Events

Singer-songwriter and music producer William Fitzsimmons’ latest record, Mission Bell is a chronicling of the tumultuous last year of his life, particularly of the separation from his second wife. An initial version of the album was originally recorded in Fitzsimmons’ home studio in the summer of 2017 but was subsequently abandoned during the course of, and as a result of, the separation. Sonically, Mission Bell is Fitzsimmons’ first analog tape-centric album. The sounds are raw, real, and tangible. The familiar comforts of acoustic guitars are present but now joined generously by synthesizers, electric guitars, drum loops and violins.

Foxfeather is a sultry alt-americana band founded in Boulder, CO in 2013. Beginning with a lyrical base, and bolstered by strong blues-rock instrumentals, Foxfeather’s unique sound captivates their audience. The band consists of Carly Ricks Smith (lead vocals), Laura Paige Stratton (acoustic/electric guitars, keys, vocals), and is often supported by various instrumentalists for a full rock sound.

Acclaimed spoken word performing artist Assétou Xango joins Baroque violinist Cynthia Miller Freivogel, six BCOC musicians, and three dancers from the Lion Heart Dance Crew. Original improvisations, plus music of Castello, Biber, Bach, Marini and Buxtehude, all performed on period instruments.

This month we are teaming up with the Boulder International Film Festival for a special Movie Night featuring BIFF’s 2018 Shorts Program! We’ll kick off the evening with a Happy Hour at the eTown Cafe (beer, wine, and snacks for purchase) before heading into the Hall for a specially curated program of short films.

The world could use more straight shooters. You won’t ever have to wonder about what LP is thinking. She’ll gladly tell you. In fact, the singer-songwriter lays all of her cards on the table every time she makes a record. The artist’s fifth full-length—the aptly titled Heart To Mouth—stands out as her most direct statement yet. No filter, no censorship, and no bullshit. Heart To Mouth is the sound of an artist incapable of holding back. Instead, she speaks candidly on love, lust, fear, insecurity, infidelity, regret, and redemption.

Born and raised in Sandpoint Idaho, Shook Twins are an Indie folk-pop band hailing from Portland, Oregon. Identical twins, Katelyn and Laurie Shook, and Niko Daoussis form the band’s core. Central to Shook Twins’ sound is their wide range of instrumentation: banjo, acoustic and electric guitars, electric bass, mandolin, electronic drums, face drum (beatbox), glockenspiel, ukulele, banjo-head drumming and their signature Golden Egg.

As a recording artist, Steve Poltz fronted the semi-legendary Rugburns and is responsible for a critically lauded body of work on his own: One Left Shoe, Chinese Vacation, Answering Machine, The Barn (a children’s album), Tales From The Tavern (a performance DVD), Traveling, Unraveling, Dreamhouse, Noineen Noiny Noin, the soundtrack for the acclaimed Sundance-screened documentary film, Running Wild – The Life of Dayton O. Hyde and most recently his critically acclaimed record Folksinger.

Jonathan Wilson’s career is rooted in the Southern California music scene, where crisp instrumental work and fluid melodies rule. A multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter, Wilson also has made his mark as a producer and sideman by working with musicians as diverse as Roger Waters, Father John Misty, and Erykah Badu. His latest album, Rare Birds, eloquently explores a wide range of emotions, featuring his distinctive vocals and colored by lush instrumentation.

Potions and Poisons is the fourth album of original music from Head for the Hills, the Colorado based post-modern bluegrass outfit of Adam Kinghorn, Joe Lessard, Matt Loewen and Sam Parks. There’s no reinvention of the wheel here–no computer programmed banjo rolls or digitally arpeggiated fiddle lines. Instead we find Head for the Hills at the peak of their powers of musical alchemy, building little worlds of sound from the detritus of bluegrass, jazz, hip hop, folk and soul.

Colorado native Joel Van Horne, aka Covenhoven, has dubbed his new critically acclaimed album the ocean record, because he wrote the songs while touring and exploring the west coast over the past 2 years. Chapter 3 in the Covenhoven story, “A Kind of Revelation” continues his over-arching theme of immersion in a place, and letting that place become the centerpiece of the music. Big Sur, Olympic National Park, and the Oregon coast served as his geographical muse this time around.