Music | Show ALERT: Punk Rock Bowling Invading Denver | June 2-4 | Summit Music Hall

Punk rockers rejoice! Punk Rock Bowling was started back in 1999 as a way to bring the independent music community together for an annual party in Las Vegas, Nevada That’s why it was an easy decision for Soda Jerk Presents to partner with Punk Rock Bowling to bring this incredible punk festival to Denver. Wanting to focus on creating a festival with sustainable growth and an intimate feel, it was decided to keep the festival indoors for the first year.

The initial lineup is stacked with legends, including Buzzcocks, Millencollin, , FLAG
(featuring Keith Morris, Chuck Dukowski, Bill Stevenson, Dez Cadena and Stephen Egerton), The Briefs, 88 Fingers Louie, D.O.A., Anti-Nowhere League, Youth Brigade, Love Me Destroyer (reunion), Potato Pirates, Wiredogs, Spells and more.

Click here to see a recap of the 2015 Punk Rocking Bowling festival in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Punk Rock Bowling will be held at Summit Music Hall, June 2 – 4. Doors to open at 7:00PM and is an all-ages show. A limited amount of three day passes will be available for $60.00. Individual day tickets will be $22.00 advanced and $25.00 day of show. For tickets or more information please visit www.sodajerkpresents.com.

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. 

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.

New Music Tuesday | Locals Only Edition: Wiredogs "Kill The Artist Hype The Trash"

Happy New Music Tuesday, friends and foes! This month is packed full of new music from some of our favorite local bands, so brace yourselves as last week, this week, and next week are all heavy hitting hometown releases. Last Tuesday we brought you coverage of the new Filthy T album set to debut this weekend, but they’re not the only band who will be bringing new tunes to your earbuds in the next seven days. Local rockers Wiredogs will be premiering their brand new EP this Saturday night at The Marquis Theatre, but we got our hands on a sneak preview this week to tell you all what to expect. 

This three-piece from Denver are certainly not new to the local scene, nor to rock and roll. Originally named The Hate (a name so punk that they were forced to change it), the groups first EP titled Resistance garnered interest in Denver and led to shows at UMS in 2013 and 2014, performances with Agent Orange, Residual Kid, The Ataris, fellow rock locals In The Whale and more. This past fall they were one of three local bands asked to play at Riot Fest Denver, but they’ve kept a bit quiet since that show, working hard on this new, EP Kill The Artist Hype The Trash. When we first were introduced to the awesomeness that is Wiredogs, it was inherently apparent that there was massive talent and potential spiraling around, but the band seemed unsure of which direction they were headed musically. Straddling the lines of punk, classic rock and even sometimes ska, the groups live show was so high energy and the tracks so catchy that you couldn’t not love it, but every track still felt different from the next…different enough that it left you to wonder what was precisely at play. 

    The groups new EP seems to have taken that next step forward, finally locking their sound to a more specific genre, creating a more coherent experience for the listener. Kicking off with the high energy track “Violence”, frontman Dan Aid’s grungy voice elicits a forced awareness from the listener; one can not passively listen to this album. The driving guitar riffs and consistent melodies roll from track to track, complimented by drummer Stefan Runstrom’s choice to hold nothing back. One of my favorite drummers currently playing in the Denver scene, I really appreciate how much this recording allows the listener to hear him playing as hard as he does at every live show - something hard for an audio engineer to successfully reproduce. This magical drum sound happens to be a known talent of The Blasting Room, the infamous Fort Collins-based studio the band recorded at. Aid has always delivered catchy hooks and memorable chorus’, but there’s something new about the writing on Kill The Artist Hype The Trash that I can’t quite place. The ability for the listener to focus on this more might honestly be thanks to the consistency of the music behind the lyrics, although I can’t be certain. My favorite song of the record is the last track, “Fear Is A Lie”, a memorable, anthemic, beat-driven single thats a surefire hit with both new fans as well as those familiar with the group’s past work. To say i’m anxious to hear these new songs live would be an understatement. I’ve always enjoyed the band’s live show, but I finally feel like the group’s music is consistent enough to make their performances what they’ve always hinted at: a coherent build up of emotion and release, driving impassioned fan reaction beginning to end of the set. 

If you want to check out this newly revised version of Wiredogs, you don’t have to wait long. The band is releasing this brand new EP this coming Saturday, January 24th at The Marquis Theatre. Tickets are going quick, but I implore you to pick one up quick and not miss out on what will be a strong local release of 2015. For now, check out the group's last single, "Chelsea Hotel" here on SoundCloud: 


Hometown For The Holidays, Episode 2

Tomorrow is it. They day local bands have been waiting and waiting for. At some point during tomorrow night's Not So Silent Night, the staff of KTCL will announce this year's Top Eleven contestants for 2014's Hometown For the Holidays (HTFTH) competition. We've been trying to help you all get acquainted a little early with some potential contenders for this year's show, and today our final installment before the real games begin features Denver based group Wiredogs. 

Originally hitting the scene with the daring name The Hate, Wiredogs changed their name quickly and quietly after their inception in the summer of 2013. They first submitted for Hometown For The Holidays last year, and made it into the Top Eleven with their track "Suicide Queen". Sadly, the band didn't make it into last year's Top Three, but they're back at it again this year, hoping that the glory of being crowned champions might finally be theirs. I chatted briefly with lead singer Dan Aid about what it's like being involved in this competition, the bands progress in the last year, and their brand new record, Kill The Artist Hype The Trash which will be released early next year. 
(In the following interview, questions from Ultra5280 will be marked with "MC" indicating Maddie Casey, and answers from Wiredogs will be marked with "DA" indicating Dan Aid)

MC: Hey Dan! Today we're talking a bit about Hometown For The Holidays. How many years have the Wiredogs participated in Hometown? What Keeps you coming back? 
DA: Last year was Wiredogs' first time participating in Hometown For the Holidays. We submitted again this year because it's an amazing opportunity to have your music heard by some of the biggest musical proponents in this state, and it has the potential to give you airtime on one of the biggest radio stations in the world, AND it gives you the opportunity to (possibly) play one of the largest venues in Colorado. 

MC: HTFTH sees hundreds of submissions from across the state, and has a proven track record with helping break local artists on a national scene. What benefits do you feel like a band gains from participating in an event like this? 
DA: You gain exposure. Getting anyone to listen to what you're doing these days when every fucking kid with a laptop is flooding the internet with their "creative" whatever-the-fuck is really difficult. Hometown gives you a chance to get heard and get feedback on what you're doing musically. Also, If you make top 10, KTCL plays your song for a week during prime air time, and if I'm remembering correctly, they have something like 200,000 listeners at any one time... Then if you win the whole contest, you get to play the next Not So Silent night, which is always a sold out show at 1st Bank Center. 

MC: Last year your band placed in the Top Eleven, what did you learn from that experience? Did you take any of that to heart thinking about this years submission? 
DA: I think we just submitted what we were most proud of and what resonated with us. We don't play a style of music that is very popular on radio right now, but we do play music and record songs that are honest, and thoughtful, and created with purpose. Hopefully that comes through to the listeners and the judges, regardless of perceived genre.

MC: You guys are getting ready to release a new record early next year - what can fans expect from Kill The Artist Hype The Trash?
DA: Kill The Artist Hype The Trash is agressive and honest. The whole record, from writing, to demoing, to recording, happened at a time in this band when there was a ton of transition going on. Stefan moved to Chicago, I ended a relationship and moved, Mark started a relationship, and we struggled as a band to find our relationship with each other and with the music. I think that struggle comes through on the album in some pretty weird, but profound ways. This wasn't an easy record to make. It was really personal. But I think the vulnerability of that time was captured, and I think it will resonate with listeners.

MC: We cannot wait to hear it! Finally, our locals only question - what is your bands favorite pre or post-show snack?
DA: Marquis Pizza! Mosh With It!

MC: Amen! My sentiments exactly.

Check out the bands last EP, Resistance, available on Spotify just below, and be sure to watch for our upcoming feature on their new album next month.