The Weeknd Lights Up Denver

The Weeknd performs in front of a sold out Denver crowd. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

The Weeknd, Abel Makkonen Tesfaye, FINALLY made it to Denver's Empower Stadium, August 18th after COVID caused his 2020 After Hours to be cancelled. Instead of disappointing concert goers with a performance based solely on his newest album, Dawn FM, Abel did what any smart artist would do and combined these two beautiful albums into a worldwide stadium tour for the masses!

Mike Dean and Kaytranada opened up for The Weeknd in place of Doja Cat who was on the original lineup, and really set the tone for the party we were in for. After maybe the longest set change of my life, Abel rose initially from a partially destroyed skyline set that morphed throughout the production, telling a story between the first two parts of his Trilogy through pyrotechnics, flashing lights and a giant luminescent moon that made the stadium feel otherworldly. Red fabric clad backup dancers moved in synchronicity and gave off eerie Handmaid's Tale vibes while The Weeknd performed hit after hit in front of the changing post apocalyptic scene. The sold out show audience got to enjoy bangers like "Or Na"Can't Feel My Face", "Crew Love",Or Nah", "Starboy", "Blinding Lights" and by the sound of it, enjoyed every moment of it.

Wrist bracelets equipped with lights were given out upon entry (but not collected, WASTEFUL) and added to the ambience through color coordination with the set, and allowed guests to not have to mess with their phone flashlights in the middle of the show. Although stadium sound isn't the ideal way to experience one of your favorite artists, the production definitely made up for anything that the sound was lacking. If you weren't there, you should be feeling pretty square because this tour was one for the books.

Words: Lina Skrkydczak | Photos: Robert Castro

Setlist:

  1. Alone Again

  2. Gasoline

  3. Sacrifice

  4. How Do I Make You Love Me?

  5. Can’t Feel My Face

  6. Take My Breath

  7. Hurricane (Kaye West Cover)

  8. The Hils

  9. Often

  10. Crew Love (Drake Cover)

  11. Starboy

  12. Heartless

  13. Low Life (Future Cover)

  14. Or Nah (Ty Dolla $ign Cover)

  15. Kiss Land

  16. Party Monster

  17. Faith

  18. After Hours

  19. Out of Time

  20. I Feel It Coming

  21. Die For You

  22. Is There Someone Else?

  23. I Was Never There

  24. Wicked Games

  25. Call Out My Name

  26. The Morning

  27. Save Your Tears

  28. Less Than Zero

  29. Blinding Lights

UMS 2022 Lineup and Our Must See Acts

The Underground Music Showcase is scheduled to take over South Broadway again this summer, July 29-31st, and we’re going to give you our UMS Top Eight. But before we dive into our Top Eight, we’re going to give you a little background information on the festival–just in case this is your first Underground Music Showcase. 

UMS is Denver’s annual three-day long music festival. Thousands of music lovers shut-down South Broadway and the surrounding Baker neighborhood for back-to-back acts on the main stages and inside local restaurants and venues. UMS was first minted back in 2001 as a single day festival to showcase local, underground artists, and to up their visibility on the Denver scene. In recent years, UMS has pulled headliners with national recognition (i.e. Shannon & the Clams and The Allah-Lahs in 2021), but they have continued to strike a balance by hosting both local, lesser-known acts and headlining well-established bands.

This year the festival will be co-hosted by local non-profit Youth on Record, a Denver-based nonprofit, who has joined Two Parts, a Denver-based entertainment company, to lead the Underground Music Showcase (UMS), the largest, multi-day music festival in Denver. As co-owners, Two Parts and Youth on Record will focus the UMS on Artistic Excellence, Community Impact, and Economic Sustainability, with a commitment to advancing opportunities for historically marginalized artists.


"By partnering with an organization with such deep roots and the full faith of the community, we gain the firepower to mobilize the community in new ways," says Berry, who led Two Parts' purchase of the festival from the Denver Post Community Foundation in 2018. "There's so much Two Parts and Youth on Record can do to build on each partner's existing programming and relationships to support artists and build the next generation of performers to carry the torch."

It’s safe to say that UMS is our favorite weekend of the year, and we’re stoked to see you there. Tickets can be purchased here.

BULLY

Hailing from Nashville Tennessee and recently signed with Sub-Pop Records, post-punk BULLY’s sound is reminiscent of Sleater-Kinney and Speedy Ortiz. 

JAWNY

Philadelphia-based JAWNY’s fun, funky and danceable hits are not to be missed.

Sun Room 

Sun Room brings solid surf rock in the vein of Mystic Braves, Levitation Room and the like. 

Slow Caves 

We first interviewed Denver-based Slow Caves back in 2017, and we’ve been watching their sets in Denver since 2016. With an obvious influence of 2000’s indie-rock and relatable, fresh lyricism, Slow Caves is a local staple.

Anthony Ruptak 

Ruptak is a Denver based singer songwriter. Ruptak writes and composes solo, and his lyrics stand out for their raw relatability:  “documents from the IRS/ and a silver can of gas/ I feel like such a fucking mess/ I should go out running”. Fans of Death Cab For Cutie and Sufjan Stevens, don’t miss Ruptak’s set.

 

Audrey Nuna 

Audrey Nuna is a hands-down must see. Nuna combines rap, R&B, trap pop, and rock. Her punctuated rap contrasts at times with her sparse, Moses Sumney-esque vocals. Her range is incredible, and she’s sure to bring the heat during her set at this year’s UMS.

The Mañanas

Local indie-pop group The Mañanas reminds us of bands like The Walters and Vacations. Their light-hearted, listenable, and fun sound brings an easy, summery vibe. 

Bailey Elora 

Last but not least, be sure to see local singer-songwriter, Bailey Elora. Elora is a platinum ambassador with local nonprofit and UMS partner Youth on Record and Elora has been playing shows around the Denver area for a few years now, and we’re excited to see her take the stage during this year’s UMS. 

Written by Kendall Morris

Vortex Bringing Unique Festival Experience To Denver August 5-7

Meow Wolf is partnering with Live Nation to bring its renowned outdoor festival experience, Vortex, to a secret location in the heart of Denver. Taking place over three days on August 5th, August 6th, and August 7th, festival-goers can expect two stages of multi-genre entertainment in a lively outdoor setting featuring food and drink trucks, experiential art, offbeat performers, wild costumes, and more fantastical Meow Wolf revelry. Please note: this event is not taking place at Convergence Station and the location will be announced at a later date.

Headliners include Toro y Moi, Duke Dumont, Pabllo Vittar, Channel Tres, 100 gecs, Bladee, Dixon, Sad Night Dynamite, Bob Moses, Boy Harsher, Neil Frances, and Maya Jane Coles. See the full lineup below.

“Vortex is back! Presenting this experience in Denver is near and dear to my heart, and we’re beyond thrilled that we can now safely gather and play together,” said Marsi Gray, Senior Creative Producer at Meow Wolf. “Our experiences outside of the exhibitions are a vibrant way to showcase local artists and offer the community deeper levels of connection. We can't wait to bring beautifully curated music and art together with friends to create magic.”

Vortex is dedicated to making a positive impact through hiring locally, supporting sustainability initiatives, and uplifting marginalized groups. Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10 AM at vortex.meowwolf.com and are available as single-day tickets starting at $69 or three-day passes starting at $189. On Friday, doors will open at 4:00 PM; Saturday and Sunday, doors will open at 1:00 PM.

“We are excited to partner with the amazing team at Meow Wolf to continue to push the limits of the live music experience here in Denver,” said Eric Pirritt, President of Live Nation Colorado. “Vortex is going to be a completely unique experience that brings the best of Meow Wolf to life with an incredible lineup of artists performing throughout the weekend.”

Dua Lipa Shines On Her Future Nostalgia Tour In Denver

Dua Lipa performing during her sold out show at Ball Arena. (Photo Credit: Robert Castro)

The last time we saw Dua Lipa she was playing a sold out show at The Fillmore in 2018. Since then Lipa has exploded onto the scene holding the throne as the queen of pop (a title that can be argued for many other artist). What makes Lipa unique is the way she carries herself on and off the stage. A performer who engages with fans and is thoroughly invested with them. On stage it’s her no hold barred approach and relentless work ethic that made for one of the most memorable shows we have ever got to witness. In support of her current album Future Nostalgia she brought along some friends to open for her on tour. First up was a well received set by former indie-outfit Chairlift Caroline Polachek. It was a sort of homecoming for Polachek who attended nearby University of Colorado back in the day. Her pop-friendly set was a perfect warm up for this tour.

Lipa gets Physical during her opening number on the Future Nostalgia Tour. Photo Credit: Robert Castro

The crowd began to feel electric as the next opener could have easily sold out the arena herself. Although we are at the tail end of winter, it was “hot girl summer” on stage as none other than Megan Thee Stallion took command and did not let up during her short stint. From beginning to end it was an all out twerkfest as Megan played all her dance inducing hits with no remorse. It won’t be long before Megan is heading her own arena tour soon.

It was time for the main event, adorned by a large LED monitor reflecting images to compliment her tour aesthetic Lipa introduced her dancers on the screen with a superhero intro. As she appeared with opening number “Physical” the deafening screams began for the night (they did not stop). Adorned in a yellow one-piece jumpsuit, Lipa made each song come to life with carefully orchestrated choreography that we have not seen in a long time. Each song told a story and made everybody dance non-stop as she ripped through her catalog of hits. The production on this tour is a visual delight with costume changes, dancers, images and more. Most people take short breaks during songs as the altitude in Denver is notorious for making you catch your breath, it did not seem to effect Lipa at all. Notable hits included “Levitating”, “One Kiss”, “Don’t Start Now”.

It was a great night for music and celebration, a small dose of what we all have been yearning for the last two years during a pandemic.

Words and Images: Robert Castro

Los Mocochetes Announce Their Debut 5 Song EP Much gusto on October 23rd

Los Mocochetes (Photo Credit: Anthony Maes)

One of our favorite musical acts are gearing up for their debut EP and we couldn’t be more excited. We named these guys our Band of The Year in 2018 and they haven’t disappointed us yet.

Los Mocochetes Announce debut 5 Song EP, Mucho Gusto, releasing on all platforms October 23rd, with an album release show at Raices Brewing Company.

“This record represents our blood sweat and tears. It's been over 5 years in the making. We feel so incredibly humbled by the support of the city, our community, and, of course, our fans.”

-Jozer Guerrero, Lead Vocalist 

Denver’s own Chicanx Funk Band, Los Mocochetes, have announced their debut EP, Mucho Gusto, releasing on all streaming platforms on October 23rd, 2021 and with an album release party at the Latin-owned Raices Brewing Company that evening.

Mucho Gusto will include crowd favorites like “Si Se Puede,” a call to action to the community to use their collective and individual voices against injustices; the newly released “Tacos,” exposing America’s love for Mexican food, but not it’s people; “43” (“Cuarenta y Tres”) urging the return of the 43 missing students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers' College in Iguala, Guerrero MX; “Rocks,” which could have been penned in the summer of 2020, but was years before - inspired by blatant injustices surrounding the murder of multiple Black citizens and the protests that followed fueled by police brutality; and crowd favorite, “Que Viva Revolucion,” the tune that not only gets the crowd up to dance, but ready to take to the streets with call and response built in.

“This debut EP captures the essence of what Mocochetes brings to the conversation. With the true mestizo/x blend of culture, style and influence, we are ready to give the world a glimpse into where we came from, and also, what's possible. With deep connections to our ancestors, we are able to look forward to envision a world that is good for our children and grandchildren to come. Aho, Mitakuye Oyasin, Ometeotl."

 -Joshua Randy Abeyta, Guitar/Trumpet/Percussion/Vocals

The EP captures the work and dedication from Los Mocochetes, who have been performing these songs to sold out crowds around Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming over the past six years, garnering them a strong and dedicated following, with accolades including Best Latin Band and Best Funk Band from Denver Westword, to being named a recurrent Local 303 band on Colorado Public Radio’s Indie 102.3, and an honorable mention from NPR Music’s Tiny Desk Contest. The band has caught the hearts and ears of many in the Denver music scene, including Shawn King of DeVotchKa, and beyond - including Chicana activist, Dolores Huerta. 


“It’s been a privilege to work with such talented people on this project. Everyone from Shawn King, our producer, to Craig Schumacher, our sound engineer at Wavelab Studios in Tucson, AZ, but also folks like activist Dolores Huerta and Raul Pacheco from Ozomatli. We feel the support of our community and we feel this is the perfect time to release these works.”             

-Jozer Guerrero, Lead Vocalist 

Los Mocochetes creates protest music you can dance to - and much of their catalogue is filled with catchy tunes that get stuck in your head, and get you off your seat and on to the dance floor. The EP release show will prove no less, taking place at Raices Brewing Company, a long time supporter and partner for Los Mocochetes. Only 100 pre-sale tickets will be sold for the event on the evening of Saturday, October 23rd, from 5pm - 10pm.

“This whole process and journey has been super amazing and I am blessed to have been a part of this entire project… Thank you to everyone involved. We are excited to bless your ears and bring you this new EP that you can dance to. This one is for Our community, Our Ancestors and you. Blessings, Ashe.”

-Eli Montoya, Bass Guitar

Los Mocochetes are a Chicanx Funk band from Denver, CO. This colorful cast of characters fuses thoughtfully brazen, socio/politically charged song lyrics, groovilicious melodies and high-energy stage antics to create an immersive experience unlike anything you've ever seen before. Much like a machete, which can be used either as a tool to build or a weapon to kill, they have chosen to use their music to inspire and encourage positive social change, and they have a ton of fun along the way! Music is medicine, laughter is medicine, community is medicine. Los Mocochetes are the recipients of multiple awards including Westword's Best Latin Band, Best Funk Band, and standout submissions of NPR's Tiny Desk Contest.

High Ground Music & Art Festival Taking Place October 2nd

With festival season in full swing, one that we are looking forward to is taking residence on the grounds of Levitt Pavilion on October 2nd. This will be our first time covering this one and judging by the lineup it should be pretty amazing.

Levitate Events presents High Ground Music & Arts Experience, Denver’s first one-day festival that centers on melodic, live-performed electronic music and the natural beauty of the Colorado outdoors. The inaugural 18+ event takes place on October 2nd, 2021 in the grass amphitheater of Levitt Pavilion at Ruby Hill Park, minutes away from the heart of Denver. Attendees (referred to as “Revelers”) will enjoy two stages with local and international musical performers, as well as installations and activations to highlight Colorado’s culture, food, cannabis, and art.

On the High Ground Stage, headliners Snakehips and Kasbo will join acts like Louis Futon, Haywyre, Chet Porter, and Pluko alongside Colorado favorites Bass Physics, JackLNDN, Lucy Daydream, Shae District, and Who’s Calling. The Levitate Stage will feature 12 additional entertainers including Kid Astronaut, Laszewo, w/out, and more, with the majority of performances to be live. With 23 acts playing, High Ground Music & Arts Experience is set to be Colorado’s largest single-day independent music festival this year.

Created by Noah Levinson of Levitate Events, High Ground Music & Arts Experience is a culmination of his extensive and varied background as a music industry entrepreneur. A recent graduate of NYU’s Clive Davis Institute, Levinson honed his skills as a promoter and event producer at Insomniac Events. Together with his business partner (and mother) Jobi Halper, he developed the idea for an outdoor music festival that celebrates his love for the environment and chill electronic music.

Tickets are available here, starting at $85 USD for General Admission, and $175 for VIP Access. For more information please go to the festival’s website at highgroundfest.com.