Do you "believe in a thing called love?" This past Friday we were at Summit Music Hall to see the British rock band The Darkness and prove just that. We knew it was going to be a great show, but we had no idea what we were really in for.

our favorite rock-n-roll troubadours, In The Whale. photo credit: Andrew Rios/Ultra5280

Turns out that the tour's opening band was having some troubles going through customs at the Canadian boarder, so our hometown favorites In The Whale got a last minute phone call to fill in! Needless to say when we heard this news, we just about lost it! Most of the people we ran into didn't know who In The Whale was, but we assured those we talked to that they were in for an insane performance. Nate and Eric rocked as hard as they always do, making friends proud, and amazing those unfamiliar with their unique brand of rock and roll. As soon as the duo left the stage, their merch table was packed with people wanting their CD and their famous "Eat Shit and Die" koozies. That dynamic duo never disappoints! It's now been confirmed that the band The Darkness can be added to the group's fan club - enough so that they have asked the gents to continue along with them on their tour across the US, at least for a few more dates.

The Darkness. photo credit: Andrew Rios/Ultra5280

The Darkness busted out of the green room and the whole crowd blew up! Frontman Justin Hawkins, dressed in a Beetlejuice style get up, definitely knew how to boost the energy in the room. There were an abundance of crowd surfers floating their way through the sea of people as the band ran through their repertoire of songs. They even pulled a couple who had just been married up onto stage to party as the guys played "I Believe In A Thing Called Love". Hawkins was then carried out into the crowd on the shoulders of one of the fans as he rocked out on his guitar. He then proceeded to climb up on the gates on one side of the venue, standing tall above everyone, he spread his arms and leaped into the crowd. We were in utter shock! These guys made huge fans out of us and we'll definitely be on the lookout for the next time these crazy Brits are in town. Until then, check out some of the photos our staff photographer Andrew Rios captured that evening.

You guys should realize by now just how much Ultra5280 loves Red Bull Sound Select. A beautiful, new-age platform where fans can collaborate on playlists, discover new artists, and get access to hundreds of super cheap - and sometimes even free - concerts a year? This program sits at the forefront of new-age music discovery, and we’ve loved taking advantage of Denver being chosen as one of the first markets for SoundSelect to call home over the last year. We’ve covered multiple SoundSelect shows over the last year, and featured SoundSelect artists like CRL CRRLL, In The Whale, and The Epilogues at numerous Ultra5280 events.

SoundSelect is continuing to work hard on the artist development portion of it’s program, helping bring young artists to new fans across the globe, and they’re kicking off year two in Denver by bringing Austin-based group Brownout to the Hi-Dive this coming Tuesday, February 24th. The group describes themselves as “hardcore Latin Funk”, and I’m really not sure what could be more tantalizing than hearing each those words used together to describe one single group. Supported by Denver SoundSelect artists The Yawpers and Dragondeer, Brownout Presents “Brown Sabbath”, the group’s re-imagined versions of Black Sabbath songs. SoundSelect events like this Tuesday’s show are open to the public, but members of the SoundSelect community get first dibs on discounted tickets, as well as fun bonus’ that come with each event. Fans who join the SoundSelect community before 9pm on Tuesday and RSVP to the event online will be eligible to get tickets to the show for a measly $3 dollars (no, we’re not kidding), while tickets without RSVP will be $15. In case you needed more of a reason to come, the first 50 fans through the door of the show that night will receive a free Illegal Pete’s burrito. Good music and delicious food - what more could you ask for?

This Tuesday’s show is the first of many amazing performances Denver will see from SoundSelect artists this year, and registering with the SoundSelect community is the easiest way to guarantee you don’t miss a minute of fun. Register online at www.redbullsoundselect.com/login, and while you’re there, be sure to RSVP for this week’s show. Hope to see you there - you know we’ll be getting down.