Music of Denver

Last updated
Red Rocks, Denver's most famous music venue RedRocksAMP.png
Red Rocks, Denver's most famous music venue

While Denver may not be as recognized for historical musical prominence like such cities as Los Angeles, Detroit, Chicago or New York City, it still manages to have a very active popular, jazz, and classical music scene, which has nurtured many artists and genres to regional, national, and even international attention. Though nearby Boulder, Colorado has its own very distinct music scene, they are intertwined and often artists based there also play in Denver.

Contents

History

Jazz

The "King of Jazz", bandleader Paul Whiteman, was born in Denver, Colorado on March 28, 1890.

From the 1920s-50s, Welton Street in Five Points was home to over fifty bars and clubs, where some of the greatest jazz musicians such as Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington, Miles Davis, Nat King Cole, Count Basie, Dizzy Gillespie, and others performed. [1]

R&B/Soul

Denver R&B and Soul music roots stretch back many decades to musicians such as Earth, Wind & Fire, with three members having roots in the city, Philip Bailey, Larry Dunn, and Andrew Woolfolk. Another incredibly successful musician and 4x Grammy Award recipient India Aire.

Hip-hop/rap

The Denver Hip-Hop and Rap scene, took a drastic change in growth in the early to mid 2000s, and has continued to grow since; with musicians such as Tag Team (group), Jomeezius, Trev Rich, Young Doe, Flobots, Air Dubai, 50/50innertainment, Stryker & MFT, 3OH!3 and The Procussions. [2]

Folk music

As folk music gained popularity in the 1960s, a number of Denver's old folk clubs began to fill with then-unknown stars such as Judy Collins. Along with a population boom, the city gained much press for its rising music scene.

In the wake of the folk boom of the sixties came a country music boom in the early seventies, with such country-folk superstars like John Denver making names for themselves with songs inspired by the region. Denver himself was most famous for this. Today the folk music scene has blended with other genres creating a Colorado Sound that incorporates violin with rock and folk. Bands like Nordic Daughter and LaRissa Vienna & the Strange build folk into their rock sets.

Rock & roll and the blues

Denver's seminal music venue was the Family Dog Denver, a concert dance hall located at 1601 West Evans Avenue, in Denver, from 1967 to 1968. It was opened by Barry Fey, who went on to become one of the most influential music promotors in the world, and Chet Helms and Bob Cohen of Family Dog Productions, who were at the center of the hippie and psychedelic rock movement in San Francisco, running the famed Avalon Ballroom. The Family Dog Denver, or "The Dog," put Denver on the music map by bringing in bands like The Doors, the Grateful Dead, Chuck Berry, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Howlin' Wolf, Jefferson Airplane and many others. It also brought the legendary psychedelic poster artists of the era who did posters for many of the shows. It introduced one of the era's first liquid light shows -a precursor to the modern light show- and helped launch the career of Denver's Lothar and the Hand People, who went on to pioneer electronic music. The influence of The Family Dog Denver on Denver music and culture was detailed for the first time in the 2021 documentary, The Tale of the Dog . [3]

Heavy metal

Led Zeppelin made their North American concert debut in Denver on Dec. 26, 1968 as the first of a three band bill that also featured Vanilla Fudge and Spirit. Queen also made their North American debut in Denver at the Regis Field House on April 16, 1974, opening for Mott the Hoople. Barry Fey, having moved on from the Family Dog Denver, promoted the shows.

By the eighties, Denver turned more toward the growing pop music of the decade. While the metal scene grew notably during the early eighties in the city, more so did the local funk, R&B, jazz-fusion and hip hop scenes. A small shock rock and Industrial metal scene developed in south Denver during the mid-nineties as a product of the vast underground metal and thrash scenes left over from the local hard rock up rise of the late seventies. In the latter 2000s, math metal, doom metal, and Powerviolence flourished in the inner city's many DIY (as well as legal) venues.

While mostly underground and still in existence today, Denver's metal scene has often been neglected by the press.

Grunge, thrash, 90's pop

With the 1980–90s came a new generation of music; grunge, thrash and nineties pop. Denver embraced all of these genres without trouble, most notably grunge. Local band The Fluid had several releases on the Sub Pop Record Label during this time. Like Seattle and a number of other cities who experienced the grunge boom, Denver fostered the genre in the early nineties before it quickly died out after the fall of the band Nirvana.

Jam and stoner

A number of festivals gained record attendance during the tenure of Mayor Wellington Webb, who worked to revamp the art community during his time as mayor. As a result of the melting pot of styles being exhibited in the music scene at the time, a new revolution came to light: jam bands. A direct result of many local metal fans fusing together with the vibrant jazz/funk and indie communities, the "jam band" style became prominent in Denver during the late nineties. Using methods common in sixties psychedelic groups and fusion artists such as Frank Zappa and Jimi Hendrix, jam bands were composed of a group "jamming" for extended periods, to which many genres were attributed. Local country music even entered the jam scene. In addition to the jam bands, stoner metal exploded in late nineties Denver as a response and as a complement to the jam scene. Using similar methods and popularized in trendy underground LoDo pubs, stoner metal was what many local hard rockers referred to as "the real product" of their endeavors. Legendary Desert rock acts such as Kyuss, Fu Manchu, and Earthlings? made frequent stops in Denver during the Palm Scene renaissance of the 1990s. John Tipton, an active member in the blues/jam scene since the early nineties, has been praised in local papers such as the Westword for his skills on guitar.

Punk

Since the international punk surge in the late seventies, the style had been common place in the diverse underground, but had not had enough of a boom to gain regional popularity. Denver's small punk scene did feature many innovative punk bands through the 80s however such as Bum Kon, Happy World, UTI and Horrorshow among others. Punk again started to gain momentum in the late nineties, while oppressed under the jam/stoner movement.

As the millennium dawned, so did the up rise of east and central Denver punk rock and math rock. Under the same scene, the two styles had labored under different schools in the metro area but found common ground in their late nineties oppression. While still somewhat alienated by the Denver mainstream today, local punk rock remains a staple in the genre's national scene, especially in respects to the metro area's reputation for lively hardcore concerts, such as that of the Aurora-based band Several Crowded Ghost.

Southern gothic

One of the largest and most influential scenes in Denver music during the 1990s and early 2000s was "southern" or "country" gothic, a style of dark and brooding Americana comprising elements of folk, country, and southern gospel. The rise of this style in Denver, referred to as "The Denver Sound", can be attributed almost single-handedly to the Denver Gentlemen which included Jeffrey-Paul Norlander and David Eugene Edwards and David's band 16 Horsepower and the many projects of the former members, such as Slim Cessna's Auto Club, Woven Hand (also consisting of Edwards), and Jay Munly & the Lee Lewis Harlots.

Classical

Denver has many performing ensembles dedicated to the Classical genre including the Colorado Symphony Orchestra, the state's only full-time professional orchestra. Various community groups include the Denver Philharmonic Orchestra (formerly the Centennial Philharmonic), The Colorado Wind Ensemble, and The Denver Brass. The major youth ensembles are the Denver Young Artists Orchestra, the Colorado Youth Symphony Orchestra, and the Colorado Honor Band.

Traveling opera companies have visited Denver since the 1860s. The first opera house was built there in 1881. Operas were produced locally beginning in 1915. The organization producing them, now Opera Colorado, was founded in 1981, and uses the Ellie Caulkins Opera House. [4]

Garage rock

With roots in Punk/Surf/Soul, bands like Colfax Speed Queen, Ned Garthe Explosion, Dirty Few, In The Whale, The Ghoulies, Codename: Carter, Hula Hound, and Gilded Legion are all active garage-rock bands in Denver.

Electronic

Denver is known globally as being the "Bass Capital" of the world for its unrivaled and massive dubstep community. [5] [6] It is the home to a large community of dubstep, bass, tearout, and riddim fans. There is such a demand for electronic shows in Denver that massive venues like Red Rocks, Empower Field at Mile High, Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre, and Mission Ballroom are able to sell out within minutes for sought after electronic dance music artists. For many EDM fans, it is considered a pilgrimage to visit Denver and see their favorite bass artist headline a show at Red Rocks.

Well known music venues in Denver

John Denver is memorialized at the park dedicated to him in his hometown of Aspen. DSCN2983 johndenvermemorial e 600.jpg
John Denver is memorialized at the park dedicated to him in his hometown of Aspen.

See also

Related Research Articles

Rock is a broad genre of popular music that originated in the United States, but also in United Kingdom, in the late 1950s and early 1960s, developing a lot of subgenres, including heavy metal and punk rock. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, a style that drew directly from the genres of blues, rhythm and blues, and from country music. Rock also drew strongly from genres such as electric blues and folk, and incorporated influences from jazz and other musical styles. For instrumentation, rock is centered on the electric guitar, usually as part of a rock group with electric bass guitar, drums, and one or more singers. Usually, rock is song-based music with a 4
4
time signature
using a verse–chorus form, but the genre has become extremely diverse. Like pop music, lyrics often stress romantic love but also address a wide variety of other themes that are frequently social or political. Rock was the most popular genre of music in the U.S. and much of the Western world from the 1950s to the 2010s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grunge</span> Genre of rock music

Grunge is an alternative rock genre and subculture which emerged during the mid-1980s in the U.S. state of Washington, particularly in Seattle and nearby towns. Grunge fuses elements of punk rock and heavy metal. The genre featured the distorted electric guitar sound used in both genres, although some bands performed with more emphasis on one or the other. Like these genres, grunge typically uses electric guitar, bass guitar, drums and vocals. Grunge also incorporates influences from indie rock bands such as Sonic Youth. Lyrics are typically angst-filled and introspective, often addressing themes such as social alienation, self-doubt, abuse, neglect, betrayal, social and emotional isolation, addiction, psychological trauma and a desire for freedom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Washington (state)</span>

The U.S. state of Washington has been home to many popular musicians and several major hotbeds of musical innovation throughout its history. The largest city in the state, Seattle, is known for being the birthplace of grunge as well as a major contributor to the evolution of punk rock, indie music, folk, and hip hop. Nearby Tacoma and Olympia have also been centers of influence on popular music.

The music of Finland can be roughly divided into folk music, classical and contemporary art music, and contemporary popular music.

Germany claims some of the most renowned composers, singers, producers and performers of the world. Germany is the largest music market in Europe, and third largest in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Washington, D.C.</span>

Washington, D.C., has been home to many prominent musicians and is particularly known for the musical genres of Jazz, Rhythm & Blues, bluegrass, punk rock and its locally-developed descendants hardcore and emo, and a local funk genre called go-go. The first major musical figure from District of Columbia was John Philip Sousa, a military brass band composer. Later figures include jazz musicians, such as Duke Ellington, Charlie Rouse, Buck Hill, Ron Holloway, Davey Yarborough, Michael A. Thomas, Butch Warren, and DeAndrey Howard; soul musicians, including Billy Stewart, The Unifics, The Moments, Ray, Goodman & Brown, Van McCoy, The Presidents, The Choice Four, Vernon Burch, guitarist Charles Pitts, and Sir Joe Quarterman & Free Soul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Illinois</span>

Illinois, including Chicago has a wide musical heritage. Chicago is most famously associated with the development of electric blues music. Chicago was also a center of development for early jazz and later for house music, and includes a vibrant hip hop scene and R&B. Chicago also has a thriving rock scene that spans the breadth of the rock genre, from huge stadium-filling arena-rock bands to small local indie bands. Chicago has had a significant historical impact on the development of many rock subgenres including power pop, punk rock, indie rock, emo rock, pop punk, and alternative rock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American rock</span> Overview of rock music in the United States

American rock has its roots from 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, rhythm and blues, and country music, and also draws from folk music, jazz, blues, and classical music. American rock music was further influenced by the British Invasion of the American pop charts from 1964 and resulted in the development of psychedelic rock.

The American state of Colorado has many music scenes and venues, especially in the larger cities like Denver and Colorado Springs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American popular music</span> Pop music in the united states

American popular music is popular music produced in the United States and is a part of American pop culture. Distinctive styles of American popular music emerged early in the 19th century, and in the 20th century the American music industry developed a series of new forms of music, using elements of blues and other genres. These popular styles included country, R&B, jazz and rock. The 1960s and 1970s saw a number of important changes in American popular music, including the development of a number of new styles, such as heavy metal, punk, soul, and hip hop.

Seattle is the largest city in the U.S. state of Washington and has long played a major role in the state's musical culture, popularizing genres of alternative rock such as grunge and being the origin of major bands like Alice in Chains, Soundgarden, Pearl Jam, Screaming Trees, Mudhoney, Foo Fighters, and, most notably, Nirvana. The city and surrounding metropolitan area remains home to several influential artists, bands, labels, and venues, and is home to several symphony orchestras; and world-class choral, ballet and opera companies, as well as amateur orchestras and big-band era ensembles.

A number of overlapping punk rock subgenres have developed since the emergence of punk rock in the mid-1970s. Even though punk genres at times are difficult to segregate, they usually show differing characteristics in overall structures, instrumental and vocal styles, and tempo. However, sometimes a particular trait is common in several genres, and thus punk genres are normally grouped by a combination of traits.

Colorado Music Buzz Magazine is a United States-based magazine devoted to Colorado music, arts and entertainment that is published monthly across the Front Range of Colorado. The magazine was founded in Parker, Colorado in 2005 by Keith Schneider and F. Eric Fletcher. It is known for its positive coverage of the Colorado music scene with a focus on the bands and artists who have reached a mid-level of success and have a chance to break nationally.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian music genres</span>

Canadian music genres identifies musical sounds as belonging to a particular category and type of music that can be distinguished from other types of music made by Canadians. The music of Canada has reflected the multi-cultural influences that have shaped the country. First Nations people, the French, the British, the Americans and many others nationalities have all made unique contributions to the musical genres of Canada. During the swing boom of the late 1930s and early 1940s, Canada produced such notable bandleaders as Ellis McLintock, Bert Niosi, Jimmy Davidson, and Mart Kenney. In the 1940s, Bert Niosi and Oscar Peterson became widely known. Canada has also produced a number of respected classical music ensembles, including the Montreal Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Canadian rock describes a wide and diverse variety of music produced by Canadians, with the most notable Canadian rock band being Rush, who currently place fifth behind The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, KISS and Aerosmith for the most consecutive gold and platinum albums by a rock band. The Canadian hip hop scene was first established in the 1980s. Some of the most well known Canadian rappers and hip-hop artists include Drake and Maestro Fresh-Wes.

This is a list of lists of musicians.

Music of the Pacific Northwest encompasses many musical styles from prehistory to the modern Pacific Northwest.

References

  1. ""The Harlem of the West": A Page Turns on Welton Street". Confluence. Retrieved Aug 25, 2021.
  2. "Flobot: Progressive's ad agency apparently isn't progressive enough to do a Google search | Westword". Archived from the original on 2014-10-24. Retrieved 2014-09-13.
  3. "Hippie History: The Tale of the Dog Chronicles a Denver Rock Landmark". Westword . June 8, 2021.
  4. Giffin, Sanford A. Linscome and Glenn (2001). "Denver". In Sadie, Stanley; Tyrrell, John (eds.). The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians (2nd ed.). London: Macmillan Publishers. ISBN   978-1-56159-239-5.
  5. "Queen of Dubstep: How Denver Became the Bass Capital". westword. Retrieved Feb 23, 2024.
  6. "DENVER EDM: A GUIDE". iheartraves. Retrieved Jul 1, 2019.