Friday, December 12, 2014
Not So Silent Night Art
Here is all the art I made for the bands performing at KTCL's Not So Silent Night. I got to give it to each of the bands in person along with a letter of appreciation for their music.
Thursday, December 11, 2014
Modern Suspects Interview
Last Friday night (December 5th, 2014) at KTCL's Not So Silent Night after a great opening set from Modern Suspects and an amazing full night of music from Half Moon Run, Vance Joy, Fitz and The Tantrums and Cage The Elephant I had the chance to interview Garret, Bart and Tyler of Modern Suspects, a great local band here in Colorado. They were the lucky and very talented winners of KTCL's Hometown For the Holidays 2013 and thus had the honor to open up the show and get the crowd warmed up. I know I speak for all when I say it was one for the record books.
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| Matt, Andrea, Joel, Bart, Me, Tyler, and Garret Photo Credit: 93.3 KTCL |
Here's the whole interview:
Please introduce yourselves and what you do in Modern Suspects.
Garret Myers: Lead vocals and keyboards
Tyler Frees: Bass and synth
Bart Williams: Lead guitar and background vocals.
For Live shows we hire additional guitarists and a drummer.
When you won Hometown for the Holidays (HTFTH) you were called Claymore Disco. Why the name change?
- After winning HTFTH we realized we needed to make some big changes if we wanted to continue to move forward. We needed to improve our writing and update our image. As everything began changing and going in a new direction, it only seemed fitting that we changed our name to give us a fresh start and define a new chapter for us as a band.
What’s one thing you want people/fans to know about Modern Suspects?
- We are all about connecting with people with honesty and transparency.
Are you guys beyond excited to be playing here at Not So Silent Night?
- YES! This has been a very surreal experience to be able to share a stage this size, in front of so many people, with some of our favorite artists!
Which bands are you most excited to hear and or meet tonight?
- Cage the Elephant has always been a favorite band to see live! Half Moon Run however had a very pleasantly surprising live set! Didn't know what to expect seeing them and they totally killed it!
Describe you creative process in 3 words.
- Intentional, weird, feeling
Have you always been musicians/vocalists?
- Garret was a classically trained (10 years) pianist since a very young age. Tyler comes from a very musical family and studied music business for 3 years Anderson University in Indiana. Bart has been playing guitar for 11 years. And of course we all still have our day jobs on the side to help support the band.
You have your new debut single out “Sequel” have there been good reactions to it?
- We've gotten a lot of really good responses to it actually! It’s the first release we've had that we’re all pretty proud of. We’re very excited to release our EP at the beginning of next year!
What are you guys most excited for this upcoming year, musically or just in general?
- Man, there are so many things we’re excited for this next year! Probably what we’re most excited to do is get in front of as many people as we can. We hope to play a lot more shows this year to build our audience and make connections with other bands, venues and other industry reps. Denver has a really great music scene and there are a lot of people to get around to!
If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could only bring one item what would it be?
- A Frisbee, definitely a Frisbee!
Who are your musical influences?
- Wow, we have a lot! To mention some of the big players who significantly influence us and our writing, Coldplay, Mutemath, The 1975, Two Door Cinema Club, Phoenix.
What’s the hardest thing about being in a band?
- Probably the hardest thing is making the sacrifices necessary to grow. It takes being willing to give up your free time to hang with friends or play video games or other hobbies to commit to practicing and fine tuning your craft, emailing venues and promoters, writing songs, planning goals etc. So in short, you have to be willing to pour all your time and money into the band.
You describe your music as “Popternative,” please explain?
- Pop-ternative is simply putting alternative pop into one word! (help us spread it!)
I know some of you are not from Colorado, what made you guys move here in the first place? What made you stay?
- Well all 3 of us ended up moving here with our families in our younger years, Tyler however went to school in Indiana. When Garret and I (Bart) needed an additional player, we asked Tyler who was a childhood friend if he would be willing to move back to join the band, an offer he simply couldn't refuse!
What was the first concert you attended? First album you bought? Favorite album?
Tyler: First concert and album was by the Newsboys, Thrive. Favorite album of all time is probably “The End is not the End” by House of Heroes.
Bart: My first concert was a Relient K show at the Fillmore in Denver. I honestly can’t even remember the first album I bought…. Might have been a Cake record. Favorite album right now would have to be Wolfgang Amadeus by Phoenix.
Garret: First concert I ever saw was John Tesh at Red Rocks.
What are you listening to right now? Song wise, band wise?
Bart: I've been on a really big Metronomy kick lately, loving their song Aquarius.
Garret: I've been listening to a lot of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., specifically Simple Girl.
Tyler: Listening to The Wild Wild, Tokyo Police Club, and The Knocks song “Classic.”
What was it like hearing your song on the radio for the first time?
Bart: First time I ever heard one of our songs on the radio I had just gotten off work and was driving down the highway when one of our songs came on. I remember cranking it as loud as it would go, rolling down my windows and screaming all the lyrics! It’s a wonder I didn't get in a wreck haha.
If you could trade places with any musician for a day who would you pick and why? (you would gain their skills)
Bart: This might be the hardest question yet! I think I would trade with Jack White. His creativity, simplicity and songwriting have always fascinated me!
Tyler: Drums, Darren King from Mutemath because he’s in his own league and zone. Bass, Chris Wolstenholm from Muse because his bass lines make peoples ears bleed.
Garret: Jon Foreman of Switchfoot. He’s a vocalist and frontman that I believe does it for the good of people and not necessarily for himself.
What kind of advice do you have for aspiring musicians and bands?
- Do what you love. The whole reason we do this “band thing” is because we love the music that we’re making. If you lose sight of why you’re making music in order to be famous or make tons of money then the whole process becomes a chore and you lose the joy of it all. This is probably one of the hardest industries to be a part of, but we’re willing to go through all the crap and work 12+ hr. days because the love we have for it makes it so worth it.
Dream venue? Dream band to tour with?
- Red Rocks would be incredible! We would love to be able to tour with Switchfoot or Mutemath someday!
Where can fans go to see you next?
- We actually don’t have any shows posted right now but are putting together details for our EP release early Feb, so be on the lookout for that date!
What’s next for Modern Suspects?
- We've spent the entire last year writing and really laying the groundwork for the band, so this year will be full of promoting what we've been working on. So you’ll see lots of shows posted in the near future, new music and new videos.
I volunteer at the Denver Zoo, so what are your favorite animals?
Bart: I've always loved the octopus because it’s so weird! Tyler: Tigers!
Garret: Zeerbras… lookup Kevin Hart for details! (half deer, half zebra)
You can check out and "Like" Modern Suspects on Facebook here
Follow them on Twitter here
Instagram here
Download there new single "Sequel" on Noisetrade here
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Not So Silent Night 2014 at the 1stBank Center Experience/Review
Not So Silent Night is an event put on each year in December by the local radio station Channel 9.33 (KTCL). This years show featured Modern Suspects, Half Moon Run, Vance Joy, Fitz and The Tantrums, and Cage The Elephant.
Though this was only my second time attending the show I had been hearing about it for almost as long as I can remember. It has become somewhat of a Holiday tradition in Denver and the surrounding area, and it almost always sells out so you have to get tickets in advance to insure your spot in the crowd.
Last year I cut it really close when it came to getting tickets. My friend had said she was going to get some tickets and we could go, but in the end that didn't work out and I was ticketless. To make matters worse I later found out that my brother had bought tickets for him and his friends. That left me with the option of buying scalper's tickets (boo!) or not going at all. Flash forward to the day of the show... my brother had just come home from college and was hanging out with his friends watching football, while I was perusing the internet, moping around and thinking about how I wasn't going to see My Body Sings Electric, Saints of Vallory, Bastille, New Politics, Grouplove and Young the Giant. Then all of the sudden on Facebook KTCL posted that they had fifteen extra general admission floor tickets to the show. I quickly snatched my ticket from the site, and I was ecstatic! My friend with the tickets had been waiting in line for three hours and so she was the fifth person in line, and when I arrived the line was wrapped around the entire huge parking lot. Thankfully she let me in line with her and we ended up being in the second row for the show.
This year I wasn't going to make the same mistake, and so as soon as the tickets went on sale, I bought them and had them in my possession. When KTCL announced the line up I almost couldn't contain my excitement. I had been waiting to see Fitz and the Tantrums for forever! They are one of those bands that I love every single song they put out, the only other band that fits the same description for me is Jack Johnson The plan was to get to the venue early to insure maximum possibility of being in the second row like last year or even better, front row. What made this show even more exciting is that I won a pair of meet and greet passes from Channel 93.3 just three days before the show, and so my friend Andrea and I were guaranteed to meet all the bands performing that night.
With the meet and greet passes Andrea and I got to go into the venue before the massive crowd waiting outside and we were given a poster to get signed from the KTCL staff, who were all very nice and fun to talk to while we waited for the meet and greets. Shout out to Erin and Jen for making the night so awesome and to Steve for solidifying your spot as my favorite DJ at 93.3 for giving me the tickets and meet and greet passes.
The first band we got to meet was Half Moon Run. Me being the camera hog/outgoing personality I am had to be at the front of the line when we walked into the green room (it was a literal "green" room). They were all very nice and they signed our posters and took pictures. Then our next meet and greet was in about twenty minutes, so we were set free to roam the empty venue and buy merch or what not with no lines. I got myself a Cage The Elephant T-shirt. Then the clock struck 8:30 pm and the mass of people stormed into the venue like the blood escaping the elevator in the Shinning. It was crazy to see, but also really fun.
When we returned we found out we would be meeting Vance Joy next. James aka Vance Joy was incredible nice and pretty much the tallest person I have ever met. You can see in the picture that I only came up to his shoulder and I would say I'm of average stature. James was shy but welcoming at the same time and he had a lovely Australian accent.
The next meet and greet wasn't for a little while and so we had a chance to go and listen to part of the show until then. While I walked through the empty halls I could hear Modern Suspect's song Sequel playing and I began to pump myself up for an awesome night of music. Now was the struggle of finding the friends we had came to the show with, you know the ones who had been at the front of the line. When I finally spotted them in the crowd they were in the front row and we were about thirty people away from them. I became that person everyone hates at concerts, the one who shoves their way to the front saying my friends are up there. Well this time it was true and since I had waited in line for about five hours I just kept on telling myself that it was OK. We got to listen to the end of Modern Suspects set and saw the majority of Half Moon Run's and then it was time to meet another band.
We were released once again and had to make our way back through the crowd, this time to see Vance Joy's amazing set that included a great moment for him when everyone brought out their cell phones for a light and the crowd lit up like fireflies. I guess he had never played at this large of an enclosed venue and it was new for him to see that. The best part about the meet and greet passes besides the commemorative laminate we got to wear and keep was that we got to meet the bands while the rest of the crowd was waiting standing for the bands to come on.
Though this was only my second time attending the show I had been hearing about it for almost as long as I can remember. It has become somewhat of a Holiday tradition in Denver and the surrounding area, and it almost always sells out so you have to get tickets in advance to insure your spot in the crowd.
Last year I cut it really close when it came to getting tickets. My friend had said she was going to get some tickets and we could go, but in the end that didn't work out and I was ticketless. To make matters worse I later found out that my brother had bought tickets for him and his friends. That left me with the option of buying scalper's tickets (boo!) or not going at all. Flash forward to the day of the show... my brother had just come home from college and was hanging out with his friends watching football, while I was perusing the internet, moping around and thinking about how I wasn't going to see My Body Sings Electric, Saints of Vallory, Bastille, New Politics, Grouplove and Young the Giant. Then all of the sudden on Facebook KTCL posted that they had fifteen extra general admission floor tickets to the show. I quickly snatched my ticket from the site, and I was ecstatic! My friend with the tickets had been waiting in line for three hours and so she was the fifth person in line, and when I arrived the line was wrapped around the entire huge parking lot. Thankfully she let me in line with her and we ended up being in the second row for the show.
This year I wasn't going to make the same mistake, and so as soon as the tickets went on sale, I bought them and had them in my possession. When KTCL announced the line up I almost couldn't contain my excitement. I had been waiting to see Fitz and the Tantrums for forever! They are one of those bands that I love every single song they put out, the only other band that fits the same description for me is Jack Johnson The plan was to get to the venue early to insure maximum possibility of being in the second row like last year or even better, front row. What made this show even more exciting is that I won a pair of meet and greet passes from Channel 93.3 just three days before the show, and so my friend Andrea and I were guaranteed to meet all the bands performing that night.
With the meet and greet passes Andrea and I got to go into the venue before the massive crowd waiting outside and we were given a poster to get signed from the KTCL staff, who were all very nice and fun to talk to while we waited for the meet and greets. Shout out to Erin and Jen for making the night so awesome and to Steve for solidifying your spot as my favorite DJ at 93.3 for giving me the tickets and meet and greet passes.
The first band we got to meet was Half Moon Run. Me being the camera hog/outgoing personality I am had to be at the front of the line when we walked into the green room (it was a literal "green" room). They were all very nice and they signed our posters and took pictures. Then our next meet and greet was in about twenty minutes, so we were set free to roam the empty venue and buy merch or what not with no lines. I got myself a Cage The Elephant T-shirt. Then the clock struck 8:30 pm and the mass of people stormed into the venue like the blood escaping the elevator in the Shinning. It was crazy to see, but also really fun.
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| Me, Andrea and Half Moon Run Photo Credit: 93.3 KTCL |
When we returned we found out we would be meeting Vance Joy next. James aka Vance Joy was incredible nice and pretty much the tallest person I have ever met. You can see in the picture that I only came up to his shoulder and I would say I'm of average stature. James was shy but welcoming at the same time and he had a lovely Australian accent.
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| Me, Vance Joy and Andrea Photo Credit: 93.3 KTCL |
The next meet and greet wasn't for a little while and so we had a chance to go and listen to part of the show until then. While I walked through the empty halls I could hear Modern Suspect's song Sequel playing and I began to pump myself up for an awesome night of music. Now was the struggle of finding the friends we had came to the show with, you know the ones who had been at the front of the line. When I finally spotted them in the crowd they were in the front row and we were about thirty people away from them. I became that person everyone hates at concerts, the one who shoves their way to the front saying my friends are up there. Well this time it was true and since I had waited in line for about five hours I just kept on telling myself that it was OK. We got to listen to the end of Modern Suspects set and saw the majority of Half Moon Run's and then it was time to meet another band.
This time it was Fitz and the Tantrums. I was super exited to meet them because I had been a fan for a really long time and I missed their shows at the Ogden Theater that past summer. Fitz was another really tall guy, Noelle was as beautiful as ever and all the "J" name guys (James, Jeremey, John, and Joe) were super cool. When we took the picture together John Wicks the drummer complimented me on my red elephant pants, and then he became my favorite member of the band.
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| Fitz, Andrea, Joe, Me, Noelle, John, James and Jeremy Photo Credit: 93.3 KTCL |
We were released once again and had to make our way back through the crowd, this time to see Vance Joy's amazing set that included a great moment for him when everyone brought out their cell phones for a light and the crowd lit up like fireflies. I guess he had never played at this large of an enclosed venue and it was new for him to see that. The best part about the meet and greet passes besides the commemorative laminate we got to wear and keep was that we got to meet the bands while the rest of the crowd was waiting standing for the bands to come on.
The last meet and greet was extra special because we got to meet both Modern Suspects and Cage the Elephant in one "power hour" of band meeting. We first met Cage The Elephant, and I was beyond excited, mostly to meet lead singer Matt Shultz. I may or may not have a huge crush on him. I gave him my art I made for the band and they were all impressed and their manager was especially impressed which was kind of funny. They were all incredibly charming and fun to chat with/ hang around. Then we waited in the hall way for CTE to finish up taking pictures with people, when they were done they came back through the hall way and we had a high five gauntlet going for them. It was one of the highlights from the night.
Next we met Modern Suspects, the local band from Colorado Springs, who I would be interviewing later that night for the blog. The guys recognized me when I introduced myself to them at the autograph table, which made me feel extra special and made it seem like I belonged back stage because hey I'm a friend of the band.
I had made an art piece and wrote a letter to each of the bands and it really great to hand it to them in person, and I even received a response from Noelle of Fitz and the Tantrums later that night through Instagram. After the last meet and greet was done we went back to fight our way to the front row with the rest of our friends. We came back right at the beginning of Fitz and the Tantrums rockin' set, I wish I had seen the entire thing, but what I did see blew my mind. From their own rendition of "Sweet Dreams are Made of These" to when they had the whole room kneeling on the floor for an epic "everyone stand up on que." Their music made everyone dance and go crazy, and if you were standing still you stood out like a sore thumb. The end of their set was greeted with about a thirty minute wait for Cage The Elephant to come on, but when they did...
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| Kyle, Daniel, Andrea, Brad, Matt, Me, Matthan, and Nick Photo Credit: 93.3 KTCL |
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| Matt, Andrea, Jim, Bart, Me, Tyler and Garret Photo Credit: 93.3 KTCL |
It was the highlight of the show! Cage The Elephant puts on one heck of a show, their music fills the room and everyone gets into the beat. Matt Shultz has so much energy he could run the empire state building off of his performance. The band as a whole was so fantastic and with hit songs like "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked", "Come a Little Closer" and "Cigarette Day Dreams" there wasn't really even a chance they would be anything but amazing. They ended the show with "Sabertooth Tiger" which was quite exciting with Matt jumping into the crowd and dancing on top of us for a while along with his guitar playing brother Brad. Earlier that night Cage The Elephant found out they were nominated for a Grammy, which might have added to the excitement of the show.
Overall the show was epic in more ways than one and I will definitely be coming back for more next year.
Monday, December 1, 2014
Vance Joy Art
I made this in honor of KTCL's Not So Silent Night that I will be going to on Friday for Vance Joy. Its a minimalist style album cover with Vance Joy's song lyrics in the background. I have sent out requests for interviews with the bands playing the show that night and so hopefully I will have a band interview up sometime in the near future.
Sunday, November 30, 2014
Fitz and the Tantrums Art
The original image I used for the art
The minimalist interpretation of the original picture
My final product
Saturday, November 29, 2014
Fan Art Weekend
This whole week I have been on Thanksgiving break which means no school and more time for making art. Here's what I made:
I made this piece first in my sketchbook. I was trying different styles of typography and various word art with my favorite band names. When I showed it to Grouplove, one of them thought it looked like it was coming out of an elephant trunk. Which gave me another idea.
Then I took that idea and made this. Realizing I had this elephant, I knew I had to then make something for the band Cage The Elephant, because well... Elephants.
This became the final product. It's kind of my own version of CD album art for Cage The Elephant.
Jack Johnson From Here To Now To You World Tour 2014 at Red Rocks Amphitheater Experince/Review
Let me start off by saying that Jack Johnson is probably my favorite musician, person, living creature in the world, and so this review will be from the point of view of one of his biggest fans.
It all started when I had been tracking Jack Johnson's website for the North American tour announcement for weeks, and that trusty day arrived when I clicked on the site and right in front of my face was a list of cities. My eyes darted around looking for any sign of "CO" and when I found it on August 18th at Red Rocks Amphitheater I could barely contain myself. I have been a fan of Jack's for quite some time and this was my first opportunity to see him live and it made it even better that it was booked at the best venue in the world.
My excitement was numbed when I experienced the struggles of actually purchasing Jack Johnson concert tickets, I had heard stories of how notoriously difficult the tickets could be to purchase due to scalpers and the sheer number of fans Jack has. I marked my calendar for the early on sale that I had the pass code for from being apart of Jacks mailing list. I was at school when the tickets went on sale and so thankfully my lovely mother was kind enough to try and get the tickets for me and a few friends.
The day arrived, and right at 10:00 am my mom was online trying to get the tickets, but it was to no avail, the predetermined amount of tickets for the early on sale sold out quicker than anyone could have ever imagined. I was shocked and a little defeated from the experience, but I knew there was still two more days of early on sales through the radio stations and one more day of when the tickets go on sale for the public, so I kept my spirits up. My mom tried for all the early on sales and got no where, the online scalpers where just to speedy for our little slow internet connection at my house. I'm not going to lie, I was petrified by the idea that I might not get tickets to my favorite artist. I had already missed his last show in Colorado, and I wasn't going to miss this one!
It was the last day of ticket sales, and I had prepared my mother for battle against the scalpers. She went to my dad's office so that both her and my dad could try to get tickets to double their chances. My dad works at the Kong Company and so they have a much faster internet speed than the one at my house. When the clock struck ten I swear my heart almost beat out of my chest; it was the moment of truth. I texted my mom "Did it work?" and a couple minutes later she responded with "You're going to see Jack Johnson!" I was beside myself and was thanking my lucky stars that it all worked out.
I was now the proud owner of three tickets to see Jack Johnson at Red Rocks Amphitheater on August 18th, 2014. Even though that was close to a year away I was just as excited as if it was the next day. Months past, and when April rolled around my local radio stations began announcing contests to win tickets to the show, and not just any tickets, tickets to sit side stage during the entire show. It was Earth day and the first contest was in full swing; the goal, to show yourself reducing, reusing, or recycling in some way and post it on twitter to win. Of course I entered, and I wasn't defeated that I didn't win being that I already had tickets to the show. Then the next radio contest began and this one was right up my ally, it was to create a work of art by using only recycled materials. I procrastinated like any good high school student would and I made my masterpiece a couple hours before it was due and turned it it right under the wire with only minutes to spare.
I made a fish dinner of sorts from plastic bags, paper plates, and bottle caps. See the image below of what my final product looked like.
After a month went by I had almost forgot about my art submission for the contest, and I was going about my day to day life. My birthday had just past and I had ordered the rest of the Jack Johnson CD's to complete my collection. When I got home from school I checked the mail as per usual and there were my CDs, so the day had already gone up in value from my point of view. I came in the house and gave the rest of the mail to my mom and head upstairs to my room to drop off my backpack and listen to my new CDs. I set everything down and then something caught my eye, on my bed was a pile of laundry with a little hand written note on top of it. It read "Brenn, Please clean your room and put your clean laundry away and..." Then there was a little arrow saying turn me over. On the back of the note it said " Watch your mom on stage at the Jack Johnson concert!" I let out a very audible and high pitched scream that you would only expect from a tween girl at a Justin Bieber concert. I couldn't believe what I had read, when I contained myself I made my way back down stairs to see my mom standing at the bottom of the stairs, she had obviously heard my reaction and came to see it for herself. I almost started crying while I hugged my mom from sheer joy.
You might be wondering why the note said that I would be watching my mom on stage at the show. You see to win any contest through a radio station you have to be at the legal adult age of eighteen, but I was but a year short. So I had entered the contest through my mom, and so the pair of side stage passes technically belonged to her and I was her plus one. I had already purchased three tickets to the show and so with my winnings I now had a total of five, and so I was able to bring both my parents and my two friends to the show.
As August approached I had already had a fantastic summer with my family coming in from New York and California for a family reunion in the mountains as well as going to Tanzania for a school trip to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and volunteer at an orphanage. August 18th was quickly approaching and I became more and more excited as the days flew by. The concert was also the first day of my senior year, but I was so focused on that night that I could hardly pay attention in class.
The time had come for my family and friends to drive up to Red Rocks for the show. I put on a flattering dress just encase I had the chance to meet my idol Jack. As we pulled up to the gates of the amphitheater I could hear the deaf sound of sound check already. My dad and two friends went to stand inline for the best possible seats while my mom and I went to the will call to pick up our side stage passes. We waited a good couple of hours for the stage manager to send the passes down to the will call booth, and when we open the envelope it had a note telling us when and where to meet for the passes. It was sort of like a secret spy mission, which only made it more fun.
It was time. My mom and I went to the stage door and waited for Jim the stage manager to let us in; he gave us both passes to stick on our clothes for stage access. I had never been back stage at any show, and so this was very cool for me. I saw the opening band ALO (Animal Liberation Orchestra) finishing up and the crew setting up for the main performance. We were shown to our seats, but where told we didn't really have to sit in them because they wanted us to dance and have a good time. We met the winners of the other radio contest as well as the winners of a drawing at the show for the same passes, everyone was very nice and just as excited for the show to begin. Jim the stage manager then left us because he had to go retrieve the set list from Jack so the show could start. We we not allowed to go to our seats until Jack and the band where already on stage so we wouldn't distract them. We were standing in the shadows and that's where I had my first glimpse of Jack Johnson in the flesh.
We rushed to our designated area and the show began, all the contest winners periodically switched seats to insure everyone had time in the unobstructed viewing area know as the front. I was about ten feet away from all the action. It was magical, that's the best way to describe it. It was like I was the performer for the 10,000 people in attendance because I could see everything Jack and the band could see. I now know for sure that Red Rocks truly is the best venue in the world, its beautiful, the band can only see about the first twenty rows of people with the stage lights on making it more intimate, and when they shine the lights on the crowd you can see to the very top, showing the sheer size of the place. From the stage the sound was good, but not great, it was nearly impossible to hear anything Jack said to the crowd, but the music was all loud and clear which was good. It gave a me a very neat experience of what its like to be the performer. During one of the times I was in the front of the group I was dancing and singing my heart out, and at the end of the song Jack glanced over to the side of the stage I was on and I pointed at him, smiled, and gave him two big thumbs up. He smiled back and laughed a little and I felt as though my life was complete and I could die then and there. Jack played all the favorites along with a few oldies and mash-ups with some of his favorite songs. The show was fantastic and Jack really showed off his guitar skills that night with long solos in many of the songs.
Nearing the end of the show Jack and the band played their "last" song and headed off stage. At this moment I watched what happens when bands hang around before their encore. Jack talked with the sound guys and some friends and the band headed down stairs to relax. The encore was just Jack playing guitar with a single spotlight on him. His true last song was played, better together as per usual, and I welled up with tears of joy and sadness, for my show was over. Before we were shuffled off the stage though I asked Jim the stage manager if it would be possible to get a picture of autograph from Jack. He told me he would see what he could do.
The contest winners and I all then proceeded to head out the door where we then waited for about an hour for Jim to come back. I watched all of red rocks empty out and the crew clean up everything from beer bottles to lost shoes. Then another crew member came to the door asking if we were waiting for Jim, and he then took us around the venue to the other side of the stage and left us there. I felt so out of place because we were watching the crew brake down the stage and members of Jack's band converse with family and friends. Nobody knew who we were and I was the only one who knew who anyone else was through seeing pictures on Facebook and Instagram. The people slowly trickled out the door until it was only us the contest winners and Jack's Pianist and front man for ALO, Zach Gill. He came over introduced himself and we all talked for about ten minutes about various things, and he even signed the copy of Sleep Through The Static I brought. Then there was only us and a few stage crew milling about. It was a little awkward because we felt very out of place, but then out from the shadows the crew member who brought us this far returned and asked if Jim had ever came for us and he had not. The man looked concerned and I was then afraid that we were not going to get to meet Jack, gosh darn it if I had made it this far I was going to meet Jack Johnson! Then the man told us to follow him. I followed close behind as we traveled deeper under Red Rocks. The amphitheater that guests see isn't even half of the actual venue which is underground, where the band hangs out and practices.
I brushed my hand along the wave like red rock walls as we traveled down stairs, I could feel every nook and cranny that made this place so amazing and I saw the history unfold right before my eyes. There were pictures of every band that had performed here on the walls, and I even found one of Jack from 2008. As we turned the corner at the bottom of the ramp the crew member left us and I saw what I had been waiting all this time for. There he was, Jack Johnson was standing a mere three feet in front of me. I didn't freak out as I was expected to, I was very calm and collected, but the happiest I had ever been. Jack made his way to us and introduced himself. I immediately introduced myself and the rest of the crew. Jack was extremely nice to all of us, he took pictures, signed anything we had. I had him sign my favorite album Sleep Through The Static and my mom had him sign her ticket. I had bought a poster, but for some reason it didn't cross my mind to have it signed. I got to then talk to Jack for about fifteen minutes about various topics from college, reptiles and of course his music.
I told Jack that my favorite dong of his was Go On, and he proceeded to tell me that he had almost played that tonight. I smiled and nodded, but inside I was dying inside. How could I have let that opportunity slip past me. I should have told Jim the stage manager to ask Jack to play that song when he went to get the set list! That is my one regret of the show. Over all it was the best night of my life and I wouldn't change it for the world. Jack was the nicest and most down to earth person I have ever met and I didn't know it was possible to love him even more than I already did before the show.
My mom and I then headed out of Red Rocks with our hearts filled to the brim with love for Jack Johnson and everything he stands for musically and environmentally speaking. By this time I had forgotten that my dad and friends had been waiting in the car for about four hours now, and they were so revealed when we returned to the car, but they couldn't stay mad when I told them the news about Jack.
Here are some videos from the show:
It all started when I had been tracking Jack Johnson's website for the North American tour announcement for weeks, and that trusty day arrived when I clicked on the site and right in front of my face was a list of cities. My eyes darted around looking for any sign of "CO" and when I found it on August 18th at Red Rocks Amphitheater I could barely contain myself. I have been a fan of Jack's for quite some time and this was my first opportunity to see him live and it made it even better that it was booked at the best venue in the world.
My excitement was numbed when I experienced the struggles of actually purchasing Jack Johnson concert tickets, I had heard stories of how notoriously difficult the tickets could be to purchase due to scalpers and the sheer number of fans Jack has. I marked my calendar for the early on sale that I had the pass code for from being apart of Jacks mailing list. I was at school when the tickets went on sale and so thankfully my lovely mother was kind enough to try and get the tickets for me and a few friends.
The day arrived, and right at 10:00 am my mom was online trying to get the tickets, but it was to no avail, the predetermined amount of tickets for the early on sale sold out quicker than anyone could have ever imagined. I was shocked and a little defeated from the experience, but I knew there was still two more days of early on sales through the radio stations and one more day of when the tickets go on sale for the public, so I kept my spirits up. My mom tried for all the early on sales and got no where, the online scalpers where just to speedy for our little slow internet connection at my house. I'm not going to lie, I was petrified by the idea that I might not get tickets to my favorite artist. I had already missed his last show in Colorado, and I wasn't going to miss this one!
It was the last day of ticket sales, and I had prepared my mother for battle against the scalpers. She went to my dad's office so that both her and my dad could try to get tickets to double their chances. My dad works at the Kong Company and so they have a much faster internet speed than the one at my house. When the clock struck ten I swear my heart almost beat out of my chest; it was the moment of truth. I texted my mom "Did it work?" and a couple minutes later she responded with "You're going to see Jack Johnson!" I was beside myself and was thanking my lucky stars that it all worked out.
I was now the proud owner of three tickets to see Jack Johnson at Red Rocks Amphitheater on August 18th, 2014. Even though that was close to a year away I was just as excited as if it was the next day. Months past, and when April rolled around my local radio stations began announcing contests to win tickets to the show, and not just any tickets, tickets to sit side stage during the entire show. It was Earth day and the first contest was in full swing; the goal, to show yourself reducing, reusing, or recycling in some way and post it on twitter to win. Of course I entered, and I wasn't defeated that I didn't win being that I already had tickets to the show. Then the next radio contest began and this one was right up my ally, it was to create a work of art by using only recycled materials. I procrastinated like any good high school student would and I made my masterpiece a couple hours before it was due and turned it it right under the wire with only minutes to spare.
I made a fish dinner of sorts from plastic bags, paper plates, and bottle caps. See the image below of what my final product looked like.
My art piece representing plastic pollution in our oceans "You Are What You Eat"
After a month went by I had almost forgot about my art submission for the contest, and I was going about my day to day life. My birthday had just past and I had ordered the rest of the Jack Johnson CD's to complete my collection. When I got home from school I checked the mail as per usual and there were my CDs, so the day had already gone up in value from my point of view. I came in the house and gave the rest of the mail to my mom and head upstairs to my room to drop off my backpack and listen to my new CDs. I set everything down and then something caught my eye, on my bed was a pile of laundry with a little hand written note on top of it. It read "Brenn, Please clean your room and put your clean laundry away and..." Then there was a little arrow saying turn me over. On the back of the note it said " Watch your mom on stage at the Jack Johnson concert!" I let out a very audible and high pitched scream that you would only expect from a tween girl at a Justin Bieber concert. I couldn't believe what I had read, when I contained myself I made my way back down stairs to see my mom standing at the bottom of the stairs, she had obviously heard my reaction and came to see it for herself. I almost started crying while I hugged my mom from sheer joy.
You might be wondering why the note said that I would be watching my mom on stage at the show. You see to win any contest through a radio station you have to be at the legal adult age of eighteen, but I was but a year short. So I had entered the contest through my mom, and so the pair of side stage passes technically belonged to her and I was her plus one. I had already purchased three tickets to the show and so with my winnings I now had a total of five, and so I was able to bring both my parents and my two friends to the show.
As August approached I had already had a fantastic summer with my family coming in from New York and California for a family reunion in the mountains as well as going to Tanzania for a school trip to climb Mount Kilimanjaro and volunteer at an orphanage. August 18th was quickly approaching and I became more and more excited as the days flew by. The concert was also the first day of my senior year, but I was so focused on that night that I could hardly pay attention in class.
The time had come for my family and friends to drive up to Red Rocks for the show. I put on a flattering dress just encase I had the chance to meet my idol Jack. As we pulled up to the gates of the amphitheater I could hear the deaf sound of sound check already. My dad and two friends went to stand inline for the best possible seats while my mom and I went to the will call to pick up our side stage passes. We waited a good couple of hours for the stage manager to send the passes down to the will call booth, and when we open the envelope it had a note telling us when and where to meet for the passes. It was sort of like a secret spy mission, which only made it more fun.
My friends and I pledging to support green initiatives before the show
It was time. My mom and I went to the stage door and waited for Jim the stage manager to let us in; he gave us both passes to stick on our clothes for stage access. I had never been back stage at any show, and so this was very cool for me. I saw the opening band ALO (Animal Liberation Orchestra) finishing up and the crew setting up for the main performance. We were shown to our seats, but where told we didn't really have to sit in them because they wanted us to dance and have a good time. We met the winners of the other radio contest as well as the winners of a drawing at the show for the same passes, everyone was very nice and just as excited for the show to begin. Jim the stage manager then left us because he had to go retrieve the set list from Jack so the show could start. We we not allowed to go to our seats until Jack and the band where already on stage so we wouldn't distract them. We were standing in the shadows and that's where I had my first glimpse of Jack Johnson in the flesh.
We rushed to our designated area and the show began, all the contest winners periodically switched seats to insure everyone had time in the unobstructed viewing area know as the front. I was about ten feet away from all the action. It was magical, that's the best way to describe it. It was like I was the performer for the 10,000 people in attendance because I could see everything Jack and the band could see. I now know for sure that Red Rocks truly is the best venue in the world, its beautiful, the band can only see about the first twenty rows of people with the stage lights on making it more intimate, and when they shine the lights on the crowd you can see to the very top, showing the sheer size of the place. From the stage the sound was good, but not great, it was nearly impossible to hear anything Jack said to the crowd, but the music was all loud and clear which was good. It gave a me a very neat experience of what its like to be the performer. During one of the times I was in the front of the group I was dancing and singing my heart out, and at the end of the song Jack glanced over to the side of the stage I was on and I pointed at him, smiled, and gave him two big thumbs up. He smiled back and laughed a little and I felt as though my life was complete and I could die then and there. Jack played all the favorites along with a few oldies and mash-ups with some of his favorite songs. The show was fantastic and Jack really showed off his guitar skills that night with long solos in many of the songs.
The view from the front
My mom and I on stage
Nearing the end of the show Jack and the band played their "last" song and headed off stage. At this moment I watched what happens when bands hang around before their encore. Jack talked with the sound guys and some friends and the band headed down stairs to relax. The encore was just Jack playing guitar with a single spotlight on him. His true last song was played, better together as per usual, and I welled up with tears of joy and sadness, for my show was over. Before we were shuffled off the stage though I asked Jim the stage manager if it would be possible to get a picture of autograph from Jack. He told me he would see what he could do.
The contest winners and I all then proceeded to head out the door where we then waited for about an hour for Jim to come back. I watched all of red rocks empty out and the crew clean up everything from beer bottles to lost shoes. Then another crew member came to the door asking if we were waiting for Jim, and he then took us around the venue to the other side of the stage and left us there. I felt so out of place because we were watching the crew brake down the stage and members of Jack's band converse with family and friends. Nobody knew who we were and I was the only one who knew who anyone else was through seeing pictures on Facebook and Instagram. The people slowly trickled out the door until it was only us the contest winners and Jack's Pianist and front man for ALO, Zach Gill. He came over introduced himself and we all talked for about ten minutes about various things, and he even signed the copy of Sleep Through The Static I brought. Then there was only us and a few stage crew milling about. It was a little awkward because we felt very out of place, but then out from the shadows the crew member who brought us this far returned and asked if Jim had ever came for us and he had not. The man looked concerned and I was then afraid that we were not going to get to meet Jack, gosh darn it if I had made it this far I was going to meet Jack Johnson! Then the man told us to follow him. I followed close behind as we traveled deeper under Red Rocks. The amphitheater that guests see isn't even half of the actual venue which is underground, where the band hangs out and practices.
I brushed my hand along the wave like red rock walls as we traveled down stairs, I could feel every nook and cranny that made this place so amazing and I saw the history unfold right before my eyes. There were pictures of every band that had performed here on the walls, and I even found one of Jack from 2008. As we turned the corner at the bottom of the ramp the crew member left us and I saw what I had been waiting all this time for. There he was, Jack Johnson was standing a mere three feet in front of me. I didn't freak out as I was expected to, I was very calm and collected, but the happiest I had ever been. Jack made his way to us and introduced himself. I immediately introduced myself and the rest of the crew. Jack was extremely nice to all of us, he took pictures, signed anything we had. I had him sign my favorite album Sleep Through The Static and my mom had him sign her ticket. I had bought a poster, but for some reason it didn't cross my mind to have it signed. I got to then talk to Jack for about fifteen minutes about various topics from college, reptiles and of course his music.
Jacks picture underneath Red Rocks
Me, Jack Johnson, and my mom
Me and Jack
My signed copy of Sleep Through the Static
I told Jack that my favorite dong of his was Go On, and he proceeded to tell me that he had almost played that tonight. I smiled and nodded, but inside I was dying inside. How could I have let that opportunity slip past me. I should have told Jim the stage manager to ask Jack to play that song when he went to get the set list! That is my one regret of the show. Over all it was the best night of my life and I wouldn't change it for the world. Jack was the nicest and most down to earth person I have ever met and I didn't know it was possible to love him even more than I already did before the show.
My mom and I then headed out of Red Rocks with our hearts filled to the brim with love for Jack Johnson and everything he stands for musically and environmentally speaking. By this time I had forgotten that my dad and friends had been waiting in the car for about four hours now, and they were so revealed when we returned to the car, but they couldn't stay mad when I told them the news about Jack.
Here are some videos from the show:
Inaudible Melodies
Wasting Time
Flake
The Nights Setlist:
- Hope
- Taylor
- Sitting, Waiting, Wishing / Just What I Needed
- Losing Hope
- You and Your Heart
- Radiate
- If I Had Eyes
- Tomorrow Morning
- Bubble Toes / Not Fade Away / Mudfootball
- Wasting Time
- Never Fade
- Breakdown(with ALO)
- Flake(with ALO)
- The Joker(Steve Miller Band cover) (with ALO)
- Upside Down(with ALO)
- Tape Deck
- Banana Pancakes
- Shot Reverse Shot / I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend(Ramones cover)
- Staple It Together
- Inaudible Melodies
- At or With Me / Crosstown Traffic(The Jimi Hendrix Experience cover)
- Good People
- Encore:
- I Got You
- Do You Remember
- Home(with ALO)
- Better Together(with ALO)
Concerts I've Been To
My first concert was at Red Rocks Amphitheater so that pretty much takes the cake for the best first concert venue possible. Living in Colorado does have its perks when it comes to venues, and Red Rocks is by far one of the coolest places to see a show if you ever are in Colorado for any amount of time during outside concert season being that it's Colorado and it does get very cold and snowy here during what seems like all the seasons except summer.
I have my concerts organized by year and order of seeing them so its easier to keep track. The headliner band will be listed first and the openers after the comma, unless its a festival type show, then it will just be all the bands.
2007
* denotes an upcoming concert.
I have my concerts organized by year and order of seeing them so its easier to keep track. The headliner band will be listed first and the openers after the comma, unless its a festival type show, then it will just be all the bands.
2007
- Beatles "1964" Concert Tribute - Red Rocks Amphitheater
- "Weird Al" Yankovic - Fiddlers Green Amphitheater
- Tickle Me Pink - Louisville Street Fair
- Greenday - Pepsi Center
- Justin Bieber - 1st Bank Center (I can explain)
- Paramore, Teagan and Sara - Red Rocks Amphitheater
- Neon Trees - Summit Music Hall
- Bruno Mars, Ellie Goulding - Red Rocks Amphitheater
- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - Colorado State University
- One Direction, 5 Seconds of Summer - Pepsi Center
- KTCL's Not So Silent Night 2013: My Body Sings Electric, Saints of Vallory, New Politics, Grouplove, Young The Giant - 1st Bank Center
- Panic! At The Disco, Hunter Hunted - The Ogden Theater
- Twenty One Pilots, NONONO - The Ogden Theater
- Matt Nathanson, Mary Lambert - The Boulder Theater
- Jack Johnson, ALO - Red Rocks Amphitheater
- Grouplove and Portugal. The Man, Starfucker - Red Rocks Amphitheater
- Ziggy Marley - The Chautauqua Music Hall
- Lorde, Magical Clouds - 1st Bank Center
- New Politics, Bad Suns, SomeKindaWonderful
- KTCL's Not So Silent Night 2014: Modern Suspects, Half Moon Run, Vance Joy, Fitz and the Tantrums, Cage The Elephant - 1st Bank Center
2015
- AMZY, Vance Romance, The Truth & Spectacle - Moe's Barbecue
- KONGOS, Sir Sly - The Summit Music Hall
- Cage The Elephant, Portugal. The Man, The Mowgli's - Red Rocks Amphitheater
- Modern Suspects, The Mowgli's, AMZY, Atlas Genius - The Taste of Fort Collins
- Big Gig 2015: Awolnation, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, Banks, New Politics, Atlas Genius, Saint Motel - Fiddlers Green Amphitheater
- Hozier, Dawes - Red Rocks Amphitheater
- Next Big Thing 2015: twenty one pilots, Of Monsters and Men, Walk the Moon, BØRNS, X Ambassadors, Robert Delong, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness, Glass Animals, Saint Motel, PVRIS, Boots, Coleman Hell, the NBHD(the Neighborhood) - The Tampa Amphitheater
2016
- Robert DeLong, Colours - The State Theatre in Saint Petersburg and The Social in Orlando
- SunFest 2016: Death Cab for Cutie, Ethan Parker Band, Fitz and the Tantrums, Steve Aoki, Flogging Molly - West Palm Beach
- Raury - Eckerd College
- Taste of Fort Collins 2016: The Wombats, One Flew West
- Big Gig 2016: Cage The Elephant, Young The Giant, X Ambassadors, The Unlikely Candidates, Vinyl Theatre, MisterWives - Fiddlers Green Amphitheater
- Twenty One Pilots, Mutemath, ChefSpecial - Red Rocks
- Portugal. The man - Fox Theater in Boulder and Red Rocks with Glass Animals
- Panic! At the Disco, Weezer, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness - Fiddlers Green Amphitheater
- Nothing But Theives - The Social
- Fitz and the Tantrums - Jannus Live
2017
- Twenty One Pilots, Jon Bellion - Amalie Arena in Tampa*
Hello
This is my first post to the blog and I would like to take the time to introduce myself and why I'm here in the first place.
My name is Brenna and I live in Louisville, Colorado which is right outside of Boulder and about half an hour from Denver, and is where the majority of the concerts that I go to are held.
I decided to start this blog because I have a love of live music and any chance I get to see bands live I'll take it. I have been meaning to get this started along time ago to track the shows I go to, but you know how life gets in the way.
The main purpose of the blog will be to review concerts I go to and anything I find interesting in the music industry such as new album releases, festival line ups, fan art, etc.
My main genre that I listen to is alternative rock, but you could just as easily find me listening to classical, hard rock, or EDM at anytime. So I'm very open to suggestions of bands from every type of music out there.
Some of my favorite bands include (in no particular order):
My name is Brenna and I live in Louisville, Colorado which is right outside of Boulder and about half an hour from Denver, and is where the majority of the concerts that I go to are held.
I decided to start this blog because I have a love of live music and any chance I get to see bands live I'll take it. I have been meaning to get this started along time ago to track the shows I go to, but you know how life gets in the way.
The main purpose of the blog will be to review concerts I go to and anything I find interesting in the music industry such as new album releases, festival line ups, fan art, etc.
My main genre that I listen to is alternative rock, but you could just as easily find me listening to classical, hard rock, or EDM at anytime. So I'm very open to suggestions of bands from every type of music out there.
Some of my favorite bands include (in no particular order):
- Cage The Elephant
- Jack Johnson
- Fitz And The Tantrums
- Portugal. The Man
- The Black Keys
- Grouplove
- Bob Marley
- twenty one pilots
- Arcade Fire
- SomeKindaWonderful
- Arctic Monkeys
- Bad Suns
- Bastille
- MIKA
- Vance Joy
- blink-182
- Panic! At The Disco
- Coldplay
- BØRNS
- Foo Fighters
- Greenday
- Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Foster The People
- G. Love & Special Sauce
- KONGOS
- The Killers
- Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
- OK Go
- Neon Trees
- Weezer
- Milky Chance
- U2
- The Henry Millers
- STRFKR
- The Wombats
- Muse
- Robbie Williams
- Thirty Seconds To Mars
- New Politics
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