I have been visiting the lovely city of Denver Colorado over the past couple of weeks, and it has been one hell of a great experience. I will hi-lite the music and art side of my trip . . . First I would like to thank my sweetie Bree x o x o for showing me an amazing time.Denver is spectacular even if it had nothing more to offer than the ridiculously breathtaking view of the Rocky Mountains. But such is not the case. Denver is a hot spot for live music. It boasts some of the best venues in the country, and I am lucky enough to have indulged.
Part I: The Mars Volta @ the Fillmore ,Denver Colorado Sunday May 18th 2008
The Fillmore in Denver reminds me of a fancier version of NYC's Iriving Plaza. It has a 5,000 seat capacity, and sold out when the Mars Volta rolled into the mile high city. The Mars Volta is one of the T. Katz favorite bands, and it was my first time witnessing the all out musical assault that the 8 piece unclassifiable genious that is the Mars Volta, brought to a capacity crowd of hungry fans that left with a heaping helping of musical chops galore mixed with every time signature known to man. The Fillmore was buzzing with anticipation as the lights dimmed and the shadowy figures of this super group emerged from the side stage to strap on their weapons and completely destroy the stage. As the first number mesmerized the venue with a snake like charm, front man Cedric Bixler-Zavala preened like a throw back to Robert Plant and had the charisma that many so called "rockstars" wish they posessed. As the band played their tribal like instrumental, Zavala jumped off the stage and did his best Mick Jagger strut-dance with the crowd, as he teased and grabbed a fans hand bag and flopped it round his neck and gave the screaming fans a show opener that is unparalleled in todays musical status quo. The MV churned out 25 to 45 minute compositions like it was effortless but at the same time maintained a physical stage presence that delivered the music more than convincingly. It reminded me of a mixture of the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Santana with a smidge of Black Sabbath lurking in the mix. The band is led by uber guitarist whiz Omar Rodriquez-Lopez, and the songs are thrust in your face by drum god Thomas Prigden, who makes ya want to throw in the towel if your a drummer. The rest of the band holds down the groove and their chops will leave your jaw picking up lint off the floor. It was nearly 3 hours of mind blowing creation, and was even sweeter watching it from the V.I.P box . . . Oh what a Life
The Fillmore in Denver reminds me of a fancier version of NYC's Iriving Plaza. It has a 5,000 seat capacity, and sold out when the Mars Volta rolled into the mile high city. The Mars Volta is one of the T. Katz favorite bands, and it was my first time witnessing the all out musical assault that the 8 piece unclassifiable genious that is the Mars Volta, brought to a capacity crowd of hungry fans that left with a heaping helping of musical chops galore mixed with every time signature known to man. The Fillmore was buzzing with anticipation as the lights dimmed and the shadowy figures of this super group emerged from the side stage to strap on their weapons and completely destroy the stage. As the first number mesmerized the venue with a snake like charm, front man Cedric Bixler-Zavala preened like a throw back to Robert Plant and had the charisma that many so called "rockstars" wish they posessed. As the band played their tribal like instrumental, Zavala jumped off the stage and did his best Mick Jagger strut-dance with the crowd, as he teased and grabbed a fans hand bag and flopped it round his neck and gave the screaming fans a show opener that is unparalleled in todays musical status quo. The MV churned out 25 to 45 minute compositions like it was effortless but at the same time maintained a physical stage presence that delivered the music more than convincingly. It reminded me of a mixture of the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Santana with a smidge of Black Sabbath lurking in the mix. The band is led by uber guitarist whiz Omar Rodriquez-Lopez, and the songs are thrust in your face by drum god Thomas Prigden, who makes ya want to throw in the towel if your a drummer. The rest of the band holds down the groove and their chops will leave your jaw picking up lint off the floor. It was nearly 3 hours of mind blowing creation, and was even sweeter watching it from the V.I.P box . . . Oh what a LifePart II: The Cure @ Red Rocks Wednesday May 22nd 2008
I don't know where to really begin, except by saying Red Rocks, "rocks". For those of you who don't know about Red Rocks, you have no idea what a magical place it is. Red Rocks is about a 30 minute drive from Denver. It was all the more beautiful riding in a stretch Navigator Limo up to this unforgettable outdoor ampitheater. As our crew "rock starred" it in the Limo, I made sure to take in how gorgeous the mountains were. As we arrived I was over taken by the pure beauty of this venue that is virtually sitting in the mountain surrounded by two gargantuan red boulders. It is quite a hike down to the stage, but how could I complain with 5th row tickets to one of my all time favorite bands, The Cure. I could not contain my wits as The Cure enraptured us with staples such as "Love Song", "Pictures of You", "Friday I'm in Love" and also suprised me with the dark and patient "If Only Tonight We Could Sleep". The four piece also played new material such as "Perfect Boy" that offered a somewhat newer approach to the formulaic song writing of this legendary outfit. However they did not dissapoint the throng of loyals who longed to sing along to all their favorite cuts. Robert Smith smiled and moved through his melancholy persona like it was old hat. The teased hair, dark eyes and obligatory red lipstick that embodies the veteran frontman, personifies an era of music that is nostalgic and yet fresh at the same time. The weather was absolutely perfect, and the acoustics in what I like to call the 8th wonder of the world surrounds you like you are inside of a pair of headphones that belongs to the gods. The Cure played for 3 hours including 3 much appreciated encores, giving us fans a once in a life time treat on a perfect night, in the best venue in the universe.Part III: Impressionist Exhibit @ the Denver Museum of Art Thursday May 23rd 2008
Today I had the destinct pleasure of viewing some of the most mind blowing art from the impressionist movement. The exhibit was called inspiring Impressionism. It detailed paintings from the "Old Masters" and inspired interpretations of the Impressionists. Impressionsists such as Monet, Ce'zanne, Degas, Manet, and Pissaro painted inspired works that was their interpretations of Renaissance Masters, like Raphael and other greats such as Fragonard. I was awestruck at the detailed brush strokes of the impressionists that jumped off the canvas and into the part of my soul that appreciates the essence of magnificent beauty. I was also enchanted by the non impressionist masters that cultivated the creativity into the movement that was to follow. I can't even describe the feeling of being mere inches from masterpieces that were 400 plus years old. It humbles the root of who you are to peek into the past and witness how those who came before us, will somehow always be greater than our best efforts . . . 
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