Volume 3, Issue 17
August 16 - August 29, 2001

Music

The Scene Maker

Turning Denver from cow town to music haven took the hard work of a few pioneers.
Bob Rupp is one.

Rupp's Drums is a gallery of the Denver music scene's past. You don't have to be a player to appreciate the history of a music scene that has grown during the last two decades-- and grown largely in part to the contributions of the store's proprietor. Just walk in and peruse the photos stapled on the walls, in the doorways, and on the ceiling. Pictures of Denver's music alumni tell the story of a scene that emerged unscathed from the celebrated excess of the '80s-- bands such as Killian Dare, the Original Rabbits, and Autobahn grace the walls in pictures taken at Confluence Park during Bob Rupp's celebrated Rock Fest.

It has been more than a year since Rupp left his gig playing drums for the local rockabilly trio Paul Galaxy & The Galactix. It has been a year, Rupp said, that has given him a much needed rest and time to concentrate on running his business. But as any seasoned player knows, it is hard to stay away for long, and Rupp said he is getting anxious to play again.

"I miss playing," Rupp said on a typically hectic day at his drum shop. "But when there is a business involved it's hard to be away for a long period of time. It was like having two full-time jobs. It got too physically draining."

Rupp is a hyper raconteur-- never at a loss for a tale of some past exploit or a take on what it takes to make it in the dicey business of music. He reflects, while handling phone calls or inspecting drums customers bring into his shop, on where the Denver original music scene has been-- and where it is going.

He is no stranger to the Denver music scene. In fact, he has been a mainstay since an automotive twist of fate left him broken down and stranded in 1979 in a city whose only claim to fame was a perpetually bad football team and an annual stock show.

"My car threw a rod driving through Denver," Rupp said, laughing. "I was fresh out of college. I had no money so I said, 'I guess I'll stay in Denver for a while.'"

Rupp didn't just stay in Denver-- he made himself a major player establishing an original music scene in a town that was never openly receptive to musicians who wrote their own tunes. His bands have run the musical spectrum from mod to performance rock to psychedelic, and most recently, rockabilly. He has, probably more than any other player on the original music scene, been to the edge of success. His band The Rumble won MTV's basement tapes in 1987. But it is a success that has always somehow managed to elude-- but never discourage him.

"I put speed dial on all my phone lines, and if you didn't do that then you're a fucking idiot," Rupp said. "If you got on there to lose, then great, go on there to lose. We got on there to win. We won-- not because I had speed dial on all my lines-- the whole country voted and we won. That was a huge thing in my life. I thought we were going to be signed the next day. But it didn't happen. Oh well, life goes on-- the band breaks up and we start a new band."

Rupp was born in the '50s and came of age during the time of the British invasion. But it was the rock music of the '70s that he has carried with him in almost every project that he has put together. In fact, Rupp has felt so passionately about that time period in the history of rock-and- roll, that once only '70s bands like Cheap Trick, Queen, and Kiss were allowed to be played in his home.

Rupp refuses to take credit for helping build the Denver music scene. Rather he prefers, he said, to call what he did a contribution.

"When I moved here the original music outlets were limited. I realized then that the only way anybody's going to make it happen in this town is to have songs and be original. So that's when we started really pounding the pavement doing the original music scene. I think today that scene is real healthy. The original music scene is the norm now and not the abnormal."

But even though Rupp downplays his role as just "one guy in a hundred" trying to make it happen, it can be said that one Bob Rupp sponsored event singularly changed the course of the Denver original music scene-- and that event was Rock Fest, held annually at Confluence Park. The event was the mother of all original music events. It was the one gig that all original bands aspired to play. It was a chance for them to break away from the confines of a rock bar and take their acts to the masses. It was a chance to get free radio exposure and perform on a real stage with a real PA system. In a word-- it was like winning the Power Ball and becoming a bona fide rock star for a day. Rupp promoted nine of these festivals and by the show's finale in 1991, Bob Rupp and 18 of Denver's finest original bands drew more than 4,000 music lovers to the park.

The event was so huge, one can't help but wonder if the time is right promote another Rock Fest.

"We were real fortunate in the old days," Rupp said. "We never got sued. No one really ever got hurt except for a broken arm here and there. The chaos was controlled-- to a certain degree. I don't know if I would do it today. The insurance liability is enormous. Everybody is politically correct. There are a lot of rules and regulations that weren't in place back then. They wouldn't allow me in Confluence Park anymore."

But it was a good 10-year run, Rupp said. And looking back on all his bands and accomplishments, and near misses with fame, he says he has no regrets. Although there is one thing he might like to go back and do differently.

"Here's the irony of it all," Rupp said, with a sly grin and a rise of his eyebrows. "The only band I told on the phone that they couldn't do Rock Fest was Big Head Todd & The Monsters. That's the irony-- so I'm the idiot. The band that doesn't play Rock Fest is the most successful band out of Denver."

--Matthew Davis

Rupp's Drums is located at 2045 S. Holly. Call 303-756-5777 for more information.

photo by stefan max

ONE-MAN JAM BAND

Keller Williams finds self-noodling a satisfying career.

Avid followers of The String Cheese Incident might be familiar with the Virginia native as he has opened for it many times in the past and released his fourth CD, Breathe, on SCI's label, SCI Fidelity Records. With his latest release, Loop, Keller Williams has stepped out of the Cheese's shadow to come into recognition of his own.

Keller Williams is a one-man show, a jam-band sound emanating from one creative mind instead of a collective group. How does he do it? With the help of an effects unit called the "jam-man" that allows Williams to record each part of a song individually and then loop it back around adding layer after layer until it reaches completion. "What I do is I pretty much ... play something or sing something and then hit a button right at the right time and it will play what I just played over and over again, around and around. I can go on top of that layer ... I just put down bass or a vocal percussion line and then I can solo over top of that," Keller said.

His creative use of instruments-- including a 10-string guitar, a bass, a djembe, and a mouth flugel-- comes shining through on his fifth CD, a live recording titled Loop. "A lot of the magic has to do with audience participation. Not necessarily singing or clapping or anything, but the energy that is thrown to me," Keller said.

"I have always tried [previously] to separate the live performance from the recordings, just have two totally different things ... but then Loop is pretty much a complete representation of my live show. My live shows usually just consisted of me solo with a guitar when I was doing all of my other records, so the records were different in that there was an actual band with me. And then I started doing the looping and the sampling and Loop definitely represents where my live show was at that time. Now I have just recently finished another record with Dave Watts on drums and Tye North on bass. This one ... goes a lot of different directions but kind of holds that consistency with the same players," Keller said. "It is called Laugh."

Laugh isn't the only thing Williams has to be excited about. He has been asked to perform with Bob Weir's RatDog, and Rusted Root on the So Many Roads Tour, including a date at Red Rocks August 26.

--Jessica Vogelgesang

For tickets visit www.sciticketing.com and for more information on Keller visit www.kellerwilliams.net

BEAT DIET

Nightlife in Denver could not get much better. In the midst of pressure from media and law enforcement, promoters and club owners have continued to fight the good fight and have kept the music playing. Electronic beats can be hard from almost every corner of LoDo; almost every night of the week. Rave events can still be found on a weekly basis, provided you know where to look.

One such promoter is Ryan Dykstra, who has recently severed his ties with Mad Productions. He is host to Pure Madness Thursdays and Heaven Fridays at Pure on Welton St. In August alone, Pure will present Jorge Baez on the 16th, Eddie X on the 23rd, and DJ Icey on the 30th. You can expect that September's line-up will be ever bigger and brighter. For more information on Pure events, call 303-575- 1185. Ryan Dykstra Nightlife (or RDN) will also be kicking off a brand hew after-hours Fridays called Home. It will be located at Amsterdam nightclub, and will be open until 5 am Amsterdam is located at 2901 Walnut street in downtown Denver.

Together Productions is also treating Denver to a host of various names at Quench Thursdays at The Church nightclub, as well as Fridays & Saturdays at Vinyl. The August lineup for Quench is Donald Glaude on the 16th, Micro on the 23rd, and John "00" Fleaming on the 30th. The Together line-up at Vinyl is equally impressive: DJ Dan on the 17th, Scott Henry on the 18th, Micro on the 24th, and Christopher Lawrence on the 31st. Also watch for Together's annual event, Skylab, as this should be the crew's eighth and final Skylab event. For more information on Together events, call 303-575-1149.

Outta Our Heads has also broken outta the rave promoter shell and started its own club night at Sacre Bleu (7th & Logan). Movement Sundays is quickly becoming the place to be to hear some mellow beats and enjoy a chilled Sunday atmosphere.

Tracks 2000 has been a mogul in the Denver club scene since 1997. It is no exception when it comes to big club events this summer. August 16 it hosts Teri Bristol, and on the 23rd it will host its third annual WET party with Brian Stillwater. Also keep your eyes peeled for a Sugar Twist party in early September. If you haven't heard of the Sugar Twist Kids, come down to this event.

Synesthesia has also been able to enjoy some of the success that seems to be floating around our scene lately. Its third annual Fun Factory event was shaping up to be one of the biggest events of the summer. As the night of the event went on, it became apparent that while that was not going to be the case, the crew was able to pull through and give the kids a good time. Even the lack of porta-potties, promised carnival-type attractions, and missing sound stages, the crew pulled through the best they could and made it an event to remember.

While Denver still might not make it onto the club life maps of the rest of the nation, we are secretly holding our own with the best of them. Just ask one of the nationally recognized DJs who may be coming through on any given week. Like Chris Irvin once told me, Colorado is an oasis.

ORANGE PEEL

W hoever said size doesn't matter was wrong. Size matters. Size matters a lot. Which is exactly why drum and bass pioneer Roni Size is splitting headlining duties with Rabbit in the Moon for the opening night of KTCL's Weekend of Electronica. Cuz you gotta have size to fill Red Rocks.

Roni Size was raised in the city of musical pioneers that is Bristol, England. Bristol, the very same stomping grounds responsible for rearing Smith and Mighty, Massive Attack, and Tricky, also played a part in the lives of Size's Reprazent partners Krust, Die, and Suv. Brian G and Jumping Jack Frost's V recordings provided Size with his first breakbeat record outlet way back in 1992, until he finally had the balls and/ or capital to found Full Cycle with Krust several years later. New Forms, Reprazent's full-length debut on Mercury, has become an absolute must-have for both amateur and serious Junglists the world over. . . . Have you ever had the opportunity to witness a ballerina spin fire in the blacklight? Who could possibly have known Vespa would provide such an opportunity at Club Sanctuary August 2? Mwah (thanks to an insider tip). Although the event was obviously organized primarily as a ben-efit for a homeless children shelter known as Urban Peak ... or to persuade Sanctuary regulars to purchase Italian scooters ... the blacklight ballerinas (Betsy Brinkerhoff, Cynthia Carvajal, and Nicole Jaks) were definitely right up my alley. Following the nipple-ridden fashion show, Liquid Lighting killed its previously luminescent contributions to set the stage for an act billed on the postcard flyer as Firefly Entertainment. And they danced.

--orange peel moses

KTCL's Weekend of E will go down at Red Rocks August 16 and 17. For information on upcoming events at Club Sanctuary, visit it in cyberspace at www.clubsanctuary.com or give its info line a buzz at 303-296-2424.

CD Review

EYECON: 8TH GRADE BATTLE CRY

We don't ask much from our punk bands. All we want is a pressed CD with home-made ink-jet-printed liner notes, hand-written contact info, and a mix just decent enough to let the vocalist's lyrics come through. Eyecon delivers.

For good or evil, this is the age of punk when a band's affiliations must be delineated from the start. Is Eyecon old-school, or pop-punk? Ramones or Blink-182? Sex Pistols or Green Day? The answer leans more to the pop/emo side of the equation than the hard-thrash roots of punk that some fans consider pure, and others pure noise. That said, Eyecon doesn't succumb to studio polish and clean chord writing too much; the album has enough of a live vibe and volume level to get across the essential punk energy.

Some tracks, such as "Step," even have a strong rock beat that borders on metal, meaning this is a two-Red-Bull band-- don't try to thrash the whole album unarmed. Strong vocals, tight rhythms, solid drum fills ... a put-together punk band in every sense.

I only have one problem: nowhere do I have the names of the band members. Who are these kids? Where did they come from? Only their mothers know for sure. B+ --Chris J. Magyar

CD Review

THE COOL-RAYS: 1ST DATE

After a four-year hiatus, Andy Hunt (bassist from Denver's beloved, now defunct Twice Wilted) has resurfaced in Denver's music scene with a fresh new look. This time he is taking charge as lead vocalist with guitar in tow. The Cool-Rays are basic rock-n-roll with a garage/punk/pop feel to them. As I listen to their low-budget first release, 1st Date (not bad for $350!), my ears catch experimental influences from The Ramones, The Cult and Jesus and Mary Chain.

Track two, "Narco," is a demented, sweet love song of sorts, wailing out the desire to hook up with a narcoleptic lover ... hmmm, interesting. Each of the five songs on this disc are somewhat danceable, yet rockin', with a definitive retro flare. The musicality is simple and uncluttered, a welcome relief from some of the overly complicated, change-a-minute crap that some people equate with good musicianship. What you hear is what you get, like it or not. Perhaps the Cool-Rays will stand out simply because they do not try so hard to be 'unique', as so many others try and fail to accomplish. They are what they are.

1st Date is just that-- a first introduction to the boys of the Cool-Rays who want you to come out, listen to their music and have a partying good time! A --Sally Miller

CD Review

THE SOULTHIEVES: MICROPHONE IN THE SUGAR BOWL

This entire record could be an example of how to make a local pop/rock recording stand out against the neverending efforts of struggling local (and national) pop/rock artists. The engineering is terrific, the songs are well written, and there is enough variety to prove the depth of the artists without suffering through the jack-of-all-trades/master-of-none syndrome. Nice job, guys.

The SoulThieves are led by the dual efforts of Michael St. James and Greg Ferguson, both on guitars, vocals, and songwriting credits. The other band members, Ryan Donley (guitar), Jeff Martin (percussion) and Dani Hofer-Harrison (bass) complete the radio-friendly sound.

Now the music ... easily recognizable are familiar elements similar to Barenaked Ladies, Big Head Todd, and William Topley. It's fun, sing-along type stuff moving deftly from straight rock-style to emo-ballad to danceable pop. The opening track--" Every Day"-- may or may not be a direct nod to Squeeze's "Every Day I Write the Book," but it's bouncy and fresh either way. The lead vocals and echo harmonies add to a great breakdown section in between choruses.

On "A Little Down," the boys take on a more southern rock, down-and-dirty dive bar sound, and it works. "Confess" is the slow love ballad, combining acoustic and electric guitars with some tinkling background piano licks. The strength of most of Microphone lies in the melodic vocal harmonies of Ferguson and St. James. It's folk-singer mentality in a rock-and-roll arena.

With this record, The SoulThieves don't fool around. Microphone in the Sugar Bowl was recorded and engineered at the popular and versatile F. T. M. Studios in Lakewood. For a band that proclaims itself to be fueled by Jager, cheap beer, and Taco Bell (ouch!), The SoulThieves should earn some more fuel in terms of fans and industry support if these guys can keep playing their cards-- or should we say chords-- right. A --Judy B.