ToKiMONSTA ft. Unexpected Guest!

Photo by Lina Skrzypczak

I would like to start this off by saying if you haven’t heard of ToKiMONSTA, do yourself a favor and go listen. Grammy nominated producer Jennifer Lee seems to be always up to something, the latest being a collaborative project via her label Young Art Records, called Young Art Sound II. This follows up the first Young Art Sound compilation, which featured artists like Anderson .Paak, Gavin Turek, Two Fresh, etc. and continues to showcase the obvious musical journey all these wonderful artists are on.

You can listen to the project here.

In regard to her latest visit to Denver, ToKiMONSTA threw down at Vinyl on Thursday, and it was the best $25 dollars anyone in there ever spent. Not only was Lee’s signature style of mixing bass, hip hop, and electronica ever present, but surprise guest Anderson .Paak took the stage with ToKi to perform their hit, “Realla” to the crowd’s surprise. He was obviously in town for Friday’s Red Rocks performance, but as friends and collaborators it was really tight to have them both on the same stage, and in front of potential fans that may not have had the opportunity to see him otherwise.

In comparison to other times I’ve seen ToKi, she definitely added weirder elements to her set, while still keeping up her impeccable energy and adorable style. A live trumpeter and trippy visuals gave jazz and house elements that haven’t been as prominent in previous performances. Plenty of rap bangers like “Mo Bamba” and “Plain Jane” kept the crowd engaged, and lively world music with heavy bass lines kept the whole dance floor bumping. There was something for everyone at this show, and that’s extremely representative of Lee’s body of work.

Ultimately a great time, this show really reminded me to keep club shows on my radar as they’re typically underrated as hell!

Cheap (or Free) Music Events To Keep On Your Radar

Photo of a Peer Review event by Dani Lopez-Cruz Instagram here.

 Summer is coming, which means concert season is upon us. If you’re anything like me, you’re a hard working twenty-something that cannot justify buying all the concert tickets you dream to, but still want to reach your social butterfly potential. I’m here to tell you about some free or cheap, reoccurring, music-focused events so you can get into summer-mode, have a few cheap thrills, and save some dough for when you decide to drop the ball and buy a $65 Red Rocks ticket anyway.

The Lituation @ Hi Dive, Milk Bar, Meadowlark

Weird Touch @ Syntax Physic Opera and other venues

Photo of a Lituation event by Mike Meylor. Instagram here.

Big Trouble @ Zepplin Station brings in DJ’s like Peer Review, Weird Touch, etc.

Sunday Laundry @ Lodo’s Bar and Grill

Photo of a Peer Review event by Dani Lopez-Cruz Instagram here.

NSO ‘No Special Occasion’ @ The 715

Live Jazz Mondays @ The Meadowlark

A.M. Rolling Sundays @ Hudson Hill

Junk Drawer @ Trade Denver

Sunday Funday @ Ace Eat Serve

These are some of my favorite events in our lively city, but by no means is this all that’s going on. All of your favorite dive bars have live music on one day or another, and thankfully we live in the digital age, where most those places update their happenings on Instagram or Facebook.

Some other venues to check out: Your Mom’s House, Ophelia’s, Lost Lake, Hi Dive, Sputnik, Mutiny Cafe, The White Whale Room, Rhinoceropolis, Lion’s Lair.

Also, pro tip, follow your favorite artists, venues, and publications (DUH, ULTRA5280) on social media because more often than not there’s a contest running, offering you MORE FREE STUFF. Who doesn’t love that? So Denver, what are we doing tonight?

Spend Your Money on Dava... Or At Least Your Spare Time

Local artist Dava has a hot new single out, and we have it here, just for you!

Photo courtesy of artist

Dava told us, “I gather a lot of my inspiration from the females I grew up listening to. Ladies like Gwen, P!nk, Madonna were never afraid to write about what they really wanted. Lawrence Grivich and I had a blast making this - I wanted it to feel a little dreamy but still carry a strong presence lyrically. 2019 has a ton of music coming - releasing just about every month.”

Keep an eye out for this gal, she’s kicking butt and taking names!

Listen here.

Two Day Tycho Extravaganza!

Ambient electronica mastermind, Scott Hansen, also known as Tycho, brought his notorious Sunrise and Sunset DJ sets to Summit Music Hall in Denver this last weekend (10/19 and 10/20). The venue that normally hosts hardcore or pop-punk shows took on a two day DJ showcase mirroring Hansen’s Burning Man sets that have become very popular amongst the Burners community, and packed the venue both nights.

Photo courtesy of Lina Skrzypczak

The Burner vibe was definitely present, although the event also made it clear that Tycho’s music appeals to more than just one “type” of person. As a long time fan, I was extremely curious to see what Tycho would bring forth to a DJ set, and how his ambient music would be mixed in with a more dancey vibe for the masses. His last 3 albums are a moderately one dimensional trilogy that is beautiful and moving, nonetheless, but hearing the man mix those ambient anthems with his favorite artists and songs was insane to witness. Amongst playing favorites like Aphex Twin, Com Truise, Weval, and Jon Hopkins, Tycho played so called “bangers” by my personal favorite Bibio. He kept the audience entranced and moving, even when the set took on a momentarily more chill vibe.

In researching the exact setlist, which I couldn’t locate, I did find a reddit thread with a statement from none other than Scott Hansen himself in regard to these sets happening in a few cities nationwide. Hansen states, “I try to make the sunrise set a little more introspective and that may come off as being less energetic. but i realize both sets are at night, in a club, so it’s not like i’m going to be dropping all ambient chill out stuff or anything. i’ll try to keep both equally danceable and interesting. There will certainly be some overlap so you won’t be missing everything from the other night if you just go to one. I will say the second night always kind of feels like more of a party to me, which is fitting for the sunset theme.” In coming across this statement, I felt a clarity towards the set that still left me unable to describe what I, as well as the other show goers experienced that night.

My only qualm is the both sets ended well before 2am, which was kind of a bummer for a weekend show, but what can you do when venues each have rules of their own?
Need a night of dancing through your troubles into a transcending introspectiveness? Tycho is your guy. 10/10 would recommend.

Macky D, Making Denver Extra Happy!

Mac Demarco (Photo Credit: Coley Brown)

Have you ever seen an episode of Trailer Park Boys? The boisterous Canadian comedy tv show is described on Wikipedia as a “mockumentary television series focused on the lives and misadventures of a group of trailer park residents, some of who are convicts.” Seeing Mac Demarco is like that, but to a wonderfully sentimental indie soundtrack.

Monday evening, surrounded by dad hats and rolled up blue jeans, Red Rocks may have only been 80% full, but the Macky D spirit was alive and well. I met kids as young as 16, and saw people waaaaay older than myself, which I always appreciate. If you know Mac Demarco’s music, you know it is way more introspective and sweet than his outward demeanor, so it was nice to see people who appreciate the music for what it is attending the live show. True to his often rowdy behavior, Mac caked some people in the crowd on behalf of a bandmate’s birthday (Steve Aoki style), gave a girl in the front row the microphone, to which she exclaimed she was on K to the crowd (hehe, oh Red Rocks), and layed down flat on his back to sing most of “My Kind of Woman”. A slowed down, mildy hilarious back and forth between a crowd who only half knew the words was genuine, fun, and interactive. How often does the crowd feel that the artist on stage could be their friend?

The setlist included newest songs from most recently released album This Old Dog(2017), but old boy knows his crowd, and knows his fans run deep, so he included fan favorites running back as far as 2(2012). Talk about a crowd pleaser! Also, maybe a personal bias, but choosing to finish with 2013 hit “Still Together” was really awesome to see! Plus, it was a wonderfully soft finish before the after show at Larimer Lounge, which frankly I only saw Instagram stories of, but looked much rowdier and lit as hell. Going back to the Trailer Park Boys, Mac Demarco is a sweet, talented, rowdy Canadian boy to the core, and it is truly an experience.

Noname opened for Mac Demarco and did an incredible job, warming the crowd up for the fun to come. Although a slightly strange combination in the lineup, the crowd seemed to be into everything involved, despite the difference in genre and general vibes. I would have liked to see the older EP era Noname, but really glad to see her saucy self nonetheless.

My only criticism towards this show has to be towards Red Rocks Ampitheathre itself, because despite being the most beautiful venue in the world, every time I attend, I am continuously disappointed by the sound, or rather the lack thereof. Every show would be better if the artist had the opportunity to let their music ring through the rocks as was the case only a few years ago.

 10/10 would recommend, y’all! Mac Demarco is continuously fun, talented, and always growing as an artist. If you get the chance, check him out!

A Sweaty Tuesday Night with Timber Timbre

Timber Timbre a group of multri instrumentalists and folk rockers, came through Denver’s own Globe Hall last Tuesday. Their name is a nod to early recordings which were done in an old timber cabin in Ontario, and there’s a certain spookiness to their music that absolutely pays tribute to that.
A sold out Globe Hall was filled to the brim with long haired hipsters and beards, enjoying the cinematic, grungy folk music in a nearly 110 degree setting. The sound was awesome, but the ventilation was not. Swaying fans, some very obviously on drugs that seemed a little much for what was happening, enjoyed themselves, but it was apparent that no one could stay in the furnace of a room for very long.

Taylor Kirk, Simon Trottier, Mathieu Charbonneau, and Mark (Bucky) Wheaton make up the band, each more than capable than most musicians I’ve witnessed, and working the crowd in an enchanting way. Their newest album, Sincerely, Future Pollution consists of rock and roll sounding grunge folk with spacey interludes that may seem out of place, but come together perfectly with Kirk’s sultry vocals and lyrics about the weight of the world and the experiences that come with it.

With this being the sixth album under their belt, we’ve seen an evolution in the bands sound, and as fans and listeners, we’re always looking forward to what comes next.