Daft Punk/The Rapture 7/31/2007 Red Rocks Morrison, CO

Robot Rockers Daft Punk

As I Parked at Red Rocks I noticed all the fans dressed in colorful outfits and costumes. I wasn't sure what to expect from the concert but I kinda remembered a couple of Daft Punk's songs and had photographed the Rapture a couple of years ago and knew that they were good.

8/9-12: String Cheese Incident at Red Rocks, Colorado

...And thats a wrap. The String Cheese Incident played four incredible nights of music in their home state of Colorado at the ledgendary Red Rocks Ampitheater which marked the end of an impressive run of more than 14 years of performing as a band in one form or another.

All 4 nights had their own special musical surprise to them. The first night featured a Miss Browns Teahouse bookending a funky Chameleon. The second night's encore featured drummer Michael Travis in his best Michael Jackson impression, outfit and all for a hysterical Dont stop till you get enough. The Saturday show was packed full of rocking tunes and the whole second set was surrounded by Desert Dawn. And the final show which was one of the more emotional musical experiences of my life, had a surprise acoustic set, 2 monster electric sets that even had a giant octopus puppet rolling through the crowd, Keller Williams sit in, and a 4th encore of the blistering Texas. All I can say is THANK YOU SCI, it has been wonderful.

Global Dance Pre-Party 7.21.07 Denver

As I am driving to Denver for a pre-party for the Global Dance Party in Denver, I pass a bank. The tempurature on the clock reads 100 Degrees. I think to myself, "What the F am I doing? I should be in the Mountains camping with the most beautiful girl in the world." But such is the life of a Rock and Roll photographer. I have a couple gigs to cover tonight, first the pre-party, then the Global Dance event and then Cary Brothers at the Soiled Dove.

I arrive at the rooftop party, and DJ Backwards K offers me a beer and some food from the grill. He is manning the turntables and hosting the party, doing both flawlessly.

Cary Brothers 7/21/07 Soiled Dove Underground; Denver

Last Night after leaving Red Rocks I raced down 6th Ave to the Soiled Dove Underground to catch a performance by Cary Brothers. You may not know his name yet but you will soon. You probably have heard his music without even knowing it. He has a song on the Garden State soundtrack and has appeared on a numerous television shows. I met Cary a couple of years ago in Vail for the Vail Film Festival where he performs every year. His music is heartfelt and the lyrics and beautiful but not sappy. It was great to see him playing with a full band as well as his solo acoustic stuff. He was in a great mood as he joked with the audience. There were two girls that decided to hula hoop during one of his songs. He thanked them afterwards, played requests from the crowd, and came down after his set to meet his fans and sign autographs. In the next couple of years his fanbase is going to skyrocket as his music gets more widely known.

Global Dance Party 7/21/07 Red Rocks Morrison CO

Every year on the 3rd Saturday in July, Red Rocks Ampitheater turns into a giant outdoor dance club. Last night was no different, with glow sticks and kids dressed in rainbow colors grooving to the likes of Tiesto, Jes, BT, Richard Vission, Kostas, Dragon vs Trajikk and Aphrodite. The sold-out crowd was way looser than the show a couple of nights ago for Bob Dylan. I felt that BT, Kostas, Jes and Dragon vs Trajikk stole the show as well as the go-go dancers and performers. I didn't think Tiesto lived up to the hype. His set got better as it went on, but it moved very slowly, and took too long to get things bumping. The crowd seemed to enjoy it and I guess that's all that really matters. But I think if you are going to have so much hype attached to your name you need to bring it! It was a beautiful night and, don't get me wrong, a night of music at Red Rocks sure beats the hell out of being any place else. I look forward to next year's event and seeing how it compares.

Incubus 7/18/07 Red Rocks; Morrison, CO

Incubus returned to Red Rocks for the first time since recording their DVD "Alive at Red Rocks". This was the Band's second time playing the venue and they seemed even more in awe of it this time than the first time. I spoke briefly with the band backstage before the show and all the members we excited about returning.

Opening the show was a band called Simon Dawes, they got a luke warm reception from the sold-out crowd, which was excited about seeing Incubus. When the band hit the stage, the crowd exploded with a thunderous roar. Some of the hits they played included: Drive, Dig, Anna Molly, Wish You Were Here, The Warmth, Oil and Water, Vitamin, and Kiss To Send Us Off. They closed the show with Aqueous Transmissions. The hour and a half set came to a close sooner than expected, they easily could have played and extra half hour to an hour. Brandon Boyd thanked the crowd and expressed how beautiful it was to play such a magical place, something many performers forget to notice when playing Red Rocks. For that he gets much respect in my eyes.

Umphreys McGee & Ogden Theater, Disco Biscuits @ Fox, Denver 7.13

Umphreys McGee played to packed house at the historic Ogden Theatre in denver on July 13. Their mix of trancy disco jams were just what the crowd was expecting and swaying to throughout the night. the band carried the crowd through a maze of funk , trace and rock grooves. over the years i have seen many great punk rock shows at the ogden, but tonights show have a unique vibe for sure. many of the fans were also going to catch the band performing the following night in copper mountain for the transgression festival. copper mountain is a ski town in the winter and happens to be the location for a new music festival. also on the bill at the festival was the disco biscuts as well as others. as fate would have it I would be catching the disco biscuts at the fox theatre after the umphreys mcgee show. the disco biscuts sold out the show weeks prior.

Umphreys McGee:

Vans Warped Tour 7/8/2007 Denver, CO

Rain couldn't cancel the Vans Warped Tour yesterday in Denver , but it did stop the show for a short time. Pennywise returned to finish their set after the rain had passed. During the rain kids were huddled under tents, highway overpasses and anything that gave them temporary comfort. Some of the the crowd favorites included sets by Bad Religion, the Starting Line, Funeral for a Friend, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Killswitch Engage. The Singer for Yellowcard asked the crowd if the had taking sleeping pills, this wasn't the case during the sets on the other stages. Maybe you need to turn that Violin up to 11 dude.