Author: Shannon Shumaker

Benson Boone Denver Review

It came as no surprise when Benson Boone’s Denver stop on his PULSE tour was quickly upgraded from the smaller Marquis Theater to the much larger Summit. The twenty-year-old artist, who has been blowing up over the past couple of years, effortlessly sold-out the 1,100 capacity venue, with fans lining up hours before doors even opened. In fact, so many fans arrived early that the line to get into the venue nearly wrapped all the way around the block. It was clear that Benson Boone has amassed a devoted and passionate fanbase, and his live performance only proved why. Opening…

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The Used Toxic Positivity

There are countless reasons why The Used are still going strong after over twenty years and ten full-length albums, but the band’s fearlessness to tackle difficult subjects while experimenting with their sound is something that has always rung true throughout their career. Their latest album, Toxic Positivity is no different, but different at the same time. While lyrically, long-time fans of the band will find comfort in the always vulnerable songwriting from frontman Bert McCracken, sonically, the album finds the band stepping out of their comfort zone once again, proving yet again why they have been a staple in the…

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Enter Shikari A Kiss For The Whole World

Enter Shikari are no strangers to reinvention, be it with their music or within themselves. Throughout almost two decades and six albums, the band has charged fearlessly into the unknown again and again, redefining themselves with each and every release, and their new album, A Kiss For The Whole World is no different. But to Enter Shikari (and their die-hard fans) it sure feels different. Arriving three years after Nothing Is True & Everything Is Possible, A Kiss For Whole World marks a bit of a rebirth for Enter Shikari. Recorded in an old farmhouse using nothing but solar power,…

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joan superglue

Over three years in the making, joan’s debut album, superglue was well worth waiting for. Composed of thirteen vulnerable, emotional, nostalgic, glittering tracks, superglue finds the duo delivering some of their most personal and heartfelt music to date. Influenced by Alan Benjamin Thomas and Steven Rutherford’s recent transitions into fatherhood, superglue finds both artists wearing their hearts on their sleeves, and the result is something that can’t be faked. It’s meaningful, honest, and incredibly relatable. Kicking off the album and really setting the tone for the songs that follow is the stunning intro, “life death & everything in between”, which…

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100 gecs Denver Review 2023

“Are you sick of bands coming up here and doing self-indulgent bullshit? If you’re sick of the bullshit, say ‘no more bullshit!” 100 gecs’ Laura Les asked of the crowd about halfway through the duo’s headlining set in Denver last week. Their set was a lot of things, but self-indulgent bullshit certainly wasn’t one of them. From the start of the night, which kicked off with a chaotic and energizing performance from the perfectly-billed opener, Machine Girl, 100 gecs’ Denver stop of the 10,000 gecs tour was anything but boring, predictable or, as they mentioned, self-indulgent. Instead, the night was…

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Derek Sanders The Heavy Box

The Heavy Box, the new solo EP from Mayday Parade frontman, Derek Sanders, might be just a short five song release, but it is packed to the brim with emotion and powerful songwriting. While his first solo EP, My Rock and Roll Heart was comprised of five stripped-down covers, The Heavy Box is made up of five new songs that find Derek wearing his heart on his sleeve and even reuniting with Jason Lancaster for the first time since his departure from Mayday Parade in 2007. Opening with the somber yet stunning “Home”, The Heavy Box is the perfect blend…

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