Calpurnia To Invade Colorado This Week

Indie rock darlins’ Calpurnia are set to play a slew of Colorado dates this week. The band will roll through Denver, Ft. Collins, and Boulder with Colorado faves Slow Caves. Tickets are still available for three shows.

Calpurnia is a 4-piece from Vancouver, Canada, led by Finn Wolfhard. Through a chance meeting on the set of a music video shoot, Finn and drummer Malcolm Craig hit it off immediately. This chemistry then led to Ayla Tesler-Mabe and Jack Anderson to join the band, and through their unequivocal passion for music, Calpurnia was created. The band's debut record, produced by Cadien Lake James (Twin Peaks) was released in June 2018 on Royal Mountain Records (Mac DeMarco, Alvvays, PUP) 

Music | Residual Kid's "Salsa" EP Release Show | The Hi-Dive, Friday, April 8, 2016

Friday night at the Hi-Dive was full of heavy cords, guitar solos, and young rockers.  If you do not know the band Residual Kid, they might surprise you. Their name means it when it says “Kid” - this trio are couple of under-aged, high energy rock’n’rollers from Austin, Texas.  Comprised of 16-year-old singer and guitarist Deven Ivy, and two brothers, 14-year-old bassist Max and 16-year-old drummer Ben Redman, the group formed when the two brothers met Ivy at a rock camp and started by covering Sonic Youth and Nirvana songs.  Shortly after writing a few of their own songs and playing small venues throughout Austin, they landed a spot playing as an official artist at SXSW where people really started to give them recognition.

Residual Kid performing at their day party during SXSW 2016 (photo credit: Maddie Casey)

Last Friday was the launch of their 3rd EP, Salsa, and their first major release since announcing their signing to Sire Records (Warner Bros). A step slightly out of the norm, Residual Kid elected to debut their new EP here in Denver, CO rather than playing at home. A choice that may seem odd at first glance, the trio’s management is based in Denver, and over the last three years the band has made Denver a bit of a second home after appearances during the annual Underground Music Showcase (UMS), and opening for Denver acts like Slow Caves and In The Whale. 

On Friday night, the tides had turned, and local favorites Slow Caves started out the night followed by Bud Bronson and the Goodtimers. Slow Caves hails from Fort Collins, and Bud Bronson are a local bunch based in Denver. Slow Caves says they are inspired by late nights in Hollywood, high speed car chases, red eye flights, vintage skateboard videos and new brand of high energy synth-punk who kill it on stage.  Bud Bronson and the Goodtimers rock with a guitar heavy lead and many songs that reminisce on the good times past; the stories of the cheap seats at a Rockies game and getting drunk with friends. Both acts felt like a solid fit to prep the audience in the Hi-Dive for Residual Kid.

Residual Kid's Deven Ivy feeling "red" at their Salsa EP release on Friday, 4/8. (photo credit: Matt Smith)

The trio opened the night with “Friend”, a song from their 2012 EP Faces, followed by a song they have not recorded yet, “Vicious”. as well as“ISCTW” off Salsa, that evening’s new release. Playing with an amazing energy, lead singer Deven sang and jumped around stage with uncontrollable passion. It was abundantly clear that both the crowd and the accompanying musicians were elated to have Residual Kid celebrating with them that night. In the front row, members of Slow Caves and Bud Bronson rocked out, dancing and jumping along to the youthful trio. Watching these fellow musicians show their respect and appreciation for Residual Kid was super cool to see, and energized the crowd in a unique way.  The crowd seemed to love the new EP as well as the rest of the set: new, old, or unreleased. Friday’s show at the Hi-Dive was a full crowd, rocking out to songs and having a genuine good time.  Big thanks and love to Denver’s adopted sons Residual Kid for releasing your new EP here in Denver. We can’t wait to see you back.  

Wiredogs | Marquis Theatre | January 24, 2015

Last week we gave you guys a sneak preview of Wiredogs new, upcoming EP Kill The Artist Hype The Trash, and over the weekend the band premiered their new songs to the rest of the universe with their show at The Marquis Theatre on Saturday night. Fans new, old, and of a variety of ages all came out to support the Denver punk-rockers, and get a taste of the bands new, solidified musical direction. With a little help from friends in Slow Caves and Allout Helter, it was a solid night for all parties. 

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photo by Matt Smith

Opening the night were fellow local acts Slow Caves and Allout Helter. Fort Collins-based Slow Caves took the stage promptly at 8:00pm, playing what our photographer Matt Smith described as "fast-paced-snare-and-high-hat-punk". The group's music was certainly the lightest of the evening, but don't mistake this fact as a knock on the band, as I really love their music. Driving rhythms, and upbeat pop-punk rhythms kept fans moving for the duration of their 30-minute set. If you showed up late, or missed the show, fear not. Us Denverites will be graced with their presence once again on February 18th as they play with White Arrows and Shady Elders at the Larimer Lounge. Next up was Allout Helter, bringing with them a quick and forceful change of pace. Easily the heaviest band on the bill, the group's high energy was contagious, and got fans rocking and moving. 

By the time Wiredogs took to the stage, the audience was definitely all warmed up and ready to go. Playing a mix of both new and old songs, it was apparent that lead singer Dan Aid, and the rest of the band were giving it their all. Fan favorite tracks like songs “Chelsea Hotel” and “Stone On My Chest” summoned sing-alongs from audience members, and the boys from Slow Caves took little time to start a mosh-pit in the crowd. The band took a minute to explain to fans that they’d recorded their new album live, playing songs track-by-track, rather than instrument-by-instrument to help ensure that all the passion and energy that one feels at their live show came though on the record, and if you remember from my review from last week, I can most certainly feel that difference. Closing the show with songs like “I Am The Resistance”, and new tracks “The Fear Is A Lie”, fans got a great taste of this new sound from Wiredogs. If you missed the show, check out photos from our photographer Matt Smith below and try to pretend you were right there, rocking along. The band is currently out on a quick west coast tour, but should be back to Denver playing shows through the rest of the spring. For now you can quench your thirst for fast-paced punk rock by streaming the new EP, Kill The Artist Hype The Trash on Spotify.