The next week at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre boasts a diverse lineup of rock and instrumental bands. It starts on Sept. 8 with Faith No More, moves to Sept. 11 and 12 for STS9, and finishes off with O.A.R on Sept. 13. CU Independent Music Writer Farnaz Zanjani breaks down all of the concerts coming to the Amphitheatre this week.
9/8: Faith No More
Red Rocks hosts American rock band Faith No More next Tuesday. Having gone through many members throughout its existence, Faith No More has five members: Mike Bordin, Roddy Bottum, Billy Gould, Mike Patton and Jon Hudson. This alternative metal-inspired band formed in San Francisco and was active from 1981-1998, when they announced their breakup, but regrouped in 2009.
Since then, they have gone on “The Second Coming Tour” from 2009-2012 and released their seventh album “Sol Invictus” this year. After a 20-year break, the band’s dark, heavy metal roots are still present in their most recent album. Songs like “Separation Anxiety,” “Mother******,” and “Rise of the Fall” portray the band’s metal rock identity.
9/11-9/12: STS9
Northern California-based group STS9 will be playing Red Rocks both days this post-Labor Day weekend. They’re kicking off this weekend-long event at the Boulder Theater on Thursday, Sept. 10, followed by Friday and Saturday at Red Rocks. Founded in Georgia in the late ’90s, the five-piece band relocated to Santa Cruz, Calif. in late 2000.
STS9 (Sound Tribe Sector 9) includes Hunter Brown (guitar/keyboard), Alana Rocklin (bass guitar), Jeffree Lerner (percussion), Davis Phipps (keyboards) and Zach Velmer (drums). This instrumental band’s electronic sound can be heard in tracks like “Golden Gate” and “When the Dust Sets.” The heavy percussion notes and improvisation play a key part in the group’s psychedelic vibe.
9/13: O.A.R
O.A.R (Of a Revolution) takes the Red Rocks stage following STS9’s Friday-Saturday takeover. Founded in Maryland in 1996, the band went from independent college band to American rock sensation. In the process of creating their success, O.A.R relied only on word-of-mouth and refrained from using any form of advertising. Eventually, after playing numerous shows, their third album “Risen” made it on the Billboard charts in 2001. Since then, O.A.R has become increasingly popular. The group has five consistent members: Marc Roberge (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), Richard On (lead guitar, back-up vocals), Chris Culos (drums, percussion), Benj Gershman (bass guitar) and Jerry DePizza (saxophone, guitar, percussion, back-up vocals).
This band has a prominent classic rock, Dave Matthew’s Band-vibe, which is demonstrated in songs such as “Peace” and “Shattered (Turn The Car Around).” The guitar melodies and soft vocals in these tracks elicit a feel-good sensation accompanied by their lighthearted lyrics.
You can find tickets for all of the above bands online at www.redrocksonline.com.
Contact CU Independent Music Staff Writer Farnaz Zanjani at farnaz.zanjani@colorado.edu.
