Let’s pop the top off of the time capsule this week and check out a dynamic and eclectic show featuring two Denver-based musical guests. Headlining the show is the well-established band DeVotchKa and supporting them is singer-songwriter Kyle Emerson. Nick also has a sit-down with Sister Edna Lonergan to discuss how she pioneered the combination of adult and child daycare.
DeVotchKa
A cross-pollination of numerous influences, including cabaret, spaghetti Westerns, norteño, punk, and the immigrant dance music of Eastern Europe, Colorado-based quartet DeVotchKa, formed in Denver by multi-instrumentalists Nick Urata (vocals, guitar, trumpet), Tom Hagerman (violin, accordion), Jeanie Schroder (sousaphone, bass) and percussionist Shawn King, emerged as unlikely indie heroes in the mid-2000s infusing modern indie music with a global flavor.
They found widespread success in 2006 with their Grammy-nominated soundtrack to the hit indie film Little Miss Sunshine. After doing more soundtrack work, this time for the 2009 comedy I Love You Phillip Morris, the group returned to the studio for 2011’s moody and triumphant 100 Lovers. Embarking on another world tour, they collaborated with the Colorado Symphony on the 2012 concert album Live with the Colorado Symphony.
Over the next several years, Nick became increasingly involved in his own film composition career, scoring movies like Crazy Stupid Love, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, Paddington, and the Netflix series A Series of Unfortunate Events.
Kyle Emerson
Kyle Emerson, a young indie-rock veteran, released his album Only Coming Down in 2019 via Swoon City Music, which he shares here at eTown.
At turns dreamy and driving, Emerson’s music bridges classic and contemporary sounds to create a warm, inviting and introspective atmosphere.
He is currently a guitar, banjo and mandolin player with Michael Marcagi.
Sister Edna Lonergan
Through Sister Edna Lonergan’s vision and guidance, St. Ann Center became the first dementia-specific day care in Milwaukee and one of the first fully integrated intergenerational daycares in the United States, serving children, the frail elderly and adults with disabilities and their caregivers in one homelike setting.