The Beatdown

With that, his face brightened like he'd just found out that Christmas had been moved up to tomorrow. And maybe it has. This kid hasn't had the opportunity to become jaded; for him, the world is brand-new. And suddenly all my high-minded thoughts disappeared, and I was transported back to their age, a time when I was a starry-eyed rocker, before life rounded off my edges. These kids didn't want to hear my words -- no matter how sage, or sincere, they may have been. To them, I sounded just like Charlie Brown's teacher. All these kids want to do is rock...and someday when they grow up (or maybe even sooner), they want to be rock stars.

A kid wearing a trucker hat posed the final question. "So, are the Vines playing at Red Rocks with Incubus?" he asked. "I heard that they canceled."

The future beckons.

Upbeats and Beatdowns: This Thursday, July 15 at 7 p.m., the Westword Music Showcase Awards will take place at the Bluebird Theater. We'll be announcing both the Showcase winners and the opener of the Coors Light Mountain Jam; that same night, Underground 102, a benefit to raise funds for Denver Public Schools music programs, takes place at ROX Infusion Lounge. The show features performances by United Dope Front, DJs Panic, Skwared, Chan Pain, Uplifter, Seafoam, Nutmeg, Dru Fog, Ejay, Equulei and Ivy. On Friday, July 16, Lipgloss hosts a fashion show that benefits SafeKids; meanwhile, Wanker roars back onto the scene with a reunion show at Herman's Hideaway with Rubber Planet, You Call That Art?? and Itchbaum Lives! On Saturday, July 17, The Pirate Sygnl celebrates the release of its new disc, Norma(l) Hugh Manchild's American Revolution(s), with Prana, Ideal Ideologies, Asylum and DJs Spider and Ali Impossible at Clandestinos.