Entries in belly up aspen (11)
Tell Me Something Good. Chaka Khan in Aspen.
March 14, 2014 
There are two things AspenSpin never wants to miss out on;
1) A 10-time Grammy Winner performing in Aspen
2) The smiles emanating from a Little Buddy who is bonding with their Big Buddy.
Click 4 pix: Tell Me Something Good.
Last night in Aspen we got to experience both simultaneously as singer Chaka Khan blew the roof off Belly Up Aspen. All the little buddies and their big buddies were in the audience to see the show. There was a lot of love in that room. Supporters of The Buddy Program and The Chaka Khan Foundation came out in force to see Chaka, the "Queen of Funk" belt out all her hits.
Highlights of the show included TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD, Chaka's breakout hit with her band Rufus. That tune has been ringing in my ears and making me groove since '73. I FEEL FOR YOU and I'M EVERY WOMAN brought the house down. The entire crowd ( VIP's included) were shaking their booty's Most importantly, a whole bunch of money was raised for THE BUDDY PROGRAM and THE CHAKA KHAN FOUNDATION...and everyone had a blast...especially me. Thanks to The Buddy Program and Chaka Khan for creating such a wonderful event.
Click 4 pix. TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD
Sound Check w/ Brother's Keeper, APR and John Popper.
November 7, 2013 
John Popper let it all hang out in Aspen.Just another pre-season Wednesday in Aspen and my non-smart phone was blowing up. AspenSpin's friends at Aspen Public Radio called to invite me to the Brother's Keeper sound check at Belly Up Aspen. Aspen Public Radio an affiliate of NPR was debuting their new live broadcast radio program called Sound Check. APR is planning a series of live radio Sound Check shows at local music venues featuring a wide variety of artists.
Click 4 pix. Brother's Keeper w/ Popper
My first question was "who's Brother's Keeper"? Brother's Keeper is new band featuring a bunch of local and semi-local professional musicians. Their collective "Americana" or "Roots" sound has been honed by years on the road and in countless studio sessions. The Brother's Keeper line-up in Aspen includes special guest JOHN POPPER, the singer and harp player of Blue's Traveler fame, JONO MANSON on vocals & guitar, MICHAEL JUDE on vocals and bass, JOHN MICHEL on drums and vocals. singer-guitarist SCOTT REDNOR and ripping guitarist ROB EATON, Jr. Popper needs no introduction to Aspen or to music fans. Manson is a veteran of the NYC music scene. Jude and Michel have played with John Oates for several years and can boast about their long list of musical collaborators. Rednor, a veteran player is well known in the Vail Valley and Rob Eaton, Jr. the youngest member of the band simply rips on the guitar. Brother's Keeper is a collaborative effort and they have been playing regularly at Shakedown Bar in Vail...which Jude called the "mini Belly Up".
Brother's Keeper started as a side project for the guys...but has evolved into much more. The band is influenced musically by classic rock, rhythm and blues and folk music. Manson described their sound as Americana. Every man in the band loves to sing and they love to sing together and they revel in their own harmonies.
The Aspen Public Radio radio show and the sound check went very smoothly for this group of musical vets. Host Daniel Shaw interacted with the band in between songs. The whole thing was broadcast live on APR, 91.5 on your radio dial in Aspen and 90.9 in Snowmass and various other frequencies in the Roaring Fork Valley and beyond.
The show that followed at Belly Up was awesome. A full house of locals made it seem like home. Brother's Keeper played a vast selection of their original tunes, a couple of Blues Traveller numbers and some covers. My favorites were Keep on Burning, Days Go By, Love the One You're With and The Weight.
Brother's Keeper has a new record in the can. It's coming out in February but has not yet been officially named. The songs were composed by 5 guys sitting in a room at Manson's studio in Sante Fe. Then Brother's Keeper went South to record. They camped out in a Civil War era plantation near Memphis and recorded at the famous Ardent Studios that has produced albums for Led Zeppelin, Bob Dylan and White Stripes.
Pre-season in Aspen was quiet...but inside The Belly Up the musical fire was burning bright.
Click 4 pix. Brother's Keeper w/ Popper
John Popper and Brother's Keeper in Aspen.
Brother's Keeper doing the first ever Sound Check...a live radio show from Aspen Public Radio.
Brother's Keeper team photo at Belly Up Aspen.
The Silent Comedy crushes in Aspen.
June 30, 2013 
Joshua Zimmerman / The Silent ComedyThe Silent Comedy, the Rock / Folk band from San Diego crushed their first ever performance in Aspen, Colorado last night at the Belly Up Aspen. The Silent Comedy comprised of brothers Joshua and Jeremiah Zimmerman, Justin Buchanan and Chad Lee had the crowd in a frenzy with their wild stage antics and raging strings.
Click 4 pix:
The Silent Comedy crushes Aspen
I first became a fan of The Silent Comedy (TSC) after seeing them perform at Switchfoot's Bro-Am in 2011. The Bro-Am is an annual surfing competition and rock and roll show on Moonlight Beach in Encinitas. (click to see our Bro-Am coverage) In 2011,TSC blew everyone away with their rowdy beach-side set of Americana influenced tunes. Since then the band has entertained countless fans all over the U.S.A. Their 2010 Album Common Faults won the San Diego Music Award for best pop album and their latest self-produced EP Cruelty & Clemency is seling fast. TSC's songs have been featured on TV in the mini series, The Hatfield's and the McCoys and The Men Who Built America.
TSC almost didn't make it to the show. Their afternoon Gondola session to the top of Aspen Mountain was put on hold due to a potential lightning storm. The Silent Comedy was "stuck" on top of Ajax...but luckily they made back down the mountain safely in time to blaze on stage.
The Silent Comedy rocked out in Aspen & we're glad they did. Another awesome show. See you in San Diego, boyz...soon...very soon.
Click 4 pix: The Silent Comedy crushes Aspen
Jeremiah Zimmerman & The Silent Comedy dominated in Aspen. Click 4 pix.
The Silent Comedy from San Diego crushes Aspen. Click 4 pix.
Per Aspen Spin... The Silent Comedy is a "do not miss" show.. Click 4 pix.
Local's Showcase at Belly Up Aspen.
March 23, 2013 
Local's showcase at Belly Up. Click 4 pix.Local's Showcase night at Belly Up is always a jam. From time to time Belly Up offers their stage to various local musicians and opens the doors with no cover charge. Belly Up has developed a reputation as one of the finest venues in the country and everybody gets pumped up for a free night of music and fun. Playing Belly Up is a BIG DEAL for these talented locals. Selling it out and getting the joint jumping is even bigger.
Click for Pix: Local's Showcase
Last night the local talent focused on Electronic Dance Music (EDM) and featured homies T. Smash (Teddy Leibowitz) and Berkel Beats (Nathan Robert Berkel). Over the past few years AspenSpin has watched the progression of these two local EDM artists. Both guys are breaking out...playing bigger and more important gigs around Aspen and beyond. They both killed it at Belly Up, Aspen ...in front of a capacity crowd. The house was packed, the drinks were flowing and the beats were thumping at Belly Up. Thanks to T. Smash, Aspen Spin got all access. We shot sick pix on-stage, back stage and on the dance floor.
Click Em. LOCAL'S SHOWCASE
T.Smash crushing at Belly Up, Aspen. Click 4 pix.
Berkel Beats and his Boyz , backstage at Belly Up, Aspen. click 4 pix.
Front Row at Belly Up, Aspen.
Berkel Beats, EDM, Locals Showcase, T.Smash, belly up aspen