Elvis Perkins in Dearland is hitting the road next week in support of their self-titled sophomore release, and the tour will include two stops here in Colorado:

May 08 – Hi-Dive, Denver, CO
May 09 – B Side Lounge, Boulder, CO

Seeing these dates surface convinced me to dust off another 2006 Folks Festival recording.  This performance occurred six months before the release of Ash Wednesday, so most of us festivarians were unprepared for the brilliance that lay ahead.

Elvis Perkins in Dearland
8.19.2006
Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, Planet Bluegrass, Lyons, CO

Source:  Microtech Gefell M300’s > Lunatec V3 (opti-mod) > Nomad JB3 > Firewire > CoolEdit Pro > CDWave > Flac16
Taped by:  Lance Stack

One Disc:
1. intro
2. While You Were Sleeping
3. Hey
4. Emile’s Vietnam in the Sky
5. All the Night Without Love
6. The Rain Song
7. Impromptu and Variations on a Theme by Phil Spector
8. Doomsday
9. Ash Wednesday
10. Shampoo
11. The Night & The Liquor
12. Sleep Sandwich
13. May Day
14. 1-2-3 Goodbye

FLAC files can be downloaded via BitTorrent at cotapers.
A single zipfile of the mp3s is available here.

John Common brought Blinding Flashes of Light to the Oriental stage last week for a showcase of material from their upcoming album (planned for release in May 2009).  The full lineup of BFOL musicians is nothing less than stellar, drawing on artists well-known for their contributions in other local bands:

Jess De Nicola Mefford — vocals, keys
Wes Michaels — cello
Carl Sorensen — drums
Jimmy Stofer — bass, vocals
Jon Wirtz — piano, organ, melodica, accordion, xylophone

If you’re the hands-on type, right on the heels of the PKO concept, John has yet another artistic idea cooking for the forthcoming CD release.  For inspiration while starting out on this creative woodworking endeavor, here’s a live version of the music that will ultimately complement your visual masterpiece.

John Common and Blinding Flashes of Light
2.20.2009
The Oriental Theater, Denver, CO

Source:  Microtech Gefell M300’s > Lunatec V3 (opti-mod) > Nomad JB3 > WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > CDWave > Flac16
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
1. intro
2. You Got the Lonely
3. Wide Open World
4. The Man Who Could
5. Love is a Shark
6. The Fall
7. Go To Hell With Me
8. “My Favorite”
9. Can You Hear Me
10. Don’t Follow Virginia
11. Same Scar
12. The Dreamers
13. In My Neighborhood
14. Do You Know My Name
15. Amazing Grace *

Notes:
* = unamplified, with The People’s Kazoo Orchestra

FLAC files and available at the Live Music Archive.
A zipfile of the mp3s is available here via megaupload.

I’m close to being caught up on January’s recordings.  Here’s a Meadowlark set from Jen Korte and the Loss, featuring appearances by Bianca Mikahn, Lady Speech, and Matt Gilliam!

Jen Korte and The Loss
1.10.2009
The Meadowlark, Denver, CO

Source:  Microtech Gefell M300’s > Lunatec V3 (opti-mod) > Nomad JB3 > WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > CDWave > Flac16
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
1. 5 a.m.
2. Fleeting
3. It’s A Little Hard, Dear
4. Down, Down, Down
5. Shoreline
6. Pull the Plug
7. If I

A zipfile of the mp3s is available here.

There were probably as many coughs coming from the stage last night as there were strikes on the hammered dulcimer.  :)  In retrospect, the New Denver Orchestra is well worth catching a cold over,  but that didn’t stop me from taking an extra dose of vitamins this morning!

New Denver Orchestra
2.22.2009
Brooks Center Arts, Denver, CO

Source:  Microtech Gefell M300’s > Lunatec V3 (opti-mod) > Nomad JB3 > WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > CDWave > Flac16
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
1. Kirushige
2. unknown #1
3. unknown #2
4. (tuning, stories, etc.)
5. Water Song
6. unknown #3
7. The Processional

A zipfile of the mp3s is available here.
FLAC files can be downloaded as a zipfile here.

Ellison Park brought his Parade of Elephants out for a pair of full-band shows at the Oriental and Bluebird this weekend.  Here’s the Oriental set, a short opener for Achille Lauro and John Common.

Ellison Park’s Parade of Elephants
2.20.2009
The Oriental Theater, Denver, CO

Source:  Microtch Gefell M300’s > Lunatec V3 (opti-mod) > Nomad JB3 > WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > CDWave > Flac16
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
1. Like a Portrait
2. I Keep You in a Flask
3. The Truth is Stomping on Me
4. Rinse
5. White Paper and Glue

A zipfile of the mp3s is available here.
FLAC files can be downloaded as a zipfile here.

Maybe it was the environment provided by a larger venue.  Maybe the band maintains an edge by taking their songs to the whetstone between each performance.  Regardless of the reasons, this is easily my favorite Achille Lauro show to-date.

Achille Lauro
2.20.2009
The Oriental Theater, Denver, CO

Source:  Microtch Gefell M300’s > Lunatec V3 (opti-mod) > Nomad JB3 > WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > CDWave > Flac16
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
1. “No Brakes”
2. “Friend’s War”
3. Cold Poetry
4. Summertime
5. Super Natural Beings
6. Buried Under Ice
7. Cardboard Divas

A zipfile of the mp3s is available here.
FLAC files can be downloaded as a zipfile here.

John Common is an Man of Ideas, but those ideas sure can be crazy.

The People’s Kazoo Orchestra
2.20.2009
The Oriental Theater, Denver, CO

Source:  Microtch Gefell M300’s > Lunatec V3 (opti-mod) > Nomad JB3 > WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > CDWave > Flac16
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
(Pre-show ceremonies)
1. The Star Spangled Banner
(PKO set)
2. Send in the Clowns
3. Eye of the Tiger
4. We Will Rock You
5. When the Saints Go Marching In
(With Blinding Flashes of Light)
6. Amazing Grace

A zipfile of the mp3s is available here.

One of my favorite shows from 2007: Dirty Projectors at the Hi-Dive!  (If you’re wondering what’s up with Jona’s speech before the show, he was just messing with the crowd.  The truth–exclusivity clauses prevented him from playing Denver within two weeks of the Monolith Festival.)

Dirty Projectors
9.04.2007
The Hi-Dive, Denver, CO

Source:  Microtech Gefell M300’s > Lunatec V3 (opti-mod) > Nomad JB3 > Firewire > CoolEdit Pro > CDWave > Flac16
Taped by:  Lance Stack

One Disc:
1. YACHT speech/intro
2. Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie
3. What I See
4. Thirsty and Miserable
5. Depression
6. Not Having Found
7. New New Attitude
8. Imagine It
9. Fucked For Life
10. Rise Above

FLAC files can be downloaded via BitTorrent here.
A zipfile of the mp3s is available here.

I was hoping to post Chuck Potashner’s CD Release/Farewell show from the Oriental last night, but apparently forget to actually hit record!  (Too many Dale’s?)  As a worthy alternative, here’s Bad Weather California’s performance.  Their next album (the first under the BWC moniker) is due out in April on States Rights Records!

Bad Weather California
2.19.2009
The Oriental Theater, Denver, CO

Source:  Microtch Gefell M300’s > Lunatec V3 (opti-mod) > Nomad JB3 > WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > CDWave > Flac16
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
1. “How Will I Know?”
2. Love Will Be My Home >
3. New Religion
4. This is My Country Too
5. “Two Ways”
6. I Wanna War
7. “The War”
8. “Original Form”
9. Ain’t No Grave Deep Enough To Keep Me Down

FLAC files can be downloaded via BitTorrent here.
A zipfile of the mp3s is available here.

Here’s a Jeff Tweedy solo show I taped a few years back at the Folks Festival in Lyons.  I know this recording has made the rounds before, but every time it gets posted, there seem to be people interested in grabbing it.

Jeff Tweedy
8.18.2006
Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, Planet Bluegrass, Lyons, CO

Source:  Microtech Gefell M300’s > Lunatec V3 (opti-mod) > Nomad JB3 > Firewire > CoolEdit Pro > CDWave > Flac16
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
1. (intro)
2. What Light
3. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
4. Remember The Mountain Bed
5. Was I (In Your Dreams)
6. Butterfly (So Much Wine)
7. The Ruling Class
8. Blasting Fonda
9. Spiders (Kidsmoke)
10. Airline To Heaven
11. Please Tell My Brother
12. Hesitating Beauty
13. Theologians
14. Passenger Side
15. Shot In The Arm
(Encore)
16. (intro)
17. Walken
18. (fragment of Elizabeth Cotten song)
19. Losing End
20. California Stars
21. In Christ, There Is No East Or West
22. New Madrid
23. I’m The Man Who Loves You
24. Acuff Rose

FLAC files can be downloaded via BitTorrent here.
Zipfiles of the mp3s can be downloaded in two sections:  Part 1, Part 2.

(Photo by Dilip Barman.)

Here’s a set from Benyaro frontman Ben Musser.  Ben will be back at the Meadowlark for another solo performance on 3/14/2009.

Ben Musser (of Benyaro)
1.10.2009
The Meadowlark, Denver, CO

Source:  DPA 4060s (Core-Sound HEBs) > battery box > Apogee MiniMe > M-Audio Microtrack 2 > CF > WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > CDWave > Flac16
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
1. To the Homeland
2. Bullet Like Belief
3. Feelin’ Low
4. Long Shot *
5. Time To Kill *
6. unknown

Notes:
* = w/ Laura Jensen on vocals

A zipfile of the mp3s is available here.
FLAC files can be downloaded as a zipfile here.

Purchase Benyaro albums:
2007 – Self-titled (via CD Baby)

Here’s the final set from Ubisububi last weekend, a fun performance by John Common and Blinding Flashes of Light that highlights a slew of new material from their upcoming album.  Brian Carney posted a nice review (along with more photos) on the Denver Post’s Reverb blog.

John Common and Blinding Flashes of Light
1.31.2009
Ubisububi, Denver, CO

Source:  DPA 4060s (Core-Sound HEBs) > battery box > Lunatec V3 (opti-mod) > Nomad JB3 > WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > CDWave > Flac16
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
1. intro
2. You Got the Lonely
3. Wide Open World
4. Can You Hear Me
5. Don’t Need You
6. Go To Hell With Me
7. Pensacola story
8. Love is a Shark
9. The Man Who Could
10. Pass That Bottle Down
11. Maybe Today
12. Do You Know My Name
(Encore)
13. crowd/banter
14. The Dreamers

Lineup:
John Common
Jess De Nicola Mefford
Wes Michaels
Jed Marrs

FLAC files are available at archive.org.
A zipfile of the mp3s can be found here.

Purchase John Common’s Discography:
2007 – Why Birds Fly (CD Baby | iTunes)
2006 – Good To Be Born (CD Baby | iTunes)

(Photo taken by Brian Carney.)

Here’s the second set from Saturday night, a killer show with Reed Foehl being supported by Jason Dilg on banjo and violin!

For those of you waiting for the final set (John Common & Blinding Flashes of Light), I’ll try to post it upon returning from the west coast this weekend.

Reed Foehl and Jason Dilg
1.31.2009
Ubisububi, Denver, CO

Source:  DPA 4060s (Core-Sound HEBs) > battery box > Lunatec V3 (opti-mod) > Nomad JB3 > WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > CDWave > Flac16
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
1. Color Me In
2. St. John’s Smith Square
3. Sonja
4. Wolves
5. Where You Been
6. Mexican Home
7. While You Wait
8. Only in Your Arms
9. Good Company
10. Chances Are

FLAC files and other audio formats are available at the Live Music Archive.

(Photo taken by the talented Brian Carney.)

I tend to forget about the existence of the Ubisububi Room here in Denver, but every now and then a friend books a set, compelling me to come down for the evening.  Every time, I’m think to myself, “Why don’t I get down here more often?”  The speakeasy nature of the place guarantees a devoted listening crowd.  Unless you’re searching out a quiet evening away from the regular bar scene or have befriended of one of the performers, chances are you won’t even know about the festivities.

Last night, Britt Rodemich opened the show (and subsequently our hearts) with a sonically delicate handful of songs.  This one’s quiet… so quiet that you will often hear the discordant sounds of laughter, beer glasses colliding, and toilets flushing upstairs.  But if you put on the headphones, sit back on the sofa, and listen closely, you won’t be disappointed.

Britt Rodemich
1.31.2009
Ubisububi, Denver, CO

Source:  DPA 4060s (Core-Sound HEBs) > battery box > Lunatec V3 (opti-mod) > Nomad JB3 > WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > CDWave > Flac16
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
1. intro
2. The Tree
3. unknown
4. At High Speed
5. Castle
6. unknown (new song)
7. unknown

A zipfile of the mp3s is available here.
FLAC files can be downloaded as a zipfile here.

Also, Brian has posted spectacular shots of the show over on his website.

Since the show I saw in November, Houses have been tightening the screws on their live act, settling on a lineup that appears well-equipped to serve as an outlet for primary songwriter Andy Hamilton’s proliferation of new material.  The band hit the studio this month, laying down tracks for a debut album.  Some initial output from these sessions can be found on myspace, and this recording from last night will give you a taste of their on-stage energy.

Houses
1.30.2009
The Lion’s Lair, Denver, CO

Source:  DPA 4060s (Core-Sound HEBs) > battery box > Lunatec V3 (opti-mod) > Nomad JB3 > WAV > Adobe Audition 3.0 > CDWave > Flac16
Taped by:  Lance Stack

Setlist:
1. “The Scone Song”
2. Rainy Day Parade
3. Crossing the North Sea
4. Fair Weather
5. Your Ghost
6. We’re Alright
7. Circles and Squares

FLAC files can be downloaded via BitTorrent at cotapers.
A zipfile of the mp3s is available here.