Last weekend I had the pleasure of seeing The Funk Ark, Empresarios, and Orgone completely tear Cervantes' Other Side with an incredible funk show. Apparently, the Empresarios enjoyed Denver so much, they had to return a week later as they head their tour back eastward. This Washington D.C. band delivers funk with with a healthy does of salsa, cumbia, and reggae. Both of their

Unfortunately, I can't go to every show every night, although I'd certainly love to. Sometimes life takes precedence and that means I'll be stuck at work tonight. Still, I can tell you what's coming up, and there are definitely a couple good options for Friday. I realize there are only a few hours before night falls. Next time I'll try to be more timely! For those on a budget,

The name of this blog, Concerted Effort, originally came about simply because I liked the play on words. But the more I think about it, the more I realize it suits the philosophy of this blog perfectly. A "concerted" effort can not be a solo effort. By definition, something concerted is something that is done jointly - parts or individuals coming together as a group to achieve a

I've been introduced to many great songs and artists through an unlikely source - TV commercials. Sometimes a song is so powerful, that despite it being chopped up into a 30 second snippet, it ends up stuck in my head and I just have to go on a quest to dig up more. This happened to me back in the summer of 2008, when I saw a Heineken commercial featuring an infectious bass

I must admit, I was already pretty excited when I saw Walter Meego is coming to town this Thursday night, but what really sealed the deal and made this a can't miss concert for me is when I saw Denver's own ManCub would be responsible for kicking off the party. ManCub is a Denver duo consisting of Danny Stillman and Alex Anderson, who use vintage synthesizers and drum machines

I had a discussion this weekend about whether or not you should check out opening bands before shows. It isn't something I had always done, but recently, I've made it a commitment to do so. The idea really hit home for me earlier this year. Some of you Portlanders may have already been on these guys, but I had never heard Unknown Mortal Orchestra before attending the Portugal.