Volume 4, Issue 4
February 21 - March 6, 2001
This band had an extraordinary year. Yo, Flaco! is tighter, tougher, and funkier than ever before. "All that we've accomplished this year has just made us one big family," Neil McIntyre said. "We're so motivated and inspired right now. It's a good time for us."
One Big Family is eight members strong. A long line of talented musicians creates Yo, Flaco!'s sound, often described as hip-hop or rap or acid jazz. A more apt description might be "one big family of genre fusion." Live shows are packed houses, and the most recent record, Goin' At It, is selling well.
Along with McIntyre on the mic at the front of the stage is co-rapper Doug Lipford. Matt Piazza (key-boards), Brandon Martin (guitar), Wes Coplen (bass), Loren Comfort (drums), Ethan Raczka (tenor sax) and Adam Bartczak (trombone) round out the lineup and account for the rich and textured style of the band's music. After winning the 2000-2001 Jim Beam Best Unsigned Band contest, doors started opening. A tour, funded by Jim Beam and including a suh-weet tour bus, followed. People from all corners of the country noticed the band's unique songwriting style and instrumental arrangements. The duo of rappers enticing the crowd, the intricate and juicy rhythm section grooves, and the band's explosive persona on stage pushed the envelope even further.
Last month, as millions watched the American Music Awards, Yo, Flaco! got a full and personal dose. In the first-ever Best Band Search contest devised by the AMA committees, Yo, Flaco! surpassed over 1, 000 contestants to stand among the top three. Out in Los Angeles, the band saw big business and big money, the behind-the-scenes stuff that drives the label trends and talent pool. "That was a complete learning experience," Bartczak said. "I think we realized that it may not be our path."
"We like to take risks in this band," Martin said. "The L. A. thing didn't seem to be about that. We don't write songs based on the market demand or whether some label is going to like them. We approach it all from within ourselves." McIntyre added, "We never began this to be Pop Stars, and at the AMAs, we saw what can happen. I think we're more committed, now, to doing it our own way."
Going their own way means a lot to these guys. During this interview, all agreed that the success from this year hasn't changed the band's day-to-day operation, but the overall outlook seems different. "We don't feel like we're just a Denver band anymore," McIntyre said. "We love being from here and we're showing all these other people what we represent. So we feel more responsibility to keep ourselves at a professional level and to show audiences and club owners all over the country that we are serious with what we do."
The more the band tours, the more exposure for Yo, Flaco! and for Denver. We can't predict what Yo, Flaco! will encounter in the future, but the band already has a plan in mind that takes care of its soul. "We know that we just gotta keep doing what we love," Lipford said. "We've just got to keep our hearts and our minds on the right track. What ever happens, we can handle it." --Judy B.
Lots of people try to label Rexway's music. Some try very hard. With a lot of hyphens, we could call it country-punk-metal-psychobilly-rock music. But that really doesn't do it justice.
Rexway's three original members hail from our good ol' neighbor to the north, Wyoming. And they are not afraid to show it, use it, and bring it up on stage. In a musical and cultural atmosphere where appearing slick, shiny, and completely devoid of originality seems to be the norm, Rexway ignites the stale air and forces fire down your throat. In the past year, with the addition of magnetic bassist Susan Phelan and drummer Craig Dubin, the band's energy has gone from high voltage to absolutely nutso. During the first song at a recent live show, a packed house at Herman's Hideaway went berserk before singer Mike Mitchell had belted out the first chorus. The band plays often in the Rocky Mountain region, and just kicked ass at a recent jaunt to Las Vegas as a featured band from www.localmusicscenes.com.
The cowboy hats, the leather chaps, the whiskey, the heavy-metal guitar licks and the sheer sexiness of this band should remind us that Denver can get a little bit country sometimes and still hold tightly to our hipster credibility. It's gutsy, it's confident, and it's a good time.
For the whole scoop on Shiveley, pick up a Go-Go back issue (Vol. 4, Issue 1). More intimate details of the CD have emerged as it sat in heavy rotation in my stereo for the past few months. It's intelligent, crisply recorded, and reinforces the belief around town that Shiveley possesses a natural knack for song-writing. Plus, it's functional. There is a track for every event and every mood. Sluggish in the morning? Hit "Dead Still." Getting ready to party? Play "How to Operate a Riding Mower." Feel like crying over spilled romances? Then "Going Over," will bring on the tears. Depressed as hell? Feed your melancholy with "Waiting at the Desert Airport." Try "Today's the Day" for make-out music, unless you met your new lovely at a club; "Hyper" would be more suitable. Contact happycowtalent@yahoo.comfor more info. --Pearl
Okay, Okay. I know that ALL OF YOU are in the hardest working band in Denver. So congrats on one helluva year. But one band gets the pat on the back for running themselves ragged, and Rubber Planet it is. It's mainstream music with a twist. It's rock and roll with a pretty face and a great voice.
On February 23 at Herman's Hideaway, Rubber Planet releases its third record, Fun With Rubber . Previous releases include Lovejones 2000 (from 1999) and Just Visiting (2000). In May of 2001, the band took the much-coveted Number One slot on MP3.com's Pop and Rock site (bumping out over 150,000 bands) with the track "One More Day." In July of that year, Rubber Planet played on the Vans Warped Tour, getting a full dose of industry stardom. They even played on the WB2 morning show, for Chrissakes!
Fun With Rubber captures the band's energy that comes across so clearly on stage. The songs are ready-to-go, infectious power-pop tunes. Strong tracks include "No Heaven," "Breath" and "Deep." The hard work seems to be paying off for everyone.
Check it out for yourself at www.rubberplanet.net or Herman's Hideaway, Feb. 23. Denver's Heartbeat will be filming the show. --Judy B.
I don't know who "they" are, or why they don't shop at Sears like everyone else, but you have to admit it's a pretty cool name. Imagine that "Snap-On" calendar: hot babes using human femurs as digging sticks. Sign me up! -- Rob W.
By Judy B.
Sevendust bassist Vince Hornsby calmly surveys the typical pre-concert chaos during the few remaining hours before the band's show at the Colorado Music Hall. "I remember the last time we played this place, and it was absolutely off the hook," Hornsby said in an animated, southern drawl. Fans begin to gather quietly at the doors, perched shyly near giant tour buses that loom outside the small venue. Sevendust's live shows hit a beautifully exposed nerve with a tantalizing mix of high-voltage may-hem and pure sonic force. Ultimately, it's the Sevendust fans who make or break the show. "The fans are a big part of this band," Hornsby said. "They're the ones who put us here. If it ain't for the people, it ain't for nothing."
After the commercial success of 1999's Home, mainstream radio and rabid metalheads waited eagerly for the follow-up. Sevendust's third record, Animosity, marks important changes in the band's management, touring schedule, songwriting and production style. Sevendust's music definitely sits on the "heavy tip," as Hornsby likes to say, and Home captured the attention of rock fans eager for a brutal, raw, and fiercely powerful alternative to rap-metal.
"We've basically been doing the same thing on Animosity that we've always done," Hornsby said. "We did go down a different road on this record a little bit. People are talking about 'melody' and stuff, but we really wanted to do what was inside of us. LJ (lead singer Lajon Witherspoon) comes from an R&B background, and we really like it when he just sings, man, it's so great."
Ben Grosse (who worked with Filter and Fuel) produced Animosity. "Things changed a little bit when we got into the studio with Ben," Hornsby said. "He definitely simplified us. He put us in the pocket a little more. He was more about the song. But the music and what we love about it didn't change. Actually, I think our lyrics are a lot heavier. I mean, you can be heavy without pounding people into the ground. We don't want to do the same thing over and over. It's like painting the same picture or reading the same book. There was a lot more thought put into this record. It's a good thing."
Sevendust tours and tours and tours. In the four years prior to Animosity, the band played over 800 shows and recorded two records. In support of Home, the tour lasted for eighteen months. The grueling schedule took its toll on the guys' bodies and overall health. In preparation for this tour, the band decided to try a new approach. "You've got to keep yourself healthy," Hornsby said. "Man, we've done the drinking part and all that crazy stuff. Now, you know, we like to have a good time and the whole nine yards, but after a while, you definitely have to pull it together if you want to keep your sanity. I try to play golf wherever I go. Me and Morgan (drummer Morgan Rose) go hit it when we can. You just gotta get a break in there."
The roadies and tech guys suddenly begin a preliminary sound check. Loudly. "It's gonna be loud as hell in here tonight!" Hornsby giggles as we walk down into the quieter dressing rooms of the building. "The beauty of this thing is that we've got friends all over the country that we've made from touring. Tonight we're going out to dinner with some friends. You know, just like a normal nice dinner. We connect with people and know that we'll see them again next time. But it's a Catch-22. When I was younger, I was like, 'I have to get out of Atlanta. ' Now sometimes I can't wait to get back home. We've got people there that love us, too."
The shorter tour schedule (this leg is only six weeks long) and the band's new management, Jeff Hanson Management and Promotions (Creed) put Sevendust in an excellent position. "The best way of dealing with the music business, in my honest opinion," Hornsby said, "is to not deal with it at all (more giggling). But seriously, sooner or later, something has to be done about it."
A few songs on Animosity are about the bad business and personal situations from Sevendust's past. "You live and learn," Hornsby said. "I'm not an accountant. I'm not in marketing. I'm just a country boy from down south, you know? The people we have working for us now already knew who we were and how hard we worked. They knew we weren't going to change the way we operate, and they are a great corps of people. They give us opportunities and open doors. But I'll tell you what, we still do what we want to do with this band, what we feel is important. Our fans are important, our live show is the heart of that, and we aren't going to change a damn thing."
No other deejay in Colorado has been as consistent for as long as Ty Tek. Any deejay that can entertain five hundred to fifteen hundred club kids on a weekly basis for over three years (Thursdays @ Tracks) definitely deserves this honor. If you never had the opportunity to see him at Tracks, grace the dance floor of Enigma afterhours (formerly known as Rezodanc) between three and five am on a Friday morning, or better yet witness him open for international talent at Vinyl nearly every Friday and Saturday night.
Headliners on the horizon include Scott Bond on February 22, Simply Jeff on February 23rd, deep dish on March 1st, Derrick Carter on March 8, and Mistress Barbara on March 9.
For further information on upcoming events, visit them incyberspace at
All Rights Reserved © 2002 Go Go Media, LLC, Denver, Colorado