On Friday, April 19th, CLASSIXX played at the weekly Friday dance party HOME in front of a sold out crowd at Norad Dance Bar presented by TheHundred and Souls In Action. Concerted Effort was there to capture some of the magic of that night on film. Check out the video below and relive that incredible show!

   

As usual, the night will have solid support, featuring the likes of option4, Vanish, WERQ, and Fun Factory. Since TheHundred is non-profit, tickets are always cheap, so cover is only $6. The party gets started at 9PM. Get there early before it packs out to avoid being left out in the cold! You can RSVP on Facebook here.

Earlier this year, a new dream-pop group, CCERULEANN, exploded into the Denver music scene. The brother-sister duo of Elliott and Marilyn Baker made many take notice with the release of their first single, "Future Wind". We wanted to know a little more about what these guys were about, so we set off to their home studio and got the pair to share a bit of their story on camera. As of now, they've only released a pair of singles on their Bandcamp page, but they have a full EP coming out on the horizon. We'll be sure to tell you more as their story continues to unfold.

Last night, while New Order rocked the 1stBank center, a new order of a different kind came to The Bluebird theater. Lindsey Stirling stomped into town with her non-traditional violin for a sold out show of around 650 fans of all ages and genders.


At 8:20 the opening act came on, a quirky and kinetic performance by The Vibrant Sound, performing as a one-man vocal and acoustic guitar show with a MacBook on backing. The set was short and enthusiastic, and if not fully understood by the crowd, at least they seemed to be enjoying it.


After a short break, Lindsey came on with a bang, opening up with the energetic instrumental "Moon Trance", dancing about the stage while playing the uptempo strains and gesturing with her bow for punctuation.


"Spontaneous Me" followed, giving another chance for her keyboard player and drummer to show their chops, but the attention was always on the whirling and fiddling Lindsey. Sporting torn fishnet stockings, a single argyle sock and sparkly tennis shoes, her feet were always on the move, dancing left and right, bowing and stepping.


The band ripped through "Shadows" and "Electric Daisy Violin" in short order, before Lindsey gave the drummer and keyboardist a breather and took center stage solo. A self-professed nerd, her dabblings in game themes (Zelda and Skyrim) have made her popular with the gaming crowd. With a cappella performer Peter Hollens joining in by video screen, she executed their Skyrim duet on the darkened stage.


Welcoming the rest of her band back, she cooled off with the mellow "River Flows in You (Yiruma)" before introducing Lindsey’s take on Rihanna’s “We Found Love” set to a video of her dancing and performing for and with locals in "Kenya". This is one of the few songs where Stirling contributes her own vocals, and she can definitely hold her own. Courtesy of a few tweaks to the lyrics, the attitude of the song is 180 degrees from the original, and is uplifting and hopeful.


The next number, the Lord of the Rings Medley is a mash-up of different melodies from Howard Shore’s fantastic themes from the popular movies. Stirling is obviously a fan of epic fantasy, having also covered the theme from HBO’s Game of Thrones (also with Peter Hollens), but she didn’t break out that song at The Bluebird.


Taking a turn in a whole different direction, she went "Bad", pulling on a sequined glove and sunglasses to highlight Michael Jackson in a whirlwind tour of the late artist’s musical career (or at least the parts Stirling learned to dance to as a kid). The crowd welcomed this trip to a familiar beat, clapping along.


The autobiographical and very new "Zi Zi’s Journey" (Zi Zi was a childhood nickname) followed, transitioning to the immensely popular YouTube hit "Crystallize" (featuring the music video shot here in Colorado at the Silverthorne Ice Castles). "Crystallize" was one of my introductions to dubstep, and it led me to expand my musical frontiers as a result, beyond it just being a powerful and energetic song of its own.


The final song of the main set was "Transcendence", a song with overtones (and video) about overcoming stereotypes projected by the world around in order to realize your own potential. A fitting riff to close with on the first concert tour of a self-made musician exploring her own genres.


I had intentionally not read or viewed anyone’s accounts or videos of the show in order for it to be fresh to my ears. It was therefore a genuine and welcome surprise when the band returned for the single-song encore wearing masks, and launched into a powerful rendition of The Phantom of the Opera. This song fit right in below the leering masks of the Bluebird’s own theatre decor. This was an intense note to go out on, and for the performers it must have been seven grueling minutes of going to eleven.


The merch table was offering the usual posters and stickers, and had a new offering -- Lindsey Stirling, a 12-track album released in September comprised of all-original compositions, seven of which were performed in the show. Other notable Stirling tracks (including covers and Christmas songs) are available from a smattering of sources including iTunes and her own website. iTunes also has the digital copy of the album for $12.

Stirling’s tour heads west from here to her home territories of Utah and then Arizona before heading up the West Coast. Many shows are already sold out, but additional dates and larger venues are being added. Do yourself a favor and if you’re looking for something new, fresh and beautiful, try to make it to a Lindsey Stirling show. Maybe you’ll enjoy a rocking evening of making violins exciting. Maybe like me, you’ll find whole new genres of music you want to explore (“Dubstep for 40-Year-Olds, a How-To Manual”). For my part, I’ve added a new item to my Bucket List: “Drop The Bass”.

See more pictures from this show in our Facebook photo gallery!

We sat down with Denver's School Knights late this summer and had the four-piece band talk about their band, their philosophy and upcoming new music. School Knights has evolved from it's initial two-piece setup to it's current configuration, but they've always maintained the same carefree philosophy that drives their garage rock sound. They'll be hitting the recording studio this fall and will have new music to release, but until then, you can enjoy their latest EP for free at Bandcamp!

TheHundred presents Anna Lunoe from Concerted Effort on Vimeo.

Now almost a year strong, the monthly house music party TheHundred has had an impressive run. Their parties have consistently offered a great vibe and amazing talent. Last month, Denver was treated to Anna Lunoe, whose impressive set capped another incredible night.

TheHundred is back again this month, with a party this Saturday, Sep. 22. A collection of talent that includes DJ Ricard, Mike Dee(z), Paul Anthony, option4, and Sammy Bananas will be on hand to keep the party going. RSVP and get more information here. The music starts at 9:00PM and there is no cover before 10PM ($6 afterwards).

Friday September 14 was just another day on Colfax, but appearances can be deceiving.   Many a night have I walked these Denver streets thinking I may have stumbled onto the set of the newest apocalypse-themed movie where the world has already lost most of the living to [insert here: zombies, disease, water, asteroids, magic].  Similar nights have exposed the inconspicuous bars and venues to be contrary to what their outward appearances would have you believe.   Even on Colfax, the longest road in America and a magnet for rowdy troublemakers, things seemed pretty tame as I made my way to the Bluebird Theater to catch the double-headliners Rubblebucket and Reptar.


The opening act, Icky Blossoms were the opening band and this stop in Denver was their first night playing with the tour lineup.  These Nebraskans are based in Omaha and are on the famed emo staple of yore, Saddle Creek Records.  Their sound bends toward to the Faint end of the spectrum rather than the Bright Eyes end.  They will actually be playing a few shows with The Faint in November and December which would be a great pairing for any electro-indie music lovers out there.  When I walked into the Bluebird, loud dance beats pervaded the auditorium, almost louder than what would be normal had more bodies been present to absorb the sound. Clearly propped against the wall were two large, silvery boxes that would later come to life, but sitting there propped up they looked totally natural and I barely gave them a second glance.  Singer Sarah Bohling asked in between songs, "Who here likes porn?" to which she got little reaction, maybe due to a lack of audience or a lack of porn enthusiasts. The front row was filled with day-glo "x"-handed kids who most likely did like porn but didn't want to be judged by the handful of people that would be around to hear them say so. It's better not to react or stand out or put yourself out there for judgement, when you are younger right? Well the attitude pervades throughout age barriers and stereotypes.  During the last song, "Heat Lightening," the band members had affixed large colorful LED lights to their persons and the stage was glowing like the day-glo hats and shirts of the front row audience.


When it was time for Reptar to begin their set, a sizable crowd had formed in the lower floor area and around the main stage.  For one of the first times in my patronage of the Bluebird, I noticed that the stage left area had been roped off as a sort of VIP space.  I think it was mainly for the artists, since there was 14 of them all together that night and probably not enough space for them to all fit into the backstage designated artist area.  A great wave of excitement was tangible as the foursome came on stage with their modest presentation, the only one of the three bands without flashing-light accessories.  What Reptar lacking in flashing apparati, they made up for with flashy dance moves.  There is rhythm in my soul, but that rhythm has never translated well to the physical outpourings that may result when the time comes to let loose; seeing Graham Ulicny and Jace Bartet 's dance mastery was at once inspiring and entrancing. Especially Bartet -- I mean that guy is rhythm incarnate; seeing him dance just made you want to smile and dance along with him, like a trippy Pied Piper.



Ulicny was able to move in time with the music and used his body as an instrument for maneuvering multiple mics, guitar-pacing and jamming, and various motions to either his left or right.   Chuck Klosterman look-a-like Ryan Engelberger was mostly stationary, making a break to fetch a handmade rose crown that was tossed at the stage from the audience.  William Kennedy on the keyboard was a sight in his glittery pants, and would occasionally let loose burst of energy that saw him jump at least 3 feet in the air and created a hair display as he let his long tresses sway from side to side.  There was of course a drummer, but these four created a wall of sound and dance that veiled Andrew McFarland and his magical percussion was a backdrop to the stage, just like the fog machine or the marijuana leaf beach towel used as an amp cover.  The band played from their limited arsenal of songs, having only recently released their first full-length album Body Faucet and having an EP besides that.  Highlights from the set were "Sebastian" (Ulicny here remarked, "This is a song about the first time I kissed a boy"), "Rainbounce" (from their EP Oblangle Fizz Y'all), and "Orifice Origami" (lots of dancing on stage for that one).  I must recommend that anyone who has yet to see Reptar live please do so the very next chance you get; you won't be disappointed.  If you don't like having fun, you may be disappointed.


The floodgates opened after Reptar's set and the setting was simultaneously deplete of most day-glo youngsters and filled to the gills with dreaded, loosely clothed hippies.  A full-fledged transformation took place in the Bluebird's musical chambers, to which I may again refer to my stance on the unassuming nature of Denver's haunts.  I had no idea how much more raucous the stage could be, and soon found out that Rubblebucket comes with an energy that many can warm up to, young punks and hippies alike.  When Rubblebucket was setting up their blacklights and neon mic stand scraves, I made my way down to try and get some good photos of the band.  I had heard that they liked to dress up, that there were stage props and such, so I wanted to grab a few good photos as I noticed the venue was getting considerably less spacious and more crowded.  A young Boulder couple were swaying and slurring in a way that seemed dangerously closed to alcohol poisoning or (more likely) under the influence of some hallucinegens.  They commented on my camera, let me know that I was in for a treat once Rubblebucket started, and offered to sell me something that I couldn't quite catch for at that same moment the audience roared to life as the band members took the stage.



Not quite an eight person ensemble this evening, the group was comprised of a trombonist and trumpeter, two guitars, a drummer and the singer/sax player.  The additional keyboard player was Reptar's Kennedy, possibly filling in for a missing member.  When singer Kal Traver walked up to the mic, the crowd roared and all the band members switched on large led fixtures hanging from their necks.  The group sounds like a pop band, but moves like a reggae band or a jam band; I am particularly fond of the choreographed moves of the horn players.  During their set, Rubblebucket played a crowd-pleasing rendition or remix of "Heart of Glass" by Blondie, with Traver's alto interpretation of Debbie Harry and many electronic loops and horn solos thrown in the mix.  It was during this song that I noticed the silvery robot contraptions had come to life with glowing eyes and waving arms, making their way through the crowd and spilling beers along the way.  It was a site to behold, and many of the concert-goers were fully entranced by the dancing robots, a few high-fives given here and there.  The crowd was 100% in motion up until the last song before encore "Came Out of a Lady" which had me dancing, so much so in fact that I kneed the metal handrail in front me out of joy; a joy bruise the next day.

After the show, my head was swimming with sounds and I could still see flashing lights from all of the LED apparati.  I was so entranced after the show that I walked right past a friend who was calling my name and waving at me from the East High School lawn.  A great lineup and a great night of transformations from Rubblebucket, Reptar and Icky Blossoms.  See more pictures from the show online on our Facebook Album.

Science Partner is a Denver band that excels at three-part vocal harmonies and pop music that anyone can get into.  I have been a fan of their quirky tunes about Miley Cyrus and the Heaven's Gate cult since about a year ago when I accidentally stumbled onto a birthday party, and I'm happy to hear that they are releasing their album, Rocky Mountain News, with Hot Congress Records.  The album has been available for download on Bandcamp for just over a year now, but is finally seeing physical release and celebrating with a show at the Larimer Lounge on Friday with support from Achille Lauro and Hindershot.


I spoke to singer and guitarist Tyler Despres from Science Partner about the official release, playing more shows in Denver and what's next for the band.  Celebrate with Science Partner at the Larimer Lounge on Friday September 14 - doors are at 8 PM and the show is at 9 PM.  All ages are welcome and tickets are only $10 the day of the show, check out Larimer Lounge's website here for more details.


CE:  How long has Science Partner been involved with Hot Congress Records?
TD:  That's a brand new development.  I just talked to Lucas, one of the main guys with Hot Congress, about a month ago right when we booked the show.  He said they were really interested with putting out the record.  It's great - we're going to be screenprinting CD packaging and all that stuff this week.

CE:  So when you talked to Lucas, were you talking about booking a show or were you trying to set up a record deal?
TD:  I've been a fan of everything Hot Congress is about, and we have friends in pretty much all of their bands . . . it just made sense.  We weren't really doing anything with [Rocky Mountain News] . . . but now that we're pushing the album it seemed like a good time [to join Hot Congress Records].  It's been a long time coming, and I'm just happy to have it happen.

CE:  Do you think Rocky Mountain News will be received differently now that you'll have a physical copy for fans to buy rather than just having your album solely available online for free?
TD:  It's going to be hard to gauge that because we haven't really pushed the album at all, we kind of just made it available on Facebook.  We never really sent it around.  But now that we're gonna have a CD we can send that, with a press kit and pictures or whatever, to places.  It will be a legit press kit instead of an electronic one.  So it's going to be a combination of us having a physical disc and making a concerted effort to push it.  Honestly, I don't know if there would have been a huge difference if we had been really pushing it this last year.


CE:  Do you think having that physical copy of an album makes it easier to go out there and send it to places?
TD:  Yeah, well it's a weird thing, because our band is made up of people from a bunch of other bands so we want people to hear it and buy the music, but we can't push [the album] on tour because people are committed to jobs and other bands.  I guess we are more interested in getting exposure and having more people hear the songs.  And by that I don't mean a big record label that's going to throw a bunch of money at us; that's not what this is about at all.

CE:  Will Science Partner be playing more shows now?
TD:  Yeah I think so.  We played the UMS back in July, and it had been six months since we had played.  So we played the show and everyone was all excited about it, both the band and the people there.  Lots of people came up to us and asked, "Why don't you guys play more?," and immediately after that we wanted to do a CD and have a legitimate release show.  Maybe get some buzz, maybe start playing around more.  So I think it was a combination of putting together this show [September 14 at Larimer Lounge] and playing at the UMS that really sparked our interest in being more of an active local band.  Yeah, I'd say for the next three or four months you'll be seeing us play at least a show or two a month.

CE:  UMS!  You guys filled up Delite, and that's saying a lot for playing on the last day of a 4-day festival at the same time as some of the headliners on the Main Stage.  I was curious what your perspective was on the weekend.
TD:  I think going into it we knew we were playing at the same time . . . and that's a restaurant, not a real venue, so we were a little apprehensive about if we'd all be able to fit in that area and if people would be able to hear us.  We were really glad they had [the front window] open, that helped . . . we were honestly really surprised there was that many people interested in coming and watching us.  When I first started setting up, I thought maybe twenty or thirty people would be there but there were fifty or more, however many could fit in there.  We were surprised and it made it more fun, and like I said, doing that is what sparked us to start playing more shows.

CE:  Will you be playing more shows with the Hot Congress bands?
TD:  Yeah totally.  And now that we are in with that group, when someone is setting up shows I think they would want to dip into those bands first.  Not only are we going to be trying to put together more shows now that we have more support, but I think some of those bands with Hot Congress will be asking us to be added onto shows that they're already playing.  And that's already happening; in November Hot Congress has a residency at 3 Kings and I think we are going to be playing one of those nights with four or five other bands.

CE:  Is it hard to book shows with all of the members of Science Partner, given the other bands and commitments you mentioned earlier?  I've seen you guys play with a couple of different arrangements and it always sounds good; I saw you guys play as a three-piece at Lost Lake and I thought it sounded great.
TD:  I'm kind of a stickler for having good sound, and I think when you have six people in a small room like that, depending on where you are sitting or where you are standing in the room you are gonna hear something different.  Especially when you have small PA's it's hard, and you never want to have the vocals fighting to stay loud enough to be above the guitars and drums.  I know what show you're talking about because we have only played [at Lost Lake] once, and going into it when we were asked to play we [knew we couldn't] have the whole band.  But Science Partner originally started as me Jess and Maria; I had a guitar and they would sing, for a period of time that was what the band was . . . And we still do that: we played a wedding this summer and we were asked to just have the three of us play.

CE:  As far as writing new songs goes, would you say there is a core group of you that works on that or do you need the full band to do it?
TD:  Well it's complicated because we don't really write that often.  I wrote most of the songs, Charley (Hine) and I did; Charley is the bass player and lives in San Francisco.  We kind of wrote all of the songs as we were recording.  When we came in we had written a few parts, but when we started to record, that's when we wrote them.  Putting the record together is what facilitated us, being in rooms together and actually writing the music. . . Now that the record is out, we are kind of scrambling to work on covers and new songs for the shows.  For Friday (September 14th at the Larimer Lounge) we'll have two new songs.  The reality is that it's hard to get everyone in a room to write together.

CE:  With the support of Hot Congress now, do you think it will be easier to get everyone in the same room?  I mean, except for that guy in San Francisco obviously.
TD:  The guy in San Francisco also did our first recording, we did it in his apartment.  And then he moved to San Francisco, but because of the album release he's gonna be flying back out to play this show.  Normally John Evans, the bass player for Achille Lauro, plays bass for us or at least for the past year.  I don't think it's going to be just Hot Congress that gets us to write more material, I think its moreso us just being an active band.  Something about this period of time right now has us all really excited.  I think after this show (September 14th at Larimer Lounge) if a lot of people turn out and we have a good time, that's gonna be the deciding factor.

I've been excited about this one for a long time and if you love house music, you should be too. When it comes to electronic music, I'm a sucker for French house, so when a legendary producer and DJ from that genre comes to town, I definitely take notice. The Summit Music hall will be hosting exactly that this weekend on Saturday, September 8th with a special live set from Fred Falke.


French producer Fred Falke got his start in the music realm as a funk bass player in the mid 1990s. He turned to electronic production towards the end of the decade, the same time now prolific and influential French house artists like Daft Punk and Cassius were churning out next level fuel for the dance floor. He began collaborating with Alan Braxe - the same producer that collaborated with Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter to create the now classic "Music Sounds Better With You" under the name Stardust - and the pair went on to create a slew of quality releases throughout most of the 2000s. Fred Falke has also put out a steady stream of solo work and in-demand remixes, along with other notable collaborations with Kris Menace.



Fred Falke's latest solo work is Part IV, a full length album of productions that embraces the millennial French house sound wrapped around the signature touch Fred Falke has maintained over the years and is sought after for - it may be his first solo LP, but by no means is it his first rodeo. What makes Fred Falke's show this weekend special, aside from his pedigree as an accomplished producer, is he will be performing a rare live set that will show off his capability as a bass player as he simultaneously DJs - definitely a sight to see considering the way Fred Falke craftily drives his productions with infectious bass lines.


Before the main event, a stable of local Denver DJs will warm up the dance floor: option4, Jinro, Collin McKenna, Matt Ferry and Vanish. Currently a hot name in the local DJ scene for what he does for house music both behind the decks and off them, DJ/producer option4 (TheHundred, Lipgloss, Discotheque Collective) will lay down a house music set hot on the heels of his EP release To The Night. I have a hard time writing about myself in third person - so I'll just say Jinro will be there. Collin McKenna, a DJ who has been flexing his taste-making muscles on Star Stuff Scallywags will also be gracing the decks. Matt Ferry will be bringing the latest heat, thanks to his ties to Beatport. Vanish, option4's label mate on Velcro City Records, rounds out the opening lineup.



The party takes place at The Summit Music hall on Saturday, September 8th. The show is all ages and the doors open at 8:00PM. Tickets are $15 in advance or $18 the day of the show. Tickets and more information are available online here, or contact Concerted Effort to get hard copy advance tickets without any service charges if you live in the Denver area!