Ghostland Observatory at The Ogden Theater

I had a chance to catch the electro-rock duo from Austin, Texas last week check out the rest of the pics on the Denver Post Reverb Section.... and here.

Lebowski Fest Coming To The Mile High

‘Seriously, what’s better than two days of Dudes and Nihilists facing off to party, bowl and watch the movie of all movies together? Nothing, that’s what.’ - LA Weekly

“The Dude abides, and I don't know about you, but I take comfort in that.” - ESPN

The West Coast leg of Lebowski Fest 2009’s “Speed of Sound” Tour – I guess we can close the file on that one. Along the way, we saw Dudes, Walters, Maudes, and Jesuses aplenty. We saw iron lungs, White Russians, and toes. So many toes. We saw landlords, rugs, and Strangers – Achievers all, and proud we are of them.

And that was only the beginning…

The Speed Of Sound will roll on, starting with Lebowski Fest Denver on September 8 & 9, cruising through the Midwest (Minneapolis, Chicago) and then hitting the East Coast (Boston, NY, Philadelphia, and DC). Austin wraps things up in October, and that’s all she wrote. Black Diamond Heavies will be opening at the Movie Parties with some songs off the Lebowski Sountrack as well as originals. The Speed of Sound Tour has 8 more cities to hang with, so if you’re around, Abide.

EAST COAST TOUR DATES

Tue/Sep 8 || Ogden Theatre – Movie Party || Denver, CO

Wed/Sep 9 || Bowl-ero – Bowling Party || Denver, CO

Fri/Sep 11 || First Ave – Movie Party || Minneapolis, MN

Sat/Sep 12 || Memory Lanes – Bowling Party || Minneapolis, MN

Sun/Sep 13 || Portage Theater – Movie Party || Chicago, IL

Mon/Sep 14 || Diversey-River Bowl – Bowling Party || Chicago, IL

Tue/Sep 15 || Diversey-River Bowl – Bowling Party || Chicago, IL

Sat/Sep 19 || House of Blues – Movie Party || Boston, MA

Sun/Sep 20 || Kings – Bowling Party || Boston, MA

Tue/Sep 22 || Terminal 5 – Movie Party || New York, NY

Wed/Sep 23 || Lucky Strike – Bowling Party || New York, NY

Thu/Sep 24 || Brooklyn Bowl – Bowling Party || Brooklyn, NY

Fri/Sep 25 || Electric Factory – Movie Party || Philadelphia, PA

Sat/Sep 26 || North Bowl – Bowling Party || Philadelphia, PA

Mon/Sep 28 || 9:30 Club – Movie Party || Washington, DC

Tue/Sep 29 || Strike Bethesda – Bowling Party || Bethesda, MD

Fri/Oct 9 || Stubb’s – Movie Party || Austin, TX**

Sat/Oct 10 || Highland Lanes – Bowling Party || Austin, TX

**-Austin Movie Party Tickets go on sale this Saturday, Aug. 22

Buy Tickets at www.LebowskiFest.com

WEST COAST WRAP-UP

Har Mar Superstar as The Landlord.

Lebowski Fest West kicked off in Seattle with the real-life inspiration for the movie’s main character, Jeff “The Dude” Dowd, getting honored by his hometown with the prestigious ‘Key To The Universe’ (you know, where he was part of the Seattle Seven. Well, it was him and six other guys). Har Mar Superstar opened up the Movie Parties with a soul-stirring rendition of the Landlord Dance Cycle – turns out costuming was actually pretty easy. Then, a greeting “via satellite” from Jeff Bridges himself sent crowds in to a frenzy. Nothing could possibly follow that, except the film to end all films, of course.

The Bowling Party is the true heart and soul of any Lebowski Fest stop – it is where people come in costume. While viewing the movie among a crowd of Achievers is a unique experience, living the movie among a crowd of Achievers is something else entirely. The true spirit of the Dude abides in those bowling alley. It’s good knowin’ he’s still out there, after all these years… Takin ‘er easy for all us sinners.

Seattle, WA: “Say, friend - you got any more of that good sarsaparilla?”

It’s a family affair in San Francisco

Portland, OR: (L) “Phone’s ringin’ Dude.”, (R) Har Mar Superstar w/ Liam

(L) Seattle Nihilists: Must be exhausting, (R)Portland, OR: Itty Bitty Bang Bang Performed A Burlesque Act at The Movie Party

Click Above To Read ESPN’s Coverage Of Seattle

Click Above To Read The San Francisco Chronicle’s Coverage

The Achievers: The Story of Lebowski Fans

After over five years of filming, a feature-length documentary about the cult following and fans of The Big Lebowski has come to light. The Achievers: The Story of Lebowski Fans is now available on DVD!

Filmmaker Eddie Chung turned his camera on at the first traveling Lebowski Fest in Las Vegas in 2004 and found himself engulfed by a strange and wonderful culture of fans who called themselves "Achievers."

After following the event and interviewing everyone from fans like My Morning Jacket's Jim James, to Lebowski Fest founders Will Russell and Scott Shuffitt, to The Dude himself Jeff Bridges, Eddie Chung has put together a feature documentary that shows how a movie that failed upon its initial release would later become a cult sensation and ultimately bring people together, forming friendships and even marriages!

From the producers of Dogtown & Z-boys and Riding Giants, The Achievers: The Story of Lebowski Fans is available now on DVD exclusively at Lebowskifest.com, and hits stores October 27th. More here:
http://www.lebowskifest.com/WhatHaveYou/AchieversDocumentary/tabid/201/Default.aspx

Perhaps you read about it in the LA Times or Variety.

Will Russell and Scott Shuffitt: Founding Dudes of Lebowski Fest

(photo: Tim Norris)

For Information on upcoming Fests, pictures, posters, shirts, stickers, fan forum and what-have-you can be found at www.LebowskiFest.com

Metric at The Ogden Theater::July 11, 2009

Drizzly skies and six dollar Newcastle's could not deter loyal fans of Metric from the Ogden on the night of the 11th. Openers Sebastien Grainger and The Mountains gave the crowd a rock frenzy of distorting guitars with a dose of dance friendly numbers, contradicting to his My Space page that describes his sound as healing and easy listening. Next up was Metric, hailing from Toronto they supplied the all-ages crowd with a long energetic set taking no time at all to smash into their current single Help I'm Alive off their April album release Fantasies.

Mesmerizingly beautiful front-woman Emily Haines moved between the guitar, tambourine, and keyboard throughout the hour and a half long set. A set very reminiscent of The Sounds mixed in with a tame No Doubt. The only time she would pause would be to address the audience or say something that truly needed to be said. "Maybe we could be the Canadian equivalent to the Stones and the Beatles; two bands that we idolize," Haines said after a minute of reflecting on the fact that "the [Rolling] Stones went corporate and The Beattes broke up." Metric has been making music and touring since '98 and show no sign of fatigue. Ending the show tonight, they made it feel like it was their last night of their last tour. But that is far from the truth. These four will be going hard and strong through the rest of the summer and well into next autumn stopping at halls like Terminal 5 in NYC and supernatural festivals such as Glastonbury. During this nearly unbelievable four day fest, Haines, Shaw, Winstead, and Scott-Key will share a four-day weekend with acts ranging from The Prodigy to Maximo Park to The Streets to Metronomy.

PS: I love you Emily.

-Randy Washington

For more pics of the show click here.

Sebastien Grainger brings it to the Mile High

We are in for a special treat tonight as not only to we get to witness Metric but also opener Sebastien Grainger as he opens the show at The Ogden tonight.

Here is a little bit about Mr. Grainger:

Sebastien Grainger & the Mountains out October 21 on Saddle Creek

"When Grainger goes by his given name, it means he's all about two things and two things only: the rock, and the roll." -Pitchfork

Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains is a record that reflects the majesty its title suggests. Big chords, soaring choruses, and Sebastien’s voice paint the portrait of a man still climbing. While lyrically and musically Grainger’s taken a sidestep away from the more aggressive approach of his past musical pursuits in favor of a more reflective and personal style, he still knows how to rock it when necessary. Pulling no punches, Sebastien’s crafted a muscular and smart rock record that will surprise people expecting him to relive his past.

Best known for his contributions as singer and drummer for Canadian dance-punk duo Death From Above 1979, whose decadently catchy anthems took the world by storm with the release of their breakthrough record You're a Woman, I'm a Machine in 2004, Sebastien Grainger is soon to be even better known to the world as a singer and songwriter of sophisticated distinction via his new solo works. Fans of his prior music will likely be surprised by his new direction: delicately layered ruminations rich with energetic arrangements and deep melodic undercurrents. With his first full-length album Sebastien Grainger & The Mountains he further expands upon the well-received melodic endeavors of his digital EP American Names.

Grainger will modestly tell you "every song is a problem, or an equation that I have to resolve," but it's obvious that the results are richer and more soulful rather than calculated and mathematical. Feeling like he is finally expressing himself on his own terms with the new record, Grainger is eager to hit the road once again and present these songs to the folks who've been curious about his next move after the dissolution of DFA 1979. Although he's a self-described "domestic person," Grainger's penchant for singing loudly, playing as hard as possible, and getting sweaty is real–as real as people's enthusiasm for him to keep doing so.

Bloody Beetroots/Crookers::Ogden Theater::Dever, CO

Denver's Ogden Theater was the place to be on Thursday night for the dance party that consisted of some of the best in the business. After warming up the crowd, Denver's own DJ Hot To Death and Boyhollow got the party started with solid sets. Soon after the masked duo known only as The Bloody Beetroots turned the notch all the way to 11 and solidified their reputation as some of the best party starters in the world. Next up was Crookers whose highlights included a mix of 80's Dance anthem Show Me, by the Cover Girls (I admit I used to break out the Roger Rabbit to that song back in the day), and of course Kid Cudi's Day N' Nite. All in all a great night of music considering the competition from Thievery Corporation down the street and house legend Felix Da Housecat across town at Beta. For more pics CLICK HERE

Lily Allen brings it to The Mile High

Fellow music aficionado and good friend Eric Monsma chimes in with his review of Lilly Allen's show a The Ogden this past Thursday, a big thanks to Eric for his awesome review (plus he got a picture with her...lucky bastard)

Lily Allen rolled into Denver on Thursday afternoon scheduled to perform later that evening at The Ogden Theater. This was Lily’s first time actually playing Denver as she ended up cancelling the second half of her first tour in support of her debut album Alright Still because of exhaustion about 2 years prior. Needless to say I was a little bummed when that happened but now Lily seemed rested, recently released her amazing follow up album It’s Not Me, It’s You and was ready to concur the U.S. once and for all.

Being a pretty big fan I follow her on her twitter account pretty religiously. Her latest gimmick is following an afternoon sound-check she strolls around popular areas of the city to hide 3 separate pairs of tickets and backstage passes. She then uses her twitter account to publish clues to her 132,000 (and growing) twitter followers where she may be. I was already off work for the day and was at a pub with some co-workers when I got the first clue. I recognized the clue right away and realized she was at the Denver Center for Performing Arts –outside by the large dancing sculptures. With no car I quickly jumped on the free shuttle bus down to an intersection where I was hoping to get on a train. Unfortunately no train was to be found and with the clock ticking I sprinted for about 6 blocks to the area (backpack with laptop, books and all…). As I turned the last corner I saw her talking to two other girls who had just beaten me to win the first pair of tickets. As I caught my breath and walked towards her I politely asked how late was I and she replied in her accent “only about 2 minutes.” As a runner up consolation prize I asked if I could at least score a picture with her and she was awesome and said “But of course.” So I handed my camera to her two other management/street crew peeps and stood next to her with my arm around her shoulder and got a great picture of the two of us (minus me squinting due to the sun blazing directly on our eyes). I did tell her that I already had tickets but was trying to get a pair for my friends so she knew that I wasn’t some fair-weather fan. She laughed and thanked me and we went our separate ways.

We secured a prime spot at the Ogden – just above the small floor, first balcony against the rail eye level with the stage (ideal for pictures). Natalie Portman’s Shaved Head was the opening band and consisted of 4 guys and a girl from Seattle –all very energetic. I was impressed with the sound and they definitely warmed up the crowd for Ms. Allen. Lily then came on shortly after and opened her gig with “Everyone’s At It” and the crowd absorbed every minute of it. She continued on with her set and performed a good balance of songs from her first album as well as her more recent album in addition to a couple of covers. The songs I can remember included: Ldn, It’s Not Fair, Littlest Things, Never Gonna Happen, Everything’s Just Wonderful, Who’d Have Known, Back To The Start, He Wasn’t There, Fuck You (the special shout out to George W. Bush), Smile, The Fear. Covers included the Kaiser Chiefs “Oh my God” and Lily ended the show with a cover of Britney Spears “Womanizer” to close out the encore.

In between a couple songs Lily would request a cigarette quickly followed by her inhaler (I’m assuming due to the altitude) and enjoyed one drink throughout the show. She was very interactive with the crowd, cursed like that sassy sailor that we’ve all grown to love and cracked jokes about her band members etc. The show blended a good balance of slow soft ballads and then full throttle dance tracks that kept the Ogden’s blood racing through their veins and the show kept a good pace. At one point in the show she walked back to the top of her stage near the drums and broke down a dance session to Kid Cudi’s “Day And Night” before the track mixed into her next song.

All and all this show met and far exceeded my expectations. She is a lyrical genius and a great live performer with an amazing voice –not to mention that attractive strong female British accent that I can’t get enough of.

$E-Money$

For more of Eric's pics check out his Flickr gallery:

Ladytron/The Faint hit the Mile High in May

Last time these guys were in town I was hitting strikes and picking up spares with them during an afterparty..this should be a good one.

Ladytron 2009 Tour Dates:
04/01 - Milwaukee, WI @ Tuner %
04/02 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue %
04/03 - Chicago, IL @ Metro %
04/04 - Chicago, IL @ Metro %
04/06 - Toronto, ON @ Phoenix %
04/07 - Montreal, QB @ Theatre Telus %
04/08 - Boston, MA @ House of Blues %
04/10 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall %
04/11 - New York, NY @ Webster Hall %
04/13 - Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero %
04/14 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club %
04/15 - Baltimore, MD @ Sonar %
04/17 - Asheville, NC @ Orange Peel %
04/18 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse %
04/20 - Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live %
04/21 - Austin, TX @ Stubb's %
04/22 - Dallas, TX @ Granada %
04/24 - Tucson, AZ @ Rialto Theatre %
04/25 - Anaheim, CA @ The Grove %
04/26 - Los Angeles, CA @ Henry Fonda %
04/29 - San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore %
04/30 - San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore %
05/01 - Portland, OR @ Roseland %
05/02 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox SODO %
05/03 - Vancouver, BC @ Commodore %
05/05 - Denver, CO @ Ogden %
05/16 - Bucharest, Romania@ Parc Izvor #
05/18 - Sofia, Bulgaria @ Vasil Levsky Stadium (Tuborg Greenfest) #
05/20 - Belgrade, Serbia @ Usce Park (Tuborg Greenfest) #
05/21 - Zagreb, Croatia @ Arena (Tuborg Greenfest) #

% w/ The Faint, Figo (DJ Set)
# w/ Depeche Mode