Music of Colorado

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Colorado is a state of the United States, and has a notable reputation for music. The state has a many vibrant scenes and venues, especially in the larger cities like Denver and Colorado Springs.

Colorado's orchestras include the Colorado Springs Symphony, Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra, Grand Junction Symphony Orchestra, Telluride Chamber Orchestra, Pikes Peak Philharmonic, Pueblo Symphony (affiliated with Colorado State University-Pueblo, Music Department) [1], Colorado Symphony Orchestra and the Fort Collins Symphony Orchestra.

Music festivals in modern Colorado include the Strings in the Mountains Music Festival and Colorado Music Fest in Pueblo held between June-July every year, as well as the Colorado Music Festival [2], held at the Chautauqua Auditorium in Boulder from June through August. There are many music festivals in modern Colorado. The CHUN People's Fair is arguably the largest local music festival, with estimated attendance over 200,000 (according to the People's Fair website). Telluride hosts three festivals a year. Planet Bluegrass in Lyons hosts three major events a year. Fort Collins plays host to Bohemian Nights @ New West Fest, at which over 50 local acts perform on multiple stages. Denver's Westword Magazine holds an annual local music festival that over 80 acts perform at, which precedes the Westword Music Awards.

Folk and traditional music in Colorado has been an intricate part of the local popular culture in the last century. Popular modern bluegrass bands include The Blue Canyon Boys and High Plains Tradition. The Colorado Bluegrass Music Society exists to promote Coloradan bluegrass music, and publishes a magazine called Pow'r Pickin'.

Today, such organizations as the Colorado Music Association, Colorado Music Company and others exists to promote Coloradan music.


Contents

[edit] Colorado Bands and Artists

Local bands and musicians as well as those often associated with Colorado include:

[edit] Trivia and Facts

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The article could be improved by integrating relevant items and removing inappropriate ones.
  • John Denver lived both in the Denver metro area and Aspen (He was born in Roswell, New Mexico), where he received inspiration for many of his songs depicting life in Colorado. Selecting the surname "Denver" for his favorite city, he rose to worldwide fame with such ballads as Rocky Mountain High , Starwood in Aspen , I Guess He'd Rather Be In Colorado , and Me and my Uncle , in which he lyrically declares "I'm about as honest as a Denver man can be!"
  • Panda The Pennickle Player WilLove is one half of the 2003 Westword Magazine Award Winning duo "Skyjack Radio" which with along side Bassghost was the 1st illegal pirated radio station in Denver airing uncut Rap music 24 hours a day-7 days a week on 88.1 FM in 2002. He is also the older brother of the famed R&B/Rap songwriter/producer Cavalear. Panda & Bassghost have reformed to create the World Famous "Ya'll Boyz Clean" group, who to date have been touring and selling worldwide.
  • Bone Thugs-n-Harmony member Bizzy Bone recorded his entire The Midwest Cowboy album in Denver with rapper/producer/ceo Playalitical in only 7 days total. Only the final mastering of the album was done outside of Colorado.
  • Jeff Finlin while living in Fort Collins and gigging in Denver, was thought to be a famous British singer/songwriter until the Coloradan Pulitzer Prize winning author J.R. Moehringer tracked him down (see [http://www.5280.com/issues/2007/0707/feature.php?pageID=7911
  • The Jimi Hendrix Experience broke up in Denver, after the historic and anticipated Denver Pop Festival of 1969. Hendrix both designed the cover of the Electric Ladyland album and wrote the song Room Full of Mirrors one night at the Cosmopolitan Hotel. A local favorite during their superstardom-reign, the Experience played to often over-crowded audiences at Hendrix' supposed favorite venue, Red Rocks.
  • Judy Collins, another folk singer, was raised in Denver and attended East High School. Conductor Antonia Brico was her childhood piano teacher. Several of her songs feature mentioning of Colorado.
  • Bob Dylan recorded a live album in Denver, and lived in Capitol Hill for several years, where he got his start playing local folk clubs for several dollars. Today he owns a home in Telluride, Colorado.
  • American Idol has scouted Denver on several occasions, and found Ace Young who was a finalist in the fifth season.
  • The Denver Center for the Performing Arts is one of the largest centers of its kind in the western hemisphere, and the second largest performing arts center in the world, only behind the Kennedy Center.
  • Def Leppard recorded a live VHS, now DVD at McNichols Sports Arena in 1988, entitled In The Round In Your Face.
  • The Indigo Girls recorded a live DVD at The Fillmore
  • The Fugees recorded part of their album The Score at Colorado Sound.

[edit] List of Colorado Music Venues

[edit] Denver

  • Swallow Hill Music Hall
  • Bluebird Theater
  • Mystery
  • Gothic Theater
  • Oriental Theater
  • Larimer Lounge
  • hi-dive
  • Three Kings Tavern
  • Lion's Lair
  • Walnut Room
  • Soiled Dove Underground
  • Ogden Theater
  • The Marquis Theater
  • Bender's Tavern
  • Old Curtis Street Bar
  • Fillmore auditorium
  • coors amphitheater
  • Red Rocks
  • Pepsi Center

[edit] Boulder

[edit] Colorado Springs

  • Blacksheep

[edit] Fort Collins

  • Aggie Theater
  • Surfside Seven
  • Hodi's Half Note

[edit] See also