Podcasts

Behind The Scene Episode 26 – Jason Hoke (Epilogues, The UMS)

Posted on by Shon Cobbs

“We had the final contract in our hands…we were ready to sign it and then it was done…just gone. “

There were a few things that made an impression on me when first moving to Denver and checking out the scene.  One of them was the Underground Music Showcase (naturally), and another of them was the band The Epilogues (one of the first live sets I saw after moving here).  I loved the live energy of the Epilogues.  Seeing their set comforted my fears about the Denver scene. I knew at that time that if this was a sample of Denver’s output…I was in for a treat.

Jason Hoke is my guest for this week and he is forever connected to my initial impressions of Denver.  He is the drummer for the Epilogues and is now one of the primary talent buyers for The UMS.

We had a wonderful discussion about his personal history in music and the excellent origins of The Epilogues.  We talked about growing up with supportive parents, learning how to put on your own shows, navigating through the murky waters of label shopping, booking strategies for The UMS and so much more!

The song for this episode is an exclusive preview!  It is called ‘Best Friends’ and will be available on The Epilogues upcoming album.

Official Site: http://www.theepiloguesband.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/theepiloguesband

Bandcamp: theepilogues.bandcamp.com

Listen above and as always, subscribe direct on iTunes and RSS.

This episode was graciously sponsored by Renegade Brewing Company!  Visit their taproom on 9th and Santa Fe or pick up their wonderful assortment of beer at any local liquor store.

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Behind The Scene Episode 24 – Chuck And Rob Of SPELLS (Punk Rock)

Posted on by Shon Cobbs

“I had one goal when I started playing music, was to get in a band and play A show.  Yeah. So everything else is just….gravy”

This episode is why I love doing this podcast.

I invited members of local punk rock band, SPELLS on the show.  What I knew of SPELLS was very little.  I knew that they a) put on extremely fun shows where they set up on the floor and get the crowd involved and b) comedian Ben Roy is their frontman.  That was it.  That’s all I knew.

Within minutes of Chuck and Rob sitting down (oh by the way, I had Chuck and Rob from SPELLS on this week), I found out that I was about to talk to 2 guys with a combined 35 years of being entrenched in the Denver music scene.  What a wonderful surprise!  Peeling back the onion of Colorado music has become a personal love of mine and these two gentlemen helped me to expose so many layers.

Listen above as Chuck and Rob each chronicle their extensive histories in our city’s great punk scene.  We cover everything from learning to drum on pillows, running music labels, finding safe haven in live music, to the average lifespan of a Denver band, the creation of SPELLS, band uniforms, and how Ben’s recent success with Those Who Can’t has (or has not) affected how they work.  This was a fun one for sure.

The song for this episode is called .Jet Set and is available for download via Bandcamp.

Official Site: http://www.spellsrules.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/spellsrules

Bandcamp: spellsrules.bandcamp.com

Listen above and as always, subscribe direct on iTunes and RSS.

This episode was graciously sponsored by Renegade Brewing Company!  Visit their taproom on 9th and Santa Fe or pick up their wonderful assortment of beer at any local liquor store.

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Behind The Scene Episode 23 – Wende Curtis (Owner – Comedy Works)

Posted on by Shon Cobbs

I’m grateful that I found something that I am really passionate about, that I can create this environment for talent to flourish.

Denver has an amazing Comedy scene.  It’s a scene that blowing up right now and getting national attention.  We are not only producing amazing comedians, several of which are becoming household names as we speak; but we are (and have been for a long time) attracting the best and funniest comedy from all over the world.

Now, there are probably a multitude of reasons that people could debate as to why this is happening.  However, one thing is clear and not at all up for discussion.

Wende Curtis and Comedy Works are the backbone to this scene.

I had the pleasure of having Wende over to discuss her rich history and role in building this scene.  Listen above as we talk about what drove her to comedy, the power of tenacity, weathering near economic ruin, helping young comics grow and much much more!

The song for this episode is a wonderful tune called ‘EZ2LUV’ by one of my favorite Denver bands, The Circus House.  They just released a new album, titled ‘Graceful Jungle’, available now!  Go get it.

Listen above and as always, subscribe direct on iTunes and RSS.

This episode was graciously sponsored by Renegade Brewing Company!  Visit their taproom on 9th and Santa Fe or pick up their wonderful assortment of beer at any local liquor store.

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Behind The Scene Episode 21 – Scott Labarbera

Posted on by Shon Cobbs

I was gone.  I was just, hiding in my basement, depressed, for 3 to 6 months.  I was just like, so mentally fried.

This week I had Scott Labarbera on the patio.  Scott is the owner and operator of Tennyson District’s Oriental Theater (one of my personal favorite venues in Denver). Under Scott‘s wing, The Oriental has become a staple of live music and comedy in Denver and is one of the few remaining privately owned and operated theaters in town.

Scott‘s story is one of determination and resilience.  He shares with us his fascinating tale of what it took to walk away from a successful business in search of creative fulfillment.  He talks of the highs, the lows and every bit in-between that one experiences in their pursuit of happiness.

Personally, I get inspired by people like Scott, people that are willing to risk it all in order to search for something more in life.

The song for this episode is from the band Paper Bird (who are good friends with The Oriental Theater) and is called As I Am, from their album Rooms.

Listen above and as always, subscribe direct on iTunes and RSS.

This episode was graciously sponsored by Renegade Brewing Company!  Visit their taproom on 9th and Santa Fe or pick up their wonderful assortment of beer at any local liquor store.

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Behind The Scene Episode 7 – Jeremy Messersmith (Singer-Songwriter)

Posted on by Shon Cobbs

There have been gigs that I have walked into and I was like ‘this is a Kobayashi Maru, this is a NO-win scenario.’

Jeremy Messersmith is a singer-songwriter from MN that I have followed for many years now, ever since first hearing his sophomore album Silver City back when I lived in MN and he was a rising local act.  Signing to Glassnote Records (Mumford and Sons, CHVRCHES), appearing on Letterman, NPR, and touring Europe, Jeremy has been gaining some substantial national attention the past couple of years.

One thing that has always set Jeremy apart was his strong DIY ethos and his direct connection with his fans.  An early adopter of social media outlets for music, live streaming, and pay what you want models for his self released material; Jeremy has established himself as an inventive and dedicated working musician.

“There has never been a better time to be a working musician”

Listen above as Jeremy and I discuss his musical beginnings, his religious upbringing and later distancing from, early recording techniques, his dedicated efforts to get his music out into the world, the importance of creating your own demand, and his unique take on touring and the house show.

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Behind The Scene – Episode 4 – I Sank Molly Brown (Denver Band)

Posted on by Shon Cobbs

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Behind The Scene Episode 5 – I Sank Molly Brown

After a short, start-of-the-summer break, Behind The Scene is back!  For this episode, Dan from The Mountain Standard Show and I joined forces  to have a chat with one of our favorite Denver bands, I Sank Molly Brown.

This is a band that has been together for 11 years.  In the local music world, this is a huge accomplishment in and of itself.  In this talk, you really get a sense for why this band has been able to stay together for so song.  Simply put, they have developed a brotherhood that just loves to write, record and play music together.  They are all each other’s favorite musicians and that fact resonates strong in their live performance, where their love for the craft is nothing but infectious.

In this podcast, ISMB talks about their history, their transformation, and their passion for connecting with fans.  And as any group of musicians will do when they get together, we wax poetic on the current state of the music scene, what’s great, what’s frustrating and how we grumpy old guys can surely fix it all.  Enjoy!

Check out I Sank Molly Brown here:

Bandcamp – isankmollybrown.bandcamp.com/album/i-sank-molly-brown

Facebook – www.facebook.com/isankmollybrown