Che Apalache
When you’re talking about authentic live music performances and interactions, there’s no such thing as too much of a good thing. So, without further ado we’re kicking off our 41st year with a concert season filled with longstanding favorites and surprising newcomers.
If you’re looking for an evening of eclectic but complementary pairings, might we suggest the Flamenco rock of El Javi and the dynamic electric string quartet Spinphony in Daniels Hall?
If you’re looking for the sort of music Swallow Hill has built its community of music lovers upon, there’s Clay Kirkland‘s annual Beat the Reaper Concert in Daniels Hall on Saturday, February 8, and Dakota Blonde‘s annual Valentine’s Day concert on, you guessed it, February 14.
Some of the finest standard bearers of American and world folk music will also grace our stages. Tom Paxton returns to Daniels Hall with the DonJuans on Saturday, February 22. A few weeks later, it’s time for an evening of unparalleled slack key guitar mastery from the Masters of Hawaiian Music – George Kahumoku Jr, Jeff Peterson and Nathan Aweau, who play Daniels Hall on Saturday, March 7. Then, we take things off site for Altan and Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas at the First Baptist Church in Denver on Friday, March 13.
Sprinkled throughout it all are a great collection of singer-songwriters, from David Wilcox on Sunday, March 8, and Robyn Hitchcock on Friday, March 13. Both of these shows are in Daniels Hall.
What about the bluegrass, you ask? Well, we’ve got you covered there as well. We’re excited to present two of the Front Range’s finest bluegrass bands – Chain Station and Turkeyfoot – in Daniels Hall on Saturday, January 31. Then the John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band – better known as J2B2 – play the same stage on Friday March 6. In Tuft Theatre, meanwhile, Buenos Aires-based Che Apalache bring their distinctive brand of “Latingrass” to Swallow Hill.
These shows and more are on sale now. Thank you consuming mass quantities of live music in Denver with Swallow Hill!
Altan
El Javi and Spinphony in Daniels Hall
Friday, January 24 at 8pm; $20 advance, $22 day of show
El Javi, out of Mexico City, joins the spirit of flamenco with the heart of rock. Through his distinct instrumental sound, he paints an auditory portrait composed of strength and intimacy, reflecting his experiential existence as both human and artist. Collaborations color his compositions as he endlessly evolves his music, warranting his title. The King of Rock Flamenco.
The dazzling female electric string quartet Spinphony is breaking down barriers between classical, rock, and pop music, mixing and mashing catchy melodies into their own unique arrangements. Whether you’re a fan of Bach, ACDC, Journey, or Mozart, the virtuosic ladies will have you rocking out to the greatest melodies of all time.
Chain Station and Turkeyfoot Bluegrass in Daniels Hall
Saturday, January 31 at 8pm; $18 advance, $20 day of show
Chain Station is a 4-piece, high-energy, get ‘em out on the dance floor string band born high in the mountains but based in Denver, Colorado. Their music is well-steeped in Americana roots with vocal harmonies that are high, lonesome, and tight. Their picking ranges from lightning-fast to mountain mellow. A bluegrass band that would satisfy a picky old-timer and delight fans of newgrass, a delicate balance indeed.
The five friends who comprise Denver’s next big bluegrass band, Turkeyfoot, share momentous instrumental talent, an enthusiasm for collaboration, and some serious songwriting chops. The band originally honed their tight groove playing around one condenser mic at a weekly local jam, and have firmly instilled themselves in the hearts of Colorado’s bluegrass community.
Clay Kirkland’s Beat the Reaper XIV in Daniels Hall
Saturday, February 8 at 8pm; $20 advance, $22 day of show
Join Clay Kirkland and a collection of musical guests for his 14th annual Beat the Reaper Concert. Now a touring musician and teacher based out of Kansas City, Clay will always consider Swallow Hill his musical home. Clay says “I do enjoy bringing to the harmonica some skills and sensitivities and virtuosity that can only be achieved from a lifetime of playing and singing,” and he can’t wait to see everyone in Daniels Hall on February 8.
Dakota Blonde in Daniels Hall
Friday, February 14 at 8pm; $23 advance, $25 day of show
“Soulful, delicate, powerful, insightful… all that and more,” are the words International recording artist/song-writer Michael Johnson uses to describe Dakota Blonde. “Highly addictive & absolutely contagious” is how their loyal & captivated audiences describe them! Anyway you put it, Dakota Blonde, made up of Mary Huckins, Don Pinnella & Tony Raddell, have certainly played and sung their way into countless hearts & souls around the globe!
Tom Paxton & The DonJuans in Daniels Hall
Saturday, February 22 at 8pm; $31 advance, $33 day of show
Tom Paxton has become a voice of his generation, addressing issues of injustice and inhumanity, laying bare the absurdities of modern culture and celebrating the tenderest bonds of family, friends, and community. Now the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winner and folk icon has teamed up with the Grammy winning singer/songwriter duo The DonJuans – Don Henry & Jon Vezner and they’re taking it on the road!
Tinsley Ellis in Daniels Hall
Sunday, February 23 at 7pm; $22 advance, $24 day of show
Southern blues-rock guitar wizard, vocalist and songwriter Tinsley Ellis is a bona fide worldwide guitar hero. The Chicago Sun-Times says, “It’s hard to overstate the raw power of his music.” Armed with his signature molten licks, melodic riffs and rousing, intense solos, Ellis, as his legions of fans will attest, is among the blues world’s best-loved, hardest working and most well-travelled statesmen.
Che Apalache in Tuft Theatre
Saturday, February 29 at 8pm; $14 advance, $16 day of show
Che Apalache is a four-man string band based in Buenos Aires with members from Argentina, Mexico and the United States. Though they started as a bluegrass band, Che Apalache eventually incorporated Latin American styles into their repetoire. Combining instrumental prowess with tight vocal harmonies, they have curated an authentic blend of genres to reflect the nature of their lives, evoking images from Appalachia to the Andes.
J2B2 (John Jorgenson Bluegrass Band) in Daniels Hall
Friday, March 6 at 8pm; $24 advance, $26 day of show
The art that John Jorgenson, Herb Pedersen, Jon Randall and Mark Fain create as J2B2 is the kind of music that, like a shot of the very best, aged bourbon whiskey, goes down smooth, over seamless—dare we say, angelic-tinged, with middle-aged wisdom—vocal harmonies and instrumental work, both masterful and tasteful with a soul searching perspective. But then you’re hit with a delayed punch to the gut that absolutely breaks your heart lyrically one minute and opens windows of understanding the second.
Masters of Hawaiian Music: George Kahumoku Jr, Jeff Peterson and Nathan Aweau in Daniels Hall
Saturday, March 7 at 8pm; $28 advance, $30 day of show
George Kahumoku Jr tours every year both as a soloist and with other Hawaiian Masters. His relaxed manner and entertaining stories frame his easy going slack key guitar style. Slack key guitar is a traditional Hawaiian style of open tunings with embellishments unique to Hawaii, and George is a Grammy Award winning master of the craft. Polished by years of hosting his peers at his popular weekly Slack Key Show – Masters of Hawaiian Music concert series on Maui, George brings Hawaii to you. Experience the warmth, beauty, and culture of Hawaii through his music, stories, and imagery.
David Wilcox in Daniels Hall
Sunday, March 8 at 7pm; $30 advance, $32 day of show
More than three decades into his career, singer/songwriter David Wilcox continues to push himself, just as he always has. Wilcox, by so many measures, is a quintessential folk singer, telling stories full of heart, humor, and hope, substance, searching, and style. His innate sense of adventure and authenticity is why critics and colleagues, alike, have always praised not just his artistry, but his humanity, as well.
Altan and Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas at the First Baptist Church
Friday, March 13 at 8pm; $32 advance, $34 day of show
No Irish traditional band in the last dozen years has had a wider impact on audiences and music lovers throughout the world than Altan. With their exquisitely produced award-winning recordings, ranging dynamically from the most sensitive and touching old Irish songs all the way to hard hitting reels and jigs, and with their heartwarming, dynamic live performances, Altan have moved audiences from Donegal to Tokyo to Seattle.
The musical partnership between consummate performer Alasdair Fraser, “the Michael Jordan of Scottish fiddling”, and brilliant Californian cellist Natalie Haas spans the full spectrum between intimate chamber music and ecstatic dance energy. Over the last 20 years of creating a buzz at festivals and concert halls across the world, they have truly set the standard for fiddle and cello in traditional music. They continue to thrill audiences internationally with their virtuosic playing, their near-telepathic understanding and the joyful spontaneity and sheer physical presence of their music.
Robyn Hitchcock in Daniels Hall
Friday, March 13 at 8pm; $27 advance, $29 day of show
Robyn Hitchcock is one of England’s most enduring contemporary singer/songwriters and live performers. A surrealist poet, talented guitarist, cult artist and musician’s musician, Hitchcock is among alternative rock’s father figures and is the closest thing the genre has to a Bob Dylan (not coincidentally his biggest musical inspiration). Blending folk and psychedelia with a wry British nihilism, Robyn describes his songs as ‘paintings you can listen to’. His most recent album is self-titled and marks his 21st release as a solo artist.
Also On Sale Now
Skean Dubh in Tuft Theatre on Saturday, January 4
Neil Haverstick in Tuft Theatre on Saturday, January 25
Daniel Magoun in Quinlan Cafe on Thursday, January 30
Deborah Solo Trio in Tuft Theatre on Friday, January 31
Corky Siegel & Randy Sabien in Tuft Theatre on Saturday, February 1
Amelie Quartet in Quinlan Cafe on Thursday, February 6
300 Days in Quinlan Cafe on Thursday, February 13
Stillhouse Junkies in Tuft Theatre on Saturday, February 15
Christopher Paul Stelling in Tuft Theatre on Saturday, March 14
Spinphony