Giveaway: Tickets to Lilith in Denver!!

All you lady-lovers, listen up! Tragic Kingdom is excited about the return of Lilith - more widely known as The Lilith Fair - which has a pretty stellar lineup this year, including Sheryl Crow, Kelly Clarkson, Rihanna, Ke$ha, Emmylou Harris, and, of course, Sarah McLachlan. And when the tour stops in Denver (July 13th), with Miranda Lambert, Metric, Kelly Clarkson, Sarah McLachlan, Ingrid Michaelson, and more, 2 of our lucky readers will have the chance to see them ALL for free! 

If you want two tickets to catch one of the most exciting tours of the summer when it stops at Comfort Dental Amphitheatre on July 13th, pay attention:

1. Follow me on Twitter at @CMVetrano AND tweet the following: "I want tix to see #Lilith in Denver! #TragicKingdom is giving them away at http://bit.ly/bouYZb! Follow @CMVetrano for a chance 2 win!"

2. Like our newly created Tragic Kingdom page on Facebook AND leave us a comment as to why you should win - the most creative responses will become front runners.

3. Enter often - each tweet and comment on Facebook count as one entry, but read carefully - you and not automatically entered to win just for following me, you have to send the tweet out to your lists.  And you have to write on the Tragic Kingdom wall, rather than just hit the like button.  Keep these tips in mind to take home 2 tickets to the show!

Good luck! The winners will be notified on their social media accounts on July 11th.

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Before He Cheats Live in Denver

When our girl, Carrie Underwood, stopped in Denver, we couldn't resist grabbing as many photos and videos for the blog as possible.  I'll continue to bring you footage and highlights of the action over the next week, but you can read the full review down below or by clicking here.

Encore Performance: Before He Cheats

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Giveaway: Tickets to Civil Twilight, Paper Tongues, & NEON TREES!!

Tragic Kingdom's featured artist of the month, Neon Trees, is currently on tour with Civil Twilight  and Paper Tongues. And you, Denver, have the chance to see them all live when they stop in Colorado on July 21st!  Not only is the show going to rock, but it will kick off The 10th Annual Underground Music Showcase (which will take over South Broadway the following day). That's 5 full nights of pure goodness - can you handle it?!

Tragic Kingdom is giving away 2 pairs of tickets to the show, which is going down at The Bluebird Theater, and here's how YOU can win:

1. Follow me on Twitter at @CMVetrano AND tweet the following: "I want tix to @neontees in Denver! #tragickingdom and @CMVetrano are giving them away at www.tragickingdomblog.com!"

2. Like our newly created Tragic Kingdom page on Facebook AND leave us a comment as to why you should win - the most creative responses will become front runners.

3. Enter often - each tweet and comment on Facebook count as one entry, but read carefully - you and not automatically entered to win just for following me, you have to send the tweet out to your lists.  And you have to write on the Tragic Kingdom wall, rather than just hit the like button.  Keep these tips in mind to take home 2 tickets to the show!

Good luck! The two lucky winners will be announced on July 18th!
 

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The UMS Announces Flobots and More!

The Underground Music Showcase – now known simply as The UMS – is excited to announce the Colorado-native band Flobots as the headliner for this year’s festival, which marks 10 years of bringing the best local and national indie artists to Denver stages. And to help celebrate the milestone, the Universal Republic recording artists will take the stage on Saturday night to perform tracks from their latest release, Survival Story, as well as fan favorites from their first mainstream release, Fight with Tools.

Also announced today to round out the already robust lineup is Hoots & Hellmouth, a Machine Gun Blues’ reunion show, The Centennial’s (formerly Meese) EP Release show, the kick off to Lilly Scott from American Idol’s national tour, and entertainment by Lucha Libre (Mexican Wrestling). This year’s lineup includes more than 300 of the best bands, singer-songwriters, and comedians from all over the world. For the complete list of artists, visit the Artist Page at the www.theums.com.

The UMS, which has grown to be the largest indie music festival in the Western United States in just 10 short years, takes over 10 blocks of Denver’s South Broadway from July 22nd thru July 25th, featuring restaurants, hip local boutiques, and some of the best live music venues in the city. Last year’s event left a mark on the music community in Denver, including Tiffiny Holiday of AmericanIndie.net (now The Ruckus) when she reviewed the festival saying, “this really is Denver’s best summer event, and I can’t say that there was a time when there wasn’t a show going on that I didn’t want to see…I will be clearing my schedule for next year’s showcase”. The four day event will feature food, beverage and retail vendors on-site, offering product samplings, giveaways and other promotions all weekend long. A four-day wristband will only cost you $25, if you buy now – price increases to $30 on July 1st and is $40 day-of – and VIP Badges, which are almost sold out, offer access to three late night parties with hosted food and bar, the ability to skip lines at venues, and other VIP amenities, run you only $60 through June 30th. Tickets and badges are available for purchase at www.theums.com.

Official sponsors include Heineken, The Denver Post, Floyd’s 99 Barbershops, Verizon Wireless, Groove Automotive, Peach Street Distillers (Goat Vodka and Jackelope Gin), Montanya Distillers, Ohio Center for Broadcasting Colorado Campus, Car Toys, and Red Bull. A portion of the proceeds from this year’s event will go to our charitable partner Bands for Lands, visit www.BandsForLands.org for more information.

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Neon Trees Covers Bieber

Tragic Kingdom's Featured Artist of the month, Neon Trees, took on the Justin Bieber smash "Baby" for Mashup Monday on Billboard.com this week, mashing it up with "Stand By Me". 

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Carrie Underwood Entertains Crowds across the Country on “Play On” Tour

June 4, 2010 (Denver) - Performing to an almost sold out Colorado crowd, Carrie Underwood illustrated why she was named the Academy of Country Music’s Entertainer of the Year for two consecutive years. And it’s no surprise that fans across the country come out in droves to see the once-American Idol starlet live.
As the lights dimmed, the band began to play the opening chords of the lead single, “Cowboy Casanova”, from the country cutie’s third number one album Play On. And with a flash of light, there she was, rising from beneath the stage in a form fitting, glammed up tuxedo inspired outfit – the first of eight costume choices – as she delivered her sassy single to the adoring audience. Followed by a number of filler tracks from the current album and a few recognizable hits, the show seemed more of a greatest hits compilation. And with ten number one hits under her belt, it’s no wonder why.

Whether flying over the crowd in a blue “CARRIE” branded pickup truck singing “Country Roads” or strutting around the stage, the blonde bombshell showed no signs of vocal distress – even at the high Rocky Mountain altitude. About halfway through the 23-song set, Underwood, who took a number of breaks to undoubtedly catch her breath and chat with the audience, belted out her first number one single “Jesus Take the Wheel” mashed up with the Jesus-loving classic “How Great Thou Art”, which seemed to hit home with most of the country fan filled arena. The evening, while generally upbeat, included many tender moments, including her current single “Temporary Home”, which she warned had a 50/50 chance of making her cry upon delivery. It went the way of tears during the touching number in Denver.

The most predictable surprise of the night brought country trio Sons of Sylvia, who had opened the evening with Craig Morgan, on stage to perform the ballad “What Can I Say”. And as the night came to a close, she delivered another “duet” with a digital-Randy Travis while the stage was converted into the Grand Ole Opry set. “I don’t get to play much there while on tour, so we thought we’d bring a little bit of it on the road with us,” she said before delivering the Travis covered hit “I Told You So”. After the stage quickly changed from Opry back to the Play On extravaganza, Carrie made her way to the Slam Grand piano for “Mama’s Song”, a tribute to her mom and future husband (tear!), Mike Fisher. And after a quick intro of the band, she kicked it up with “Last Name” before lowering herself below the stage from which she first appears just 21 songs, 7 outfit changes, and 10 number one hits ago - leaving room for just one or two more.

And as the band “played on”, Carrie reemerged in a glittery version of the album’s cover artwork and the audience sang along to Underwood’s biggest cross-over smash, “Before He Cheats”, followed by “Song Like This”, an untempo track from the disc, mashed up with Miranda Lambert’s “White Liar” and Beyonce’s “Single Ladies”. And after a few minutes of thanking everyone for coming out and giving her signature beauty queen smile, she again lowered below the stage and the arena went dark. While the tour continued on to its next stop – she performed in Colorado Springs the following night – Denver fans – myself included – were left satisfied.

And in true Tragic Kingdom fashion, you can check out more videos and video of the concert on our Facebook page at: http://facebook.com/tragickingdomblog

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Dave Preston Soars in Skies

Dave Preston - last month's featured artist - has posted this new video to accompany his track, "Skies", from his sophomore album Soundtrack For Motion.  Tragic Kingdom is committed to bring you up to date news from this emerging talent, and it's a great way to mellow your Monday, so definitely check it out.  Preston is currently on tour with Matt Morris, opening for Ingrid Michaelson on her North American tour. 

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Meeting Neon Trees

Check out this video of Tragic Kingdom's Featured Artist of the Month, Neon Trees, introducing its members and telling their story of how it all began.  

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Artist To Watch: Neon Trees

I first heard this month's featured artist, Neon Trees, in Austin at Entertainment Weekly's SXSW VIP party.  And while the complimentary drink selection - some overly sweet Acai Berry vodka concoction - had me ready for a new location, I was stopped in my tracks by the four piece band as soon as they took the stage.  The high energy set which included selections from the band's album, Habits, became the highlight of my search for the next best SXSW band.  The performance was illustrated by the band's front man, Tyler Glenn, jumping around the stage showcasing his dynamic vocals and verging-on-insane stage presence, reminiscent of No Doubt's Gwen Stefani.  And it didn't stop there. The band, fronted by Glenn, also features Chris Allen on guitars, Branden Campbell on bass, and Elaine Bradley on drums and backing vocals.  The foursome, while individually unique, blend well on the indie pop tracks featured on the band's major label debut.  Each track finds its way to everything between garage punk rock and hook-happy new wave, offering a variety of styles appealing to the masses.

The lead single, "Animal", is fueled by adrenaline making listeners jump up out of their seats and move to the synth-driven beats.  Undoubtedly one of the most pop driven tracks in the bunch, it showcases what else the heavy hitting newcomers have to offer on the disc. "1983" draws attention to the influences from the decade as Glenn courts a young woman, while "Sins of My Youth" draws on his childhood trials which led to self discovery.  And the band website describes "Your Surrender" as taking "Roy Orbison’s romantic plaint and sets it up against Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound", making it one of the standouts amongst the eight track compilation. 

Although no heavy ballads appear, the first effort from Neon Trees is full of keyboard synth coolness - and plenty of hand clapping - which is surely laying the groundwork for a career of poppy punk rock classics to come.  And while the comparisons to The Killers are painfully obvious, Neon Trees seems prepared to stay true to their diverse indie sound despite where their success takes them.  Having already toured with their similar sounding counterparts, the band hasn't shown signs of slowing since our first meeting in Austin.  Since March, the band embarked on a tour with 30 Seconds to Mars and Mute Math, were showcased on MTV as an artist on the rise, appeared on the talk circuit, and are prepping for another handful of dates, on the Civil Twilight Tour, taking their stint on the road through the end of the summer.  As one of the most promising new bands of the year, I can't wait to see what they deliver next.  And in the meantime, you can check out the band's Tim Burton inspired video for "Animal" below.

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