Westword Music Showcase 2007

Welcome to the thirteenth edition of the Westword Music Showcase! This year's Showcase, set for Saturday, June 16, in the Golden Triangle, is bigger and better than ever (yes, I know we say that every year, but it happens to be true). For starters, the all-ages Outdoor Stage has moved two blocks to the north, to a parking lot on the corner of 12th Avenue and Acoma. To find it, all you'll need to do is follow the sound, since Dinosaur Jr., one of the loudest bands on earth, will be headlining, along with Lucero. We've also added a few new clubs to the parade route: DC 10, the Sutra Room and Andrew's on Lincoln have joined such stellar repeat locales as the Acoma Center, Shelter, La Rumba, Two AM and Dazzle.

This year's lineup of nominated bands includes quite a few newcomers, too, along with returning favorites from all parts of the scene — 23 categories of music in all. More than sixty of these acts will play at ten stages throughout the day and evening, making the Westword Music Showcase the perfect opportunity to sample some of the best music our amazing town has to offer. You can get an idea of what motivates these bands in the Q&As that fill this section. The Showcase schedule below reflects a few changes: Ian Cooke has been gracious enough to switch his 8 p.m. Sutra Room slot with Gregory Alan Isakov's 7 p.m. slot, since Isakov is flying in from a tour stop in Portland, Oregon, to perform at the Showcase. Nathan & Stephen and the Omens also swapped spots — the former will perform at 2 p.m. on the Outdoor Stage, while the latter will fill the 8 p.m. slot at the Acoma Center. Since Ion just parted ways with a key member of the group, that act has had to bow out altogether — and Love Me Destroyer will now close out the Two AM lineup at 7 p.m.

Keep an eye on our website, www.westword.com, for other updates, as well as Q&As with nominated bands that won't be performing. And regardless of who winds up getting the most votes in each category (winners will be announced at the Showcase Awards on Monday, June 25, at the Bluebird Theater), I just want to say that it's an honor and a privilege to be able to showcase our scene — hands-down the most vibrant, diverse and exciting in the country. — Dave Herrera

ACTION FRIEND
NOMINATED IN ART ROCK/AVANTE-GARDE
2 P.M., TWO AM

Website: www.myspace.com/actionfriend

Personnel: Paul Alexander (drums); Shaun Solomon (bass); Jeremy McLean (guitar).

Native or transplant? One native, two transplants.

Releases/discography: Demo (2006); Demo (2007); Untitled (coming in 2007).

What three adjectives best describe your music? Genre-hopping. Experimental. Rock.

Favorite place to play a show: 3 Kings Tavern.

Favorite place to hang out/drink: N/A

Best artist/band to come out of Denver (that's not yours/you): Roseanne Barr.

Best song to come out of Denver (that you didn't write): No comment.

If you were a street in Denver, which street would it be and why? My parents' street, because I love my parents.

If you had to choose one act to represent Denver, who would it be and why? Prolly, because they represent Denver best although they're from Fort Collins.

Which artist has had the biggest impact on you? The Melvins.

Which album has had the biggest impact on you? Grease soundtrack.

File-sharing: Godsend or the death of music? Neat.

Who's on your iPod right now? Two out of three of Action Friend think iPods are lame.

Parting shot: I know we're friends and all, but you came all over my leg.

BELA KAROLI
NOMINATED IN AMBIENT/ELECTRONIC
4 P.M., SUTRA ROOM

Website: www.myspace.com/belakaroli

Personnel: Julie Davis (upright bass, vocals, soft instruments); Brigid McAuliffe (accordion, vocals); Carrie Beeder (violin).

Native or transplant? We were each transplanted at an early age.

Releases/discography: Bela Karoli will be releasing our first full-length album in late September.

What three adjectives best describe your music? Retro-future chamber pop; that's two adjectives and one noun.

Favorite place to play a show: Meadowlark.

Favorite place to hang out/drink: My front stoop.

If you were a street in Denver, which street would it be and why? Bela Karoli would most likely be the alley between Marion and Downing streets on Capitol Hill. We practice in a garage off that alley, and since it's been repaved, you can ride your bike or roller-skate really fast down it.

Which artist has had the biggest impact on you? T. S. Eliot.

Which album has had the biggest impact on you? Nutcracker Suite - Pytor Illych Tchaikovsky.

File-sharing: Godsend or the death of music? Godsend.

Who's on your iPod right now: Andrew Bird, Duke Ellington, Bill Evans, Sufjan Stevens, Porlolo, Gregory Alan Isakov, Nina Simone, the Wheel, Hope Sandoval & the Warm Inventions, Björk, Thom Yorke, Miles Davis, Feist, Ravel, the Ravens, Ian Cooke, Radiohead, Slim Harpo.

BLACK LAMB
NOMINATED IN METAL/HARDROCK
6 P.M., TWO AM

Website: www.myspace.com/blacklamb

Personnel: Bill Stewart (guitar); Mykel Martinez (guitar); Tim Vigil (bass); Shane Hartman (drum intern); Brian Hagman (tambourine, hollerin').

Native or transplant? Commerce City.