairly marginalized chunk of America. The Out Boulder Pridefest makes it easy for everyone to fly their rainbow flags, with a fun, three-day bash of music and events geared at promoting civil rights for our gay friends and family. Best part: headliner Frenchie Davis! Go see her and tell her how flattering it is that she stole the YS entertainment editor’s moniker! Aug. 28, 11am, Boulder County Farmer’s Market, 1750 13th St., Boulder

Reaping the Harvest

What do Paul Newman, Angela Lansbury, Dick Van Dyke and the Arvada Harvest Festival have in common? They were born in 1925. That’s right, one of Colorado’s oldest traditions turns 86 this year and is easily as youthful as it was in its 20s. Launching with a parade of the best marching bands in the state, the Harvest Fest morphs into a carnival atmosphere, punctuated by vendors, live music and vegetable judging contests. There isn’t a better way to cap a summer. Sept. 9–11, Arvada Historical Society, 7307 Grandview Ave., arvadaharvestfestivalparade.com

Early Bird Gets the Worm

Most bands’ press packs tout how they “defy pigeonholing or classification.” Once in a while, a band actually does that: Denver-based Paper Bird is that band. Some might call them a grass band, but Paper Bird is more; they’re an acoustic roots septet steeped in Americana, sprinkled with equal parts blues, grass and traditional jazz, and served with a side of pop-savvy hook writing. Basically, they’re really good. Sept. 8, Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St., Boulder, 303.786.7030

French’s Five

Sure we’re all psyched to have a day off of work, but here are five things you probably didn’t know about Labor Day.

1) Fruits of our Labor
Labor Day became a national holiday in 1894 under Pres. Grover Cleveland.

2) Labor Pains
To participate in Labor Day events and parades, workers had to forfeit a day’s wages
until it was made
a national holiday.

3) Local Labor
Colorado was one of the first five states to recognize the holiday.

4) Labor of Many
The other four states were Oregon, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.

5) Labor of Love
The U.S. isn’t the only country to celebrate Labor Day.

The post Editor’s Picks August 2011 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Movie Mountains

Catching a “Rocky Mountain High” may have taken on a more suspect meaning with the exploding medical marijuana market, but there’s no arguing that the continent’s most spectacular mountain range still draws more people here than your local spliff seller. The Banff Mountain Film Festival speaks to the mountain man in all of us, and is now on tour, so if you couldn’t make it to Alberta in November, no big deal—it’s coming here. Strap on your carabiners and grab your leashless rock hammer and get to the Boulder Theater. March 1-2, 7pm, $19.50, 2032 14th St., Boulder, 303.786.7030

Trombone Man

The trombone player doesn’t get his dues. Sure, in the hey days of the jazz era, players like J.J. Johnson might get recognized by genre fans, but today, the trombone player gets relegated to “one of the horn guys” at best. Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews’ hip-hop swagger and New Orleans’ bred jazz cred has him leaping out of the back line of the horn section and onto a national stage—including an HBO series Treme and a duet with Lenny Kravitz, “Something Beautiful.” Feb. 16, 8:30pm, $20, Fox Theatre, 1135 13th Street Boulder, 303.443.3399

Body Movin’

It’s been a long winter and we’ve still got a lot of gray days in front of us. So chances are, we’ve all put on a little extra weight. Especially the kids. The Longmont Recreation Services Department’s got just what the doctor ordered: a fun, free, family field day! Have Junior stock up on his collection of “Participant” ribbons and get down to Clark Centennial Park for the Move It! Fitness Fair and burn off some of the excess even-two-hours-of-Wii-bowling-won’t-do-the-trick energy. Feb. 26, 1pm, 1100 Lashley St., Longmont, 303.651.8406

Ice is Back

It’s hard to pin down when Ice Cube went from cold-blooded gangsta rap icon to cuddly family movie star, but we think we’ve got it isolated to some time between the release of Barbershop and Barbershop 2, Back in Business. Now that he’s on tour supporting his first solo album in two decades, it’s hard to buy his thug life persona. That said, he’s still got chops. If you can get past his on-screen evolution, you’ll see a heckuva show. Feb. 26, 8pm, $37, Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St., Boulder, 303.786.7030

French’s Five

St. Patrick’s Day is coming, and that means you’ve had enough time to forget about your New Year’s Day hangover. So, grab a case of these local libations and get ready for round two.

1) Montanya Rum
Highest altitude distilled rum in the world. montanyadistillers.com

2) Rocky Mountain Moonshine
Altitude sickness in a bottle. In a good way. mysticmtnspirits.com/specialty-spirits.html

3) Stranahan’s
Colorado Whiskey Mountain pure, and gold as the Capitol dome. stranahans.com

4) Absinthe Verte
Who doesn’t love a visit from the Green Faerie on St. Patty’s? leopoldbros.com

5) Colorado Straight Bourbon
Colorado’s first bourbon, made with sweet Olathe corn. peachstreetdistillers.com

The post Editor’s Picks: February 2011 appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

The Remedy For Missing Monty On Stage
With “Spamalot” gone from the DCPA, finding Monty Python entertainment is a little tricky. Thankfully the CU International Film Series is around to provide us with the next best thing: “Monty Python and the Holy Grail.” The film that inspired more historical parodies than any other in history, such as “Spamalot,” the “Holy Grail” has indeed become a religiously important artifact in and of itself. Nov. 14 at 7 and 9 p.m. at CU’s Muenzinger Auditorium. Call 303.492.1531.

CU With Legends
It’s nearly impossible to overstate the importance of the Blue Note label to the Jazz world. Founded in the 1930s, the label not only became the single most important repository of jazz figures in history. Miles Davis and John Coltrane, for example. See four of Blue Note’s newer faces during the free CU in Broomfield series. Nov. 7 at 7:30 p.m. at Broomfield Auditorium. Call 303.460.6800.

After You’re Stuffed
When you get this issue, it may still be a bit early for you to be decorating with tinsel, but after the turkey’s settled, you might be looking for a night out with holiday flavor. A dash of nutmeg in your proverbial egg nog, so to speak. Nissi’s has just the thing:
A White Christmas Holiday, featuring a quartet of talented singers. Nov. 25 at 7:30 p.m. at Nissi’s in Lafayette. Call 303-665-2757.

Who Wouldn’t Name A Kid Banjo?
What do you say about a guy so immersed in his craft that he named his daughter Banjo (other than to wonder aloud about the kind of woman who would allow him to get away it)? The California-born, Australian-bred folk-blues artist hasn’t blown up in the States as much as contemporaries like Dave Matthews, but it’s not for a lack of talent that John Butler remains an also-ran. Nov. 23 at 8 p.m. at Ogden Theater. Call 303.830.2525 for more information.

The post Editor’s Picks appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.

Whether it’s jazz, Creole soul, old school or Hasidic Jewish reggae, August has something for you. And I’m here to make sure you know all about it.

The post French Connection appeared first on Yellow Scene Magazine.