FOCOMX 7 done … think I left both my feet on College somewhere. I also think the left hip is telling me that it needs attention. hmmm. okay. My weekend, however, won’t be done until after 8PM tonight (Sunday), when the Denver Music Summit is finished with “All Songs Considered.”
So why did both events manage to land on the same weekend? Turns out the McNichols Civic Center Building is due for some major restoration and fixing up in general, and this was the only weekend available for the music summit planners. I’m not sure if that directly impacted expected attendance though for the workshops held during the afternoon on Saturday and Sunday.
Sometimes I just don’t get it. Sometimes singers are just not good. Sometimes fans flock to an act that just isn’t all that good. They buy into the kitsch, or the name, or the fact (s)he is in a highly popular band. Yes, what’s good can be subjective, fact. Singing flat however is measurable. Singing flat is not good. Sometimes a song or two is all you need …sometimes dropping a needle on the record is all it takes to define that record.
As I walked around on my rounds of several of the small rooms I was assigned to monitor for audio issues, I did notice that each venue was well attended. By the time Stelth Ulvang took the stage at the Aggie the place was packed, and I have no doubt it remained that way through the night. By that time of night all the rooms were pretty well packed from what I could tell.
Promises of new music abounded as I spent time with members of various bands — the Epilogues promise a new EP for late summer release, as well the Knew who turned in what had to be the loudest set I heard all night at Illegal Pete’s … Dearling is going through a creative spurt as well (and while not at FOCOMX, John Common is also planning a series of single releases)
I left at 10, so missed prime time, but I’ve got no doubt that the beer and pot fueled energy of the crowd at ten stayed quite rowdy all the way up to 1:30.
Day Two Denver Music Summit coming.
I spent Sunday afternoon with Mollie O’Brien and Rich Moore. That conversation will be featured as our Offstage …Beyond the Music segment in May while Mollie and Rich are on tour in Scotland, before returning for shows in Arkansas and Oklahoma. Don’t forget to check out 
