Emily Ferguson

1 week ago | westword.com | Emily Ferguson

Jakob Nowell has been clear on recent tours that he does not consider himself Sublime's new frontman, even if he is taking center stage and handling lead guitar and vocals. For him, his role goes far deeper than that. No one can replace his father, Bradley Nowell, who founded the seminal SoCal ska band in 1988 and passed away on May 25, 1996. But Jakob can certainly carry on his legacy. "It's cool for everyone, the prospect that it's the OG singer's kid playing, " he says.

1 week ago | westword.com | Emily Ferguson

Blankslate is one of the best indie bands in Denver thanks to its distinct sound, sprinkled with punk and rock, that earned the act a Best of Denver award for Best Indie Duo last month. So Westword members showed up in force to see Riley Dunn and Tess Condron perform at our office on April 10, when they played an excellent set of material created since they released their successful debut album, Summer on a Salt Flat, in 2022.

2 weeks ago | westword.com | Emily Ferguson

If you're a fan of musicians such as Bon Iver or Iron & Wine but have never listened to Covenhoven, then you're welcome: We're about to introduce you to your next favorite artist. The folk singer-songwriter, born Joel van Horne, is a lyrical master. A native Coloradan, he has a long-standing presence in the music scene that goes back to the early 2000s, when he performed in the alt-indie group Carbon Choir.

2 weeks ago | westword.com | Emily Ferguson

After opening the highly anticipated Colorado Springs outdoor venue Ford Amphitheater last year, VENU just announced that it has acquired a property in Centennial that it will transform into an indoor music venue. The space is at 15755 East Arapahoe Road, formerly occupied by Celebrity Lanes Bowling; the company anticipates closing on the sale by June 1. VENU's plans for the spot include its signature fire-pit suite boxes as well as a restaurant with custom-crafted menus.

2 weeks ago | westword.com | Emily Ferguson

On April 3, the innovative EDM producer Of the Trees posted a riddle on his Instagram. The photo shows the organic-bass DJ (born Tyler Coombs) posing against a mountain backdrop, wearing a pair of pants that many noticed were the subject of his caption: "We have legs but no flesh and bone, we have different colors of our own." And a pattern on the pants gave another clue — the coordinates of Telluride, Colorado.