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D Note love letter 1/26/12

2012-01-26T14:25:00.001-08:00

D bosh

We usually focus in on weekend events in this newsletter, but it is good to remind you of some of the other terrific things we have going on. Sunday days we have Mello Cello Brunch at 11am (live Cello playing by Monica Sales and breakfast pizza), followed by Baby Boogie, a great time to relax with a beer and pizza while the kids hang out and play, 2-6pm. Sunday nights we have our award winning salsa night, with lesson at 8pm (great for beginners and advanced alike) followed by one of four rotating salsa orchestras at 9pm. $8. Monday nights we have our open stage hosted by Jay Ryan. Jay's introductions are very funny and it is always a pleasant surprise to hear what kind of talent comes out of the woodwork. Wednesdays we have a swing lesson by the charming and talented Lark Mervine at 7pm (only $5) followed by the legendary Clamdaddys. (best free night of Blues anywhere.) Then on Thursday at 6:30pm we have Geeks Who Drink trivia at 6:30pm. We defy you not to laugh out loud at least once during Trivia. To keep you in shape we also have Zumba Wednesday and Saturday mornings at 10:30am and Yoga w/ live music (donation based) Sunday mornings at 10am. We hope you will make it out to one of these excellent events soon.

As for this weekend, we have Marlo Mortenson followed by The Legendary Hitchhikers, a Tom Petty cover band Friday night starting at 7pm. $10. Saturday night we have our annual Winter Gala Hafla presented by Phoenix, which will feature Malia Delapenia from Hawaii, several belly dance performances and the music of Yallah! $8/$5 kids under 12. Then closing out the evening we have The Volunteer Funk Department. $5.

Next Tuesday we have Sentimental Sounds Big Band at 7pm. Free. Next Saturday we have a mini bluegrass festival with Blue Canyon Boys, Hayward Stranger and Statue Of Liberty Band.

Yeehaw!

D per

Extra Credit: The oceans require a hero. A poem to make one think, by Albert Goldbarth.

Everyday People

The oceans are dying. They require a hero,
or a generation of heroes. The oceans are curdling
in on themselves, and on their constituent lives,
they're rising here, and lowering there,
I swear I've heard them gasping. And my friends ... ?
Are brooding over who their kids are playing with
on the streets. Are coming home after a day where some
midlevel management weasel sucked
their souls out like a yolk from an egg—right through
a tiny puncture-hole in the dome of the skull. The cat
has worms. The price of gas is nearly what
their grandparents' wedding rings cost. The oceans

sorely need a paladin, but my friends are exhausted
disputing how many angels can trample the truth
from a twelve-dollar overcharge on a cell-phone bill.
Our privacy is disappearing, cameras sip it up
like thirsty beasts surrounding a shrinking pool of water, my friends
are worried, oh yes certainly they're worried, but also the tumor
and the marriage and the alcoholic uncle. The war
that's this war but is any war and all war is requesting
a little attention in the cause-part, maybe only
a little more in the effect-part, but my friends know
how impossible it is to attend to even a single other
person sufficiently, plus the dentist, plus the eye exam,
and can't they spend some time renewing their sense
of making beauty in this wreckage, Edie
her hummingbird feeders, Sean his libretto, Omar
his amazing organic noodles: something like Balenciaga

the haute couture designer whose life I'm reading compulsively
while the ice caps and the red tide and the polar bears,
Balenciaga for whom "the business of making beautiful things
absorbed him totally, and there was no room in his life
for anything else," he did a piece of sewing "every day
of his adult life: from the age of three," in 1913 (age eighteen)
"he was learning the women's-wear trade" as the guns
of the World War cleared their throats and aimed, and through
the world depression, "a fishnet cloak
of knotted white velvet, and swathes of parachute silk
to make pink-and-white flowers," and through
the Spanish Civil War, "regarded making dresses
as a vocation, like the priesthood, and an act of worship,"
through (he bargained with Franco) World War II,
chantilly, chenille, mohair, tulle,
"he took the sample of intractable material
into his sanctum and returned in only moments
with a superbly accomplished buttonhole: it
would have been a half-hour's labor for anyone else,"
a buttonhole while Israel was forged in 1948,
a buttonhole for Sputnik, yes a buttonhole,
a perfect—consummate—buttonhole, is this
a condemnation of my friends (and so myself)

or an exoneration? I truly don't know.

--

D Note love letter 1/19/12

2012-01-19T10:23:00.000-08:00

Dear Antlers,

Cold yesterday, then crazy winds last night and now a sunny warm day. Gotta love the Colorado weather drama.

This Friday night we have Dustin Morris at 5pm (free), followed by Joelle Joyce, followed by the bluesy rock of Blind Child followed by local rock heroes Quillion. $5. Give it up for getting down.

Saturday at 4pm we have an awesome show for the kids as Music Train Family Concerts presents: Kutandara (African Marimba Ensemble) $7 adults/$3 kids.

At 7pm we have the Rocky Mountain Opera Bowl: The Italian Stallions vs. The Dirty Fachers. The first of its kind, this classical smackdown pits baritone Tony Domenick against mezzo-soprano Cassidy Smith in a vocal sporting event-style competition. Special guest judges and audience participants will decide who takes home the crown, so pick your team and cast your vote. We love doing fun and different stuff like this and hope you will come out to support it so we can keep doing it! $5

At 9pm we have Bourbon Toothpaste. If their band name and funky posters are indicative of their live shows, we're in for a treat. An experience that ranges from Hard Rock and Metal to Jazz, Funk and Bluegrass. Check out their website at bourbontoothpaste.com for a, ahem, taste. $5

At 10:30pm we have Number Station, epic early 90's shoegazer rock style. $5.

We were dancing at the packed to capacity salsa night last Sunday and were just amazed that this dance phenomena has been going strong at D Note for over 8 years. You just have to experience it to really understand why it is so great. The bands are high energy and the dancers are spectular. Come take a lesson and see.

Next Friday night, we have a Tom Petty cover band, for you Petty fans.

Okay, we're in,

D answer

Extra Credit: A silly salsa sonnet

Salsa @ D Note

Standing behind the bar
Staring in awe at the dancers
Killing it on the dance floor
When a drop of water

Hits my ear. I turn to Diandra
And ask why she wanted to
Throw water on my ear for?
She says it wasn't her.

I ask who else it could be?
She answers the sweat
Of the dancers. The heat
Causes sweat to condense
On the ceiling and so the sweat
of all the dancers in the room
had fallen into my ear. Sweet!
I say, that's the perfect metaphor.

Yuck! she says. Salty, I say
And leave to join the dance floor.

D Note love letter plus poem 1/5/12

2012-01-05T14:24:00.001-08:00

D finest,

Here we go 2012. We're sure a few of you remember when 2001 seemed like the distant future? A la 2001 Space Odyssey? Well, here we are a decade later with these little phones that connect us to the information of the world, like a super power. Pretty cool being in the future. Of course for you young'uns out there it probably just seems like the present.

Tonight, Jan 5, we have Geeks Who Drink Trivia (Fun! Funny! Funnyny!) at 6:30 followed by Martin Gilmore's picking circle (bring your axe!).

Tomorrow night we have great jazz/funk from Charlie Milo Trio at 5pm (free), followed by acoustic pop of Treehouse Sanctum at 7pm, followed by power pop of SoundRabbit at 9pm followed by bass driven prog rock of Stealth Hippo at 10pm. Stealth Hippo features Matt Dougherty, the genius behind the D Note posters. $5.

Saturday at 4pm we have Steel Drum band from Boulder called Steel Alive. A great family concert. The Kids will love it. $5-$10 suggested donation.

Saturday at 7pm we Dwight Carrier and The Blues Krewe, a Zydeco Legend from Louisiana back by popular demand. $10. Then at 9:30pm we have two great indie bands, The Belle Jar and Reviving Cecilia. $5

Next Tuesday we have a big band concert with Serenade In Blue. A swing dance lesson starts at 6pm and band at 7pm. $10 for both.

Then Wednesday we have Lark Mervine teaching Swing Dance at 7pm. First lesson free. Lark has amazing energy and is a great teacher, so come help kick start her Wednesday night dance lessons.

Okay, that's the gnus,

D man

Extra Credit: Here's a lesser known, but appropriate, poem by Robert Frost.

In A Glass of Cider
t seemed I was a mite of sediment
That waited for the bottom to ferment
So I could catch a bubble in ascent.
I rode up on one till the bubble burst,
And when that left me to sink back reversed
I was no worse off than I was at first.
I'd catch another bubble if I waited.
The thing was to get now and then elated.
--

D Note love letter plus poem 12/29/11

2011-12-29T12:31:00.000-08:00

D livery,

We are starting 2011 in the right way this weekend. First we have The Teaching on Friday night. The Teaching, a very dynamic and rocking jazz quartet from Seattle, have been playing the D Note annually for 5 years now and it is always a treat. Serafin Sanchez (from Bop Skizzum) will be joining them. Come early to secure a seat and be prepared to be musically entertained. $10. The horn driven Lindsey O'brien Band will be playing afterward at 10pm. $5.

For New Year's Eve we have dreamed up a perfect set of music for you. First we have the legendary trumpet player Ron Miles playing with his trio at 7pm. If you've never heard him before you are in for a treat. Super good vibrations emanating from that man. Then we have the African tinged reggae of Selassee at 8:30pm and finally the awesome Mono Verde (latin/world reggae) take over the stage at 11pm and lead us into 2012...DANCING. (What better way to start the year?). And the price is right too...$10. So excited.

We are having a special New Years day Salsa Fiesta on Sunday night with several dance performances and the high energy of La Candela. Lessons at 8pm, band at 9pm, performances scattered throughout. $8.

We will start up swing dance lessons again on Wednesdays at 7pm with a new outstanding and fun teacher, Lark Mervine. $5. Followed by the swinging band The Clamdaddys. Free. Yes!

Looking forward to spending the next year with YOU!

Ever

D D D dum

Extra credit: How about a long imaginative poem upon snow and fire by John Greenleaf Whittier?

Snowbound: A Winter Idyll

"As the Spirits of Darkness be stronger in the dark, so Good Spirits which be Angels of Light are augmented not only by the Divine Light of the Sun, but also by our common Wood fire: and as the celestial Fire drives away dark spirits, so also this our Fire of Wood doth the same."--
COR. AGRIPPA, Occult Philosophy, Book I. chap. v.

"Announced by all the trumpets of the sky,
Arrives the snow; and, driving o'er the fields,
Seems nowhere to alight; the whited air
Hides hills and woods, the river and the heaven,
And veils the farm-house at the garden's end.
The sled and traveller stopped, the courier's feet
Delayed, all friends shut out, the housemates sit
Around the radiant fireplace, enclosed
In a tumultuous privacy of storm."
EMERSON.

The sun that brief December day
Rose cheerless over hills of gray,
And, darkly circled, gave at noon
A sadder light than waning moon.
Slow tracing down the thickening sky
Its mute and ominous prophecy,
A portent seeming less than threat,
It sank from sight before it set.
A chill no coat, however stout,
Of homespun stuff could quite shut out,
A hard, dull bitterness of cold,
That checked, mid-vein, the circling race
Of life-blood in the sharpened face,
The coming of the snow-storm told.
The wind blew east; we heard the roar
Of Ocean on his wintry shore,
And felt the strong pulse throbbing there
Beat with low rhythm our inland air.

Unwarmed by any sunset light
The gray day darkened into night,
A night made hoary with the swarm
And whirl-dance of the blinding storm,
As zigzag, wavering to and fro,
Crossed and recrossed the wingàd snow:
And ere the early bedtime came
The white drift piled the window-frame,
And through the glass the clothes-line posts
Looked in like tall and sheeted ghosts.

So all night long the storm roared on:
The morning broke without a sun;
In tiny spherule traced with lines Of Nature's geometric signs,
And, when the second morning shone,
We looked upon a world unknown,
On nothing we could call our own.
Around the glistening wonder bent
The blue walls of the firmament,
No cloud above, no earth below, --
A universe of sky and snow!
The old familiar sights of ours
Took marvellous shapes; strange domes and towers
Rose up where sty or corn-crib stood,
Or garden-wall, or belt of wood;
A smooth white mound the brush-pile showed,
A fenceless drift what once was road;
The bridle-post an old man sat
With loose-flung coat and high cocked hat;
The well-curb had a Chinese roof;
And even the long sweep, high aloof,
In its slant spendor, seemed to tell
Of Pisa's leaning miracle.

A prompt, decisive man, no breath
Our father wasted: "Boys, a path!"
Well pleased, (for when did farmer boy
Count such a summons less than joy?)
Our buskins on our feet we drew;
With mittened hands, and caps drawn low,
To guard our necks and ears from snow,
We cut the solid whiteness through.
And, where the drift was deepest, made A tunnel walled and overlaid
With dazzling crystal: we had read
Of rare Aladdin's wondrous cave,
And to our own his name we gave,
With many a wish the luck were ours
To test his lamp's supernal powers.

All day the gusty north-wind bore
The loosening drift its breath before;
Low circling round its southern zone,
The sun through dazzling snow-mist shone.
No church-bell lent its Christian tone
To the savage air, no social smoke
Curled over woods of snow-hung oak.
A solitude made more intense
By dreary-voicëd elements,
The shrieking of the mindless wind,
The moaning tree-boughs swaying blind,
And on the glass the unmeaning beat
Of ghostly finger-tips of sleet.
Beyond the circle of our hearth
No welcome sound of toil or mirth
Unbound the spell, and testified
Of human life and thought outside.
We minded that the sharpest ear
The buried brooklet could not hear,
The music of whose liquid lip
Had been to us companionship,
And, in our lonely life, had grown
To have an almost human tone.

As night drew on, and, from the crest
Of wooded knolls that ridged the west,
The sun, a snow-blown traveller, sank
From sight beneath the smothering bank,
We piled, with care, our nightly stack
Of wood against the chimney-back, --
The oaken log, green, huge, and thick,
And on its top the stout back-stick;
The knotty forestick laid apart,
And filled between with curious art

The ragged brush; then, hovering near,
We watched the first red blaze appear,
Heard the sharp crackle, caught the gleam
On whitewashed wall and sagging beam,
Until the old, rude-furnished room
Burst, flower-like, into rosy bloom;
While radiant with a mimic flame
Outside the sparkling drift became,
And through the bare-boughed lilac-tree
Our own warm hearth seemed blazing free.
The crane and pendent trammels showed,
The Turks' heads on the andirons glowed;
While childish fancy, prompt to tell
The meaning of the miracle,
Whispered the old rhyme: "Under the tree,
When fire outdoors burns merrily,
There the witches are making tea."

The moon above the eastern wood
Shone at its full; the hill-range stood
Transfigured in the silver flood,
Its blown snows flashing cold and keen,
Dead white, save where some sharp ravine
Took shadow, or the sombre green
Of hemlocks turned to pitchy black
Against the whiteness at their back.
For such a world and such a night
Most fitting that unwarming light,
Which only seemed where'er it fell
To make the coldness visible.

Shut in from all the world without,
We sat the clean-winged hearth about,
Content to let the north-wind roar
In baffled rage at pane and door,
While the red logs before us beat
The frost-line back with tropic heat;
And ever, when a louder blast
Shook beam and rafter as it passed,
The merrier up its roaring draught
The great throat of the chimney laughed;
The house-dog on his paws outspread
Laid to the fire his drowsy head,
The cat's dark silhouette on the wall
A couchant tiger's seemed to fall;
And, for the winter fireside meet,
Between the andirons' straddling feet,
The mug of cider simmered slow,
The apples sputtered in a row,
And, close at hand, the basket stood
With nuts from brown October's wood.

What matter how the night behaved?
What matter how the north-wind raved?
Blow high, blow low, not all its snow
Could quench our hearth-fire's ruddy glow.

At last the great logs, crumbling low,
Sent out a dull and duller glow,
The bull's-eye watch that hung in view,
Ticking its weary circuit through,
Pointed with mutely warning sign
Its black hand to the hour of nine.
That sign the pleasant circle broke:
My uncle ceased his pipe to smoke,
Knocked from its bowl the refuse gray,
And laid it tenderly away;
Then roused himself to safely cover
The dull red brands with ashes over.
And while, with care, our mother laid
The work aside, her steps she stayed
One moment, seeking to express
Her grateful sense of happiness
For food and shelter, warmth and health,
And love's contentment more than wealth,
With simple wishes (not the weak,
Vain prayers which no fulfilment seek,
But such as warm the generous heart,
O'er-prompt to do with Heaven its part)
That none might lack, that bitter night,
For bread and clothing, warmth and light.

1865

--

www.dnote.us

weekend update 12/22/11 plus poem

2011-12-22T13:05:00.000-08:00

D ears,

We've always thought that the letter D looks like an ear. Though it could also be other body parts we suppose. A round belly perhaps? Santa's belly? We're now imagining the D shaking when it laughs like a bowl full of jelly.

This Friday night we have Ryan Ambrose playing at 5pm (free), then Big Universe playing at 7:30pm. Big Universe is a fun cover band. This will be a benefit for Jeffco School Outdoor Labs. $5/$10 for family. At 10pm we have The Bottom Feeders (blues, R&B). $5

Then we are closed for Christmas eve. We'll be back open for salsa on Sunday night starting at 6pm.

We have a couple of great shows next weekend. Friday the 30th we'll The Teaching w/ Serafin Sanchez followed by the Lindsey O'brien band. Then on NYE we have an amazing show w/ Ron Miles Trio (legendary jazz great), Selassee (african reggae) and Mono Verde (latin reggae) and only $10...

Love to you and yours...

Extra Credit: We recommend a wonderful new translation of the 3000 year old Vijnana Bhairava Tantras by Dr. Lorin Roche. Here's a sample.

Sutra 64

Secrets are hidden in darkness

And difficult nights.

You awaken to a pang of aloneness,

A howl of separation.

This is the call of the Dark One,

The roar of life seeking its source.

The union you long for is within reach.

Throw off all hesitation.

Become one with the fear.

Plunge into the uncanny blackness,

Eyes wide open,

As if there were no other choice.

Vibrating with fierce tenderness,

Breathe intimately

With the Lord of infinite space.

D Note love letter 12/15/11

2011-12-15T16:14:00.001-08:00

D Lux,

Hope you can make it to... D. All of the below.

A. This Friday at 5pm we have Hezekiah Goode, who's music sounds a lot like his name, country folk of the Lefty, Woody, Hank variety. Free.

Then at 7pm Friday we have T&T back in the house. These guys have been away for awhile and we're happy to welcome them back. It is duo consisting of Japanese Taiko drums and guitar, forming a big unique sound. $5.

At 9pm Friday we are happy to host a 900 lb Gorilla Cypher. What's that? It's a local hip hop thing, and this will be the release of a mixtape including Brer Rabbit (Flobots) Kalyn from Wheelchair Sports Camp, The High Tops and more. Gonna be fun. $5

B. This Saturday at 4pm Music Train Family Concert presents The Okee Dokee Brothers. Bring the family. The kids will love it. $7 adults/$3 kids.

Saturday night we have a special Haiti relief benefit w/ Dr. Harlan's Amazing Bluegrass Tonic (7pm), In Due Time (9pm) and August On The Equator (11pm) and live painting by Laurie Maves. This is a really good cause, with moneys going directly to relief work. See this article in the Westword for more info on the benefit. The band In Due Time, a truly infectious, super good and fun local band, is also using this show to produce a live CD, so your energy will be well used Saturday night! Also check out Matt Dougherty's beautiful poster for this evening here. $5-$10 suggested donation.

There will be lots of spirit next Tuesday as Bob's Big Band will be playing Christmas tunes starting at 7pm. Big band Christmas!

C. Also, we have an amazing line up for NYE this year, with Ron Miles trio (jazz legend) at 7pm, followed by the African reggae of Selasee and then the latin reggae of our favorite dance band Mono Verde at 11pm. Only $10 for the night.

D. All of the above.

Yours,

D Me More

Extra Credit: Here's a ridiculous poem by Alicia Ostriker.

Ridiculous

This is ridiculous
said the literary old woman
nobody gives us any respect
the young in one another's arms
are talking on their ipods
the politicians are lying through their teeth
and our husbands are taking a nap

this is ridiculous
said the tulip
all those genetically altered blossoms
those stupid long-lived orchids
that are practically plastic
and those fancy designer grasses
getting more than market share

this is ridiculous
said the dog
now they not only have to walk me
they have to rush up with their
sanitary plastic bags
what is it but old-fashioned
imperialism

--

www.dnote.us

weekend update 12/8/11

2011-12-08T15:26:00.001-08:00

Mellow D,

How's it going there? We hope you are taking fully advantage out of the beautiful weather, whether that means staying inside, curling up around a fire with a good book, or going gonzo outside, riding the giant wave of a mountain. Or maybe it means coming to the D Note to get hot pizza, hot toddy, hot music, hot dancing and hotties.

Tonight after Geeks Who Drink Trivia at 6:30pm we have a band called Crow Agency, rock, folk, and blues originals.

Tomorrow night, Friday Dec 9, we have the eclectic guitarist Robert Eldridge playing at 5pm. Free. You'll be amazed. Then at 7pm we have several indie rock bands. In order: Yardog Keeter, Botas Rodeo,The Atomic Americans, Circle Number Dot. It will be a very cool night of music. $5.

Saturday we have a lunch time welcome home concert for Victoria Woodworth at 1pm. Free. Victoria won Westword's Best Songwriter a few years back and then promptly moved to Nashville. She's coming back for a visit and we are glad to have her at the D Note for a special show while she's here.

At 7pm we have a Sarah Reed, performing acoustic solo, followed by Robert Eldridge's excellent chameleon like band ZEUT at 8pm. $5. Then at 9:30pm Saturday night we have a CD release for The Supreme Justice League on Velcro Records. Primo electronica. Check out the cool poster and get more info here.

That's the gist of the weekend. Lots more going on Sun through Wed. For more info check out dnote.us

Love to you and yours,

D mando

Extra Credit: Our friend Noel Black just put out a great book on Ugly Duckling Presse called "Uselysses". Here is a sample poem.

Children of Children of Adam

I’ve been meaning to reread Whitman since we moved to Brooklyn a month ago,

so I finally pull down this strange beige Heritage Editions Reprints complete and
unabridged hardcover edition ex libris Dorothy Anne Naskin with illustrations by
Rockwell Kent that my grandmother gave me years ago.

It doesn’t have a publication date & only a strange preface from George Macy, Director of
The Heritage Club, explaining that the smaller margins and thinner paper have been
used so as to comply with the government’s wartime regulation governing reprints.

Also, there’s this strange image on the title page that cleverly spells “WW” in grass sprouting
out of a black block that contains the cryptic numbers 8611776 and 6071492
respectively in a deco font, which I imagine for a moment are the clues to George
Washington and Christopher Columbus’ posthumous Masonic cell phone numbers
in a teen time travel super-hero history mystery…

Anyway, I don’t love this edition, but it’s the only one I’ve got, and it’s getting late,

so I flip open to “Children of Adam” on page 96 and read:

“The boy’s longings, the glow and pressure as he confides to me what he was dreaming…”

&

“The limpid liquid within the young man…”

“What a queen!” I think,
remembering how naïve & surprised I was to find out he was gay,
though certainly not as surprised as when I found out my father was.

I wish Whitman could have saved him—
streaking back across the dark skies of history in his hot pink tights
with that grassy “WW” emblazoned across his chest
to kiss his eyes & tell him he would be alright.

I snap the book shut after a few pages,
head back to the kitchen for a drink of cold water
& stand in front of the window fan in my boxer shorts,
hand on my hip,
staring out at Whitman’s city—
all the night’s lights winking at me.

weekend update 12/1/11

2011-12-01T10:37:00.000-08:00

D icers,

Brave the snow and come to the warmth of the D Note tonight to play trivia with friends (6:30p) and then stay to hear a picking circle lead by mandolin wizard Nick Amodeo.

Tomorrow night we have the excellent songwriting of Eric Forsyth at 5pm (free), followed by the rock and roll of The B Team (7pm), Jake Leg Shakers (9pm) and Frokus (11pm). $5

Saturday we have a birthday party for Andy, w/ the Clamdaddys at 5pm, then The Broken Everlys featuring the great Tempa (blues) at 7pm followed by Drum and Bass DJs and MCs (Dozha, Diknow, D Tawx, Relyt and more) starting at 9pm. $5. This is also a going away party for Tempa, who is moving to Hawaii! Come give due props to Andy and Tempa and hear some great music. The community is calling.

Sunday at 11am we start Sunday School back up (electronica for parents who used to rave, and their kids). Free.

That's the short scoop. See dnote.us for the long one. Hope you are staying warm.

D scribe

Extra Credit: There were some beautiful sunrises and sunsets this week in Colorado. So for this week's poem we're going to re-appropriate a Facebook status from a few days back by Cellist Monica Sales, the same Cellist who plays Sunday mornings for our Mello Cello Brunch. This is what is known as a "found poem".

Today I Will Stay Awake

The hue of the room in a normally brief encounter with the morning
sent me flying up the stairs and out onto the driveway, still in my nightshirt,
to be enveloped in a sky lit on fire. Like waves of silken magenta,
a canopy of wind-swept clouds filled the sky, and as I watched,
the hue turned from magenta to a brilliant orange and now to a sea of gold.
Today, I will stay awake, for any further dreaming would only pale in comparison
to what beauty this morning has already brought me.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T13:54:00.000-08:00

D licious turkeys,

We are thankful, and even amazed, that there is a holiday focused on being thankful. If only we had one every month. Or maybe even daily. At any rate, we are glad to be able to have an extra excuse to say that we are very grateful for each of you.

We are closed tonight for Thanksgiving.

Tomorrow night, Friday Nov 25, come dance off the turkey and stuffing. Bring the extended family. We start off with Simon Levene at 5pm. The very British Simon used to play the D Note as the lead of the band King For A Day, but now is doing a solo thing and we are looking forward to hearing it. Then at 7pm we have a remarkable one man band named Grant Sabin. Tom Waits meets Jack White, very cool. At 8pm we have Ryan Macpherson playing smooth songwriter rock opening up for a CD release for Reverend Hooch, an acid etched rock band with serious chops. We end the night at 11pm with The Gones. $5.

Saturday at 4pm we have James Hurtado playing his Mexican/R&B flavored songs, followed by the beautiful songwriting of Drew Schofield at 7pm followed by hopping bluegrass of the Missing Stringband at 8:30p followed by the local Arvada hip hop of the 303 Movement. $5

For the rest of the calendar and events check out dnote.us.

Got you covered,

D ressing

Extra Credit: A 2000 year old, but still relevant bit of wisdom by the Stoic philosopher Epictetus...

"He is a wise man who does not grieve for the things which he has not, but rejoices for those which he has."

D Note love letter 11/17/11

2011-11-17T14:29:00.001-08:00

D ants in your pants

First, a question. Who wrote the book of love? We can't even pick the dang thing up. It's full of charts and facts and figures. And instructions for dancing.

We instruct you to come dancing this weekend at the D Note. Tonight, after the hilarious Geeks Who Drink trivia with jeezmaster Paul, we have the funk of the Charlie Milo trio followed by the tribal shake of The Gaia Experiment. These bands come with their own dancers, and they would like you to join them. $5.

Friday night we have A Curious Ghost at 5pm. You've really got to check out The Curious Ghost. Start at Curiousghost.com and then end at the D Note Friday. George Inai, the curious ghost in question, is one of our favorite local songwriters for sure.

Then we have Autumnal Fall and Dave Edwards at 7pm. This will be acoustic transcendentalism w/ a little bit of rock and roll. $5

The evening ends with the full on rock and roll of The JSK band at 9pm, which will be prime dance enabling music. $5

Saturday at 1pm we have a Gypsy Vs. Jazz showdown w/ Aaron Walker, Bob Schlessinger, Bob Montgomery and more. Excellent lunch date, most impressive. $10

At 4pm Saturday The Music Train Family Concert Series presents Michael Friedman & Swing set Jazz. $7/$3 kids. Your kids will dance wildly.

At 7pm we have the country blues music of the trio that goes by the name Some Train Yard. $5

At 8:30 pm we are back in rock and roll territory with The So What Brothers. This dance rock band won Channel 7's best band in Denver a few years ago. Come see why. $5

For those of you that need some yoga, Nicki Viera teaches a great class on Sunday morning at 10am. Melissa Ivey and Adam DeGraff provide the meditative music. Free, but donations toward local charities accepted.

Next Tuesday at 6pm we have the jazz quintet called The Metrognomes. (An apt name, as these guys are both little and on beat). Then at 8pm Tuesday we have The Statue Of Liberty Band, playing good old American bluegrass.

There are some choice choices for you.

Yours,

D tractor

Extra credit: Robert Frost is one of the few poets most folks have actually read. So it is about time to include a poem by Frost in this long running anthology of poetry called the D mail. This is our personal favorite poem by Frost, "cold as a spring as yet so near its source."

Directive

Back out of all this now too much for us,
Back in a time made simple by the loss
Of detail, burned, dissolved, and broken off
Like graveyard marble sculpture in the weather,
There is a house that is no more a house
Upon a farm that is no more a farm
And in a town that is no more a town.
The road there, if you’ll let a guide direct you
Who only has at heart your getting lost,
May seem as if it should have been a quarry—
Great monolithic knees the former town
Long since gave up pretense of keeping covered.
And there’s a story in a book about it:
Besides the wear of iron wagon wheels
The ledges show lines ruled southeast-northwest,
The chisel work of an enormous Glacier
That braced his feet against the Arctic Pole.
You must not mind a certain coolness from him
Still said to haunt this side of Panther Mountain.
Nor need you mind the serial ordeal
Of being watched from forty cellar holes
As if by eye pairs out of forty firkins.
As for the woods’ excitement over you
That sends light rustle rushes to their leaves,
Charge that to upstart inexperience.
Where were they all not twenty years ago?
They think too much of having shaded out
A few old pecker-fretted apple trees.
Make yourself up a cheering song of how
Someone’s road home from work this once was,
Who may be just ahead of you on foot
Or creaking with a buggy load of grain.
The height of the adventure is the height
Of country where two village cultures faded
Into each other. Both of them are lost.
And if you’re lost enough to find yourself
By now, pull in your ladder road behind you
And put a sign up CLOSED to all but me.
Then make yourself at home. The only field
Now left’s no bigger than a harness gall.
First there’s the children’s house of make-believe,
Some shattered dishes underneath a pine,
The playthings in the playhouse of the children.
Weep for what little things could make them glad.
Then for the house that is no more a house,
But only a belilaced cellar hole,
Now slowly closing like a dent in dough.
This was no playhouse but a house in earnest.
Your destination and your destiny’s
A brook that was the water of the house,
Cold as a spring as yet so near its source,
Too lofty and original to rage.
(We know the valley streams that when aroused
Will leave their tatters hung on barb and thorn.)
I have kept hidden in the instep arch
Of an old cedar at the waterside
A broken drinking goblet like the Grail
Under a spell so the wrong ones can’t find it,
So can’t get saved, as Saint Mark says they mustn’t.
(I stole the goblet from the children’s playhouse.)
Here are your waters and your watering place.
Drink and be whole again beyond confusion.

--

www.dnote.us

weekend update 11/10/11

2011-11-10T13:08:00.000-08:00

D follicles,

This Saturday night starting at 6:30pm is the D Note 3rd Annual Beard & Mustache Showdown and Beertasting w/ Oakhurst, Acoustic Mining Bluegrass & Wonderlic. $10 general/$20 w/ beertasting. Proceeds benefitting Sun Valley Youth Center. If you have good facial hair or know someone that does have them sign up for the contest at 6:30p. Registration 6:30pm, 7:30pm Beer tasting w/ Wonderlic, 8p Showdown, 8:30p Judging w/ Acoustic Mining, 9:30p winners announced, 10pm Oakhurst. We are stoked that Oakhurst came back to play this year. They are the perfect band for dancing beards. Acoustic Mining and Wonderlic both good for wiggling your whiskers too. Andy worked hard and has 12 breweries on hand for the beer tasting. Beers, beards and great music. Hard combination to ignore. Check out Matt Dougherty's sweet poster here.

Saturday during the day starting at 1pm we have Movemberfest, a jam band jamboree. Free.

Friday night we are closed for a wedding. 11/11/11 nuptials are the thing this year...

Thursday night (tonight as we write this) we have Geeks Who Drink trivia followed by a band called The New Olds at 9pm. Rock and roll, old-new style. $2 cover.

Next Tues we have a killer line up for our Acoustic Showcase w/ Jay Ryan, Melissa Ivey, Lara Ruggles, and Colan Simpson. Free.

Yours,

D bear

Extra credit: Oakhurst does one of our songs. We'll present the song here as the so-called "poem" of the week. Whether it is a poem or not is up for debate, but we'll include it here regardless so you can sing along Saturday night.

Twango

When I was just a young man I thought I knew my way
But now that I'm a little bit older I'm just getting in the way

When I was a young man I thought I knew what to do
But now that I'm a little bit older I just wanna play a song for you

I was standing in the light
Now I'm dancing in the shadow of the night

Come on baby, go baby go, come on baby do the twango,
come on baby do do do the twango, it goes

1,2,3...5,6,7, spin your baby up to heaven
Come on now and do the twango, it goes like this...

Hold her arm out nice and straight
Twirl her home and through the gate
and that's the way you do the twango

When I was just a young man I thought I knew what was right
But now that I'm a little bit older I know I might be wrong*

Now that I'm a little bit older I just wanna stay out of a fight
Now that I'm a little bit older I just wanna play this song

I was standing in the light
Now I'm dancing in the shadow of the night

Come on baby, go baby go, come on baby do the twango
come on baby do do do the twango, it goes

1,2,3...5,6,7, spin your baby up to heaven
Come on now and do the twango, it goes like this...

Spin her round, dosey do, then drop her down real low
and that's the way you do the twango

I was standing in the light
Now I'm dancing in the shadow of the night

(Repeat final refrain. Sing along.)

*line stolen from Moses Walker of the Clamdaddys

weekend update 11/3/11

2011-11-03T12:32:00.000-07:00

D fenders,

This Friday night we have a show put together by Mark Sundermeier. It is possible that Mark knows more people in the music biz around here than anyone. He books music at The Toad Tavern and before that he booked for The Soiled Dove for years. A few months ago Mark was in a terrible car crash and spent a few weeks in a coma. We're lucky he's still with us. This show will be his first since the accident with his new band Author Unknown, like a phoenix from the flame. It is also a CD release. He has brought along The Reformers, Janessa Ho, Tequila Mockingbird and Loose Gravel for support, so it is sure to be an amazing night all the way around. $7

Saturday at 3pm we have Project Acoustic New Talent Showcase. Free.

At 7pm Saturday we have a CD release for Synergy. We've watched this young band really grow into their own over the last few years and are excited to hear the songs off the new CD. With Katie Thomas supporting. $5.

At 9:30p we have the triumphant return of Dwight Carrier. We've had a lot of great Zydeco in the D Note over the years thanks to Colorado Friends of Cajun and Zydeco (CFCZ), but Dwight is definitely a favorite. He is Zydeco royalty, the son of the late great Roy Carrier, and has the good stuff. $10.

Next Saturday we have our third annual Beard and Mustache Showdown w/ Oakhurst. Really looking forward to that one. If you have or know someone who has awesome facial hair, sign up for the competition.

Off,

D tour

Extra Credit: Bob Dylan was a 5 to 1 favorite to win the Nobel prize for literature this year. But, though he surely deserves it, why not give the prize to someone who could use the exposure? That's exactly what happened, against the odds. The prize went to little known Swedish poet Tomas Transtromer. Here is an excerpt from Transtromer's poem "Vermeer". Translated by Robert Bly.

from Vermeer

Passing through walls hurts human beings, they get sick from it,
but we have no choice.
It’s all one world. Now to the walls.
The walls are a part of you.
One either knows that, or one doesn’t; but it’s the same for everyone
except for small children. There aren’t any walls for them.

The airy sky has taken its place leaning against the wall.
It is like a prayer to what is empty.
And what is empty turns its face to us
and whispers:
“I am not empty, I am open.”

love letter 10/27/11

2011-10-27T13:31:00.000-07:00

D Vourers

Our favorite holiday is upon us. Diandra D and Adam Ferrill have turned the D Note into a space ship and we are ready to take off.

Friday night we have a really big shew for you. At 5pm Alex Boyd, then at 7pm Slo Children doing an all Halloween song set. Slo Children consists of D Noters Adam and Jeremy DeGraff, Adam Ferrill, Jax Delaguerre and Alejandro Castano. Then at 8pm Dave Preston and Sam Gathman, followed by Something Underground, with Meniskus batting line up. Meniskus rocked our socks off last time they were in the D Note. People are still talking about it. And Something Underground are always awesome too. We love those guys. Check out the wicked video "poster" by Jim Krzyzaniak here. $8

Saturday at 1pm we have a garage band music recital by Music Lessons Of Westminster ($5). Then at 4pm we have Sentimental Sounds Big Band. Free! And finally at 8pm we have the return by popular demand of Angus Mohr playing their annual Halloween Show and Samhain (highland rock and roll w/ bagpipes) $10.

Sunday we have our 8th annual salsaween. There will be special performances and, as always, a killer costume contest with cash prizes. W/ DJ Louis. $6.

Monday night, actual Halloween night, we have our open stage, and you get extra points for coming in costume and/or performing halloween songs.

Could we do Halloween any bigger or better? We don't think so.

Next Tuesday is another chance to see a big jazz band, w/ Serenade In Blue at 7:30pm.

Around the corner, on Nov 12, is our 3rd annual Beard And Mustache Showdown and beer tasting w/ Oakhurst, Acoustic Mining and Wonderlic. So start working on your beards now. Competition is going to be fierce this year. Q. What do you get when you add the D to Beer? A. Beerd

Yours,

D notary

Extra Credit: How about the lyrics to a Slo Children song?

Wildwood Holler

Way up in the Wildwood Holler
face to face with my killer

He raised his voice
He raised his fist

I raised my glass

I said here's to you
Here's to me
Here's to us

Now kick my ass

Way up in the Wildwood Holler
face to face with my killer

He raised his sun
I raised my moon

He raised the knife
I raised the spoon

He raised the gun
I put the flower in

Come on now and let's begin

Lightning bolt, lightning bolt
lightning bolt and thunderclap

I had to laugh

Way up in the wild blue yonder
face to face with my creator

He raised the sky
I raised the balloon

He raised the bar
I raised the saloon

He raised the morning
I raised at noon

He raised the evening
I raised my gin

Come on now and let's begin

Lightning bolt, lightning bolt
lightning bolt and thunderclap

I had to laugh

D Note love letter 10/20/11

2011-10-20T14:46:00.000-07:00

D particles,

So much going on. Let's dive in. Ready?

Tonight, after Trivia, Kingman Brewster (hip hop) 9pm, followed by The Gaia Experiment 10pm, followed by Antioquia from San Francisco (psychedelic rock) 11pm. $5. Yes, it will be a late Thur night chock full of beauty!

Tomorrow, Friday Oct 21, we'll have Jamie Lynn performing for dinner hours 5-6:30p. Then we'll have a Flamenco show at 7pm. This will be a "tablao" style show feat. Vincent Chavez, Guitar, Mark Herzog, Cante, Natalia Perez del Villar & her cuadro dancing $12. Recommend getting there early for a seat.

At 9pm Friday we'll have The Old Stage Renegades (gypsy folk rock), and at 11pm we'll have August On The Equator (experimental jazz and hip hop). $5.

Saturday at noon Rockin Raven presents Colorado Vocal Prodigy Contest (18 and under). Benefit for Hope Haven.

At 7pm we have our annual halloween Haflaween, a belly dance spooktacular presented by Phoenix, w/ performances, games, live music from Yallah! and more. Always a blast! $8 adults, $5 kids.

Speaking of halloween we have some great shows next weekend too. First we have Something Underground, Meniskus, Dave Preston and Slo Children next Friday, 10/28. CHECK OUT the awesome promo video for this night here! Saturday night we'll have Angus Mohr in back in the house for a Samhain halloween show. Then the 30th we'll have our 8th annual Salsaween, with a cash prize costume contest.

Also come in and check out the new halloweenish art work by Blk Mtl, Matt Dougherty, Adam Ferrell and Diandra D.

Exeunt,

D scripter

Extra Credit: Here's a poem by Vera Pavlova we were struck by, found on the Poetry Foundation website.

To converse with the greats

To converse with the greats
by trying their blindfolds on;
to correspond with books
by rewriting them;
to edit holy edicts,
and at the midnight hour
to talk with the clock by tapping a wall
in the solitary confinement of the universe.

Love letter 10/13/11

2011-10-13T12:51:00.000-07:00

D tocks

How, hi are you?

Tomorrow night, Friday Oct 14, at 7pm we enter into the magic land of the Beatles with the tribute band The 3eatles. This will be the third visit by this band to the D Note. It has been a blast the last few times and we expect the same this time. Goo goo G'joob. $7. After The 3eatles at 9pm we have the Idlewhile band. Hillbilly swagger with a touch of Bauhaus. Driving music. $5

Saturday at 4pm we have a Music Train Family Concert w/ The blue Canyon Boys. We've had this band in the D Note before and they are great. The whole family will dig. $7/$3 kids.

At 7pm Saturday we have our friends The Duke Street Kings rocking out to the classics. Bring your dancing shoes. At 9pm we have a CD release for Squidlick, a hard rocking band worth checking out. And we end the night with Between Fate, slinging melodic grunge a la Foo Fighters. $5.

Yoga on sunday at 10am is calling your name. Salsa on Sunday night will be beautiful too.

We've got a flamenco show next Friday. A halloween themed belly dance extravaganza next Saturday. Then the following week we have Something Underground, Meniskus, Slo Children and Angus Mohr coming your way.

Factually,

D Facto

Extra Credit: All talk is slippery. So let us have a poem by Elisabeth Frost.

Happiness

Again I'm trying to explain how all talk is slippery.

See, I might want to convey one thing—frustration, say—
but all that gets conveyed is some other thing—rage—my hand
coming fast, erratic, menacing.

Who can say how a thing in words turns and flowers like that?
It happens.

Now say I want to say to you happiness.

No motive. Nothing behind it.
Just the awareness of a valve suddenly opened and—
happiness!

It's in the lungs, the bones.
But somehow all you hear is I don't need you.

We're in this room, and you're not hearing
how I'm still trying to say this thing to you.

I'll say it again. Here. Happiness.

D Note love letter 10/6/11

2011-10-06T12:42:00.001-07:00

D coy,

October is pretty much the D Note's favorite month. Diandra always transforms the place for halloween festivities. This year she is turning it into a spaceship with plenty of aliens on board. Come watch the transformation happen...

Tonight after Geeks Who Drink Trivia we have Martin Gilmore's picking circle. If you are a picker, or just a grinner, come on down, always a good time.

Tomorrow night we start with Jeff Lambert and JC McKim playing acoustic at 5pm. Then at 7:30p we have Roscoe's Dusty Bottle Boxcar Band, an excellent jug band helmed by Bret Sloan. At 9pm we have Quillion and Mechanical Dan trading sets for the rest of the night. Rock and roll. Quillion and Mechanical Dan are made up of good friends of the D Note and it is always special to us to have them in. $5

Saturday is a full one starting with Zumba at 10:30am. Then we have a drum recital with ProDrum at noon. Free. At 5pm we have our fourth annual benefit for Friendship Bridge, an organization that helps secure micro-loans for Guatemalan women. Clusterfunk will be providing the tunes. There will be a silent auction too. $10 suggested donation. Then at 9pm our friends at Velcro City Records will throwing a dance party. Free. Check out the beautiful flyer for this event here.

Yoga Sunday morning, then mello cello brunch, then baby boogie, then salsa. Have you ever tried a salsa lesson? It is easy to begin and quite addictive. Way more fun than a rollercoaster ride. Vow that this week will be the week you finally try it.

Next Tuesday there is a big band show with Bob's Big Band at 7pm. Then we have a special rock and roll show with Goldenboy at 9pm. Goldenboy has a very impressive resume having formerly played guitar for The Eels, The Rentals, Neil Finn and Elliot Smith! $5

Next Friday we have the return of the 3eatles, a super fun Beatles cover band.

For the rest of the scoop check out www.dnote.us

Hope to see you soon, wink wink

Coy D

Extra Credit: Speaking of Coy, here's one of the great poems of all time, by 17th century poet Andrew Marvell

To his Coy Mistress

Had we but world enough, and time,
This coyness, lady, were no crime.
We would sit down and think which way
To walk, and pass our long love's day;
Thou by the Indian Ganges' side
Shouldst rubies find; I by the tide
Of Humber would complain. I would
Love you ten years before the Flood;
And you should, if you please, refuse
Till the conversion of the Jews.
My vegetable love should grow
Vaster than empires, and more slow.
An hundred years should go to praise
Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze;
Two hundred to adore each breast,
But thirty thousand to the rest;
An age at least to every part,
And the last age should show your heart.
For, lady, you deserve this state,
Nor would I love at lower rate.

But at my back I always hear
Time's winged chariot hurrying near;
And yonder all before us lie
Deserts of vast eternity.
Thy beauty shall no more be found,
Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound
My echoing song; then worms shall try
That long preserv'd virginity,
And your quaint honour turn to dust,
And into ashes all my lust.
The grave's a fine and private place,
But none I think do there embrace.

Now therefore, while the youthful hue
Sits on thy skin like morning dew,
And while thy willing soul transpires
At every pore with instant fires,
Now let us sport us while we may;
And now, like am'rous birds of prey,
Rather at once our time devour,
Than languish in his slow-chapp'd power.
Let us roll all our strength, and all
Our sweetness, up into one ball;
And tear our pleasures with rough strife
Thorough the iron gates of life.
Thus, though we cannot make our sun
Stand still, yet we will make him run.

Love letter 9/29/11

2011-09-29T12:34:00.001-07:00

Dear Major D,

The key of D Major is well-suited to violin music because of the structure of the instrument, which is tuned G D A E. The open strings resonate sympathetically with the D string, producing a sound that is especially brilliant.

Tonight, Thursday 9/29, after Geeks Who Drink Trivia (so much fun) we have latin hip hop of Indigenous Peoples and Flowetry In Motion. If you are not already, get into it. $5.

Friday at 5pm we have Dustin Morriss playing. Free. Then we have the dance happy classic rock of PJ Zahn at 7p and then the blues rock of Big Muddy at 9pm. $5

Saturday night at 6:30 we have our annual benefit for Denver Family Institute w/ music by Clusterfunk (classic rock/dance). This organization always has a fantastic silent auction too. $10 suggested donation. Have fun and help out at the same time.

Yours,

Private D

Extra Credit: Here's yet another attempt at our own translation of French poet Stephane Mallarme's impossible to translate poem, Petit Air.

Little Air (in D Major)

Any solitude

(without dock or swan)

mirrors its disuse

in my gaze withdrawn

from vanity

too high to be held

the sky streaked

with sunset's gold

but lazily skirts off

like white linen doffed

a fleeting white bird

in exultation dives

into the wave come to life

your naked joy

2011-09-22T12:13:00.000-07:00

Re:

Re is usually an abbreviation for "regarding", and this is also true in the case above. But, since we always lead off with some variation on the "D"... it is also the name of the note D in the solfege system. "Oh, if you ain't got the do re mi, folks, you ain't got the do re mi." Woody Guthrie.

So, fa, la, tonight, Thursday, 9/22, after the hilarious good time trivia with Geeks Who Drink, at 6:30p, we have a DJ in the house, a genre bending DJ known as Aphonix. If you are into that, then come support a brother. 21+ free, under $5.

Tomorrow night, Friday, 9/23, we have a very cool line up. Starts out with Diet Folk at 5pm. Diet Folk's bio says "imagine Amos Lee leading Old Crow Medicine Show, Ray Lamagntane sharing a stage with the Avett Brothers, or Bon Iver and the Del McCoury band birthing a wild americana/bluegrass love child." After Diet Folk at 7pm is The West. The West is made up of local players we have long known and loved. 2 of the players used to be in The Reals. According to their bio "The West is a Denver-based rock band that has been compared with Spoon, The Smithereens, Elvis Costello, and Tom Petty." Then at 8:30 we have Firebird 4000 Project. According to their bio, "Influenced by Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Brian Jonestown Massacre and Braid." Finally at 9:30p we have Offcolor, very tasty indie rock. Check out the poster for the show here. $5

Saturday at 1pm we have a poetry reading. We will be taking part 100thousand Poets For Change, the largest international poetry reading in history, Arvada chapter. There will be several featured readers, including Piper Mullins, D. Brooks, Ian Dougherty, Claire Connolly, Peter Aquino, Adam Degraff, Mary McDonough, Miranda McGuire, Kate Schilling, and more. Free.

At 4pm Saturday we have a swing dance lesson followed by the big band jazz of Serenade In Blue. At 7pm we have a salsa dance/ fundraiser for Addison Kleinhans. Addison is an awesome 7 year old with acute lymphoblastic Leukemia. We're really hoping to raise a bunch of funds to help this family and hope to see you there. $10 suggested donation.

There's a couple of cool bands playing next Tuesday too. High 20 (ska, reggae) at 8pm and Back To The Woods (Funk-Folk-Reggae-Acid-Jazz-Swing-Bluegrass) at 9pm. Free.

Awesome weekend! And we didn't even mention Zumba, Yoga, Baby Boogie or Sunday night salsa, which you can find out about at dnote.us

Yours,

La Re

Extra Credit: Somethings just have the spirit of poetry, even if they might not strictly be poetry (whatever strictly poetry means). So here's a found poem for you. You have to watch the youtube video for full effect. Thanks to Brice Hobbs for sending. See video here.

Reality Hits You Hard Bro

Well, I was just driving down Northern Avenue
I was just minding my own business.
And all of a sudden

BAM!
It hit me hard from the back!
FOOM!
The fire was everywhere!
FOOM FOOM!
Blowin' up, made a big loud noise like
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!

I was like - OH!
The fire was arcing like a rainbow
SHEWW!
A little spark jumped up and I was like
WHOA!
Totally out of the blue.
Reality hits you hard, bro!

D Note love letter 9/15/11

2011-09-15T12:25:00.001-07:00

Alveolar Plosives,

One of the odd side effects of writing this D mail has been thinking far more than normal about the letter D. Today we are thinking about the sound of the letter D. In most languages using the Latin alphabet, D represents the voiced alveolar plosive, but in the Vietnamese alphabet it represents the sound /z/ (pronounced /j/ in the southern variety). In Fijian it represents a prenasalized stop /nd/. In some languages where voiceless unaspirated stops contrast with voiceless aspirated stops, ‹d› represents an unaspirated /t/, while ‹t› represents an aspirated /tʰ/. Examples of such languages include Icelandic, Scottish Gaelic, Navajo and the transliteration of Mandarin. Who knew?

This Friday we have Bill McKay from Leftover Salmon playing for free at 5pm. Killer dinner music! Then at 7pm we have the classic rock dance band The Bucktones. This will be followed by the horny funk/ska band In Due Time at 9:30p and then rock band Broken Parts at 11pm. $5.

Saturday we have the season opener of The Music Train Family Concert Series, featuring JT Nolan and friends. JT Nolan is an amazing songwriter and performer and generally has the best players in Denver on board. $7 adults/ $3 kids.

At 7pm we have The Jazz Partners (jazz) followed by Portobello Road (alternative blues rock) at 8pm. Then we have a super uper 3 band show put together by Matt Dougherty; Hellfire and The Mother Dog, Stealth Hippo and Firemouth $5. Great night of music. Check out Dougherty's poster in which he cleverly incorporates all 3 band names into the art here.

Sunday night we have the best salsa night in Denver (so says the authority on such matters, Salsa Central.)

Next Tuesday we have Jay Ryan's Acoustic Showcase w/Jay Ryan, Holly Lovell, Adam Lockwood and T. Strickland. FREE.

For the rest of what's going on check out www.dnote.us

Love to you and yours,

Aspirated Stop

Extra Credit: There was an article about the French poet Arthur Rimbaud in a recent New Yorker. The author Daniel Mendelsohn includes an except from an unnamed poem by Rimbaud that gave us a special feeling and stuck in our memory. Almost a haiku.

I have recovered it.
What? Eternity.
It is the sea
Matched with the sun.

D Note love letter 9/8/11

2011-09-08T14:13:00.001-07:00

D flower

Look how full and beautiful you are! We love to watch you grow. This weekend is the Harvest Festival in Arvada and so the metaphor is apt. Come enjoy the Harvest Festival and stop in the D Note while you are at it.

Friday night we have an incredible Led Zeppelin tribute band called Zeppephilia playing at 7pm. We're excited for this one! $7. After we have Junk Drawer, a bluesy Ween-like band that we have grown to love over the years.

Saturday there is a Music Lessons Of Westminster Garageband recital at 1pm. Then at 7pm we have Blues Torch back by popular demand. Super fun. At 9pm we have Hazardous Matthew, also back by popular demand. And to end the evening we have Squidlick. $5

Note: Sunday Harvest fest continues so we won't be having baby boogie this week. Everything else is as scheduled.

Down and through,

D rain

Extra Credit: An oldie but goodie by Walt Whitman.

A Noiseless Patient Spider

A noiseless patient spider,
I marked where on a promontory it stood isolated,
Marked how to explore the vacant vast surrounding,
It launched forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself,
Ever unreeling them, ever tirelessly speeding them.

And you O my soul where you stand,
Surrounded, detached, in measureless oceans of space,
Ceaselessly musing, venturing, throwing, seeking the spheres to connect them,
Till the bridge you will need be formed, till the ductile anchor hold,
Till the gossamer thread you fling catch somewhere, O my soul.

D Note love letter 9/1/11

2011-09-01T12:23:00.001-07:00

D purple,

The horror writer H.P. Lovecraft said "Almost nobody dances sober, unless they happen to be insane." George Carlin said "Those who dance are considered insane by those who can't hear the music." We're with George.

Friday night we have Alicia Fall a 5pm (free). At 7pm we have Bailout and Reunion Drive, rock and roll. $5. And then salsa and bachata lesson at 9:30p with DJ Juanito.

Saturday there is a bellydance swap 1-5pm (kind of like a yard sale, with clothes jewelry etc). Then at 7pm Pinetree Refugees (bluegrass), The Constant Tourists (indie folk rock) and Blow The Vault. (Americana folk bluegrass rock). This will be a fun night fo sho. $5.

Also you should know that we have started Tango/Swing dancelessons at the D Note on Wednesdays. $7. Led by Jess Rodriguez and Elizabeth Baker. A perfect dance lesson to lead into the music of the legendary Clamdaddys on Wednesday nights.

Heads up, next Friday we have a Led Zeppelin Tribute band Zeppyphilia. If you are a Zep fan mark your calendar.

Out and out,

D and wide

Extra Credit: An inspiring poem by Ellie Evans found on Daily Poetry website. How to make warts cool? Make them magic...

They were Too Poor for Buttons

They were too poor for buttons, so her mother would collect
cherry stones, apricot kernels or conkers, and would crochet round them.
When she went cleaning she was given cast-off jumpers
which she unravelled and made up again, re-mixed, so Jean
had a cardigan blue as Quink ink, with yellow walnut buttons
and a scarlet rose in a mohair mix, that covered up a hole.

I sat beside Jean in Sunday School, admiring the silver paper
she'd saved from a cigarette packet and used to line her pencil box.
How I liked the lettuce-green of the blanket stitch around her cuffs,
but most of all, I envied her for the magic warts proud on her knuckles.

D Note love letter 8/25/11

2011-08-25T11:59:00.000-07:00

Sunny D,

How are you holding up on your end. Weather is hot here, but we are soaking it in. We often like to duck into the D Note to keep cool.

This Friday we have Alex Boyd at 5pm playing his beautiful brand of American folk. Free. Then we have Canyon Creek Band at 7pm. These guys are Country blues rock. $5. And we end the evening with Salsa and Bachata, with a lesson at 9:30p and DJ Juanito spinning afterwards.

Saturday we have jazz with Alejandro Castano at 2pm. Free.

At 5:30pm Saturday we have a bellydance student show. Free.

At 8pm we have a comedy show titled "Hot chicks with Brains". Comedy by Kristina Hall and Jennifer Coken exploring all things edgy salty and absurd. R rated. $15 door/$12 advance. This will be a riot. Figuratively.

After the comedy, at 10:30p, we have the return of one of our favorite Colorado/international bands, MonoVerde. It is an infectious form of Latin Reggae and super fun to dance to. $7. Come get loose and dance your troubles away.

Next Tuesday at 7pm we have a benefit show for Jon Friedlander w/ Clam Daddys, Quillion, Hour Glass Rock Band, Mint Novacaine. Come support and hear some great music at the same time. $10 suggested donation.

Yours

Moony D

Extra credit: Yesterday was Jorge Luis Borges 112th birthday. So here is a poem by the great Argentinian writer.

INSTANTES

If I were able to live my life anew,
In the next I would try to commit more errors.
I would not try to be so perfect, I would relax more.
I would be more foolish than I've been,
In fact, I would take few things seriously.
I would be less hygienic.
I would run more risks,
take more vacations,
contemplate more sunsets,
climb more mountains, swim more rivers.
I would go to more places where I've never been,
I would eat more ice cream and fewer beans,
I would have more real problems and less imaginary ones.

I was one of those people that lived sensibly
and prolifically each minute of his life;
Of course I had moments of happiness.
If I could go back I would try
to have only good moments.

Because if you didn't know, of that is life made:
only of moments; Don't lose the now.

I was one of those that never
went anywhere without a thermometer,
a hot-water bottle,
an umbrella, and a parachute;
If I could live again, I would travel lighter.

If I could live again,
I would begin to walk barefoot from the beginning of spring
and I would continue barefoot until autumn ends.
I would take more cart rides,
contemplate more dawns,
and play with more children,
If I had another life ahead of me.

But already you see, I am 85,
and I know that I am dying.

--

www.dnote.us

love letter 8/18/11

2011-08-18T13:04:00.001-07:00

D vu,

How do you do that voo doo that you do so well? Do tell.

This Friday we have a performer from L.A. with no little voo doo, Michael On Fire. “It’s an American roots, folkish, bluesy, country, tribal, gypsy rock and roll.” – The Huntsville Times. 7:30p. This will be a SHOW. $10

At 5pm Friday we have Zenda Marie. Also bluesy, rootsy voo doo music. Free.

At 9:30pm we have a salsa lesson followed by DJ Juanito.

Saturday we have a family lunch concert at 12:30p with the band PJ Zahn, playing rock and roll covers. Free.

4pm Saturday we have Serenade In Blue Big Band Jazz w/ dance lesson. $10.

7:30p Saturday we have Dave Edwards. $5

9:30pm Saturday we have MC Subcon CD release party w/ Wandering Monks, Heaven, Small Hands, DJ C-NICE $5

Full day Saturday. And another one Sunday as we have a benefit from 11am to 3pm called Friends Of Val. From the website: "5 Great musicians/bands for sure and a few surprises in the works! **Monica Sales & Friends **Jack Hadley **Matt Nasi**Sharla Jackson and more. Great door prizes every hour. $10 suggested donation (or lots of love if you are broke!!). This Friends of Val fundraiser is for medical cost for our dear friend and sister Valerie, fighting Stage IV Breast Cancer. Come help us send a lot of love her way!!!"

Next Tue we have an indie rock/hip hop show with Sid Madrid, Cubone and House Of Trees at 8pm. Yes. $5.

Lots more too. Check out www.dnote.us

Yours

D ark of D light

Extra Credit: Here are 2 funny serious poems from the 19th century writer Stephen Crane.

A man saw a ball of gold in the sky;
He climbed for it,
And eventually he achieved it --
It was clay.

Now this is the strange part:
When the man went to the earth
And looked again,
Lo, there was the ball of gold.
Now this is the strange part:
It was a ball of gold.
Aye, by the heavens, it was a ball of gold.

I saw a man pursuing the horizon;
Round and round they sped.
I was disturbed at this;
I accosted the man.
"It is futile," I said,
"You can never -- "

"You lie," he cried,
And ran on.

love letter 8/11/11

2011-08-11T12:19:00.001-07:00

D File

The sweetest hours that ever we spend are spent dancing with the lasses. There is nothing but care on every hand in every hour that passes. What signifies the life of man if it were not for the dances? The worldly race may riches chase, and riches still may find them. But though at last they catch them fast, their hearts can never enjoy them. But give me a dance at the D Note, arms about my dearie, and worldly cares and worldly men may all go topsy-turvy. For you so grave, you sneer at this, you are nothing but senseless asses. The wisest man the world ever saw he dearly loved the lasses. Old Nature swears, the lovely dears are the noblest work she classes. Her apprentice hand she tried on man, and then she made the lasses.

All lads and lasses welcome to the D Note this weekend. Friday at 5pm Tyson Ailshe and Steve Denny playing jazz. Free. Wanna wow a date? Bring him/her to the D Note Friday night for pizza and jazz. Then at 7pm there's a double header with Travis Grode Band and Sharla Jackson band (starting at 8pm). $5. Travis has a lyrical whisper of a style that gets inside and intimate quick and easy. Goes perfect with Cello. Listen to Rhubarb Garden on his Reverb Nation page. Also he is from Arvada, always a plus for us. Sharla Jackson is a rocker with a soft side. Sometimes she reminds us of what would happen if Barbara Steisand had been in the band Heart. Check them out.

We have Bachata lessons at 9:30p Friday followed by the tropical latin mix of DJ Juanito. Bachata is like salsa with extra soul, slowed down and sultry. $5

Saturday we have a band called Lila Bloom at 7pm. The Lila Bloom Band is an indie/alternative/folk/pop band from Denver. They say they were born on a warm summer night, when an old woman called the wrong number and spoke in a teary voice of "little songs". They remind one a little of Concrete Blonde. $5.

After Lila Bloom, at 9pm we have the return of The Denver Creative Movement. The theme of the show is Rebirth. Several artists will be on display. They will have some fantastic live art happening too. As usual there will be some great live music too, feat. Lucida Tela, The Daggermouth Spectacular, Free Electric band and ALYY. $5. This collective perfectly embodies the creative and open spirit that the D Note strives for and we are always happy to be included in their celebrations.

Also this weekend, Zumba, Yoga, Baby Boogie and Salsa. Next week includes an Open Stage, an acoustic showcase w/ Amanda Capper, Esther Sparks, Joseph Barton and Jay Ryan, The Clamdaddys, Trivia, Martin Gilmore and more. See dnote.us for more details.

Yours

D Fault

Extra Credit: Robert Burns was an 18th century Scottish poet and is much celebrated in those parts. Here's one of his most famous songs.

Green Grow The Rashes, O

Chorus
Green grow the rashes, O;
Green grow the rashes, O;
The sweetest hours that e'er I spend,
Are spent among the lasses, O.

There's nought but care on ev'ry han',
In every hour that passes, O:
What signifies the life o' man,
An' 'twere na for the lasses, O.

The war'ly race may riches chase,
An' riches still may fly them, O;
An' tho' at last they catch them fast,
Their hearts can ne'er enjoy them, O.

But gie me a cannie hour at e'en,
My arms about my dearie, O,
An' war'ly cares an' war'ly men
May a' gae tapsalteerie, O!

For you sae douce, ye sneer at this;
Ye're nought but senseless asses, O;
The wisest man the warl' e'er saw,
He dearly lov'd the lasses, O.

Auld Nature swears, the lovely dears
Her noblest work she classes, O:
Her prentice han' she try'd on man,
An' then she made the lasses, O.

2011-08-05T18:41:00.000-07:00

D extrous,

This coming weekend is classic D Note. It is full of multi-cultural events that will take us to Spain, The Dominican Repubic, the Middle East and Cuba.

Friday night at 7pm flamenco maestro Rene Heredia is making a return to the D Note by popular demand. Several flamenco dancers will accompany Rene and bring duende to the D Note. $20.

At 9:30p we'll have a Bachata lesson and then dancing with DJ Juanito. Bachata is the soulful cousin of salsa dancing and comes from the The Dominican Republic. $5.

Saturday at 2pm we have a benefit for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society w/ more flamenco style music (of the contemporary Rodrigo y Gabriela style) w/ Guitarsaurus and Chordzilla. $5-$10 suggested donation.

Saturday at 7pm we have a special Hafla, with the theme of Evolution of Bellydance Styles- Tradition & Transformation. A show featuring folkloric to fusion bellydance styles with information and history on each performance. $7 adults/$5 kids under 10. Show followed by open dancing to Yallah! (eclectic bellydance band).

At 10:30p Saturday we have an up and coming indie rock band called The Amends. Here's a very interesting review of the band here. $5

Sunday we have Yoga at 10am, then Mello Cello Brunch at 11:30am, followed by Baby Boogie at 2pm, followed by our fantastic salsa night at 8pm. (And that's where we pick up the Cuban flavor.)

Next Tuesday at 7pm we have a FREE BIG BAND SHOW by the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, presenting the music of Count Basie, Stan Kenton and Woody Herman. We know we have a few big band fans out there, so gather up your friends and come enjoy and support the music.

Love,

D partment of D interior

Extra Credit. A few weeks ago we had a dark poem in this space by Pablo Neruda. Here is the "antidote" poem, also by Neruda.

Keeping Quiet

Now we will count to twelve
and we will all keep still.

For once on the face of the earth,
let's not speak in any language;
let's stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.

It would be an exotic moment
without rush, without engines;
we would all be together
in a sudden strangeness.

Fisherman in the cold sea
would not harm whales
and the man gathering salt
would look at his hurt hands.

Those who prepare green wars,
wars with gas, wars with fire,
victories with no survivors,
would put on clean clothes
and walk about with their brothers
in the shade, doing nothing.

What I want should not be confused
with total inactivity.
Life is what it is about;
I want no truck with death.

If we were not so single-minded
about keeping our lives moving,
and for once could do nothing,
perhaps a huge silence
might interrupt this sadness
of never understanding ourselves
and of threatening ourselves with death.
Perhaps the earth can teach us
as when everything seems dead
and later proves to be alive.

Now I'll count up to twelve
and you keep quiet and I will go.

Love Letter 7/21/11

2011-07-21T12:37:00.001-07:00

D deuces,

Hiya! Sorry we missed you last week. Our D Scriber was down. We got it back up and running and are ready to bring you the news. To start with...

Ladies and Gentlemen...THE BEATLES. Well, not really, but we can pretend, which is pretty much the best we can do these days anyway, what with a couple of the fellows gone and the other two a bit out of our price range. So instead a Beatles tribute band, The 3eatles, will be rocking out the D Note stage fab 4 style this Friday at 7pm. $7.

At 5pm Friday is the Sam Golden Trio, lovely acousticians from Golden. A man called Golden from Golden? Music better be pretty good, right? Free. Then at 9:30p we have bachata dancing, w/ a lesson and then DJ Juanito spinning bachata and salsa. Bachata is a suave offshoot of salsa that is catching on like wildfire. It comes from the outback of the Dominican Republic. Come dancing. $5.

Saturday at 6:30p we have Ironwood Rain. This local band has a distinctive Crosby Stills Nash harmonic sound and we always enjoy the vibe they bring. Goes perfect with pizza too. At 8:30p we have Fall Line, a raw young alternative rock band from Wheatridge. Finally at 10pm we have a band almost opposite in style from Fall Line called Matic, a super smooth strawberry jam rock band. $5

Tonight, Thurs, July 21, we have a benefit for AIDS Colorado at 9p, after our awesome Geeks Who Drink Trivia (starts at 6:30p).

Also, for those of you keeping in shape, we have Zumba Saturday morning at 10:30a and Yoga at 10a Sunday. Yoga is accompanied by live music by Melissa Ivey and Adam DeGraff. Hope to see you there.

www.dnote.us for more info.

Exeunt,

D scribe

Extra Credit: Here's a poem by New Zealand poet Fleur Adcock. We hereby dedicate it to long time friend of the D Note Jax Delaguerre.

A Rose Tree

When we went to live at Top Lodge
my mother gave me a rose tree.

She didn't have to pay for it—
it was growing there already,

tall and old, by the gravel drive
where we used to ride our scooters.

No one else was allowed to pick
the huge pale blooms that smelt like jam.

It was mine all through that summer.
In October we moved again.

But even never seeing it
couldn't stop it from being mine:

one of those eternal presents.
At the new house I had a duck.

D Note Love Letter 6/16/11

2011-06-16T06:58:00.002-07:00

D rail,

A couple of accolades have come our way. Salsa Central have named us the best place to dance salsa in Colorado, which is a quite an honor as there are some great salsa clubs around. We were also voted best place to hear live music in JeffCo by Mile High Newspapers. Huzzah!

For dinner music this Friday night at 5pm we have nuevo-flamenco music, with Chordzilla and Guitarsaurus. This duo wowed us last time and are back by popular demand. Free.

Jon Boland will be playing at 7p Friday and Treehouse Sanctum at 8pm. $5. Mellow and beautiful.

Then we'll have another great Cumbia/Bachata latin band at 9:30p on Friday, Los Chavos Dun Dun. w/ DJ Juanito. $10 /$5 ladies.

Saturday we have a tango lesson at 3pm followed by a the big band jazz of Serenade In Blue at 4pm. $10.

Saturday at 7pm we have the return of Laughing Hands. This stellar group is made up of master musicians Steve and Brian Mullins, Mike Fitzmaurice, Ed Rudman and Ed Contreras. They have not played the D Note in half a decade and we can't wait to hear one of our favorite bands again after all these years. The music is hard to describe, but includes original compositions written in a world fusion style. $7.

Saturday at 9pm we come back home with the Americana of Olive Street Rehab, followed by Johnny Barber and The Living Deads at 10:30pm. This is the first, uh, incarnation of The Living Deads we've had at the D Note. This is one of Johnny Barber's illustrious rockabilly projects. Some of you may remember Barber as Velvet Elvis. $5.

Thanks for being you, you.

D Train

Extra Credit: This week a classic, a villanelle by Elizabeth Bishop.

One Art

The art of losing isn't hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster.

Lose something every day. Accept the fluster
of lost door keys, the hour badly spent.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

Then practice losing farther, losing faster:
places, and names, and where it was you meant
to travel. None of these will bring disaster.

I lost my mother's watch. And look! my last, or
next-to-last, of three loved houses went.
The art of losing isn't hard to master.

I lost two cities, lovely ones. And, vaster,
some realms I owned, two rivers, a continent.
I miss them, but it wasn't a disaster.

--Even losing you (the joking voice, a gesture
I love) I shan't have lied. It's evident
the art of losing's not too hard to master
though it may look like (Write it!) like disaster.

Love Letter 6/9/11

2011-06-16T06:58:00.001-07:00

D File

If you dig the D Note then please vote for us in Intuit's "Love A Local Business" contest. Easy to do and it could be a big help to us. Thanks in advance!

Congrats to Paige Becker for winning the D Note dessert contest. Her entry was: 'Cinnamon Sugar crust. Chocolate sauce topped with lots of strawberry slices. Name it "Strawberry Fields Forever"!' Our chef and GM chose the winner. We'll feature that dessert pie for the next week. It was a close contest as there were some great entries. Check out our Facebook page to see some of the others.

This Friday we have a great little bluegrass band called The Hummin'birds playing the free Friday afternoon concert at 5pm. Check out the crazy cool poster they did for the show here. Then we switch to jugband music with Roscoe's Dusty Bottle Boxcar Band feat. Bret Sloan at 7pm. Followed by the smooth pop of The Ash Ganley Band at 8pm. $5.

Friday at 9:30p we have hard-core latin dance w/ 9 piece band Kaoba and DJ Juanito. $10/$5 ladies. Bachata, Cumbia, Reggaeton. Come dance and help us get this series off the ground.

Saturday night we have the return of Blues Torch at 7pm. These guys packed the house last time and put on a great show. Come dancing. $5.

Saturday at 9pm we have 3 indie bands, all with very cool names, Lounge Eater, Postal Holiday and Cougar Pants. $5.

Next Tues we have a benefit for a super cool new org called Communified Sounds that sends musicians out to hospitals to play for the sick. Music really does have the power to heal and so we are very psyched about this show. They pulled together 3 fantastic bands too, The Gypsy Lumberjacks, Rogue Sound and Jet Edison. Stellar. $10 suggested donation.

Next week we have the long awaited return of Laughing Hands, plus Johnny Barber and The Living Deads and more. Check out www.dnote.us for more details.

Out,

D Rank

Extra Credit: Here's a poem by a mysterious poet named Truck Darling. Enjoy.

I SHALL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME

St. Matthew 26: 6-13 & Isaiah 50: 4-7

The tenant next door: a prince of the night

with diamond vocals. I have trouble chewing

with grace, need a voluptuous rescue dog

to stay warm so I can keep working off

the grid in mascara. The violent must need

to put their pain somewhere? I had his head

handed to me & I know what to do with it. I

parade the length of 9th Ave. in Converse

& pearls. People yell at me & I find myself

on planes, passed out on dirt, a lone ascetic

in noon pajamas. A potpourri of hockey feet

& quicksand in my cot. When things get crazy,

my impulse is to go radical, crack up during

a Lifetime cameo. My resolve wishes to cave

like an avalanche, but I’ve set my face like flint,

like Rushmore. I know I shall not be put to shame.

I shall not be locked away in fear with this deer

musk, a wet leather jacket, ginger ale. The saddest

shepherd’s pie attracts me to myself. The trust we

love maybe attracts us to ourselves. It’s arrogance

to think I am breathing without a machine. At least

the Blood & Beer Days are over on my soaked earth.

I’d awfully like to drift back into a world of fireflies,

single~pump gas stations, overalls & 1st century

Palestinian sunbeams shooting through my dirty hair

before everything became so… but Love detonates

softly in my present. You are my regal tripwire, it is

good to keep stumbling like this I’m thinking?

D Note love letter 6/2/11

2011-06-02T13:01:00.001-07:00

D ssert

We've got a contest challenge for all of you. If you've got an idea for a fantastic dessert pie, then suggest it on our Facebook page, including a band or song related name. Winner gets a large pie of his or her creation, plus a spot on our specials board. Can hardly wait to taste what you come up with.

This weekend starts off this Friday at 5pm with a kid from Austin Texas named Hogan Sullivan. This kid is great! Free.

Then at 7pm Friday night a local legendary band in the making, the Omnibuds, take the stage. Omnibuds is quite a name. The moniker is obviously derived from "Ombudsman", meaning an official appointed to investigate individuals' complaints against maladministration, esp. that of public authorities. but it is made much more evocative here. "Omni" means "all" and "buds" can mean friends, flowers, etc. Cool Americana music too. $5.

At 9:30pm we begin a new series at the D Note. This is for lovers of hard core latin dancing and music. It is called Noches Tropicalia and for our opening night we'll have a great band, Los Lunaticos. DJ Javi will spin before, between and after. $10 for men, $5 for ladies. Expect Reggaeton, Cumbia, Bachata and some hot dancing.

Saturday we have the big band jazz of Sentimental Sounds at 4pm. This is a benefit for a great local organization Jeffco Outdoor Lab Foundation. $10 suggested donation.

Saturday at 7pm we have a showcase for a local studio, Global Sounds, featuring some of their bands. Free.

Saturday at 9pm we have a CD release for Mike Murray. The CD is called "International" and it is pop, pops. $5

For more info check out www.dnote.us. And don't forget to dream up your dream dessert pie and enter it into our Facebook page.

Deepest,

D pest

Extra Credit: This poem by Dean Young showed up the other day from Poetry Daily. It is a funny puzzle garden of a poem.

Madrigal

Maybe we put too much faith in the heart
when any blockhead knows everything falls apart,
turn to mush the storied administrations of the brain,
there's no statue that won't eventually dissolve in rain,
the continents are in pieces, the empire a mess,
the fleece full of holes, the rivers distressed.
Not what we promised and swore, didn't and did,
not the terrible things that happened to us as kids
makes much diff. We're the types
who bring parasols to gunfights.
A dove backfires, a dump truck coos,
everything's out of whack since I lost you.
Worse than a job chicken-processing,
worse than a courtroom of the deaf addressing,
like trying on a shirt with the pins still in it,
listen to the heart you'll soon regret it.
The photos in their oval frames bestow blame and frown,
whatever you used all your might to heave into the air is due to
come crashing down.
Not the hatchet job you wanted but the one you took,
you stagger from the feast for a look
at a polluted brook, rather polluted yourself.
You feel like something fallen from its shelf,
a yo-yo with a busted string, chipped ceramic elf
because all you can think about is not there,
the eyes not there, not there's hair.
You still don't know what to say
and keep saying it, still trying to give your hiding place away
making a silly commotion with the leaves
of the tree you're falling from. But once that paper's creased,
there's no uncreasing. Once the numbers are deleted,
there's nothing to add up. So time for the tarry slumber
of so what who cares what's it matter,
what should be open closes, should be soft hardens
while the next set of fools scampers into the puzzle garden
detonating with laughter.

love letter 5/26/11

2011-05-26T12:34:00.000-07:00

D Section

First up, if you are a fan of the D Note, will you please go onto Yelp and say why you are a fan? That would help us out a bunch. And if you do put something up, then come in and let us know. We want to say thank you in person.

Also, we are looking for a part time sound man. If you are interested, or know someone that might be, inquire within. Gracias.

Friday night this week starts out with a free concert by the uber-talented songwriter and performer Rob Drabkin at 5pm.

At 7pm Friday Drew Schofield Band is back in the house. Class act. Then the blues dance band Blind Child is playing at 9pm and will rock the night away. $5.

Saturday we have a tango lesson at 4pm followed by the big band jazz of Serenade In Blue. Perfect way to spend an afternoon.

At 7pm Saturday we have the beautiful (and funny) bluegrass folk of the OK Trio at 7pm. They do an excellent Men At Work.

One of our favorite local bands, Junk Drawer, plays at 9:30pm. This is a heavy blues rock band, with a Ween side to their personality. Last time they played they all wore the classic Get Your Phil At The D Note t-shirts.

At 10:30pm we have crunchy ska dub of Transverse Universe. Altogether Saturday is gonna be a lovely night.

Next Tuesday we have band who is traveling through from Austin Texas called The Warm Guns, twee indie rock. They are playing with a local Arvada band called The Belle Jar. Good stuff.

Just a heads up. Next Friday at 9:30p we start a new Friday night series at D Note, Tropical Latin Nights, featuring the band Los Lunaticos and DJ Javi (spinning Cumbia, Bachata, Reggaeton and more.) Mark the date. www.dnote.us for more info.

Yours,

D sponder

Extra credit: Here's a poem from a recent New Yorker by W.S. Merwin called "Turning". It is one of those poems that we read and dismissed. But then it came back later to haunt us.

TURNING

Going to fast for myself I missed
more than I think I can remember

almost everything it seems sometimes
and yet there are chances that come back

that I did not notice when they stood
where I could have reached out and touched them

this morning the black shepherd dog
still young looking up and saying

Are you ready this time

weekend update 5/19/11

2011-05-19T13:19:00.000-07:00

Freddy Franks

Strange how when someone goes
they instantly become myth,
the most of the that that they were.
There is an essence, a spirit

that stays behind in which we can feel
the whole arc of the life.
He preached the gospel every
Sunday for fifty eight years

at the Silver Moon Full Gospel Church
in Granby Missouri. You can imagine
how good he was at the end after all
that practice. (He never retired.)

To give you an idea consider
that he played baseball in college
and could have gone pro, but
instead became a pastor.

(That is the stuff legend is made of,
the All American future baseball star
giving up fame and fortune for
the tending to of a few.)

So just imagine all the heat of the great athlete
directed into the performance at the pulpit,
a little bit of Jerry Lee Lewis' great balls of fire
crossed with the charm of Elvis Presley

and the vocal inflections of Woody Guthrie.
It is a special music that I can hear in my own voice sometimes,
but just barely. This special voice is shared by my grandfather too.
I wish I could hear even more of the sound in me.

Perhaps in homage to these men I will begin to imitate them
and draw out my adverbs, juuuuust for emphasis,
and throw in more "shoots", "brother", "sister"
"man" and "friend" into my language too.

. . .

Think of the vulnerability at the pulpit, the humility
necessary in baring your soul before a congregation
week after week, for thousands of weeks. My Land!
I love to walk in the graveyard in Granby

that Freddy tended and in which he will be buried Saturday.
My Grandfather has taken me through this cemetery
several times and likes to tell stories about the people
buried there, dozens of which, I would imagine,

Freddy helped bury. Even in death
a community will stick together, held together
by the names carved on the stones
and the memories of the living.

. . .

Often as I'm feeling something powerful
I find the music I just happen to be listening to will suddenly
mean something. As I'm writing this I'm listening to a CD
by a songwriter that hopes to play the D Note, John Statz.

The one-line chorus of this beautiful song
repeats over and over, "They mean everything to me."
These words seem to me now to embody
the very meaning of the Granby cemetery.

And it feels appropriate that these words
should come to me in song. Fred
had a beautiful voice and often
led the congregation in song.

I can hear him now in my voice, friend,
ever alive in my vowels, singing
with the angels in heaven and sung
for an lo o o ng time to come.

weekend update 5/12/11

2011-05-12T11:24:00.000-07:00

D La Souls

Hello again dear friends. Thanks for being here. We hope to make it worth your while.

Friday night we have a Free Afternoon Concert w/ Vickie Pompea from Ft. Collins at 5pm. Think John Denver if he was born a woman. Then at 7pm we have the 1, 2 punch of Mitch Lehn Folk Trio (and we always have to qualify that these guys are not a trio, nor folk, nor named Mitch Lehn), followed by The Jake Leg Shakers. These guys always give us a good show. The night ends with an ALL Cream and Jimi Hendrix set by Reverend Hooch at 10:30p. $5. There is a drink special for the night, Hendrix gin w/ cream and Chambord. Ask for a Hendrix and Cream.

Saturday afternoon we have a D Note World Family Concert w/ Rocky Mountain Steel Bands. $7 ($3 for kids under 12). There will be several student steel bands performing.

Saturday at 7p we have a CD release show for Victoria Woodsworth. Victoria once lived in Denver and even won a Westword nod for best songwriter 6 years ago. She now lives in Nashville and we're excited to hear her new songs. Trinity Demask will open the show, another excellent songwriter local to Arvada. $5.

At 9pm we have 3 indie rock bands, Vagrant Son, Firebird 4k and Zombie Survival Guide. Rock on. $5.

Next Thurs night mark your calendar for the ALL BILL MURRAY trivia quiz at 7pm hosted by Geeks Who Drink.

Next Friday we have a Long Spoon Collective Showcase w/ Ian Cooke, Esme (from Paperbird) and several more.

Next Saturday is a birthday party for Bob Dylan who is turning 70. Check out www.dnote.us for more info.

Exeunt,

D Facto

--

Extra Credit: On the front left window of the D Note someone has pasted a Petrarchan Sonnet by Gwendolyn Brooks. This poem is a tricky one and we've been turning it over and over in our minds ever since we first saw it. Here it is.

First Fight. Then Fiddle.

First fight. Then fiddle. Ply the slipping string
With feathery sorcery; muzzle the note
With hurting love; the music that they wrote
Bewitch, bewilder. Qualify to sing
Threadwise. Devise no salt, no hempen thing
For the dear instrument to bear. Devote
The bow to silks and honey. Be remote
A while from malice and from murdering.
But first to arms, to armor. Carry hate
In front of you and harmony behind.
Be deaf to music and to beauty blind.
Win war. Rise bloody, maybe not too late
For having first to civilize a space
Wherein to play your violin with grace.

–Gwendolyn Brooks, 1949

love letter 5/5/11

2011-05-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

D friend

The D Note has two things in common with Facebook. Number one they are both community oriented. But they are both a lot of fun too. FB is, essentially, life boiled down to pithily witty comments between friends. If you have pithily witty friends that is. If not you can always friend the D Note and we'll do our best to be withily pity.

Okay, focus. The keyboardist for Leftover Salmon, Bill Mckay, has moved to Arvada. To welcome himself to Arvada he is playing a free Friday afternoon concert this Friday at the D Note at 5p. Come enjoy the treat. Good stuff all night after that, Jonina Diel (7p), James Hurtado (8p), Dave Boylan Band (9p), Cadillac Grip (R&B and funk dance band) (10:30p). We will be dancing.

Saturday morning is more dance, with Zumba at 10:30. Then at noon, even more, as the Music Train Family Concert Series presents Ricardo Pena salsa band. $7 kids/$3 adults. Cool lunch date with your kids. At 3pm Saturday is more music, with a open jam-band jam (is that a tautology? a jam sandwich?) hosted by Ben and Bill. At 6:45p Saturday is a very young, but good rock band called Synergy. They pump a lot of energy into the D Note.

At 8:30p Saturday we have the long awaited return of the The Mumbles. Firefighter Mike Berg has been a friend to the D Note since day one, and he's also a hell of a songwriter, especially if you like XTC, or say, The Beatles. Mike has brought along another couple bands made up of firefighters, Hot Robots and Reckless Nights. $5. We're stoked (like a fire)

This coming Sunday morning we have designed especially with Mothers in mind. Moms can leave kids at home with Dad and come treat themselves to yoga lead by Nicki Viera w/ live music by Melissa Ivey and Adam DeGraff at 10a. And then have the rest of the family come meet you at 11am for Mello Cello brunch w/ breakfast pizzas, mimosas, bloody marys and of course, cello beautifully played by Monica Sales. Then go home for naps and come back for Baby Boogie at 2p-6p. Cocktail hour. Then take the kids home to the sitter and come back to the D Note for salsa lessons at 8pm followed by La Candela salsa orquestra. $8. Sounds like an epic mother's day to us!

Next Tuesday there will be several student acapella groups. Fun. Next Friday night we have a Jimi Hendrix and Cream Tribute. Next Saturday day is a D Note World Family Concert featuring steel bands. Go to www.dnote.us for details and the rest of the scoop.

Signing off,

D scribe

Extra credit: In recent weeks we have shared poetry with the theme of blessings and curses. Here's another take, lyrics from a new song by Lucina Williams.

Blessed

We were blessed by the minister
Who practiced what he preached

We were blessed by the poor man
Who said heaven is within reach

We were blessed by the girl selling roses
Showed us how to live

We were blessed by the neglected child
Who knew how to forgive

We were blessed by the battered woman
Who didn't seek revenge

We were blessed by the warrior
Who didn't need to win

We were blessed by the blind man
Who could see for miles and miles

We were blessed by the fighter
Who didn't fight for the prize

We were blessed by the mother
Who gave up the child

We were blessed by the soldier
Who gave up his life

We were blessed by the teacher
Who didn't have a degree

We were blessed by the prisoner
Who knew how to be free

We were blessed by the mystic
Who turned water into wine

We were blessed by the watchmaker
Who gave up his time

We were blessed by the wounded man
Who felt no pain

By the wayfaring stranger
Who knew our names

We were blessed by the homeless man
Who showed us the way home

We were blessed by the hungry man
Who filled us with love

By the little innocent baby
Who taught us the truth

We were blessed by the forlorn
Forsaken and abused

We were blessed

weekend update 4/28/11

2011-04-28T11:47:00.000-07:00

D Bonair,

Last weekend at D Note we were treated to Spanish guitar and dance, an 18 piece Gamelan orchestra with dancers, world class blues violin, a sitar concert and a 10 piece salsa band. It was like a master class in world music, which is pretty remarkable when you consider we are located a thousand or so miles from the nearest ocean!

This Friday night we would love to have featured some proper English music for the royal nuptials of William and Kate, but we didn't think that far ahead. We are however doing a benefit, which seems to be in the spirit of the occasion, as Prince William, like his mother, seems to be a very charitable guy. The benefit, which starts at 7p, is for HIV Care Link w/ music by Austin Collins. $5-$10 suggested donation. Austin's music is akin to REM and early Replacements.

After the benefit, at 9p, we have local favorites Stonebraker and Wonderlic. Whole lotta love. $5.

Saturday at 4pm is a ballroom dance lesson followed by the old school big band jazz of Serenade In Blue at 5pm. $10 covers lesson and band.

We have another benefit on Saturday night, this one for The Denver Voice, an organization that helps the homeless (one of Prince William's main concerns, just saying). This show will have some wonderfully unique music by The Coyote Poets and The Skeleton Key Orchestra, both in the Gypsy Americana World Music vein. $5.

Sunday morning we have yoga with the fantastic teacher Nicky Viera and live meditative music by Melissa Ivey and Adam DeGraff, starting 10am. After yoga, at 11:30p, we have the third installment of Sunday (music) School (House/techno) $5 adults, kids free. This is perfect for you, if you used to be an all night raver, but now have kids.

That's now,

D Bone

Extra Credit: Here's an abridged version of a wedding poem (properly called an Epithalamion) by English poet Tennyson, for you know who. O heart, are you great enough for love?

Marriage Morning

Light, so low in the vale
You flash and lighten afar,
For this is the golden morning of love,
And you are his morning star.

Heart, are you great enough
For a love that never tires?
O heart, are you great enough for love?
I have heard of thorns and briers.

Over the thorns and briers,
Over the meadows and stiles,
Over the world to the end of it
Flash of a million miles.

Weekend update 4/21/11

2011-04-21T11:23:00.000-07:00

D spectacled

This weekend the D Note will be taking vacations to Spain and Bali, at least musically. It is strange how music seems to carry the spirit of a place. Spanish flamenco music is an excellent example. Flamenco guitar master Rene Heredia and several dancers will present a show this Friday at 7pm. $20 (subtract airfare to Spain). Then Saturday at 4pm we have our first D Note World Family Music Concert w/ Tunas Mekar, a group of 16 musicians that play a very unique style of music from Bali called Gamelan. $10adults/kids free (subtract airfare to Bali.)

Of course we will also feature some great American music this weekend too. Are the blues considered American? The form goes back to Africa, but it has certainly taken on a certain sound here. Lionel Young, who once played the D Note every Friday night, has recently won the 2011 International Blues Contest in Memphis. Lionel is the only person to ever win both the solo and band competition. We've always known he is one of the most phenomenal musicians in the world and we are proud to see him receive such esteem. The Lionel Young Band will be celebrating their victory Saturday night with a show at the D Note. We missed Lionel and can't wait to have him back in the house. Opening up for Lionel Young Band at 7:30p is A New Brain For Arnie, a new band led by Kristina Ingham. This band lit us up last time they played the D Note. It is an odd but wonderful combination of R&B and classic rock, w/ a dash of hip hop. You kind of have to hear it. The band name, btw, is a line from the movie "What's Eating Gilbert Grape". $8

On Friday night after flamenco we have a couple of cool new bands from Boulder, Mach-Zender (alt country) and Tommy And The Tangerines (classic rock? Listen to the song "Friends Today" on their Facebook to get a feel for this unique band). $5. The bands have commandeered a Banjo Billy Boulder Tour bus for this show so if you live in Boulder and are interested let us know. $20 for the ride (includes show and beverages).

There is a cool indie show next Tuesday with Lady Parts and Ft. Wilson Riot (from Minnesota). Doo Crowder (of Pee Pee) opens the show at 7p. Doo is one of the best songwriters in Denver (listen to the song "Jaroline" here on Pee Pee Myspace page). Fort Wilson Riot was recently signed to Thom Yorks tbd label!. $5

Ever,

D spencible

Extra Credit: Last week we featured a thought provoking poem considering the idea of being "blessed" and "cursed". This week we'll present a poem that takes this idea a step further. This one is by Russian poet Osip Mandelstam. Beautifully translated by Christian Wiman.

Casino

Pointless any happiness that happens by plan:
To live in nature is to suffer luck.
Thus blessed, thus cursed, I am myself again,
Empty-tipsy, drinking to the lees my lack.

Wind-tousled cloud, cloud-tousled chance,
Deep in the unseen an anchor drops, and clings.
O my lilting, my light-sheer, my linen existence:
As of another nothing floating over things.

I like the cakelike casino on the dunes,
And how the strict fingers of skeletal light
Come alive on the baize, and the view, vast as mist.

I like the tone of green that oceans in,
And the tight rosebuds of wine that bloom in the mind,
And the towering, scouring seagull, in whose eyes nothing is lost.

(1912)

D Note weekend update 4/14/11

2011-04-14T13:07:00.001-07:00

D finest,

Did you know only one of the original seven wonders of the world has survived? The Great Pyramid of Giza. The rest are all gone. Makes you think. But even stranger perhaps is that the idea of "seven wonders of the world" has survived. The idea was originally based on guidebooks used by Hellenic sight seers around the Mediterranean. The number seven, to the Greeks, represented perfection and plenty. The idea stuck and people still, for some reason, try to get their lists of wonders down to the magic number seven. You can see a few of these lists on Wikipedia. They are interesting for sure, but we should make up our own. We'd have to list D Note's salsa night as a wonder. And also the Clamdaddys. Five more anyone?

As for the news...

Tonight, Thursday, April 14, and every Thursday, we have Geeks Who Drink Trivia. Geeks Who Drink Trivia was started by our friend John Dicker. It has become so successful in Colorado that John is taking it national and doing very well for himself. Go John! It does make for a very entertaining night and we laugh more on Thursdays than we ever have at any comedy club. After trivia Martin Gilmore (another nominee for wonder of the world) holds a bluegrass picking circle.

This Friday we have Ryan Macpherson at 5pm for Free Friday Afternoon Concert, then Dave and Judy Edwards at 7pm, Bottom Feeders (blues rock) at 8:30pm and In Due Time (funk/ska) at 10:30p. $5.

Saturday we have Music Train Family Concert at 4pm featuring Beatles Revival. $7 adults/ $3 kids.

At 7pm Saturday we have a benefit for Colorado Special Olympics w/ R.I.C.E., The Jonglare, Suicide By Proxy, The Killwatch $5-$10 suggested donation.

Then at 9:30p Saturday we have another benefit, this one for Japenese Earthquake/Tsunami relief via Doctors Without Borders. D.A.R.C. (Denver Art Rock Collective) is putting this one together and the show will feature Amphibious Jones, The Mourning Sickness and The Inactivists. Get weird and do good, that's the motto. $5-$10 suggested donation.

Sunday morning we are having a special session of our yoga w/ live meditation music. The Larson brothers (from Something Underground) will join Melissa Ivey and Adam DeGraff for the music and Crystal Larson will be teaching the yoga. 10am. Donations welcome and will go this time toward Chandra House.

Next Friday we have a flamenco show with Rene Heredia at 7pm. We have a family world music show featuring a 16 piece Balinese Gamelan Orchestra at 4pm next Saturday. And 8p next Saturday we are proud to announce the return of International Blues Challenge winners of 2011, The Lionel Young Band (another of the seven wonders.)

Hope to see you all soon,

D Finer

Extra Credit: There was a fantastic poem in the New Yorker last week by Carl Dennis that really made us think. We'll copy here for you, word by word.

New Year's Eve

However busy you are, you should still reserve
One evening a year for thinking about your double,
The man who took the curve on Conway Road
Too fast, given the icy patches that night,
But no faster than you did; the man whose car
When it slid through the shoulder
Happened to strike a girl walking alone
From a neighbor's party to her parent's farm,
While your car struck nothing more notable
Than a snowbank.

One evening for recalling how soon you transformed
Your accident into a comic tale
Told first at a body shop, for comparing
That hour of pleasure with his hour of pain
At the house of the stricken parents, and his many
Long afternoons at the Lutheran graveyard.

If nobody blames you for assuming your luck
Has something to do with your character,
Don't blame him for assuming that his misfortune
Is somehow deserved, that justice would be undone
If his extra grief was balanced later
By a portion of extra joy.

Lucky you, whose personal faith has widened
To include an angel assigned to protect you
From the usual outcome of heedless moments.
But this evening consider the angel he lives with,
The stern enforcer who drives the sinners
Out of the garden with a flaming sword
And locks the gate.

weekend update 4/8/11

2011-04-08T10:17:00.000-07:00

D bops,

Lots of cool stuff happening this weekend, but first an addendum to the story of the six year old getting up and rocking out on stage that we mentioned last week. We received the following e-mail in response: "I would like to proudly identify the 6 year old girl from Tuesday night. She is Jane Rebecca Poole, our granddaughter. I was there Tue to support Laurie and her daughter. I met my daughter Christina there along with Jane. In Jan 2010 Jane was diagnosed with Leukemia and has undergone chemotherapy ever since. She will require chemo for another year or more. Her prognosis is great and she is very positive. Last summer she did a lemonade stand to help pay for some of her medical bills. She made it on Fox national news. Jane has been coming to the D-note since birth. Mainly for the Clamdaddys on Weds. When she was released from the hospital the first time in Jan 2010, she requested going to the D-note to celebrate. On Tuesday she took money from her piggy bank to donate for Jesse. She really enjoyed the music of the Something Underground. She danced to every song. The last song they did was a Journey song I believe and it is also done by her favorite group 'FACE'. She simply stared at Seth while he sang that song. She was talking to Seth after and it took us all by surprise when he invited her onstage. We had no idea what to expect, but it worked like magic. I think she sang the same tune but stuck in her own words. When she returned to the table she proclaimed that it was "awesome, a dream come true". We know Jane to be an awesome girl, but we applaud a place like the D-note that can allow this kind of magic to happen. Larry Ruppel" Thanks for sending Larry, that story pretty much justifies everything we do.

Tonight, Friday, April 8 we have James Hurtado playing 5-6:30pm, Free Friday Afternoon Concert.

Then at 7pm Dae Dai feat. SOULFORCE. Dae Dai used to play with the now legendary Future Jazz Project and we are excited to see what he does with this new configuration. $10.

At 9:30pm we have a hip hop flavored show, Latenite Entertainment presents Smoke G's Smoke Sessions Vol 2 feat. Smoke G, 20:12, Diamond Boiz & Arkatek. $7 admission with free copy of Smoke Sessions Vol 2.

Saturday we have Sentimental Sounds Big Band Orchestra playing at 4pm. We love the big bands. Free!

Then at 7pm Saturday we have a CD release show for Swing Je T'aime (feat. Woodcut Jumper dance troupe) We caught these guys at Bliss once and were wowed. Gypsy Jazz of the highest caliber, very cool. $7.

And then at 9:30pm Saturday we have an Intimate Evening W/ The Queen Beez (WUTANG sisters). We heard about this local all female homage to the Wutang Clan after they packed out the Walnut Room a few months ago. We are very excited to have them at the D Note. We just found out they will be going on tour with Raekwon himself in the near future, so they are definitely going places. $7.

Hard to beat a Saturday night like that one, Big Band into Gypsy Jazz into Wutang Clan.

Check out www.dnote.us for the rest of the scoop. And don't forget to "like us" on our new Facebook page.

Yours,

D Wops,

Extra Credit: The poet Paul Violi died last week. Paul was one of the more entertaining poets out there, with a fantastic imagination and a sharp sense of humor. Here's a small sample.

Counterman

What'll it be?

Roast beef on rye, with tomato and mayo.

Whudduhyuh want on it?

A swipe of mayo.
Pepper but no salt.

You got it. Roast beef on rye
. . . You want lettuce on that?

No. Just tomato and mayo.

Tomato and mayo. You got it.
. . . Salt and pepper?

No salt. Just a little pepper.

You got it. No salt.
You want tomato.

Yes. Tomato. No lettuce.

No lettuce. You got it.
. . . No salt, right?

Right. No salt.
You got it. — Pickle?

No, no pickle. Just tomato and mayo.
And pepper.

Pepper.

Yes, a little pepper.

Right. A little pepper.
No pickle.

Right. No pickle.

You got it.
Next.

Roast beef on whole wheat, please,
With lettuce, mayonnaise and a center slice
Of beefsteak tomato.
The lettuce splayed, if you will,
In a Beaux Arts derivative of classical acanthus,
And the roast beef, thinly sliced, folded
In a multi-foil arrangement
That eschews Bragdonian pretensions
Or any idea of divine geometric projection
For that matter, but simply provides
A setting for the tomato
To form a medallion with a dab
Of mayonnaise as a fleuron.
And — as eclectic as this may sound —
If the mayonnaise can also be applied
Along the crust in a Vitruvian scroll
And as a festoon below the medallion,
That would be swell.

You mean like in the Cathedral St. Pierre in Geneva?

Yes, but the swag more like the one below the rosette
At the Royal Palace in Amsterdam.

You got it.
Next.

D Note love letter 3/31/11

2011-03-31T11:10:00.000-07:00

D hive,

First thing's first. If you have Facebook then please "like us" on our page. We'll send updates of our pizza specials and special events. Plus you'll be part of the community and that is what it is all about.

Next, a story. This Tuesday the band Something Underground was playing a benefit at the D Note and a six year old girl got up on stage and belted out a song with the band. The song sounded like a classic, but we couldn't place it. We found out later from the band that they didn't know the girl. The girl wanted to sing a song with the band and the band gamely agreed. The girl couldn't give any direction to the band except to say the name of the song, a song which, apparently, she made up. The guys didn't know what to do until the girl said, "Okay guys, let's rock!" So the band started playing a 4 chord progression and the girl just started singing her song, hitting all the chord changes, building to a climax and wowing the audience. It seemed like she was an old pro, but she told the band it was her first time performing on stage. It was an incredible moment all the way around and inspiring to see a six year old get so wrapped up in the music in such a raw and powerful way.

Now for the news. This Friday, April 1, we have Oakhurst back in the house for an April Fool's Show. We always love to have Oakhurst in the house as they are a great bluegrass dance band, but we're extra excited this time because they've added one of Adam DeGraff's songs to their mix, "Twango". Come learn to do The Twango with us on Friday night. Dr. Harlan's Amazing Bluegrass Tonic opens the night at 6:30p, Dielectric Sound at 8pm and then Oakhurst takes the stage around 9:30pm. $10.

Saturday at noon the Music Train Family Concert Series presents Beatles Revival. Yellow Submarine? Octopus's Garden? Check and check. $7 adults/ $3 kids.

Saturday at 7pm we have our spring Hafla, with special guests Fuego Fusion (from Las Vegas). $7 adults/$5 kids. Lots of dancers and music by Yallah!.

Then at 10pm we have our favorite world fusion dance band, Mono Verde. We are really lucky to have bands like Mono Verde at the D Note and hope you won't let the opportunity to come hear them pass you by. You can pretend you are taking a trip to Rio or the tropical destination of your choice, because that is how this band will make you feel.

Heads up. Next Saturday night, April 9, we have a CD release party for Swing Je T'aime (an incredible Gypsy Jazz style swing band) followed by an an all female Wutang tribute band at 9:30p!

We a lot more going on during the week, so check out dnote.us for the rest of the scoop.

Yours,

D Scape

Extra Credit:

Starlight
Philip Levine

My father stands in the warm evening
on the porch of my first house.
I am four years old and growing tired.
I see his head among the stars,
the glow of his cigarette, redder
than the summer moon riding
low over the old neighborhood. We
are alone, and he asks me if I am happy.
``Are you happy?'' I cannot answer.
I do not really understand the word,
and the voice, my father's voice, is not
his voice, but somehow thick and choked,
a voice I have not heard before, but
heard often since. He bends and passes
a thumb beneath each of my eyes.
The cigarette is gone, but I can smell
the tiredness than hangs on his breath.
He has found nothing, and he smiles
and holds my head with both his hands.
Then he lifts me to his shoulder,
and now I too am among the stars,
as tall as he. Are you happy? I say.
He nods in answer, Yes! oh yes! oh yes!
And in that new voice he says nothing,
holding my head tight against his head,
his eyes closed up against the starlight,
as though those tiny blinking eyes
of light might find a tall, gaunt child
holding his child against the promises
of autumn, until the boy slept
never to waken in that world again.

weekend update 3/24/11

2011-03-24T09:57:00.000-07:00

D Rex,

It is a amazing how far things like music and humor will go to help give you a lift when you need one. So we shall try to provide you with both, in case you might need one. First the humor:

A woman walks into a bar. Bartender says, "What can I get for you?" The woman says, "I'll have a double entendre please". So the bartender gave it to her.

Now for the music:

Our old friends The Duke Street Kings will be kicking it this Friday night 7-10pm. This is a benefit for Habitat For Humanities. $8. Rock and roll.

At 10pm Friday we have a free showcase for Velcro City Records. This is a very cool electronica label. Check out the wicked flyer and more info here.

Saturday at 4pm we have a ballroom dance lesson (given by Booths Danceport) followed by a big band performance by Serenade In Blue. What a lovely way to spend an afternoon.

At 8pm we have five indie bands. This show was curated by Bonnie And The Beard, a band that blew us away when the played the D Note in the fall. The line up is Crook's Coat, FaceMan, Bonnie And The Beard, Woodrose and SlakJaw. We are super excited for this one.

We are also excited for a strangely dynamic show coming up this next Tuesday. First Something Underground is going to play a benefit to help cover some medical expenses for our friend Laurie Anderson's daughter. Donations welcome. Then at 8pm a progressive indie rock band from Ithaca NY called Ayurveda is coming back through the D Note. Since they've been here last they've put out a concept album that has been getting raves. We're looking forward to hearing it live. Then we have a very cool local band called The Raven And The Writing Desk. $5.

Also, did you know we have one of the longest lasting and best salsa nights in the midwest? Every Sunday night. Just a reminder, in case you forgot. Only $8, includes a salsa lesson and a rotation of salsa orchestras. It gets tropical up in here.

In,

D formation

Extra Credit: While trolling the Facebook we stumbled across a poem by Stephen Ellis that caught our attention. We breathe a little more life into it here, for those of you paying close attention.

TAME

Mind's ice rendered

glass, the window

through which to stare

as if there were

an outside to break

into: Madness is just

the spike already

rusted deep within

my arm that keeps

these seizures close

at hand. If there is

a bird in sight, why am I

not riding on its

back? Is it force of

circumstance that I be

standing on a stone?

"Winged chariot," they

always scoff: "Just be

fantastic and lie back down

in bed." I bled

for the right to be

torn apart, and now

my time has come.

The gold is only ever

clear when the bowstring's

pulled all the way

back. Hear the music?

See the chardonnay simmer

in my vacant eyes? I

dissolved my father's

teeth in it. And now

streets and fields of

green once his are

unalterably barren,

pissed on, grown wild

and completely mine.

Weekend update 3/10/11

2011-03-10T09:30:00.001-08:00

Symphony in D,

As we write this we are listening to a mix tape called Lullabies and Dream Songs, which you can download free on rootstrata.com. This is a website that puts out roots music "mix tapes" that derive from a little specialty record store in Mississippi. Just thought you might like to know about this treasure trove.

This weekend we have some amazing music for you. First we have Bop Skizzum. Bop is a band that knocked our socks off at the D Note a few years back. They were on hiatus for awhile as front man Andy Guerrero was busy with his band The Flobots, who blew up to national status. Now Bop is back, with Guerrero intact, along with Serafin Sanchez and the rest of the crew. The word is they are even better than they were before. Strings Like The Sun, a tasty indie rock band from Arvada, will be opening at 7pm. The great DJ Chonz will join Bop Skizzum during the end of their set and spin into the night. It should be one of the thousand or so best nights in D Note history (as Phil the door man likes to say.) $7/$10 (under 21)

Saturday at noon we're having our annual Rummage Sale and Community Charity Donation. Clean out your closets and pick something new up too.

At 4pm Saturday we have Steal Hearts and Fervor. Fervor is indie rock and Steal Hearts are more folky. $5.

7pm Saturday we have a benefit for Dry Bones, an organization that helps homeless kids get off the street. Sarah Peacock, a country pop singer from Atlanta GA with a bouyant style will be playing for this benefit. $5-$10 suggested donation.

9:30pm Saturday night we have a very cool trip hop style band called Love Royale. This band features the drumming of our friend David Petry and the music is very cool.

Sunday morning yoga led by Nicki Viera w/ live meditation music w/ Melissa Ivey and Adam DeGraff was beautiful last week and we hope you can join us this week. Starts at 10am sharp. It is a wonderful way to start the week.

Hope to see you soon,

D Symphony

Extra Credit: We heard a song by Cake the other day that seemed to go in this space, about a dark symphony, not in D, but in C. Written by Cake's John Mccrea.

Commission a Symphony In C

So you'll be an Austrian nobleman
Commissioning a symphony in C
Which defies all earthly descriptions

You'll be commissioning a symphony in C
With money you squeeze from the peasants

To your nephew you can give it as a present
This magnificent symphony in C

Completely filling the palace concert hall
It's warm and golden like an oven that's wide open
It has a melody both happy and sad
Built on victorious known triads

You've entered the room with great caution
Though no one in the hall is even watching
They are transfixed
They are forgetting just to breath
They are so taken by your symphony...
In C

You're sitting there thinking your thoughts
They are not about what is but what is not
You are sitting there breathing in your breath
You are seldom breathing life but mostly death

So you'll be an Austrian nobleman
Commissioning a symphony in C
Which defies all earthly descriptions
You'll be commissioning...
A symphony...

weekend update 3/3/11

2011-03-03T09:02:00.000-08:00

D rigueur

One of the truly wonderful things about the D Note is being a part of the musical community of Colorado. There are communities within communities and they cross over one another in myriad ways. It would be a fun exercise, if we but had the time, to make Venn diagrams of the overlapping circles. A good place to start the diagramming would be this Friday at the D Note. We have a show that features several performers who could be considered scenesters, or better put, supporters of other performers. One of these bands include Quillion, who has a very tight connection to the D Note. They know everyone at the D Note, but also know seemingly everyone else in the scene and so do their part to stitch it all together into a crazy Quillion quilt. Q Diva Experience also will be playing and you will meet the souldful and dynamic lead singer Quana everywhere once you meet her once. Kristina Ingham and Elana Rogers are performing Friday night and ditto. They all know each other and support each other too, and the result is a whole which is even greater than the powerful parts. Come experience the love, starting at 7p on Friday. $5

At 11p on Friday we feature another great scenester, Chris Budin. We once went to a drumming party in Chris' basement where he played house music while we all drummed. Chris is going to be doing a DJ set at the D Note Friday night with live drumming and it will be wicked. (BTW Budin's band Oakhurst will be playing the D Note April 1st).

Tyson Ailshe's jazz trio will be opening the night Friday with a free concert at 5pm, a spirited way to start your weekend.

Saturday we have 14 hours of music planned. (A serious marathon for our sound engineer. Let's hear it for the amazing Greg Rendon.) First we have Zumba (dance excercise) at 10:30am. Then at noon we have a garage band recital by Music Lessons Of Westminster. At 5pm we have a recital for the (very) advanced students of JT Nolan. These students will have one of the best back up bands you could ask for with Matt Skellenger, Kailin Yong and Paul Muliken. We're envious! At 7:30pm Drew Schofield Band will be taking the stage, followed by the blues rock of Blind Child. And at 11pm the indie rock band SuperSeed will be playing. $5. Whew!

Sunday morning at 10am we have a new yoga instructor, Nicki Viera, who comes highly recommended. Melissa Ivey and Adam DeGraff will be there playing music for the yogis and meditaters.

Then at 11:30am Sunday morning we have a new monthly residency (first Sunday of the month), an electronica house party for ravers and the kids of ravers dubbed Sunday School. Resident deejays Tom Hoch and BioJeff will be spinning house music. This is a chance for those of you that, until you had kids, used to dance all night to get back on the floor WITH your kids. You can have it all. We'll also be featuring, as usual, our fantastic brunch menu of breakfast pizzas and frittatas. Mello Cello Brunch will be back next week and resume the rest of the month. $5 adults/ kids free.

Next Tues is Fat Tuesday and we are having a party with The D Note Mardi Gras Krewe featuring the Joseph Barton Trio at 7:30pm. $5. There will be specials on Hurricanes and Jambalaya.

Next Friday night we have Bop Skizzum in the house. Yes.

In,

D mando

Extra Credit: Turns out Charlie Sheen is a poet. Here's a sample of some of his recent work.

In the Air and On the Ground

I got magic
And I got poetry
At my fingertips
Most of the time
And this includes naps.
I’m an F-18
And I will destroy you
In the air,
And I will deploy my ordnance
To the ground.

Like Lambs to the Slumber

So just shut your traps
And put down your McDonald’s,
Your magazines,
Your TMZ
And the rest of it,
And focus
On something that matters.
But you can’t focus
On things that matter
If all you’ve been is asleep
For forty years.
Funny how sleep
Rhymes with sheep.

On Deaf Ears

Did you say Cancun
Or caboose?
I don't know,
I was in a blackout, man.

update 2/24/11

2011-02-24T09:37:00.001-08:00

D nation

For all of you Pisces and wanna be Pisces and friends of Pisces, we have put together a special show for you this Friday night at 7pm w/ Pearls 4 Breakfast, SoundRabbit and Greensleeves. It's a Pisces party, and Pisces are known to party. Pearls 4 Breakfast is new to us, but sound promising. SoundRabbit, playing at 8:30pm, is a killer pop band that should be world known by now since they are so infectious. Greensleeves is a deejay playing at 10pm and spinning disco, funk and old school hip hop. $5, Pisces get in FREE.

Saturday afternoon at 3pm we have a benefit show and silent auction for the West Arvada Dog Park, featuring the music of Open Range and Patty Jackson.

Saturday night we have a fundraiser for White Rabbit, an organization that is raising money for a youth center. The event starts at 7pm and will include a harpist, belly dancers and live drumming. There will be 30 artists on display, with sales of work going toward the youth center. A goth band called Beryl Beloved will play at 11pm. Donations accepted at door.

It will be a special weekend, benefiting youth, dogs and Pisces!

Yours,

D Notary

Extra Credit: We found out this morning that our friend, the poet Akilah Oliver, died last night. Rest in peace Akilah. Here is a selection from her poem Corruptions.

from Corruptions
by Akilah Oliver

Both of us so shy and I attracted to her translucence on display beneath chaotic knitted cap offsetting a deadpan sky, what passed for winter, a screen that made me want to go around saying “Dakota”, those clear consonants holding us dear...

She wrote me a picture that made a personal pronoun nascent

I wrote her a street in return, a green one with leafy things massing

She eventually began to notate scripture

I learned to run, to gallop

So bright, it is hallucinatory in this room, fear breaking like distant bones

I’ve navigated this life, somehow on the run

Standing here as I am away from Ave A, styling a Kmart coat rabbit fur lined collar & my afro wig, [writing in pauses] trying to capture the text

In recalling the details, I may have forgotten the particulars, of say, for example, rain

May I imagine well enough to live forever as this gunner, as this diviner, at rest at this port

May I want, again and, then, moisten the language.

Pull out of the closet, my shy mistress, Desire.

d note love letter 2/17/11

2011-02-17T16:28:00.000-08:00

Hot D8,

This Saturday we celebr8 our 8 year anniversary. We've put together a gr8 show for you. First we have Brittany Williams at 7pm. Brittany is one of our servers and we predict a big career for this woman. She has one of the most subtle voices we've heard, and it is still developing. Plus her original songs are really something. At 8pm we have the legendary Angie Stevens. We are thrilled Angie has agreed to play for us on this special occasion. She's a remarkable musician and performer and we can't w8. Seriously, big crush rock and roll. At 10pm we have a killer reggae band called Coral Thief and we'll dance the night away. $8 cover, bring a friend (or D8) for FREE.

Friday night we have the return of 2:10 Special at 5pm for the free Friday afternoon concert. At 7pm we have the return of Mute Man's Microphone and Wheelchair Sports Camp. At 10pm we have a violin maestro and DJ Jeff Hughes. This guy has a long list of accolades, including playing at the Grammys in 2008. He plays a kind of hip hop violin over tracks he has produced himself. He comes to us highly recommended from a friend that said, "you gotta hear this guy this guy into the D Note".

Another way cool thing happening this weekend is O-Tone Brass Band playing for Music Train Family Concert at 4pm on Saturday. Bring the kids. They will be D lighted. (D lit?) $7 for adults/$3 for kids.

We have a guest teacher for Yoga this Sunday, Darcy Hagerman. Melissa Ivey, Adam Degraff, Brittany Williams and others will be playing meditative music to help support your peace and practice. Come join the community. Bring your own mat. Class starts at 10am sharp.

Next Weekend is a party we put together specifically for Pisces and all friends of Pisces. Pisces are in the door for free, so spread the word. Great Pisces bands on board too, Pearls 4 Breakfast, SoundRabbit and Greensleeves.

Zumba is also happening, as well as salsa lessons, blues swing lessons, mello cello brunch, baby boogie, open stage, and much more.

That's most of it. Google the rest.

Or dnote.us.

Love,

dnote.us

Extra Credit: A short line for a long week:

"If music be the food of love, play on." W. Shakespeare.

We will take this opportunity to play on and unveil the best conspiracy theory of all time for YOUR eyes only. The best version of the bible is the King James in our opinion. Why? Because this version is the one (in the English language) that pays the most attention to sound and music. Think of the psalms, how beautiful the language is, "yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil. " Well, the theory we propose is that Shakespeare translated the Psalms. King James invited the best writers of his kingdom to translate the bible. Shakespeare was a favorite of King James, having written Macbeth for him. (Now there's a morality tale fit for a King!) Here's the evidence. Shakespeare would have been 46 years old during the time the King James Version was translated. If you go to Psalms 46 and count 46 words down from the top of the psalm and 46 words up from the bottom you will see the words "shake" and "spear". My guess is that for some reason Shakespeare asked (or was asked) not to take credit for the translation. One can guess reasons. But Shakespeare, being the genius he is, found an improbable, possibly divine, link between Psalms 46 and his own age and used it to reach the clever person who first uncovered this fantastic literary Easter egg, whomever they may be. Pass it on.

Weekend update 2/10/11

2011-02-10T08:40:00.000-08:00

D side,

This Friday night at 8pm we have a Flamenco dance performance by Cositas Buenas featuring Kevin Romero on guitar. $15/$12 students. One of the amazing benefits of the D Note has been the the immersion into different cultures, and Flamenco is perfect example. Who knew that there was such a strong contingent of Spanish music and dance in Colorado? We now know. By the way, if you want a Flamenco primer you can do no better than to start to with Garcia Lorca's essay on Duende. (google it)

After Flamenco we have the return of DJ Chonz at 10pm, definitely one of the best all around deejays in Colorado and we'll be dancing hard. Ladies free.

Saturday afternoon at 4pm we have Sentimental Sounds Big Band Jazz concert, which is a benefit for Sooper Credit Union Community Foundation. $10 suggested donation.

Saturday evening we have a big show featuring house favorites Stonebraker. Jon Boland will kick things off at 7pm, Zen Mustache at 8:30, Stonebraker at 10 and Broken Parts at 11:30pm. $5. Rock and roll!

Next Monday night is Valentine's Day and we encourage you all to come out and play a love song for your lover for open mic night. Add some D Note pasta and wine and could anything be more romantic? Sign up is at 6:30p and Jay Ryan will do his best to fit everybody in.

Next Tuesday at 7pm is an especially excellent songwriter showcase with Jason Vigil, Naor Nave, Jon Woodhead and Jay Ryan. You will swoon, guaranteed.

Next Saturday night is our 8 year anniversary party with Angie Stevens, Brittany Williams and Coral Thief, with a special poster art show by Matt Dougherty. Mark it down because we want you to be there to celebrate with us.

Love,

D ride

Extra Credit: A wintery poem by Adam DeGraff, a local poet whose poetry we first discovered on the side of a train.

Delayed In Central Station

The poetry of liberty. Writing on walls when no one's around.
Reading your own words as if feeling the kind gesture of touch.
The warmth of the touch, brushing against the back of your neck, caressing your ear. "My language trembles with desire."

The words are now embedded, the bride and groom wed.

Delayed by a snowstorm and a momentary ellipse
inside of Central Station, the center of all known
worlds. The center of nothing, all has stopped.
There is only time for this. This is everything.
The pen takes advantage of the lull
between the trains and fills the wall.

As slow as the mind will go. The mind is
making connections to worlds unknown.

Who is there? What is on the wall of your train?
These words dissolve. A man full of nothing, happy,
stops to look...

Train tagging in a winter wonderland.

D Note love letter, 2/3/11

2011-02-03T12:54:00.001-08:00

D Flowers

If summer is for flowering, is winter for deflowering? We'll leave that question open ended.

Tonight, after trivia (which has been rocking lately), we have a picking circle lead by Martin Gilmore. Martin is entrenched in the Bluegrass scene of Colorado and you never know who you will find sitting in with him. But it is always a great mix.

Friday we are having a birthday party for our friend Bob Marley. He's still looking young at 66! An amazing new local reggae world band called Trichome is playing at 8pm. And Dr.U will be spinning reggae-tinged Dub Step at 10pm. $5.

Early evening Friday the fantastic Melissa Ivey will play for the FFAC (Free Friday Afternoon Concert). Because we are lucky.

Saturday at 11am we have a chocolate tasting as part of the Historic Olde Town Arvada Chocolate Affair. There will be events all over town. A no-brainer really.

Saturday at 5pm we have Serenade In Blue, a local Big Band with panache. $10 suggested donation.

Saturday at 7:30pm we have The Mitch Lehn Folk Trio (which isn't folk or a trio and this paranthetical qualification should just become part of their name). Then The Jake Leg Shakers, original rock and roll, returns to the D Note stage. Are they getting into double digits yet? And we end the evening with the Andy Hackbarth Band. This last band is new to the D Note, but we here they are super fun. $5.

Sunday morning at 10am our friend Laura Schallmoser is teaching yoga while Melissa Ivey, Brittany Williams, Adam DeGraff and others play meditative music. It is Laura's birthday too, so this is a party (of sorts) and YOU are invited.

It looks like next Monday there is a Punk-rock-off during the open stage. We're not exactly sure what that means, but it sounds fun. Next week for open stage, February 14, would be an excellent day to get up and sing a love song to the love of your life. What better gift?

We have a killer flamenco show next Friday at 7:30p, Stonebraker next Saturday night. And Angie Stevens w/ Coral Thief for our 8 year anniversary show Feb. 19th.

Okay, thanks for smelling so sweet,

D thorn

Extra credit: Last week we shared a poem by Anne Waldman, co-founder of Jack Kerouac Poetry School at Naropa in Boulder. Allen Ginsberg was the other founder. Allen got around, so some of you may know him. James Franco just played him in the movie "Howl". Here's a poem by Allen that reaches us through time and space.

Song

The weight of the world
is love.
Under the burden
of solitude,
under the burden
of dissatisfaction

the weight,
the weight we carry
is love.

Who can deny?
In dreams
it touches
the body,
in thought
constructs
a miracle,
in imagination
anguishes
till born
in human--
looks out of the heart
burning with purity--
for the burden of life
is love,

but we carry the weight
wearily,
and so must rest
in the arms of love
at last,
must rest in the arms
of love.

No rest
without love,
no sleep
without dreams
of love--
be mad or chill
obsessed with angels
or machines,
the final wish
is love
--cannot be bitter,
cannot deny,
cannot withhold
if denied:

the weight is too heavy

--must give
for no return
as thought
is given
in solitude
in all the excellence
of its excess.

The warm bodies
shine together
in the darkness,
the hand moves
to the center
of the flesh,
the skin trembles
in happiness
and the soul comes
joyful to the eye--

yes, yes,
that's what
I wanted,
I always wanted,
I always wanted,
to return
to the body
where I was born.

San Jose, 1954

update 1/27/11

2011-01-27T10:13:00.000-08:00

D Part Your,

How is the hanging garden? By hanging we mean moving. By moving we mean legs. By legs we mean dancing. By dancing we mean hanging. So, how?

This weekend at the D Note is going to be a magical sleigh ride around the world. (I stole that line from local DJ Terrasonic, who we highly encourage everyone to listen to Saturday noon on KGNU.)

Friday night: We start off at 5pm with acclaimed songwriter and guitarista extraordinaire, Kimmerjae Johnson. Free. Then at 7:30pm we have Dr. Harlan's Amazing Bluegrass Tonic. This is a local bluegrass act that has come up out of nowhere and surprised us all. Great stuff if you like bluegrass, dynamic instrumentals, beautiful harmonies. $5.

Speaking of great bluegrass, there is a killer circle taking shape on Thursday nights at 9pm after trivia, with the pre-legendary Martin Gilmore at the helm.

For the dance party Friday night we have Alejandro Castano manning the turn tables. We say "manning", because this happens to be Alejandro's 21st birthday party. Many of you may know Alejandro, or at least recognize him. He's been playing drums at D Note since he was 14! Now he has shaped up to be an excellent jazz drummer. But he's also a fun DJ in his spare time. He's gonna be spinning the tasty dance tunes Friday night so come out and celebrate. Ladies free.

Saturday we have the Winter Gala Hafla, presented by Phoenix. The Hafla is great. How could several troupes of women dancing creative routines not be great? We suggest getting there by 6pm if you want a seat. Starts at 7pm. $6/$5 kids. After the Hafla we have a new funk band on the scene, Volunteer Funk Dept. Come dancing. $5.

Next Friday we have a Bob Marley 66th Birthday show with Trichome (world reggae) at 8pm and Dr.U (dubstep) at 10pm. Mark your calendar. Also Stonebraker Feb. 12 and Angie Stevens Feb. 19.

Ba dum bum,

D rum

Extra credit: Anne Waldman is a major poet who just so happens to have deep roots locally. With Allen Ginsberg she started The Jack Kerouac School Of Disembodied Poetics at Naropa in Boulder. Here's a poem of hers. It is akin to the poem we featured recently by Frank O'hara, "A True Account Of Talking To The Sun On Fire Island". It also echoes (like a game of telephone) O'hara's line from his Personism Manifesto, "While I was writing it I was realizing that if I wanted to I could use the telephone instead of writing the poem, and so Personism was born."

Phonecall From Frank O'hara

“That all these dyings may be life in death”
I was living in San Francisco
My heart was in Manhattan
It made no sense, no reference point
Hearing the sad horns at night,
fragile evocations of female stuff
The 3 tones (the last most resonant)
were like warnings, haiku-muezzins at dawn
The call came in the afternoon
“Frank, is that really you?”

I'd awake chilled at dawn
in the wooden house like an old ship
Stay bundled through the day
sitting on the stoop to catch the sun
I lived near the park whose deep green
over my shoulder made life cooler
Was my spirit faltering, grown duller?
I want to be free of poetry's ornaments,
its duty, free of constant irritation,
me in it, what was grander reason
for being? Do it, why? (Why, Frank?)
To make the energies dance etc.

My coat a cape of horrors
I'd walk through town or
impending earthquake. Was that it?
Ominous days. Street shiny with
hallucinatory light on sad dogs,
too many religious people, or a woman
startled me by her look of indecision
near the empty stadium
I walked back spooked by
my own darkness
Then Frank called to say
“What? Not done complaining yet?
Can't you smell the eucalyptus,
have you never neared the Pacific?
‘While frank and free/call for
musick while your veins swell’”
he sang, quoting a metaphysician
"Don't you know the secret, how to
wake up and see you don't exist, but
that does, don't you see phenomena
is so much more important than this?
I always love that.”
“Always?” I cried, wanting to believe him
“Yes.” “But say more! How can you if
it's sad & dead?” “But that's just it!
If! It isn't. It doesn't want to be
Do you want to be?” He was warming to his song
“Of course I don't have to put up with as
much as you do these days. These years.
But I do miss the color, the architecture,
the talk. You know, it was the life!
And dying is such an insult. After all
I was in love with breath and I loved
embracing those others, the lovers,
with my body.” He sighed & laughed
He wasn't quite as I'd remembered him
Not less generous, but more abstract
Did he even have a voice now, I wondered
or did I think it up in the middle
of this long day, phone in hand now
dialing Manhattan

weekend update 1/20/11

2011-01-20T09:30:00.000-08:00

D Vine

The other day we were hanging out at the bar. This old guy wobbles in from the street, sits down at the bar and immediately starts insulting the fellow sitting next to us. He screams, "I slept with your mother!" The bar goes quiet and everyone waits to see what will happen next. The guy again yells, "I SLEPT WITH YOUR MOTHER!" The other fellow says, "Go home Dad, you're drunk."

Just a day in the life. Speaking of "A Day In The Life", this Friday, Jan 21, we have a Beatles tribute band called 3eatles playing at 7:30pm. $6 (the same price, incidentally, that it was to see The Beatles at Red Rocks in '64.) Our old friend Amy Kitteringham is singing jazz standards at 5pm for the free Friday afternoon concert and DJ Chonz rounds out the night at 10pm.

Saturday at 4pm the Music Train Family Concert Series presents: Kutundara (African Marimba ensemble). $7 adult/ $3 kids. Great thing to do with the family.

At 7pm Saturday we have a CD release party for a band that is dear to our hearts, Wonderlic. All the members of this band have been friends of ours for a years and we're excited that they have come out with their first CD. It's a beaut, with funky grooving style all its own. Also playing, in support, will be The Riot and Five In The Wheel. $5 suggested donation (no one turned away).

Sunday morning come out for a little meditative music at 10am with Adam DeGraff, Melissa Ivey, Brittany Williams and others. You are free to listen, join in, or practice freeform yoga.
Then at 11am we have The Mello Cello Brunch, with Monica Sales on Cello. The breakfast pizzas are amazing if you have not been in to try one yet.

Next Tuesday night at 7pm we have a special performer from Hawaii playing, Mango Stephens. There will be hula dancers too. No cover. This guy is the real deal and has a beautiful sound. Another great thing to bring the family out for.

There is a lot more going on too. For the rest of the schedule, check out www.dnote.us.

Yrs,

D scribe

Extra Credit: Here's a haiku from the 17th century Japanese poet, Matsuo Basho. We found it in David Mura's book "Turning Japanese".

Coming home at last
At the end of the year
I wept to find
My old umbilical cord.

weekend update 1/13/11

2011-01-13T12:10:00.001-08:00

D-ear,

(a D looks like an ear, no?)

How about them Snow Angels? They are playing like they mean it. Here's hoping they make it all the way to the International. We pledge to help sponsor them all the way to ultimate victory.

Several members of the team will make an appearance at the D Note tonight for trivia and bluegrass. We have Geeks Who Drink trivia tonight, Thurs, Jan 13, at 6:30pm followed by killer picking circle led by myth in the making Martin Gilmore at 9pm. Our pizza is awesome and what could be a better night out with Snow Angels?

Tomorrow night, Fri, Jan 14, we have local great JT Nolan for dinner hour 5-7pm, free. Then we have a Kana Ka Pila, a Hawaiin jam with Hawaiin musicians, from 7-9pm, ($5 donation toward Hawaii Cultural Club). Perfect summer day vibe on a winter's eve. At 9pm we have High Race Vine, (because everything is better with Cello) and at 10pm we have Chonz, the best DJ of his Kind in Colorado. (There we said it.)

Saturday we are closed for a wedding during the afternoon. Then at 7pm we have something different, an evening Zumba class with Paul Reyes and Davida Wright Gavin. Our morning Zumba has been doing great on Wednesday and Saturday mornings at 10:30am too. Saturday would be a fun time to try this dance exercise for the first time if you've been meaning to $10. At 8:30pm we will keep the dancing going with a funk jazz band called Broken Holmes, followed by the hottest new band in Denver, In Due Time at 11pm. This band blew us away last time they played. $5

Monday nights Jay Ryan runs an wondefully over the top rendition of an Open Stage Night. You should come and dust off your songs, join the community. Jay also has an acoustic showcase next Tuesday night at 7pm with Jay Ryan, Kenny Lee Young, Kipp Chambers, Michael Amidei. Magic may be in the mix.

Okay then,

D moral

Extra Credit: Our friend Julien Poirier just put out a new book, "EL GOLPE Chileno", on our favorite press, Ugly Duckling. We've been enjoying it. Here's an excerpt of a long poem called Uncollected Introductions.

"I kind of like how this one goes...

The eyeball on the keychain
screwed up its smile in the face of the rain
singing young, and old
and middle aged,
poetry for everyone

The strut--that's what I'm trying to get all the time...Arrogant infant strutting
on a bright ramp in space, waving a scepter as rose petals rain form the stands.

x electric shepherds in the snow
mace the lightning's ice-age poles
whose bearded sons with ink aglow
sing poetry for everyone

As the rocking chair's budding ladder rungs
spunk cement of shivering bamboo
the strategy of psychotic avenues
fingerprints the throat of dunes

and as we sun
on hot tar roof
on 52
and 9th Avenue
your hands are with your words
and your tongue is with mine
singing Poetry
to thee and thine, to bums
and moneyed swine

to old and young, to second youth
to fatuous twisters of the truth
to channel surfers on the slaughterhouse sluice
to love and the lover's one-eyed sleuth

Poetry is Truth, Truth
without poem a quartz-toothed drone
whoring guns to starving people,
scrapping marrow in the phone

lying on tv,
lying in bed, the future's dead
will blaze a laughtrack to its grave
still yet this lyre plays
the siren's town crier
for poetry enslaved.

(ait oudinar, morocco 1997)

Yep, all that Blake I was reading musta have hit my mind and pickled it in the sweet
and silly sauce, just my speed. I was a short order Blakean cook sitting next to the
canyon stream, dancing as the Berber kids (they seemed so kind!) winged rocks at
me. Down by the almond trees."

love letter 1/6/11

2011-01-06T10:42:00.000-08:00

D stressed,

Strange how the holiday season is meant to be relaxing, but is actually, often, stressful, with all that buying gifts and traveling and visiting, etc. It can feel like a final exertion after a long day (year) of work. But then somehow the New Year always feels like a fresh breath after a good night's sleep. Or is that just us?

One thing you can do, if you are needing to de-stress, is come practice free form yoga and listen to meditative music Sunday mornings at 10:30am, starting this Sunday, Jan 9. Melissa Ivey, Adam DeGraff and others will play the music and instructor Elle Potter will loosely lead the yoga. Bring your own mat, or just come to listen to the music. Free, but donations accepted for local charities.

Another thing you can do is look at some art. There is an art walk this Friday in Olde Town from 5-7pm and we have some really cool stuff up. Dan Rodriguez, from the burning hot group Elephant Revival will play 5-7pm. Music and dancing are also good for unwinding. Blind Child will play blues rock 8-10p. $5. And finally the great DJ Chonz spins at 10pm.

Saturday we have music all day, with the outsider blues of JD Cordle at 1pm (free), a family concert with blues band Soul Tree at 4pm (free), the blues rock of INOTIO at 7pm. $5. And finally Drum and Bass, electro with Dr. U and Mahesh at 10pm. (free 21 up, $5 under).

We should also reiterate some of the new weekly events we started late last year. There is swing blues dance lessons at 7pm on Wednesdays for $5 before the Clamdaddy jam. Martin Gilmore has started a very cool picking circle Thursday nights at 9pm after trivia. At 11:30 am on Sundays we have Mello Cello brunch. And of course there is much more, which you can see at www.dnote.us. Join the community.

clearly,

D spectacled

Extra Credit: Paul Zimmer is a poet from Wisconsin who caught our eye on the Daily Poetry blog last week.

What Zimmer Will Do

(The earliest color photographs were called autochromes (1904-
1930), formed on glass plates using a layer of minute grains of
starch dyed red, green, and blue and coated with a panchromatic
emulsion. When viewed closely, the finished images are like
miniature Pointillist paintings.)

I am looking at an image of two young French women sitting
in a garden around 1906,
and I become the great bird of love again;
crazy with spring, I swoop down
into the middle of the belle époque,
skitter and flop on a gravel path at the feet
of these two unsmiling French girls who sit
with their hair pulled back over eyes of shade.

I will make them blush and laugh
in their pink, summer frocks as I fly up
and dart between their wicker chairs
over beds of primroses, fan plants
and columbines, to an open window
where picnic hampers have been placed.

Then the three of us will ramble
Into sunlight and droning grasses.
I will circle their lovely, oval heads,
Gently plucking at their barrettes until
They laugh, "Zimmer, l'oiseau absurde!"
You crazy bird! And toss me
Bits of bread and boiled egg.

weekend update Dec 16, 2010

2010-12-16T13:15:00.000-08:00

D Port,

Live music is always well worth the time, and, even, we would argue, good for the soul. So..

This Friday we have Tim Bruns and Mike Morter from the band Churchill playing the Friday Afternoon Concert from 5-7pm.

Then at 8pm Friday we have a special Christmas Flamenco show featuring Steve Mullins, Lia Ochoa and many more. Come early for a seat as they usually fill up for Flamenco. $15.

At 10pm Friday, DJ Chonz takes over the dance floor. $5. Ladies free.

(By the way DJ Chonz, arguably the best DJ in CO, is joining The Teaching (from Seattle) for our New Years Eve show this year. The night will have an old school jazzy De La Soul vibe to it and will be tons of fun. $15.)

Saturday at 4pm the Music Train Family Concert Series presents: Okee Dokee Brothers (kids and holiday tunes) $7 adults/$3 kids. Saturday

Saturday at 7pm we have a Christmas Party for PeaceJam including Brittany Williams Band (a diva in the making with an incredibly soulful voice), the Gora Gora Orchestra (balkan dance music a la Gogol Bordello) and DJ CaveM and Moetavation. CaveM has performed with artists such as Talib Kweli, Gil Scott Heron, Public Enemy, Dj Kool Herc, The Last Poets, The Wu Tang Clan, Hieroglyphics, Anthony B, The Pharcyde, Mos Def and The Coup. This will be an awesome show, with proceeds going to benefit PeaceJam which is an amazing local organization that can use all the help it can get. $10 suggested donation.

For more info check out www.dnote.us

People get ready,

D train

Extra Credit: . Known as a poetic novelist, Jack Kerouac's actual poetry is strange and uniquely beautiful. Allen Ginsberg thought Kerouac was the most underrated poet of our time. Here's a couple "fun" poems of his from BOOK OF BLUES. We'll have to type it up for you as it isn't anywhere on the net.

ORIZABA 210 BLUES

36th chorus

I had a pointed mustache
and I mean pointed
half inch from here

Double breasted vest
and a Derby hat
and striped trousers
English shoes, black,
very pointed, they were
Hannah Shoes

People on Broadway'd turn
and look at me

The worst part is yet to come
I had a pince nez
with a long black ribbon
to my buttonhole

And I wore a carnation
white or red

Boy did I look like somethin

37th Chorus

A year later I got caught
I was dressed differently
and everything
But boy that mustache
and that pince nez
was really out of this world

I used that outfit six months
I finally had to pack it in
because it was too well-worn

Pine nez was in a coat
I stole
Mustache I grew in the sanitarium
While taking one of my
numerous drug cures

My mother'd come to see me
She says "Oh No!
Cut it off!"
"I'm just havin a little fun, mother"

weekend update, December 9, 2010

2010-12-09T15:06:00.000-08:00

D Vitamins

Hello rays of sunshine. We saw a video recently in which a solar furnace focusing the sun's rays burns up to 3,500 C, hot enough to melt rocks. Just saying.

This Friday at 8pm we have a beautiful reggae band from Boulder, Selasee, with one of the best reggae bass players we've ever heard. $5. Then DJ Chonz comes out to spin at 10pm. Did you know that Chonz was the number one MOST listened to DJ on the radio in Colorado last year? He's also great live too, scratching and mixing, so come dance. Ladies free.

Saturday we have an Ironwood Rain. This is to celebrate the release of their CD, "Burn The Ships" and it is a pirate themed party! release party. At 9pm we have James And The Devil back, super fun and rowdy band. Denver Creative Movement will be coming with them again, making live art. And this time they are bringing our old young friend Melissa Ivey along to play too! We love her. It will be a great night all around. $5.

Check out www.dnote.us for the rest of the shkoop.

Yours,

D (shape of a half moon)

Extra Credit: Here's a poem by Frank O'hara, about talking to the sun.

A TRUE ACCOUNT OF TALKING TO THE SUN AT FIRE ISLAND

The Sun woke me this morning loud
and clear, saying "Hey! I've been

trying to wake you up for fifteen
minutes. Don't be so rude, you are
only the second poet I've ever chosen
to speak to personally
so why
aren't you more attentive? If I could

burn you through the window I would
to wake you up. I can't hang around
here all day."
"Sorry, Sun, I stayed
up late last night talking to Hal."

"When I woke up Mayakovsky he was

a lot more prompt" the Sun said
petulantly. "Most people are up
already waiting to see if I'm going
to put in an appearance."
I tried
to apologize "I missed you yesterday."

"That's better" he said. "I didn't
know you'd come out." "You may be
wondering why I've come so close?"
"Yes" I said beginning to feel hot
wondering if maybe he wasn't burning me

anyway.
"Frankly I wanted to tell you
I like your poetry. I see a lot
on my rounds and you're okay. You may
not be the greatest thing on earth, but
you're different. Now, I've heard some

say you're crazy, they being excessively
calm themselves to my mind, and other
crazy poets think that you're a boring
reactionary. Not me.
Just keep on
like I do and pay no attention. You'll

find that people always will complain
about the atmosphere, either too hot
or too cold too bright or too dark, days
too short or too long.
If you don't appear
at all one day they think you're lazy

or dead. Just keep right on, I like it.

And don't worry about your lineage
poetic or natural. The Sun shines on
the jungle, you know, on the tundra
the sea, the ghetto. Wherever you were
I knew it and saw you moving. I was waiting

for you to get to work.

And now that you
are making your own days, so to speak,
even if no one reads you but me
you won't be depressed. Not
everyone can look up, even at me. It

hurts their eyes."
"Oh Sun, I'm so grateful to you!"

"Thanks and remember I'm watching. It's
easier for me to speak to you out
here. I don't have to slide down

between buildings to get your ear.
I know you love Manhattan, but
you ought to look up more often.
And
always embrace things, people earth
sky stars, as I do, freely and with

the appropriate sense of space. That
is your inclination, known in the heavens
and you should follow it to hell, if
necessary, which I doubt.
Maybe we'll
speak again in Africa, of which I too

am specially fond. Go back to sleep now
Frank, and I may leave a tiny poem
in that brain of yours as my farewell."

"Sun, don't go!" I was awake
at last. "No, go I must, they're calling

me."
"Who are they?"
Rising he said "Some
day you'll know. They're calling to you
too." Darkly he rose, and then I slept.

love letter 11/2/10

2010-12-02T09:11:00.000-08:00

D Naturals,

Something in the way you move attracts me like no other lover, something in the way you moo ooh ooh oove...get into the groove, boy you've got to prove your love to me...

There's a little dance mashup for you there. Here's a cool auditory trick. Imagine a beat and then reread the opening line. If you are good you will begin to be able to hear both melodies simultaneously. The neat part is the "after-sound" effect, similar to an after-image effect after staring at something against a bright light. The melodies will swirl in your head for the rest of this e-mail. Proceed.

We have lots more dance mashup for you this weekend. Friday night we have the great Hazel Miller, Colorado's Queen of Soul, back in the house at 7:30pm ($10). Fanfare for the Queen! Opening for Hazel, starting at 5pm, is Colorado's Princess of Soul, Brittany Williams, making her official debut appearance at the D Note. Fanfare for the Princess! After Hazel at 10pm we present the King of Colorado DJs, DJ Chonz, from KS 107.5, in the house spinning vinyl. Fanfare for the King! Such a royal good time. Ladies FREE in D Palace after 10pm.

Saturday we have two recitals early in the day; Music Lessons of Westminster garage band show at 1pm and then Mountain Strings and Jazz at 5pm. Then we have the HS band Synergy back in the house at 7pm with their excess of rock and roll energy. (Speaking of, if you get a chance to read the James Woods article about Keith Moon in this week's New Yorker, do! Best article on drumming ever written. It is a classic.)

Speaking of classics, Saturday night we have a beautiful birthday show put together by and for The D Note's GM, Andy Andurlakis. At 9pm we have the hip hop style of Reverb and the Verse. (Check out their website for cutting edge web design too). At 10pm the completely excellent reggae band The Desciples hit the stage and at 11:30pm we have Relyt The Dozha w/ DJ Detox. This last group is Drum And Bass, Electro style and features Andy's alias, MC Dozha. Dozha is one of the premier Drum and Bass MCs in Colorado. Relyt and Detox both work at the D Note too and this show will be off the hook. $5. Birthday spankings $5. This money will help pay for rehab. Just kidding. We'll give it to the bands.

Next Tuesday night we have a benefit for Urban Peak with ACC All Stars, Zazemi, ACC Pop/Rock Ensemble. $10 suggested donation. Urban Peak is an organization that helps homeless and at risk youth in Colorado. Read more about this worthy cause and event here.

Also, we often don't mention our regular events in this space, but we are very proud of them and will take a moment to reintroduce them to you now. We have Mello Cello brunch on Sunday mornings, Baby Boogie Sunday afternoon, an awesome salsa night on Sunday nights, a long running and democratic open stage on Mondays lead by Jay Ryan, swing dance lessons on Wednesdays at 7pm followed by the greatest blues band in Colorado history, The Clamdaddys, a super fun Geeks Who Drink trivia game on Thursdays at 6:30pm and a killer bluegrass jam lead by Martin Gilmore Thursdays at 9pm.

That's enough right?

Come take part.

D Flat

Extra Credit: This week's New Yorker also had a poem in it by Terrance Hayes that is well worth reprinting here, for a number of reasons, not least of which because it introduces the mind blowing idea of contranyms.

New York Poem

In New York from a rooftop in Chinatown
one can see the sci-fi bridges and aisles
of buildings where there are more miles
of shortcuts and alternative takes than
there are Miles Davis alternative takes.
There is a white girl who looks hi-
jacked with feeling in her glittering jacket
and her boots that look made of dinosaur
skin and R is saying to her I love you
again and again. On a Chinatown rooftop
in New York anything can happen.
Someone says “abattoir” is such a pretty word
for “slaughterhouse.” Someone says
mermaids are just fish ladies. I am so
fucking vain I cannot believe anyone
is threatened by me. In New York
not everyone is forgiven. Dear New York,
dear girl with a bar code tattooed
on the side of your face, and everyone
writing poems about and inside and outside
the subways, dear people underground
in New York, on the sci-fi bridges and aisles
of New York, on the rooftops of Chinatown
where Miles Davis is pumping in,
and someone is telling me about contranyms,
how “cleave” and “cleave” are the same word
looking in opposite directions. I now know
“bolt” is to lock and “bolt” is to run away.
That’s how I think of New York. Someone
jonesing for Grace Jones at the party
and someone jonesing for grace.

/)dam I)eGraff

www.dnote.us

D Note love letter, 11/18/10

2010-11-18T16:38:00.000-08:00

D follicles,

This Saturday, November 20, we have our second annual Beard And Mustache Showdown. Last year's was a lot of fun and this year will be even better. The event is growing like, um, well, you know. The Showdown was conceived when Monica D happened upon a similar event in Anchorage Alaska, a state with prodigious facial hair. But Colorado is no slouch in that department either. We are looking forward to seeing your mustacherpieces. 6:30pm is registration if you are entering the Showdown. Monica puts together very cool prizes including art by the artist currently showing at D Note, Rachel Westforth. A band aptly named Bonnie and the Beard is opening at 7pm. <(We highly encourage checking out their myspace, very cool music.) The beer tasting w/ several breweries, including Dry Dock Brewery also starts at 7pm. The Showdown is at 8pm. The bluegrass band Acoustic Mining Company plays at 8:30pm. We announce winners at 9:30pm and Oakhurst is headlining at 10pm. Oakhurst an awesome fun bluegrass band. The best part is that the whole thing is a benefit for Denver Girls And Boys Club Of America so your money is very well spent. $10 cover/ $20 for beer tasting/ $20 for contest entry. Check out the fantastic poster Matt Dougherty did for the Beard And Mustache Showdown here.

Friday night we have a special acoustic set from Quillion for the FFAC (free Friday afternoon concert) at 5pm. The at 7pm we have Dave Tamkin in from L.A. with Michael Adam, and Seth Bradley $7. Smooth and beautiful.

Then we have the return of DJ Chonz at 10pm. The premier last week was off the hook. Chonz had DJ Nunez and DJ Tenacity open up for him and they were great. But his set topped it like a fireworks display of pop bravado. And the dance floor was popping like Reddenbockers. He threw so much into the mix, including surprises like Bell Biv Devoe and even Harry Belafonte. Can't wait for this week. $5 cover. Ladies FREE!

Thursday nights we have Martin Gilmore leading a bluegrass jam at 9pm, after trivia. Last week was the second week and already 10 excellent pickers were there. Come play or just enjoy.

Next Tuesday we have our chef Taj Ray's band The Hacks playing with The Misadventures. Good to get a little punk back in the house.

Okay, that's plenty of news. For the rest of the schedule check out dnote.us

Love youse

D raffe

Extra Credit: Here is a poem Adam D wrote for his daughter. Forgive the nepotism.

Portrait of Sofia, Six Weeks Old

There is your mouth, pursed
in concentration; absolute focus
on a simple necessity. The eyes

are not focused on anything yet,
but are wide in their birth, like
a poet's lost-in-wonder look.

The eyes are for later.
The mouth points in hunger.
In the hunger of the mouth

goes the wonder of milk,
shown here in the eyes as a gleam
of innocent desire. In the far away dream

of the eyes is the pleasure of taste,
the land of milk and honey.
It is providence, not as promise,

but as fact, in your infinitely open eyes.

update, 11/11/10, Chonz in the house

2010-11-11T09:51:00.001-08:00

D ants,

This Friday night at 5pm we start off with JT Nolan, a friend who's music we have long admired. Free.

Then we have Mono Verde back in the house for an early show. Mono Verde is a great latin reggae band, similar to Manu Chao. We are very lucky to have them. The band is made up of members of 9 members from all over the world, a truly cosmopolitan group. They play from 8-10p. $6

And Mono Verde should have no problem getting the room hot enough for the premier show of DJ Chonz' weekly residency every Friday nights at 10pm. Some of you may know Chonz as the drive time DJ for KS 107.5, the booty jam station. Chonz is as good as it gets and will be spinning a mix of hip hop, latin and R&B. But even the best DJ can't do it without dancers, and that is where we need your help. Help us make the front windows sweat, like they do on salsa night. Please spread the word to dancers far and wide. $5 cover, but ladies are free, so especially tell your girlfriends...

Saturday night we have a three band line up local goodness, The Mitch Lehn Folk Trio, Jake Leg Shakers and The Incantations. It should be noted that the Mitch Lehn Folk Trio is not a trio and not even all that folky. But we always enjoy them, same with Jake Leg Shakers. The Incantations are new to the D Note, but we're intrigued.

A reminder that Martin Gilmore is leading a weekly Bluegrass jam after Trivia on Thursdays at 9pm. Don't miss the opportunity to work on your chops, and more importantly, to be involved in playing music. Same goes for Blues Jam with The Clamdaddys on Wednesday nights and Open Stage on Monday nights. And, if you've been wanting to learn to swing, there's a swing blues dance lesson for $5 with teacher Rachael DeMers on Wednesdays at 7pm.

Mark your calendars for our second annual Beard & Mustache Showdown, with OAKHURST, Acoustic Mining Company and Bonnie and The Beard, next Saturday, Nov. 22.

Over and in,

D ploy

Extra Credit: We once had the privilege of seeing the poet Denise Levertov read, shortly before she died. Her rhythms rocked you to sleep, but the ideas in the poems woke you up. Here's a terrific poem of hers from 1960 that we recently discovered.

Come into Animal Presence
Come into animal presence.
No man is so guileless as
the serpent. The lonely white
rabbit on the roof is a star
twitching its ears at the rain.
The llama intricately
folding its hind legs to be seated
not disdains but mildly
disregards human approval.
What joy when the insouciant
armadillo glances at us and doesn't
quicken his trotting
across the track into the palm brush.

What is this joy? That no animal
falters, but knows what it must do?
That the snake has no blemish,
that the rabbit inspects his strange surroundings
in white star-silence? The llama
rests in dignity, the armadillo
has some intention to pursue in the palm-forest.
Those who were sacred have remained so,
holiness does not dissolve, it is a presence
of bronze, only the sight that saw it
faltered and turned from it.
An old joy returns in holy presence.

update, November fourth, 2010

2010-11-04T13:36:00.001-07:00

D Voted

A few of you out there may not be happy about the development of Hickenlooper for Governor, but we are, for at least one reason: we've watched Hickenlooper as Mayor bend over backwards for the arts scene in Denver and expect to see more of the same at the state level. We've met John and he is a sincere lover of art, a geek even. For that we are grateful. We should mention that the awesome poster Matt Dougherty did for the Hickenlooper Rally at the D Note was picked up and used by his campaign. So it all comes around.

Our first pertinent piece of news is that tonight, Thursday, Nov 4, at 9pm we have a bluegrass jam lead by the great Martin Gilmore. If you are a picker, or even just a bluegrass lover, then please come and help us get it started. If it goes well it will become a regular event. And please forward this e-mail to any pickers you know that might be interested! We would love to help further foster this community.

And speaking of bluegrass, Nov. 20th we have Oakhurst headlining the D Note second annual Beard & Mustache Showdown. Yeehaw. We hope you have started working on your design. $20 to enter contest, proceeds go to Boys and Girls Club of Denver. And we've lined up some very sweet prizes too.

This Friday night at 5pm we have an art opening for Rachel of Hammersteelarts.com for our part in the Olde Town Art Walk. We really dig her stuff and some of will be on hand for Beard and Mustache prizes too. Kenny Lee Young will play his very sweet style of acoustic soul on the guitar. Free. At 7pm we have a new jazz band called Tabernash Jazz for you jazz lovers. $5. At 8:30pm Friday we have a fundraiser for Intercambios De Comunidades 3rd Annual Night of Rhythm, featuring DJ Diablo and Los Cheesies. There will also be a silent auction. This is a great organization and we're proud to host it at the D Note. $15.

Also, if you like latin music, or just dancing in general, be sure to come out next Friday night, Nov. 12 at 10pm, for the premier of DJ Chonz residency at the D Note on Friday nights. Chonz is the drivetime DJ on KS 107.5, and we're thrilled to have him come spin his special mix of R&B, hip hop, latin, reggaeton, etc. No cover for the ladies, so start calling up your girlfriends now please. Gonna get low low low low low.

Saturday we have Rene Heredia and his Flamenco troupe back at the D Note at 6:30p. This is Rene's second time to the D Note and his troupe was very well received last time. Rene is a master and his dancers are beautiful. Killer pizza and Flamenco, perfect date night. Come early for a seat. $15

Then at 9pm we have some "urban soul" music Saturday night with the 7th anniversary of the Casuals Car Crew, featuring music by The Casuals. $3.

Reminder that we now have blues swing dance lessons every Wednesday at 7pm for only $5. Then the Clamdaddys play their legendary blues music for free afterwards. Your argument is invalid.

So much to do,

D one

Extra Credit: We've been reading a lot of Elizabeth Bishop lately and so we will include a poem by her we just discovered, to our delight, yesterday. Though written half a century ago, we can't help but hear a darker echo of the recent oil spill.

The Fish

I caught a tremendous fish
and held him beside the boat
half out of water, with my hook
fast in a corner of his mouth.
He didn't fight.
He hadn't fought at all.
He hung a grunting weight,
battered and venerable
and homely. Here and there
his brown skin hung in strips
like ancient wallpaper,
and its pattern of darker brown
was like wallpaper:
shapes like full-blown roses
stained and lost through age.
He was speckled and barnacles,
fine rosettes of lime,
and infested
with tiny white sea-lice,
and underneath two or three
rags of green weed hung down.
While his gills were breathing in
the terrible oxygen
--the frightening gills,
fresh and crisp with blood,
that can cut so badly--
I thought of the coarse white flesh
packed in like feathers,
the big bones and the little bones,
the dramatic reds and blacks
of his shiny entrails,
and the pink swim-bladder
like a big peony.
I looked into his eyes
which were far larger than mine
but shallower, and yellowed,
the irises backed and packed
with tarnished tinfoil
seen through the lenses
of old scratched isinglass.
They shifted a little, but not
to return my stare.
--It was more like the tipping
of an object toward the light.
I admired his sullen face,
the mechanism of his jaw,
and then I saw
that from his lower lip
--if you could call it a lip
grim, wet, and weaponlike,
hung five old pieces of fish-line,
or four and a wire leader
with the swivel still attached,
with all their five big hooks
grown firmly in his mouth.
A green line, frayed at the end
where he broke it, two heavier lines,
and a fine black thread
still crimped from the strain and snap
when it broke and he got away.
Like medals with their ribbons
frayed and wavering,
a five-haired beard of wisdom
trailing from his aching jaw.
I stared and stared
and victory filled up
the little rented boat,
from the pool of bilge
where oil had spread a rainbow
around the rusted engine
to the bailer rusted orange,
the sun-cracked thwarts,
the oarlocks on their strings,
the gunnels--until everything
was rainbow, rainbow, rainbow!
And I let the fish go.

Halloween

2010-10-28T09:28:00.001-07:00

Haunted D House,

Our favorite season is upon us. Why does the D Note take so well to Halloween? Because Halloween is, arguably, the most imaginative of the holidays. And just why is it that Halloween the most imaginative of the holidays? We'll leave the answer to that question up to your imagination.

Friday night we begin the festivities at 5pm with a the annual all-Halloween themed performance by Slo Children, a band comprised of D Noters Adam and Jeremy DeGraff, Adam Ferrill and Jax Delaguerre. Free.

Then at 7pm we have the annual Halloween visit from Wendy Woo (Her last name alone clinches her for the gig). At 9pm Duke Street Kings bring their D-Game and 11pm the terrific Quillion returns to the house to take you into the witching hour. $7. The dress up theme for the night is Zombies vs. Pirates vs. Ninjas. But you are only limited by your imagination.

Saturday at 1pm we have fundraiser for Colorado Cross-Disablities Coalition, with music by Andy Ard and The Dangsayers. Costumes encouraged. $15 suggested donation.

Then at 4pm we have a family style concert with local classic rock band Krisis. $3/$5 per family

Finally at 7pm we have a Honkeytonk Halloween Show with the terrific Haldon Wofford and The Hi-Beams. Martin Gilmore and Bonnie and The Clydes are opening the show. Westword named it one of the best 24 Halloween parties to attend in Denver this yer and did a nice article about this show. Check it out here. Thanks to Spunky for putting this show together! You can hear a podcast of a recent KGNU Caberet appearance by Wofford and the boys on Spunky's blog. This show is also a benefit for FightWithFood. Bring canned goods for the homeless and hungry and receive a beautiful signed poster of the show designed by Matt Dougherty. $10

Sunday we have a special Halloween baby boogie from 2-6pm, with a costume contest in which everyone who participates is a winner! Bring your kids in so we can see their costumes, please!

Sunday night we have our 7th annual (!!!) Halloween Salsa Bash. $100 prize for best costume, $50 for second and $25 for third. Sabor De La Calle will be the band on board that night to keep the energy going. Plus, lots of candy.

Once again, thanks to Diandra for decorating the bat cave. The giant bat she made over the stage, whom she calls Herbert, is a wonder to behold, as are the sentinel bats on either side of the stage.

And, finally, a reminder to work on your beard and mustache designs for The Beard And Mustache show Nov. 20.

spooks and sparks,

D bones

Extra Credit: Here's a short and scary poem by Richard Wilbur.

Terza Rima

In this great form, as Dante proved in Hell,
There is no dreadful thing that can't be said
In passing. Here, for instance, one could tell

How our jeep skidded sideways toward the dead
Enemy soldier with the staring eyes,
Bumping a little as it struck his head,

And then flew on, as if toward Paradise.

weekend update, October twenty one, two thousand and ten

2010-10-21T11:37:00.000-07:00

D oodles,

We have a lot of news this week so let us commence.

1. Halloween is coming up and we have a belfry full of events and shows. First, thanks to Diandra for decorating! Bat Cave is the decorating theme this year. The giant origami stalactites are a nice touch. If you have some bats hanging out at your house, bring them in and we'll put hem up.

2. Halloween events on 29th and 30th include music by Wendy Woo, Halden Wofford and the Hi-Beams, Quillion, Slo Children, Duke Street Kings and more. Check out details at dnote.us. (Speaking of the website, we have a new design put together by our webmaster, Sean Wolter. Check it out and let us know what you think. Thanks, Sean!)

3. Special Halloween Baby Boogie at 2pm on the 31st. Costume contest for the kids, everyone in costume is a winner and gets a prize!

4. Halloween Salsa Bash on evening of 31st. (our 7th annual Halloween Salsa Bash!)

5. We have begun blues swing dance classes on Wednesdays at 7pm, before the Clamdaddys. Lessons are only $5 and the teacher is excellent. Beginners encouraged.

6. The D Note's 2nd annual Beard and Mustache Showdown is coming up Nov. 20 and we've lined up some great music and prizes for the night. So it is time to start working on your mustacherpieces now.

7. This Friday we have a typically atypical eclectic show, 5pm Free Afternoon Concert w/ Drew Schofield, then 7pm Jason Laroy (acoustic folk guitar virtuoso), 8:30pm Bret Sloan (songwriter driven rock and roll) and 10p Broken Parts (indie rock). $5

8. We have our third annual benefit for Friendship Bridge this Saturday night and they've put together a beautiful night of bluegrass music, starting with Adam Kinghorn and Kyle James Hauser of Head For The Hills will be playing from 6pm-7pm, followed by the Spring Creek Bluegrass Band from 7:30pm-10pm and Abi and the Normals from 10:30pm-Midnight. $10-$20 suggested donation. Good cause (micro-loans for businesswomen of Guatemala) and good music, a win win.

9. Next Tuesday, the excellent local bands HighRaceVine, Cellar Door and Tony Medina will play a special show, free, starting at 7pm.

10. You. Thanks for making the news.

In with,

D New

Extra Credit. We mentioned HighRaceVine is playing next Tuesday. Very cool band, made up, in part, of Jay Ryan, who hosts our open stage on Monday, and Monica Sales, who hosts our Mellow Cello Breakfast brunch on Sundays. The name of the band is taken after 3 consecutive parallel streets in Denver. Together these 3 street names make up a little koan of a poem. HighRaceVine. Seems to sum up the American way. Who can get to the top fastest? Faster, faster, faster. What is at the top? The fact that this question is raised from a random pairing of street names noticed in succession qualifies this band name as a good example of a "found" poem.

weekend update 10/14/10

2010-10-14T12:37:00.001-07:00

D miners,

33 miners. 68 days. 2,300 feet. Underground. Saved! Yay! (p.s. the video game version is already out and ready for you to play.)

You can bet there will be some trivia questions concerning the successful extraction of the Chilean miners at Geeks Who Drink trivia, tonight (Thurs, Oct. 14) at 6:30p. Then we'll continue the celebration at 9pm with an open experimental percussion jam led by Ben Long and Ryan Elwood.

Friday night is going to be a whopper. Starts off with free Friday Afternoon Concert at 5pm featuring the excellent guitar work of Michael DeLalla. Then at 7:30p we have an Americana/Rockabilly style show for the rest of the night, starts off with Crowboy, at 9:30p, Brent Loveday (from Reno Divorce) at 9:30p and Brethren Fast at 11p. Crowboy and Loveday always impress. Brethren Fast is high octane rockabilly on the surface, but, as we discovered last time, there are many interesting musical layers underneath. The band pulls off the trick of being laid back and full-on at the same time. 3 great bands, $7.

Saturday we have a terrific edition of the Music Train Family Concert Series at 2p (note time change, as FCS is normally 4pm). This one features bluegrass with the Blue Canyon Boys. These guys played the D Note a few years ago and the show stands out in memory as being excellent. The band is traditional bluegrass (even dressing up in suits), but also has a sound of its own. Kids will dig it too. $7 adults/$3 kids.

Saturday night at 7pm we have our annual Halloween Hafla, presented by Phoenix Dance. Phoenix and the dancers always go all out on costumes and creativity for this hafla and it is one of the coolest things we do at the D Note all year. Check out this video from a Halloween Hafla past. Yallah! will play after the dance performances at 8:30pm and The Inactivists have a halloween set they are playing at 10pm. Come in costume and ready to party. There will be a costume contest and prizes. $8 adults/$5 kids.

Yours in song,

D major

Extra Credit: In honor of the saved Chilean miners we will feature a poem by Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. This one was chosen for the irony of its title.

In You The Earth

Little
rose,
roselet,
at times,
tiny and naked,
it seems
as though you would fit
in one of my hands,
as though I’ll clasp you like this
and carry you to my mouth,
but
suddenly
my feet touch your feet and my mouth your lips:
you have grown,
your shoulders rise like two hills,
your breasts wander over my breast,
my arm scarcely manages to encircle the thin
new-moon line of your waist:
in love you loosened yourself like sea water:
I can scarcely measure the sky’s most spacious eyes
and I lean down to your mouth to kiss the earth.

weekend update, October seventh, two thousand and ten

2010-10-07T14:05:00.000-07:00

D bomb

In this week's Onion, on the front page, there is an article worth reading. It is titled, "97-Year-Old Dies Unaware Of Being Violin Prodigy". Then there is picture of old woman next to an inset picture of a violin with the caption, "Hollander, and the instrument, inset, that she could have mastered with uncommon grace." The first sentence of the article states, "ROCKFORD, IL--Retired post office branch manager Nancy Hollander, 97, died at her home of natural causes Tuesday, after spending her life completely unaware that she was one of the most talented musicians of the past century and possessed the untapped ability to become a world-class violin virtuoso." Our hope is that this tragedy is not a wasted one, but will be remembered as a lesson by all of you prodigies in the making.

Tonight, if you are feeling creative, come out and help Diandra and the D crew turn the D Note into a bat cave at 8:30p, after trivia. Every year Diandra remakes the D Note for Halloween and she needs our help. Slo Children will be playing an early run of its Halloween set and raising the seasonal spirits while the decorations are being made.

This Friday Afternoon Concert, at 5pm, will be by Laurie Dameron, heckuva jazz singer and player. free. Then 7pm we have a couple of solid local bands acoustic rock bands, 2:10 Special and 7even Days Till Sunrise. 9pm we have our friends Conscious Elliot back with their smart and heartfelt alternative Americana. And 11pm we have Frokus. Frokus has played the D Note before and they were killer. Super talented group, like Tool crossed with early Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Saturday we are closed for a wedding. We love having the energy and spirit of weddings at the D Note.

Now is as good a time as any to get involved at the D Note, whether helping with decorations tonight, learning to salsa dance on Sunday nights, or taking a Zumba class, or getting up on open stage or during the blues jam, or playing trivia on Thursdays. There are lots of ways. So what are you waiting for?

Making the grade,

D Plus

Extra Credit: Here's a wonderful poem by Michael Cirelli, from his book Vacations On The Black Star Line

Tawk

You know, when you talk,
but if you're from where I'm from
you may be "tawking,"
and depending on who you're
tawking to, and where they're from:
which bend of road
or angle of sun or moon-
light hits the dark room
of throat, informs
the way they say what they say,
which side of lip
the words plummet from or how tongue
strings 'em together chops
'em screws 'em,
how Mona is from a below
place where the speakers
speak like they're pulling up
word anchors from the deepest
depths of Mouf, or in some parts
more salt, and others more peppa:
whether cayenne or corn—
I'm in love with a boy
from East Oakland whose word is
stretched longer than
twelve hearses,
and his Dickies are starched.
In Texas, it is the vibration of
the dinner bell, in Kansas
something different.
In New Yawk, Nueva Yol,
Brooklawn-Vietnawm,
where the tongues pulse like
marquees, talk keeps the lights on!
When T-Pain dissected
the tone of Flux
Capacitor, of E.T.'s grand
piano, and named his album
Rappa Ternt Sanga, he wasn't being
ignorant, or ignant at that, wasn't bad
at spelling (maybe bad
at rapping which is why
he turned singer), but he was
accounting for the texture of the dirt
in his teef. He was showing it off
in his smile. This makes sense to me.
Because I want everyone
to see the Rhode Island in my elbow.
I want everyone to know
I was born in a kawfee mug
floating down Narragansett Bay
and raised by a Lion.
And by kawfee mug I mean:
I was born in an alphabet that left its R
on the dressa—and by Narragansett Bay
I mean: an estuary flowing with wrenches
and ratchets and uniforms—and by Lion:
I mean my mother, who's been serving
breakfast to regulars since 1975
(when I showed up),
and to this day they still come to see
her, my ma
who tawks to each and every one
of them cuz she's gotta hotta-gold.

September Thirtieth, two thousand and ten

2010-09-30T11:32:00.000-07:00

D lovelies

First off we have a bit of news. Karaoke on Thursday nights is on a hiatus. In the meantime we are going to hold a percussion jam, starting tonight. We've rounded up some great local drummers, including Mohammad Alidu, Alejandro Costano and Ben Long. This is an open session, which means you are welcome to join the fray. (Note, when we say "the fray" we don't mean "The Fray". This is not likely to confuse too many of you, but, as some of you old timers may remember, The Fray played a few of their first gigs in our room.)

Friday we have the next installment of our Art Walk. We have Matt Reniker and Matt Kirk up currently. Matt Reniker's work was brought to us by Moses, of The Clamdaddys. Matt Kirk's work was introduced to us by Zebra Junction. Come check it out, along with the artwork displayed in the rest of a revitalized Olde Town. At 5pm we have Cody Crump playing. This kid is remarkably good. At 7pm we have the FTP band. FTP's Steve Werge's is VP of Colorado Music Business Organization (COMBO) and has been bringing us some great music showcases on Tuesdays this last year, so it will nice to hear his band for a change. At 8:30p we have a new country-ish band THE MCCRAE. This band won Best of People's Fair this year. Come hear why. Then 10:30p we have the awesome Jonny Barber and The Rhythm Razors. Jonny Barber has played the D Note as Velvet Elvis a few times. Always entertaining in any guise. Plus, one of the hottest bass players you will ever see. $7

Saturday evening, at 6pm, we have something unique. Emerging Latina/Indigenous Composer and Saxophonist Asia Fajardo-Wright is debuting her show Omecihuatl Rising, A tribute to the Divine Feminine. Omecihuatl Rising consists of three works. These works utilize cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural improvisation fused with experimental musical
forms. That is, Fajardo-Wright has infused dancing, painting, symbolic staging, and world percussion into her musical compositions.We love having these one of a kind theater works at the D Note. Please come support. $8.

Saturday night at 8pm we have more unleashed creativity. James and The Devil is back with Denver Creative Movement. James And The Devil is a great band, perhaps even The Fray of tomorrow. Denver Creative Movement is a local collective that gathers in the name of expression. Tripsin Effect and North! to Nowhere also playing. There will be live painting at this show too. $5

So there you go, another fun-filled weekend brought to you by the letter D.

Ever,

D termined

Extra Credit: Poet and friend Michael Gizzi died a few days ago, age 56. Here are some haunting lines from his book My Terza Rima, shared with us by the poet Karen Weiser, via Facebook.

I often start over
in a dark wood
the door in the cloud

is not heaven
as newly dead
perhaps I'll become

a dream just night

september twenty third, two thousand ten

2010-09-23T12:25:00.001-07:00

D spectacled,

"Bowling for dollars has always been a treat." This is a quote from a recent interview of Robert Plant on NPR. We found it recounted in the New Yorker and, improbably, relay it here for you. We don't know what it means, exactly, but we like the sound of it. It is a treat.

Speaking of treats, Friday night we start off with our free Friday Afternoon Concert featuring J.T. Nolan at 5pm. Nolan is a song and dance man who has been entertaining us with his brilliance for awhile. We are really glad to have him back.

At 7pm Friday we have with a fundraiser to perpetuate culture through a Polynesian organization called FiaFia (Samoan for happiness). Several Hawaiin musicians will sweep in some aloha spirit, like a trade wind. $10 suggested donation.

At 9pm Friday we have a couple very cool indie rock bands, Pez and SuperSeed. $5.

Saturday we have our annual benefit for the Denver Family Institute. Silent Auction. Live Music. Auction opens at 4pm. There will be entertainment for the kids early and then Clusterfunk takes the stage at 8pm. $10-$20 suggested donation.

A reminder that we have plenty of opportunities for all of you performers. We have open stage hosted by Jay Ryan on Monday nights, and if you lean toward the blues, then The Clamdaddys would love to have you sit in on their jam on Wednesday nights.

Ever,

D minus

Extra Credit: Here's a fro of a poem by Allison Joseph.

Thirty Lines About the Fro

The fro is homage, shrubbery, and revolt—all at once.
The fro and pick have a co-dependent relationship, so
many strands, snags, such snap and sizzle between
the two. The fro wants to sleep on a silk pillowcase,
abhorring the historical atrocity of cotton.
The fro guffaws at relaxers—how could any other style
claim relaxation when the fro has a gangsta lean,
diamond-in-the-back, sun-roof top kinda attitude,
growing slowly from scalp into sky, launching pad
for brilliance and bravery, for ideas uncontained by
barbershops and their maniacal clippers, monotony
of the fade and buzzcut. The fro has much respect
for dreads, but won't go through life that twisted,
that coiled. Still, much love lives between
the two: secret handshakes, funk-bottomed struts.
The fro doesn't hate you because you're beautiful.
Or ugly. Or out-of-work or working for the Man.
Because who knows who the Man is anymore?
Is the president the Man? He used to have a fro
the size of Toledo, but now it's trimmed down
to respectability, more gray sneaking in each day,
and you've got to wonder if he misses his pick,
for he must have had one of those black power ones
with a fist on the end. After all, the fro is a fist,
all curled power, rebellious shake, impervious
and improper. Water does not scare the fro,
because water cannot change that which is
immutable—that soul-sonic force, that sly
stone-tastic, natural mystic, roots-and-rhythm
crown for the ages, blessed by God and gratitude.

September sixteenth, two thousand ten

2010-09-16T09:15:00.000-07:00

D vine,

Has anybody seen a dog dyed dark green? About two inches tall with a strawberry blonde paw, wearing sunglasses and a bonnet and designer jeans with appliques on it? If so please let us know. Her owner is very worried and is offering a large reward of five dollars. Five dollars is not so large, but the afro that the artist has drawn upon Lincoln's head on this particular five dollar bill is ginormous.

Now, for the weekend. Our Friday Afternoon Concert commences at 5pm with one of our all time favorite chanteuses, Melissa Ivey. Free. At 7. You will be charmed. Possibly even moved.

At 7pm Friday we have a local band, Ironwood Rain, with musical ties to both the harmonies of CSN and the bounce of Jack Johnson. $5.

Then at 9pm Friday we have the gorgeous Zydeco R&B of Curley Taylor and his band, who have come all the way from Louisiana. Great music to dance your cares away to. $15. Sponsored by Colorado Friends of Cajun and Zydeco.

Saturday we start off with Zumba at 10:30am. Great way to get in great shape while having a great time, greatly.

Then at 1pm another great big band jazz group, Sentimental Sounds at 1pm. We have three big bands making regular rounds to the D Note and we just think that's just amazing. Come dance, or just listen. Free.

At 4pm Saturday we have the Music Train Family Concert Series which features a cat named Monte Selby. Here's what the Music Train website says about him. "Monte Selby is a songwriter with over 100 published songs for adults & kids. As a recording artist with MDM Records, Nashville, his CDs include legendary and Grammy-winning musicians, songwriters and producers. He loves helping all ages of learners, has a Doctorate Degree in education, and is the co-author of eight books. Selby’s comical performances leave audiences laughing, singing, and applauding across North America and Europe. Music Row Magazine describes his songs as “a delightful variety” - “funky” - “astonishing” - “Wow”!"
Wow. $7 adults/$3 kids

7pm Saturday is a local HS rock band with a lot of energy and drive called Synergy. $5 adults/$3 kids

8:30pm Saturday is a local blues rock band called Blind Child. $5

And 10pm-midnight we have a couple good heavy rocking indie bands, Finding Nowhere and Gang Forward. $5

For Sunday we should remind you that we have Mello Cello Brunch from 11am-1pm with beautiful live cello music by Monica Sales, excellent breakfast pizzas, and bottomless mimosas and bloody marys. We should also remind you about our unique baby boogie from 2-6pm: bring your kids to hang out with other kids while you eat and drink and be merry. Aaand we should also remind you that we have one of the best salsa nights in the world on Sunday nights with lessons starting at 8pm and a band at 9pm.

Next Tuesday is Adam DeGraff's birthday party at the D Note and to celebrate he will be playing his songs in rotation with some of his very favorite favorite local songwriters, Melissa Ivey, Tony Medina and Mike Whalen. Adam wanted us to let you know that he really hopes you can make it. 7pm. Free.

So much to choose from!

Ever on,

D splay

Extra credit: Here's a nice example of the intricate and inimitable way poet Paul Muldoon's lyrical mind works...

A Hare at Aldergrove

A hare standing up at last on his own two feet
in the blasted grass by the runway may trace his lineage to the great
assembly of hares that, in the face of what might well have looked like defeat,
would, in 1963 or so, migrate
here from the abandoned airfield at Nutt's Corner, not long after Marilyn Monroe
overflowed from her body stocking
in Something's Got to Give. These hares have themselves so long been given to row
against the flood that when a King
of the Hares has tried to ban bare knuckle fighting, so wont
are they to grumble and gripe
about what will be acceptable and what won't
they've barely noticed that the time is ripe
for them to shake off the din
of a pack of hounds that has caught their scent
and take in that enormity just as I've taken in
how my own DNA is 87% European and East Asian 13%.
So accustomed had they now grown
to a low-level human hum that, despite the almost weekly atrocity
in which they'd lost one of their own
to a wheeled blade, they followed the herd towards this eternal city
as if they'd had a collective change of heart.
My own heart swells now as I watch him nibble on a shoot
of blaeberry or heather while smoothing out a chart
by which he might divine if our Newark-bound 757 will one day overshoot
the runway about which there so often swirled
rumors of Messerschmitts.
Clapper-lugged, cleft-lipped, he looks for all the world
as if he might never again put up his mitts
despite the fact that he shares a Y chromosome
with Niall of the Nine Hostages,
never again allow his om
to widen and deepen by such easy stages,
never relaunch his campaign as melanoma has relaunched its campaign
in a friend I once dated,
her pain rising above the collective pain
with which we've been inundated
as this one or that has launched an attack
to the slogan of "Brits Out" or "Not an Inch"
or a dull ack-ack
starting up in the vicinity of Ballynahinch,
looking for all the world as if he might never again get into a fluster
over his own entrails,
never again meet luster with luster
in the eye of my dying friend, never establish what truly ails
another woman with a flesh wound
found limping where a hare has only just been shot, never again bewitch
the milk in the churn, never swoon as we swooned
when Marilyn's white halter-top dress blew up in The Seven Year Itch,
in a flap now only as to whether
we should continue to tough it out till
something better comes along or settle for this salad of blaeberry and heather
and a hint of common tormentil.

September tenth, two thousand and ten

2010-09-10T08:35:00.000-07:00

The Boulder newspaper said a few days ago that the best chance of containing the Boulder fire would be to pray for rain. It seemed strange for a city newspaper to call for prayer. Were they serious? Was it tongue in cheek? But then, lo and behold, it rained! So that begs the question: was the rain the result of fervent prayer, or was it pure luck? Which would you tend to believe? Either way, hallelujah!

This Friday we have George Christiansen playing the Friday Afternoon Concert at 5pm (free). Mike Morter (from Churchill) plays a solo gig at 7pm, Then the Jagtones at 8:30pm and Empty Affair at 11pm.

Saturday day we have Serenade in Blue Big Band at 2pm (free). Then we have a student Belly Dance show at 5:30pm (free) and then we have 4 indie bands to close out the night, Icarus Thump (8p), Firebird 4000 (9p), Off Color (10p) and My Friend Tom (11p) $5.

Finally, for you loyal fans. If you have the time to put up a positive review of the D Note on YELP that could really help us out. And for taking the time and effort to share their view we would like to buy you a beer next time you come in. Just bring us a copy of the review or show it to us. Thanks!

And thanks for being you,

D fine

Extra Credit: Our friend Cedar Sigo has a new book out on City LIghts called Stranger In Town. Here is a terrific poem from that book, somehow relevant for the D Note.

Port Orchard

When the song birds arrive

liquormen of the world
will squirm
& snarl
& scheme
It is more about
what the ROOM wants

I wish she were Duke Wayne

But with face and figure

willingness to come apart
smoke up
&
drink down
To be a con man
is gathering dust

drifting in &
changing then
the walk of
the little town

us purple hearts just care for
that passing life (Lives)
I am growing to love the wait

"fancy" a toss. What is the
cost to drink in
the other room?

A first born son, one silver
Piece,
A wedding
under chandelier
in DARK COMMAND.

September second, two thousand and ten

2010-09-02T12:12:00.000-07:00

D Port

When you think of all that really happens in a week it is overwhelming. If you tried to write every thought and occurrence down it would fill a few gigabytes of data, a fat set of encyclopedias at least. And yet it seems to our hurried mind as if the last week has gone by in a wink.

Therefore let us slow down this weekend and appreciate some art. This Friday we are excited to be part of the first official Olde Town Arvada Art Walk. Several establishments around the area will be showcasing art. For our part we have a show by Scramble Campbell with a soundtrack of live jazz. Scramble currently has some work up at The Arvada Center. All of his pieces are painted during live music performances. One of the works up now is a beautiful black and white portrait of Henry Butler playing the D Note a few years back. Come meet the artist and get involved in the art scene in Olde Town.

We have a couple of blues rock bands playing their first D Note gigs Friday night, Blues Torch at 8pm and The Average Joe Band at 10pm. $5.

Saturday we Raising Cain at 7pm, which features Anya Thompson of Music Train Fame. Then we have Jonny Barber and The Rhythm Razors at 9pm, which features Jonny Barber of Velvet Elvis fame. And we end up the night with one of our favorite local Ween-style rock bands, Junk Drawer at 11pm. $5.

Sunday salsa is always great on a three day weekend. And Monday? Be laborless. Also, come down for some open mike madness with Jay Ryan.

Ship is sailing,

D bark

Extra Credit: Here's an inquisitive poem by David St. John that was published in the Denver Quarterly, 2010.

Ghost Aurora

All of the apostles, the fortune tellers, all of those committed
to the origins of reason or faith—each is now lost in the hum

of her or his own deepening meditation. What could be the purpose
of those songs the troubadour from Avignon brought us in his leather bag?

What could be the meaning of the carvings of green falcons along
the gourd-like back of his lute? What could be more useful than a loving

principle lifted slowly out of particles, like the frond of a morning fern
uncurling? Take up your coat; take up the morning. This is what it means

to lure the phantom out of the dark, until she lifts us into the space of song.

D Note Chronicles #60

2010-08-28T08:18:00.000-07:00

D Note Chronicles #60

Brother Matthew and I were in the D Note basement recently and he began to tell some of the kitchen staff about an incident he had while sandblasting the paint off the walls eight years ago when we were building out the D Note. After he told the story I secretly turned the voice recorder on the smart phone and began to record. The following is a transcription of what happened next.

Adam: "So that was the was the worst it got while you were sandblasting?"

Matthew: "Whatever! That was a nightmare! I still have nightmares about it. The worst it got?! It was 14 days of sandblasting. It was the summer time and we had to wear extra clothing. We opened up the doors and people were complaining because there was a big flume of lead paint coming out the door. Oh God that was evil. The worst it got?!"

Adam: "So tell me again what happened?"

Matthew: "Remember the hood we wore? Remember the glasses, you put the lens in and out? You pull it out and put a new heavy glass lens in? I was like this (tilts head to side) and the glass started coming out of the hood, without me doing it, I'm holding the thing. I'm looking at it and thinking 'Oh that's not good.' All the sudden the sand started hitting my eyes and oh that's not good. I don't know what I did, but it was pelting my eyes and you know how when you have dry mouth and they throw sand in your dry mouth? Like oohg ick ick ick. So my eyes are dusted and I can't do anything and, like, I'm on the scaffolding with the stupid hose in my hand. Okay here it goes, I'm dropping it! You were supposed to be right there helping, I don't know where you went, and I'm yelling 'Adam, where are you!' So I drop the hose. Okay, where's the side of the scaffolding I need to come down on? AH THOONK! Uh, I'm down. Okay I'm gonna go toward the sound. Okay, I hope I don't put my finger in the wrong area here! Okay, it's off. I make it outside. THUNK! Oh, there's a wall. Oh there's a box or something. I'm finally outside. What do I do now? My eyes are gone. I took off the hat and I was sweating."

Adam: "Did you think your eyes were screwed up?"

Matthew: "Yeah, I thought I lost my eyes. When you are sandblasting and you are seeing sand take paint of bricks? Yeah, your eyes don't really stand a chance against sandblast. So I thought my eyes were completely gone. Who knows, there's probably pelts from it still in there, but anyway. So then I took off the gloves to try get the sand out, but my hands were full of dust. How am I going to get my eyes clean with my dusty hands? So I finally found my water bottle and poured it in my eyes, glug glug glug. That whole thing was evil. Sandblasting in general was evil, 14 days of it. We rented this sandblaster for a week and we kept paying over-night fees because we thought we'd be done the next day. Then after buying 10,000 lbs of sand we had to re-use 200 lbs of it and so it is extra super fine in the air. We had Regina at the Picking Parlour next door hopping mad at us. All the neighbors were mad at us because we were dusting the whole neighborhood. And then there was the fact that it was lead paint, which is still probably in our lungs. We had lead paint that covered up soot from when this place was a blacksmith and then whatever 4 cylinder engine model Ts were in here when it was a Ford dealership. So right after the gray paint, which would be lead, then there would be like an octopus-in-the-ocean blackness that would hit us. You remember that?"

Adam: "Yeah. So then when you threw the sandblaster hose down it just went onto the floor?"

Matthew: "So it was doing like the snake thing until it got stuck in the scaffolding, because it hit me once or twice when I was blind. I'm trying to get to the sound. I know it's over there so I'm going to shut it off. Okay, it's off. I still can't see. I'm going to make it to the door. Oh that sucked."

Adam: "But, because the sand blew a hole in the carpet, that's how we knew we had a wood floor?"

Matthew: "No, the carpet was always missing. It was just glue. But the sand actually blew through the glue. But yeah, it was such thick glue that we would have never seen the blond hundred year old red oak underneath."

Adam: "So that was the silver lining to your ordeal since the wood floor lead to us having a salsa night. The D Note probably wouldn't have survived without salsa during the early years. The wood floor has been the biggest attraction for the salsa night."

Matthew: "Yeah, and also the biggest distraction on the salsa night when the old wood has popped through leaving holes. I mean give and take. Yeah, but we wouldn't have had the salsa night, that's true. But Oh God that sandblasting was evil."

August 26, 2010

2010-08-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

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D foggers

A weather change is in the air. We sadly wave goodbye to outgoing summer and happily wave hello to incoming fall.

This weekend starts early for some of us with the advent of Geeks Who Drink Trivia at 6:30pm tonight and then Kick Ass Karaoke at 9pm. And Every Thursday thereafter. Free. Fun.

Friday night we start with our Friday Afternoon Concert with Jeremy Dion at 5pm.

Then Friday night we have our second annual fundraiser for Colorado Trout Unlimited, an organization that helps keep the rivers in Colorado clean. From their website: "Come celebrate the end of summer this Friday night at the D Note in Old Towne Arvada with all your friends! The evening kicks off at 5pm with live music and a chance to win prizes and trips for the angler and non-angler alike. Admission is $10. All proceeds from this event benefit Colorado Trout Unlimited's river conservation programs. Big Universe will be back again with an entertaining mix of classic rock from Elvis to the Eagles, Aretha Franklin to Cyndi Lauper.

Saturday at 1pm we have Phoenix Dance's yearly Belly Dance Swap. Free performances and demos and lots of great shopping. For much more info check here.

7:30pm Saturday we have the Duke Street Kings all night. Classic rock and roll in the spirit of Mick Jagger and co.

Next Tuesday night we have Bob's Big Band in the house at 7pm for you fans of big band jazz. Free.

And then at 9pm Tuesday we have a progressive jazz rock band called Holophrase. Influences include Frank Zappa, The Faint, Bjork, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Schoenberg, Portishead, Bright Eyes, The Mars Volta, Portugal The Man, Phillip Glass. There name "Holophrase" is cool too. We looked it up. It means "A single word (such as "Thanks") that is used to express a complete, meaningful thought."

Gracias,

D Nada

Extra Credit: We ran across a poem by Elizabeth Bishop in an anthology that we wanted to share with you, as it struck us with the depth and sharpness of its language.

The Bight

[On my birthday]

At low tide like this how sheer the water is.
White, crumbling ribs of marl protrude and glare
and the boats are dry, the pilings dry as matches.
Absorbing, rather than being absorbed,
the water in the bight doesn't wet anything,
the color of the gas flame turned as low as possible.
One can smell it turning to gas; if one were Baudelaire
one could probably hear it turning to marimba music.
The little ocher dredge at work off the end of the dock
already plays the dry perfectly off-beat claves.
The birds are outsize. Pelicans crash
into this peculiar gas unnecessarily hard,
it seems to me, like pickaxes,
rarely coming up with anything to show for it,
and going off with humorous elbowings.
Black-and-white man-of-war birds soar
on impalpable drafts
and open their tails like scissors on the curves
or tense them like wishbones, till they tremble.
The frowsy sponge boats keep coming in
with the obliging air of retrievers,
bristling with jackstraw gaffs and hooks
and decorated with bobbles of sponges.
There is a fence of chicken wire along the dock
where, glinting like little plowshares,
the blue-gray shark tails are hung up to dry
for the Chinese-restaurant trade.
Some of the little white boats are still piled up
against each other, or lie on their sides, stove in,
and not yet salvaged, if they ever will be, from the last bad storm,
like torn-open, unanswered letters.
The bight is littered with old correspondences.
Click. Click. Goes the dredge,
and brings up a dripping jawful of marl.
All the untidy activity continues,
awful but cheerful.

Aug 19, 2010

2010-08-19T13:36:00.001-07:00

D cisions,

We would always like to begin our weekly d-mail by thanking each of the 50 to 150 musicians that played the D Note week before, but we generally don't, because we don't want to overload you with a bunch of shoutouts. BUT, in this letter, at least, we want to give a general thanks to each and every musician that has graced the D Note stage. You are the reason the D note is still going strong, the proverbial wind beneath our wings. As long as you keep making the music, we'll keep flying. Thank you, thank you and thank you!

And we thank in advance the dozens of musicians coming to play for all of us this weekend. Friday night we have the beautiful chanteuse Katey Laurel opening the night with a free Friday Afternoon Concert at 5pm.

Then at 7pm Friday The Trampolines are back in the house. Rumor has it that The Trampolines have called it quits, so this may be the last time you will be able to catch a band that has been rocking the Colorado scene for nearly a fifth of a century. Will the Trampolines bounce back? Stay tuned. For this, possibly, penultimate show they are bringing with them some great bands too, Della and Seismic Event. $8 for all three bands.

At 11pm Friday night we have Thanks To Philo coming in to round out Friday night. $5

Saturday we have The Music Train Family Concert Series with the director of the series, Anya Thompson, playing for us this month. $7 adult/$3 kids.

At 7pm Saturday we have Rosalie, a great alternative country band out of Denver. $5.

Then at 9pm Saturday we switch gears (again) and get the stage ready for Dikki Du and the Zydeco Krewe. Dikki Du is the son of Roy Carrier, a Zydeco legend that recently passed away. We were lucky enough to hear Roy at the D Note a few times. Dikki carries his father's Zydeco spirit in his own inimitable way and we can't wait to dance to his groove again. $10. Margaritas are $4 special from 9-10pm and there will be a special spicy Beau Jocque pizza too.

Also keep in mind the mello cello Sunday brunch t 11am-1pm, especially if you have not tried the fantastic breakfast pizzas yet. And another reminder to take a healthy risk and bring yourself to Karaoke tonight and every Thursday at 9pm.

And that is the weekend wrap up.

The D Note is also nominated (again!) for Best Live Music venue for the A List. Please take a second to vote for us.

Ever,

D ella cool

Extra Credit: A gorgeous poem by Major Jackson, gleaned off Poetry Daily...

Creationism

I gave the bathtub purity and honor, and the sky
noctilucent clouds, and the kingfisher his implacable
devotees. I gave salt & pepper the table, and the fist
its wish for bloom, and the net, knotholes of emptiness.
I gave the loaf its slope of integrity, the countertop
belief in the horizon, and mud its defeated boots.
I gave morning triumphant songs which consume my pen,
and death its grief which is like a midsummer thunderclap.
But I did not give her my tomblike woe though it trembled
from my white bones and shook the walls of our home.

8/4/10

2010-08-05T15:23:00.001-07:00

D nation

We bring you this D Mail a day early to remind you that tonight, Wednesday, Aug 4, 2010, we are having a going away party for the original Genksters, Scott and Lisa Genke. Lisa has been a huge part of the D Note's success, whether smiling behind the bar or helping arrange parties or countless other little things. The D Note will never be quite the same without her, but her spirit will remain with us in the rafters and brick of the D. Come say help us send her and Scott off in style. The Clamdaddys will provide the perfect soundtrack.

Tomorrow night there is NO KARAOKE after trivia. This is the one night we had booked prior to starting karaoke. After this it is Karaoke every Thursday at 9. The bands are Convergence and To Set Aflame. Two good indie songwriter driven rock bands that have played the D Note once a year for 4 or 5 years. We are happy to welcome them back. $5.

Friday we have James Hurtado playing for the Friday Afternoon Concert at 5pm. Free. Then we have a night of indie rock for you carefully arranged by Matt Dougherty: 7:00p Gridley Esteemer, 8:00p Driving Karma, 9:00p Disaffected, 10:00p SPiVEY (from Lubbock, Texas). Spivey has unique and beautiful sound. A good night to rock out with your locks out. $5.

Saturday we have a special edition of the ever popular Hafla at 7pm. $8 adults/ $6 kids under 10. From Phoenix' website:

Troupe Harmony Show & Hafla at The DNote: Enjoy a show featuring teachers/students & troupes sharing the Stage! After the show - open dancing to live music by Yallah! Performers: Sharaqa Shimmers, Indigo Rain, Raqs Nova & Lunar Ladies, Christine Moore & Figure 8s, Tribal Tique Denver, Zalzali, Vamp, Cecilia, Suzara & Phoenix and Mahisha.

After the Hafla, at 10:30, we have a fantastic reggae band from Boulder called Salasee, which you gotta see to see.

Next Friday we have a killer flamenco show with Rene Heredia and his troupe. And next Saturday we have our first annual D Note Summer Jazz Fest with Ron Miles and a cast of local and brilliant jazz stars.

Thanks, as ever, for being here,

D noted

Extra Credit: Another rock and roll poet we've managed to miss in this long running gag is Jim Morrison. Morrison is thought of as very Dionysian, but his best poems manage to see both sides. Notice the turn around the phrase "break on through to the other side" takes in stanza two.

Break On Through To The Other Side

You know the day destroys the night
Night divides the day
Tried to run
Tried to hide
Break on through to the other side

We chased our pleasures here
Dug our treasures there
But can you still recall
The time we cried?
Break on through to the other side

July 29, 2010

2010-07-29T09:25:00.001-07:00

D mericans,

For those of you with internet, wink wink, take a listen to A.I.R., possibly the best internet radio station we've run across. Like now might be a good time. If you listen long enough you are bound to hear a tune by the band coming in this Friday night to the D Note, SAMBADENDE. Formed several years ago in Boulder, this percussion heavy Brazilian band has become a formidable source of Brazilian music. And we are lucky to have them in Arvada. We love having this kind of multi-cultural music at the D Note, but remember, your support counts. We really want to be able to bring Sambadende back again. So tell your friends and come dance. Opening for Sambadende is the brazilian jazz of Francisco Marques and Dexter Payne 7-9pm. $10 for the evening.

Opening for the Brazilian jazz on Friday, from 5-6:30, for the D Note FAC, will be Ben Long.

Saturday we have Zumba at 10:30pm, a reminder for those of you who are ready to get down and shape up.

At 3pm Saturday we have a terrific big band jazz group called Serenade In Blue. Come dance the afternoon away in classic style. $8

At 6:45pm Saturday we have one of our favorite local bands, The Saurus. Just killer genius jazz and hip hop fried seemlessly together. Free.

(Speaking of killer jazz, a reminder that we have D Note Summer Jazz Fest coming up Aug 14 with Ron Miles, Greg harris, Serafin Sanchez, Lelah Simon, Alejandro Castano, Tyson Ailshe, Antwon Owens and many more.)

Saturday night we have 3 solid local bands, Bret Sloan, Trees and Trashcans and Conscious Elliot. All these artists are worth checking out, but start with Trees and Trashcans Bike Song on their myspace. Great song, kind of Moldy Peaches with a little Soweto guitar thrown into the mix. $5

Sunday morning we have the official GRAND OPENING of the MELLOW CELLO BREAKFAST BRUNCH. We have a whole new brunch menu which features pizzas with eggs, hashbrowns, country sausage, bananas, nuts, etc. It is a beautifully conceived menu and our tongues are excited. Our ears too. Monica Sales will be womanning the cello. Adam and Jeremy D will come play a few mellow tunes too. We can't wait to try the breakfast pies. The frittata looks great as well. Also featuring $10 bottomless bloody marys and mimosas.

Next Wednesday we have a Farewell, So Long, Auf Weidersehen, Goodbye party for the Genkes. Lisa Genke was the smiling bartender with the long red dreads you've been digging at the D Note for years now. She and Scott are leaving for Wisconsin and will be sorely missed. Come next Wednesday while the Clamdaddys play and send them off with extra love.

Thanks for everything,

D nada

Extra Credit. On Internet BBC radio show "Poetry Please" we heard a poem by performance poet Rachel Pantechnicon. Here it is.

FOLK-SONG GIRLS

My mother used to say:

“Rachel, don’t mix with the folk-song girls,
the folk-song girls from the Folk Estate,
staying out, going out in their calico dresses,
irrespective of the season.
They hang around the parade of cowsheds
at weekends for no discernible reason.
I’ve seen them in the park, in the dark,
sniffing nosegays on the park benches.

And Rachel, stop drinking out of my vase,
it isn’t a wassail bowl.
Turn out your pockets –
what’s that you’ve got, another piece of coal?
Have you been listening to that song
About the Durham pit lockouts of 1861 again?

No, I’m not interested in your so-called new friends,
Nancy, Polly, Betty;
That awful music they listen to,
that horrible group The Yetties –

And what do you want a pet skylark for?
You’ve already got a guinea-pig
that you never clean out.”

7/22/10

2010-07-22T08:48:00.002-07:00

D backs

This morning we went outside and took a big breath in, just to get some "fresh air". As we were breathing in we smelled a peppery sweet floral scent, probably from some neighbor's tree. This lead us to wonder about the multi-tasking quality of breathing. You smell with the same action as taking oxygen into your body? Genius!

Smell you later. Hopefully tonight, Thursday July 22, for Geeks Who Drink Trivia at 6:30p or afterwards at Kick Ass Karaoke.

Friday night, we have a Single Parents Empowered Benefit w/ Clusterfunk and Nate Moore, $10 suggested donation. The music and dancing will be a lot of fun and the cause is worthy.

Saturday we have another fun benefit. It is the first annual Ball and Chain Pub Crawl (White Trash Wedding Theme) to benefit Autism Speaks. Here's a little write up in Culture Mob. "Social drinking is the best way to meet others, and this Saturday July 24, 2010, it will also be the best way to volunteer in your community. On Saturday Big Ball Pub Crawls will be hosting the Ball and Chain Pub Crawl to benefit Autism Speaks. Ya'll invited, cordially! Costumes are strongly encouraged and please visit the website to know what to expect! Start recruiting your bridal party, cousins & maids/men for this hilarious pub crawl, making fun of this nuptual tradition in a lighthearted way right in the middle of wedding season! Registration at the 12 Volt across the street fromt he D Note from 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. The crawl is from 1 p.m.-5 p.m. and then enjoy the after party at the D Note with the super fun 80's cover band Raygunomics from 5 p.m.-7p.m.The cost is $35/person + processing fees online which includes beer and after party or just do $10/person for the after party only (not attending the crawl). $15 "I Survived" shirt & sharpie for autographs!" You can also check out the Westword article here.

After the after party for the pub crawl we have the return of the Stan Jones Band at 8pm. A band new to the D Note, a blues rock reggae band called Hot Cheese Soup, plays at 10p. $5.

Sunday morning we'll have Our Mello Cello Breakfast Brunch with Monica Sales on Cello plus special guests. Yay. Come try out the breakfast pizza. Yum.

Next Friday night we have a night of awesome Brazilian music and dancing, starting at 7pm, so start making plans.

Enter,

D front

Extra Credit: We have presented many pop song writers here AS poets. But one we have thus far ignored is Paul Simon. So here's a rare and beautiful gem from the poet Paul Simon. Notice the subtleties, for example the tricky way "before" comes to mean both "before" AND "after" in the first stanza.

Señorita With a Necklace of Tears

I have a wisdom tooth
Inside my crowded face
I have a friend who is a born-again
Found his savior’s grace
I was born before my father
And my children before me
We are born and born again
Like the waves of the sea
That’s the way it’s always been
And that’s how I want it to be

Nothing but good news
There is a frog in South America
Whose venom is a cure
For all the suffering that mankind
Must endure
More powerful than morphine
And soothing as the rain
A frog in South America
Has the antidote for pain
That’s the way it’s always been
And that’s the way I like it

Some people never say no
Some people never complain
Some folks have no idea
And others will never explain
That’s the way it’s always been
That’s the way I like it
And that’s how I want it to be

If I could play all the memories
In the neck of my guitar
I’d write a song called
“Señorita with a necklace of tears”
And every tear a sin I’d committed
Oh these many years
That’s who I was
That’s the way it’s always been

Some people always want more
Some people are what they lack
Some folks open a door
Walk away and never look back
I don’t want to be a judge
And I don’t want to be a jury
I know who I am
Lord knows who I will be
That’s the way it’s always been
That’s the way I like it
And that’s how I want it to be

7/15/10

2010-07-22T08:48:00.001-07:00

D Vitamins,

Karaoke was fun last week. There were more than a few triumphs during the evening, not least of which was our trivia quizmaster Paul Nagy starting the night off with Louis Prima's scat heavy version of "Just a Gigolo." Nor did our server Travis suck when he ended the night with a punked up lounge version of Hall and Oates' Rich Girl. Bring yourself and your crew tonight, Thursday, July 15, at 9pm and let us see what you got. Start it off with trivia at 6:30.

Friday we start at 7pm with the return engagement of a nifty little a cappela group called Cool Shooz. $5. Then we venture into independent rock and roll territory with Kosmos at 9p and The Say So Crazies at 10:30p. Check out the tune "She's So See Through (Lucy Loo)" on the TSSC myspace page for some flavor.

Saturday we have JT Nolan and The Lovely and Talented back for a Music Train Family Concert command performance at 4pm. Bring the family and gt out of the heat of a few entertaining hours. $7 adults/ $3 kids.

Then at 7pm we have a funk band from Honolulu called Friends of Adam (and any band called Friends of Adam is a friend of ours). Kamuela Kahoano--local boy from Hawaii, will open the night. Outstanding ukulele player who conveys the spirit of aloha. It's going to be a summer party. $5.

Sunday morning we continue our Mello Cello Brunch. Come try the brand new and already famous breakfast pizza. Also a little bird told us the bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Marys are only $10. Join Cellist Monica Sales and special musical guests for a beautiful way to start the week.

Future news. The great Brazilian band Sambadende is coming through the D Note July 30. August 13 the great Flamenco maestro Rene Heredia will bring his dancers in to the house. Then Saturday Aug 14 we have Ron Miles, Greg Harris, Serafin Sanchez, Lelah Simon, 3 Squared, Hybrid Sound, Alejandro Castano and more coming your way for the first annual D Note Summer Jazz Fest.

See you earlier,

D tard

Extra Credit: Here is a belated July 4 song for you by Adam D. Sing it in a minor key a la Gogol Bordello.

Declaration Of Independence

My baby likes the minor key, the minor key, the minor key

She doesn't like the monarchy, the monarchy, the monarchy

She prefers democracy, democracy, democracy

And a little bit of anarchy! ANARCHY!

(repeat)

June 17, 2010

2010-06-17T10:31:00.000-07:00

Deophytes

How are you? What are you doing right now? We want to know? Hit reply after you read this and give us a detailed description.

We have another epic indie rock show for you this Friday night, June 18th starring Bad Weather California and Action Packed Thrill Ride. We saw Bad Weather California once at The Fillmore filling in as the songwriter Daniel Johnston's backing band. Daniel Johnston chose bands he liked in every city he performed in to back his songs (dream job!) and the result, in Denver at least, was phenomenal, thanks in part to BWC. So we are very excited to be hosting them at the D Note. Here's some praise...

“Adolf crafts songs that you’ll still be singing as your crawl to your grave…” THRASHER MAGAZINE...“(Bad Weather California) channels their American angst into clouds of rollicking electric licks and rousing Rhodes, then churns out cheeky optimism for a better world." PORTLAND MERCURY..."Trying not to go overboard about Bad Weather California is going to be tough, but Jesus, way to steal the show as it’s just beginning... At this moment Bad Weather California are probably one of the best bands playing in Denver, and worth seeing any chance you get." Westword“…There’s an indefinable, inexpressible IT that the best performers have, and Adolf has it, without question.” Westword“…Bad Weather California always creates an intense connection with his audience.” Denver Post

Action Packed Thrill Ride is also awesome and here's one of several rave reviews, "ramshackle country-rock, primal hoedowns, and arrangements that aren't afraid to veer into dizzying dynamics and lopsided rhythms. There's tenderness, too, resting like lazy currents besides crazed country-punk meltdowns and skin-crawling weirdness. Unlike many current practitioners of Americana in Denver, APTR offers that rarest of treats: a surprise at almost every turn." - Jason Heller, The Onion A.V. Club

Opening the night at 7p is Dr. Harlan's Amazing Bluegrass Tonic and closing the show at 11p is Stealth Hippo. See the sweet poster Matt Dougherty did for this show here.
Saturday we have a family friendly concert at 5p with The B Team, a classic rock band. $5 adults/ kids free. When the B Team plays the D it is something to C.

At 8p on Saturday we have LIONEL YOUNG and the Heavy Cats back in the house. Lionel is one of our favorite performers and people in the world and we are giddy to have him back performing at the D Note again. It has been too long. You will dance. You might even cry. Then at 10pm we have The Catfish Kray Blues Band. Here's some hype for them... 2010 Grammy entrant, contemporary blues...Three Stars in Downbeat, June 2010...On Sonny Payne's King Biscuit playlist ..."Amazing, amazing, amazing"....Westword

And next Tuesday we have really phenomenal and dramatic Tango band from Austin Texas called The Austin Piazzola Quintet at 8pm. $5

So there's an amazing weekend for you to relish brought to you by the letter D.

Yours,

Ronny James D

Extra Credit: Adam D wrote an article about the poetry in the women's restroom at the D Note for the North Denver News which a few of you might enjoy. Read it here.

June 10, 2010

2010-06-10T11:04:00.000-07:00

D part

Hey ho, hey ho, it's off on another weekly voyage to musical spheres we go.

First of all, summer is here and students are gone, which means there is a better chance of winning at trivia. Geeks Who Drink do a completely fantastic and fun job with trivia every Thursday at 6:30pm. Keep in mind this game is PG 13. Check out the D Note Geeks Who Drink blog here.

After trivia we are also considering karaoke. The trick will be finding a great host, one not already occupied on Thursdays. Any suggestions?

After trivia this Thursday June 10 (tonight as we write this) we have Bonnie and Her Clydes. Dust off your dancing shoes, real country music has returned. Bonnie & Her Clydes bring a brand of swingin' music that makes it nearly impossible to sit still. They conjure up the sounds of the genre's legends. This is a great band and 9pm on Thursday can be a tough time to get folks out. So if you find yourself on the ranch fence, but love country and especially dance oriented country, then come support! $5 (D Note trivia: Great Uncle Tom DeGraff and his partner were in a shoot out with Bonnie and Clyde. Uncle Tom lived, but his partner did not.)

Friday night we have our friend Jeremy Dion crooning songs for you at 6pm, then a classic rock band called ViDOSUN plays at 8p. We'll give you the same intro to these guys that they gave to us, "My name is Troy Williams and I am in the band ViDOSUN. We played in the Denver area from 1997 – 2004. We have played around 500 shows in the past 15 years before me moving out of state. Now we get together and do one reunion show a year and always have a great turn out." After ViDOSUN, we have the debut of a blueueuesy rock band, Blue Mojo. $5

Saturday we have our old friend The Velvet Elvis back at 4pm for The Family Concert Music Series. This should be an extra fun one. $7 adults/ $3 kids.

Saturday night we have the triumphant return of James And The Devil and DCM starting at 7pm.

James and The Devil spin off Rock'n'Roll sounds with MountainGrass, funk, hip hop, and rhythmic dance chemistry that always gets the house movin! Rocky Mountain RedNeck Gangsta Rock. Also playing Miguel Zavala, Sawmill Joe, North To Nowhere and The Riot.

DCM is Denver Creative Movement. Their mission statement: "Denver Creative Movement was based on the philosophy that in order to change the world, you must start with yourself and your surroundings; and in order to change your surroundings you must first be aware of them. The team consists of Denver artists, musicians, sculptors, photographers, and small businesses with this same philosophy, joining their works together to create local cultural awareness by displaying their works at organized events open to the public. These events are a chance for small “mom and pop” businesses and local talents to be recognized, and also for them to give back by using their skills in helping communities and charities both inside and outside the Denver boundaries, mainly funding school art and music programs currently being cut in half. Denver citizens are exposed to the beauty and culture in their own backyard, which leads to motivation in becoming a proud and active community member." Can hardly not disagree more. $5

Also, heads up, killer show next Friday with Bad Weather California and Action Packed Thrill Ride.

Over and in,

D send

Extra Credit: We had a friendly debate with a friend recently about the merits of Mick Jagger's lyrics. We happen to think he is up there with the best. Here are some inimitable Jagger lyrics presented as poetry. Notice the subtle ways the refrain changes meaning through-out.

You Can't Always Get What You Want

I saw her today at a reception
A glass of wine in her hand
I knew she would meet her connection
At her feet was her footloose man

No, you can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you might find
You get what you need

And I went down to the demonstration
To get my fair share of abuse
Singing, "We're gonna vent our frustration
If we don't we're gonna blow a 50-amp fuse"

You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes well you just might find
You get what you need

I went down to the Chelsea drugstore
To get your prescription filled
I was standing in line with Mr. Jimmy
And man, did he look pretty ill
We decided that we would have a soda
My favorite flavor, cherry red
I sung my song to Mr. Jimmy
Yeah, and he said one word to me, and that was "dead"
I said to him

You can't always get what you want, no!
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You get what you need.

I saw her today at the reception
In her glass was a bleeding man
She was practiced at the art of deception
Well I could tell by her blood-stained hands

You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes you just might find
You just might find
You get what you need, ah yes...

June 3, 2010

2010-06-03T13:55:00.000-07:00

D mographic

First off, check out the Westword critical applause for Matt Dougherty's poster graphics for the show from last Friday here. "By the way, when did Arvada get so cool? Danielle Ate the Sandwich, Ian Cooke and Candy Claws on one bill? Way to shake off that suburban stigma, Arvadans!"

There is a lot going on this weekend, as per usual. A couple things we are especially looking forward are Matt Kowal (of Reals fame) back in the D and playing a solo set on Friday night and D.A.R.C (Denver Art Rock Collective) doing a tribute to Pink Floyd Saturday night, because we're big fans of both Matt Kowal and Pink Floyd.

Playing before Matt at 7p on Friday is The Way Low Down, a unique reggae inflected bluegrass band that we have grown fond of. After Matt is band called Chris Thompson and Coral Creek. To give you a feel for Chris' music, just look at who plays on his new album, members of String Cheese, Head for The Hills and Charlie Provenza. Playing at 11 is a really interesting Balkan brass band from Boulder called Gora Gora Orkestar. For fans of Gogol Bordello and Devotchka. Very cool night all the way around. $5.

The D.A.R.C. Floyd tribute Saturday night will feature members of The New Ancient Astronauts, Yerkish, The Inactivists, The Mourning Sickness, Fyoder and Babushka and more. The amazing Tony Medina opens the show with a Pink Floyd set at 8:30p. $5

Other great stuff happening this weekend includes electo-acoustic progressive rock of Abajian Thursday after trivia; Zumba Saturday morning; a rock band recital by Music Lessons of Westminster Saturday at 1pm; The up and coming high school band Synergy at 7pm Saturday; Salsa lessons for students at noon Sunday; Baby Boogie 2-6p Sunday.

Come out and take part in all the fun,

D monoid

Extra Credit: Pink Floyd's Roger Waters wrote lyrics that veer dangerously close to poetry. Here's an early example, a subtle, layered poem which rewards continued study with a hidden meaning, which goes something like this; the lesson of giving can be seen in the growth that happens during withholding.

Set The Controls For the Heart of The Sun

Little by little the night turns around.
Counting the leaves which tremble at dawn.
Lotuses lean on each other in yearning.
Under the eaves the swallow is resting.

Set the controls for the heart of the sun.

Over the mountain watching the watcher.
Breaking the darkness.
Waking the grapevine.
One inch of love is one inch of shadow.
Love is the shadow that ripens the wine.

Set the controls for the heart of the sun.

Witness the man who raves at the wall,
Making the shape of his questions to Heaven.
Whether the sun will fall in the evening?
Will he remember the lesson of giving?

Set the controls for the heart of the sun.

5/27/10

2010-06-03T13:54:00.001-07:00

D lights,

There is a show this Friday night that we've been excited about for awhile. In fact we're gonna give it a whole three paragraphs.

Many of you may already know of Ian Cooke. He's an utterly unique and infectious songwriter who inventively accompanies himself on Cello and a loop station. He can be awe-inspiring.

Danielle Ate The Sandwich is a singer song writer with a lot of buzz. Here's a little excerpt from the Westword: "Meet Danielle Ate the Sandwich. Yes, the name. We know. Not big fans ourselves. Still, trust us: This is your new favorite singer-songwriter. If you have a functioning pair of hearing devices, we think you'll agree. This bewitching little gal (aka Danielle Anderson) from Fort Collins has the most beguiling voice we've heard since Jude Avers. And her songs are equally mesmerizing, with incisive lyrics on par with Rosie Thomas. Don't just take our word for it, either. After you check out her take on "Rich Girl" after the jump, head over to her MySpace page and listen to "Bribes," "Ode to Optophobia" and "Handsome Girl." Stunning. Absolutely stunning. We're bananas over the moon for Danielle Ate the Sandwich."

Candy Claws plays at 10:30pm. We heard about this band from our friend Dave Outhouse who is a DJ at the University of San Louis Obispo radio station. He asked us if we had heard about a band from Ft. Collins called Candy Claws. They were a station favorite he said. So we promptly asked them to play this gig and they said yes. Candy Claws is strange underwater sea creature music. Check out their terrific song Lantern Fish on their myspace.

Wait, here's a fourth paragraph. This show is our first collaboration with Radio 1190, a little oasis amidst the detritus of corporate radio culture. About time! Also playing this night is Dustin Reid (opening 7pm) and another up and coming band called Good Evening Titan (ambient indie pop). This will be one of those shows that sticks out in our memory twenty five years from now. $7.

Rolling into Saturday, a really all out big band called Serenade In Blue plays Saturday at 3pm. $8

Saturday night at 8:30p we have the Western Conference All Starz Mixtape release party feat Spoke-In-Wordz & DJ Chonz, 20:12, Xencs & Dj Manizer and the Reminders! Hosted by Lady Speech. DJ R^2 and DJ Manoz on the 1's and 2's... presented by Latenite Entertainment and Radiobumsl DJ Chonz, who is probably the biggest local hip hop DJay will be spinning, among many other acts. We saw 20:12 do their smooth dance routines at a previous D Note show and were suitably impressed. $7

That's the weekend. We have Matt Kowal of The Reals back in the house next Friday, so look out for that one. See you soon,

yours,

D fault

Extra Credit: Here's some lyrics from Danielle Ate The Sandwich.

Afterwards

It's harder to get up on the right side of the bed
These days foot steps in snow make me feel less alone

I'm still hoping for some kind of X-ray vision
And I would beam into your bedroom blinds just so I knew you were alright

Acting mature is overrated I miss the days of keying cars
And spreading rumors on the bathroom stalls and locker room walls
Where we forgot we looked when no one noticed

I shut the door when you left to keep out the cold and myself
From running after you just like I saw in the movies

It's true I have my regrets we never danced on rooftops
And I have found some fake words to say when a stranger asks about our death

It won't be long before I
Forget just what it felt like
To know that I did not know anything

Even though we're disregarding
I can't help but to wonder which song you're humming
And so I sit and pretend I don't mind that I don't know you
or what your schedule might look like on any given Thursday afternoon

Somebody wrote this rulebook and so we will make the effort
to be more scarce in the social situations that we might share

It won't be long before I
Forget just what it felt like
To feel anything for you at all

D Note letter 4/22/10

2010-04-22T05:28:00.000-07:00

D pendants,

First a quick note to say we've welcomed another soul to the DeGraff family, little Sofia Alma Marie DeGraff. Woo hoo! She says she's really looking forward to meeting all of you.

We have a fantastic weekend coming up. Tonight, Thurs, April 22, we have the debut of the new band of our graphic designer, Matt Dougherty, called Stealth Hippo. Matt is also the artist exhibiting on our brick walls this month and there is a reception for his show, called Things I've Never Seen, this Friday at 6pm. The artwork, perhaps not coincidentally, includes a few hippos. Stealthy!

We've been fans of Halden Wofford and The Hi-beams for awhile, but have never been able to get them into the house. Fortunately Spunky Presents is bringing them in tomorrow, Friday, 4/23. The Hi-beams are a prime example of the genre called Colorado Country. Opening for the Hi-beams, at 8:30p, is the debut of our friend Citrus' new band Hillbilly Inferno, who bill themselves as a gypsadelic bluegrasstani experience. We can't wait to check out what that is all about. Opening for Hillbilly Inferno, at 7:30p, is Robert Eldridge, one of the most eclectic and interesting guitarists out there and all around great guy. $7

Saturday we have The-Quiz-Who-Must-Not-Be Named. Geeks Who Drink present a Harry Potter Themed trivia quiz. The first quiz at 2pm has sold out. There is still space left for the 5pm quiz. Call 303-GO-DNOTE to make reservations. $5pp, $30 per team. And don't forget to bring our Phoenix Feather-core wand.

At 7:30pm on Saturday we have a benefit for The Sertoma Mile High Soap Box Derby featuring Jen Korte and The Loss, Megan Burtt and Stephen Marcus. These musicians are new to us, but we've heard great things about them and really dug what we heard on their myspace pages. Moses from the Clamdaddys has been talking up Megan Burtt for awhile now. Jen Korte's been making waves too. Check her wild version of Bill Wither's "Ain't No Sunshine" on her myspace. Wow. Great line up put together by Danielle Hastings. $10.

Late night, 11:30 we have Some Random Band. Whew!

Okay, time to sneak in an hour or so of sleep before the party begins.

Yours,

D addled

Extra Credit: A poem by James Joyce dedicated to the new member of the family.

Calm in her cradle,
The living lies.
May love and mercy
Unclose her eyes

Young life is breathed
On the glass;
The world that was not,
Comes to pass.

4/9/10

2010-04-09T11:09:00.001-07:00

Dee hive

Thanks to all of you for your extra effort in the honey making endeavors as of late. Keep up the good work dizzy dees.

We had some trouble with our server and last week's d-mail didn't go out. And this week's is going out way late. So here's a quick cap and hope you all get it.

FRIDAY, tonight, Schofield 7, Duke Street Kings 8:30, Quillion 10:30. Bands we know and love. Come love them with us. $5

SATURDAY. 7pm Hafla, which is always fun and of which we are always proud. Go ahead and just try to separate the dancer from the dance. Yallah! $6

10pm, A new rootsy rock high energy dance band on the scene called James and The Devil. Remember the religious fervor The Reals could whip up? These guys can get it going. This show will be in coordination with a kick off art show for a super cool new art collective called Denver Creative Movement. $5.

That's the quick draw,

Billy D Kid

Extra Credit: Last weekend we had a benefit for a school that Mama DeGraff is helping to put together in an impoverished corner of Uganda. So we wrote a long impassioned d-mail all about it. But, because of the server problems, that d-mail never got sent out. If you want to help contribute to an amazing school that can use all the help it can get, then make a contribution here. Every little bit counts. For instance $22 buys a new desk, $160 pays for a teacher for the duration of a class, etc. To inspire you we will repeat here the poem that never got sent out last week. It is by 12 year old Kalanzi Kajubi from Uganda.

I AM

I am a persevering person who enjoys drumming.

I hear a steady beat tapping in unison with my heart.

I want to live a life for those around me and not for me alone.

I am a persevering person who enjoys drumming.

I pretend that I am in the many books that I read.

I feel that I will accomplish much in life.

I touch keys on a piano and I play my self away.

I worry that my grandfather will die before he sees me succeed.

I cry for all the dying people in the world.

I am a persevering person who enjoys drumming.

I understand that life will not always be as easy for me as it is now.

I say that if you put your mind to it you can reach any goal.

I try to live my life to the fullest before my life is over.

I hope to see a woman president before I die.

I am a persevering person who enjoys drumming.

4/1/10

2010-04-01T11:46:00.000-07:00

D vine,

So as many of you already know, this D Note deal was put together by the DeGraff brothers, along with some big faith help from their friends and family. One of the earliest supporters was the mother of the DeGraff brood, Pamela McCormick, who we will from here forward refer to as Mom. Mom not only invested finances into the D Note, but also time. She used to help out quite a bit in our early days. Some of you may have even been around long enough to remember her famous Scotcheroos rice crispy treats. People would come from as far as Little Rock Arkansas to try one of Mom's Scotcheroos.

Since her kids have finally all grown up (debatable) Mom needed a new direction for her momming. So, with the help of an organization called H.E.L.P. she started a school in an impoverished section of Uganda. The Beacon School, as it is called, has about 150 students so far, kids who otherwise would have no formal education. It has been a real joy to watch all of this develop. It is also educational learning about the process and the details that go into every decision. A new development we just learned about pertains to a local Ugandan they found to make the desks by hand for $22 a piece. Not only does this save shipping costs, but it also helps the local economy. Neat.

The reason for telling you all this is that we are going to have a fundraiser for the school at the D Note this coming SATURDAY night and want to invite you all. We have amazing entertainment lined up for the show as we hope you would expect. Dave Beegle opens at 6pm, a phenomenal guitar maestro. Then we have Aden Harrell's African Boom at 7:30 pm, a concoction of African drumming and jazz that musical mastermind Aden Harrell has whipped up. We're intrigued. At 9pm we have Andrea Ball. Andrea is making waves in the indie scene in Denver and beyond. Her new album was just reviewed by Westword. We hope you will come out to help support Mom and all of her kids. $10 suggested donation (which will pay for half almost half a desk!)

We also, of course, have so much more going on. Tonight, THURSDAY, April 1, we have trivia at 6:30, which should be especially fun on April Fools Day. Then, at 9pm, we have a perfect band for the occasion, Meyette and the Woof Woofs, a heavy metal polka band which features a lead singing (yodeling) dog named Meyette. You gotta see this act to believe it. Playing along with the Woof Woofs, for reals, is Dr. Demento favorites Little Fyoder and Babushka and The Inactivists. Ever listen to Dr. Demento's radio show? These guys are all regulars. We love any excuse to get weird. Perfect entertainment for April Fools Day. $5.

Tomorrow night, FRIDAY, we have two good bluegrass bands start the night, Trout Steak Revival (7p) and Mountain Holler (8:30p). You folks that have been requesting bluegrass? Here you go. $5.

Then we switch up to rock and roll at 9pm FRIDAY with The Say So and Consider The Raven. The Say So is an ambient rock quartet from Arvada. Consider The Raven is really pretty indie rock a la Paper Bird. Listen to the song "Child, Little Child" on their myspace. $5.

We also have a VERY cool indie show next Tuesday with Mehko and The Ocean Birds, Gavin Castleton and Dustin Perricone. Take a second to look at the strange website for Gavin. And Mehko is a true experience. $5.

Fool for love,

D mento

Extra Credit: Why not share a poem from 12 year old Kalanzi Kajubi from Uganda?

I AM

I am a persevering person who enjoys drumming.

I hear a steady beat tapping in unison with my heart.

I want to live a life for those around me and not for me alone.

I am a persevering person who enjoys drumming.

I pretend that I am in the many books that I read.

I feel that I will accomplish much in life.

I touch keys on a piano and I play my self away.

I worry that my grandfather will die before he sees me succeed.

I cry for all the dying people in the world.

I am a persevering person who enjoys drumming.

I understand that life will not always be as easy for me as it is now.

I say that if you put your mind to it you can reach any goal.

I try to live my life to the fullest before my life is over.

I hope to see a woman president before I die.

I am a persevering person who enjoys drumming.

st. patties 2010

2010-03-18T08:40:00.001-07:00

Deefers,

What's the haps? How's the fam? Bad? Bad bad or Michael Jackson Bad?

Either way, bring them out to the D Note. If they are bad bad, then maybe they'll get a little better. And if they are Michael Jackson bad then the dance floor is open.

Tonight, Wednesday March 17, St. Patrick's Day 2010, the Clamdaddys are gonna cede the stage early for TP and the WAD, which features Thomas Picton from Wales singing traditional Irish music with members from Wonderlic jam. FREE.

Thursday night we have The Eric Sanders Band after Geeks Who Drink trivia. $5

Friday night we will carry over the holiday spirit, as we like to do, with our first annual Faux Patrick's Day. We start with Cellar Door at 7pm, beautiful harmonies, mostly traditional style Irish music. Then Indigent Row takes the stage at 8:30pm. Sexy Celtic fusion rock. $8. Closing out the night we have DJ Magically Delicious (our server Stef Logan) spinning Irish punk, The Pogues, Flogging Molly, etc. The green beer will be greener on this side of the fence. The snakes shall be driven out.

Saturday we have something for everyone, we are sure:

10:30am. Zumba, dance workout, too much fun, good exercize. $8

1pm. We have our friends from Music Lessons Of Westminster back for another rock recital. $3.

4pm. Music Train Family Concert Series presents the Irish music of Claddagh. Local Colorado band performing foot stompin’, hand clappin’, gotta get up & dance Irish tunes. $7 adults, $3 kids.

7pm Telling Stories presents Sounds of Silence. From the website, "Join us for a fresh take on classical music and readings -- we're bringing local composers Anne Guzzo and Conrad Kehn's work to the D Note's stage, and we'll have original readings from Jeanine Fritz, Brianna Doby, and Megan Quinn. Stories about toddlers taking over the world, the sounds of children's stories at bedtime, and songs of the West." This is one of our favorite series ever forever. $10

9pm Eric Baines, a singer/songwriter living in L.A. returns to Denver for a homecoming show. $5

10:30pm Batting clean up is Slopeside. Front range rock and roll. $5

Next Tuesday we have some indie bands: Stasis of Seasons and The Little Dead Things. Try it, you might like it.

Ever and out,

D plane

Extra Credit: In on our ongoing attempt to cover all great poetry in the extra credit section of this d-mail, we thought we should present Keat's Ode on a Grecian Urn. We often wonder what Keats really means by the last lines. But we have an idea.

Ode On A Grecian Urn

Thou still unravish'd bride of quietness,
Thou foster-child of silence and slow time,
Sylvan historian, who canst thus express
A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme:
What leaf-fring'd legend haunt about thy shape
Of deities or mortals, or of both,
In Tempe or the dales of Arcady?
What men or gods are these? What maidens loth?
What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape?
What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy?

Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard
Are sweeter: therefore, ye soft pipes, play on;
Not to the sensual ear, but, more endear'd,
Pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone:
Fair youth, beneath the trees, thou canst not leave
Thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare;
Bold lover, never, never canst thou kiss,
Though winning near the goal - yet, do not grieve;
She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss,
For ever wilt thou love, and she be fair!

Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed
Your leaves, nor ever bid the spring adieu;
And, happy melodist, unwearied,
For ever piping songs for ever new;
More happy love! more happy, happy love!
For ever warm and still to be enjoy'd,
For ever panting, and for ever young;
All breathing human passion far above,
That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloy'd,
A burning forehead, and a parching tongue.

Who are these coming to the sacrifice?
To what green altar, O mysterious priest,
Lead'st thou that heifer lowing at the skies,
And all her silken flanks with garlands drest?
What little town by river or sea shore,
Or mountain-built with peaceful citadel,
Is emptied of this folk, this pious morn?
And, little town, thy streets for evermore
Will silent be; and not a soul to tell
Why thou art desolate, can e'er return.

O Attic shape! Fair attitude! with brede
Of marble men and maidens overwrought,
With forest branches and the trodden weed;
Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought
As doth eternity: Cold Pastoral!
When old age shall this generation waste,
Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe
Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say'st,
"Beauty is truth, truth beauty," - that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

3/10/10

2010-03-10T15:45:00.001-08:00

D finest,

Clink clink. Please raise your glasses (imaginary or otherwise). We'd like to propose a toast to today, the one and only. Here here. Chin chin. Cheers. Chim chim cheroo.

WEDNESDAY

Tonight, Wednesday, March 10, we have the Clamdaddys Jam. This night of music, thanks to the incredible generosity of the Clamdaddys, has been going strong for 5 years now. We believe it is the best free night of music on the front range, possibly the world. Come join the community.

THURSDAY

Tomorrow night another fun community, Geeks Who Drink trivia, at 6:30pm, beckons you to join the hilarity.

Following, at 9pm, we have a band called INOTIO. The name of the band is pronounced "In audio", but stands for "It's Not Over Till It's Over". Rock and roll. $5.

FRIDAY

Friday night we have the stellar jazzy hip hop of staff favorite TheSaurus playing at 7pm.

We present the beautiful songs and intricate arrangements of Wadirum at 8:30pm. $8.

At 10:30pm we have Thanks To Philo, a blues-rock dance band from Parker, CO. $5

SATURDAY

10:30am ZUMBA. Dance work out. Have fun and get in shape. $8

At 2pm Saturday we have a fundraiser for Music International (help get musical instruments to impoverished countries) with The Stan Jones band. Perfect if you are looking for a little afternoon delight. $5

At 5:30pm we have OTC Varmints, followed by Kate Laroux at 6:30pm and Martin Gilmore at 7:30pm. $5. All friends of ours and super talented.

At 8:30pm we have Medicine Jones and Stonebraker (10pm). Stonebraker always brings it and we look forward to rocking out with them Saturday night.

That's the weekend, the one and only.

Outs,

D fenestrater

Extra credit: Here's a poem by one of our favorite poets, the difficult and lovely Jeni Olin. It's a good example of an artist lost in her art. As Yeats put it, "How can you separate the dancer from the dance?"

Artist Statement #2

All paint is war paint when you're newly
stretched. Nude of grace, I want to be seen
with dignity or not at all. A plumeria lei
is the only noose the Ethers will allow,
fractional ownership of grief only. I take
the candor of the animals as birthright, baby
gear. It is 5 in the morning inside the heart.
Outside, the "constantly new darks." Pulsing
with winks, I'm almost awake. Getting it together
on a tract of peat march swamp, a trophy for atrophy
at great speed. I will not award this momentum nor
tag this "over." I have no energy for down below.
Close to throbbing, I can still swim like this
in THE AMERICAN TUB. If you are mining for hearts
of gold, visit the expert, the exposed sleeve, with
its apotheosis part, "sling." No matter how warped
I see the world, it's my world, cracked & salty.
Nude of grace, I paint it anyway.

D Note letter 3/4/10

2010-03-04T10:56:00.000-08:00

Dear Notes of Symphony #1 by Beethoven, the dog, as interpreted by Lady Gaga,

How are things? Sorry, we got a little carried away with the greeting there. But sometimes, in order to remain true to our ideals, we allow ourselves to get carried away. It is like a reverse mullet; party in front, business in back.

Tonight, Thursday March 4, at 9pm, after Geeks Who Drink trivia, we have DJ DKO, an Ableton Solo Artist & Multi-Instrumentalist DJ remixing covers & originals via live looping w/ electric trombone, virtual synths, vocoder & lemur. Darren Kramer (DJ DKO) is a serious musical cat with a jazz background and we're looking forward to seeing what kinds of crazy sounds he puts together. $5

Friday at 7pm we have Cool Shooz, a classic rock acapella group. Then we have a classic cover dance band playing at 9pm called After Babylon. $5.

Saturday at 3pm we have Serenade In Blue. Here's the way they describe themselves, "DENVER'S MOST DANCEABLE BIG BAND - I have a Denver home-grown 14-piece traditional jazz big band called Dr. Bill Valentine's SERENADE IN BLUE SWING BAND. We play standard big band dance music of 1935 to 1950 and some 60's. The music repertoire includes ballads, waltzes, swing, Latin, and light rock dance music. We also have three vocalists within the band. Our goal is to keep alive the music traditions of World War II's big band dance music; music that was played by Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw, Glenn Miller, Harry James, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Glen Gray, Jimmy Dorsey, Les Brown." $8

At 7:30pm Saturday we have HAZEL MILLER (at 7:30pm). Get there early for a seat. Savanna Rose warms the crowd at 6:30p. $10.

At 9:30pm Saturday Clusterfunk comes in with their brand of dance-happy rock and roll. $5.

Reminders: Saturday 10pm, ZUMBA (getting stronger week by week). Sunday, Baby Boogie starting at 2pm with Aden Harrell playing live at 4pm, Salsa lessons at 8pm with La Candela starting at 9:30pm. Monday open stage with Jay Ryan (sign up 6:30pm), Tuesday 9pm Green Mountain, Wednesday Arvada Business Connection at 6pm, Clamdaddys blues jam at 8pm. All this is on the online calendar in case you forget.

We'll see you at the after party.

Love,

D note concluding the symphony by Beethoven, the dog, as interpreted by Lady Gaga

Extra Credit: We randomly opened Wallace Stevens Collected Poems last night to find a poem to read out loud to an unborn child. This is the poem we found.

Nomad Exquisite

As the immense dew of Florida
Brings forth
The big-finned palm
And green vine angering for life,

As the immense dew of Florida
Brings forth hymn and hymn
From the beholder,
Beholding all these green sides
And gold sides of green sides,

And blessed mornings,
Meet for the eye of the young alligator,
And lightning colors
So, in me, come flinging
Forms, flames, and the flakes of flames.

2/25/10

2010-02-25T10:45:00.001-08:00

D tangles,

How are you on this jingle-jangle morning? Or is it still morning? Suppose it all depends upon the angle of the sun. Are you feeling old-fangled or new? Suppose it all depends upon the angle of your view.

Tonight, Thursday, 2/25, at 9pm, after trivia, we'll have the second monthly installment of Improv at The D Note, which will include local troupes and a fantastic troupe from Chicago called Beautiful Horses. Last month we laughed harder than we had for a long time. Funny stuff, and the more of you that come support, the funnier it will be. Matt Need from Uncle Nasty show will be there too and if you say "Hail Nasty" you get in free. Otherwise it is $5.

Got a long beautiful night of music tomorrow. Starts off with the curious gypsy jazz of Blue Avenue: great folks, great musicians and eclectic, even known to cover The Cure. 6:30p. Then at 8pm we have the return of 7even Days Till Sunrise and 2:10 Special, which falls into the poprock category. At 10:30 we have the Sublime intellihop style of Thinking Kap from Idledale Colorado. Finally, around midnight, we have the experimental intellihop of SnubKnowz.
And don't think you are getting off without a full day on Saturday too!

10:30am we have Zumba, dance workout choice of the stars. This is your week to join.

2pm we a beer tasting with Lagunitas. Free pint for members of D Note Pint Club.

4pm we have a benefit for the Sooper Credit Union Community Foundation. This was brought to us by Ken and Jill Fellman and it should be a beautiful afternoon of music for a great cause. Sentimental Sounds Big Band Orchestra is donating there time. There will also be a silent auction. $10 donation.

7pm we have a second benefit for a breast cancer survivor with a Meters style funk/rock band, The Reformers.

9pm we have 2Mex (of The Visionaries) from California w. Sick Illutions, Fresh Breath Committee, 2012, Evil Miro and The KBP. $7 over 21, $10 under. A really hot show, will be off the hook.

Next Tuesday at 8:30p we have a couple cool bands, Trees And Trashcans w/ And Lungs They Burn. FREE.

Next Saturday Hazel Miller.

And we are oubt,

D oubt

Extra credit: A clever, but poignant poem by Gevorg Emin, translated by Diana der Hovanessian

The Question Mark

Poor thing. Poor crippled measure
of punctuation. Who would know,
who could imagine you used to be
an exclamation point?
What force bent you over?
Age, time and other vices
of this century?
Did you not once evoke,
call out and stress?
But you got weary of it all,
got wise, and turned like this

D Note turns 7!

2010-02-18T10:23:00.002-08:00

D factos,

We are 7 years old. Hurrah! Seems like way longer than 7 years. Seems like only yesterday. So it goes. Here we are, still, against many odds, and it only took a village to make it happen. Thanks so much to all of you.

For our birthday party we have a worthy line up. First Slo Children, a band consisting of Adam and Jeremy D, Adam Ferrill, Jax and maybe Alejandro Castano, will do a set of D Note classics (In D Note, Lower Arvada Blues, Captain of The Sea, etc) at 6pm. Then our hero Greg Harris will bring his excellent Vibe Quintet to get the dance floor hopping at 7p. After GHVQ one of the most fun reggae dance bands we know, Lion Vibes, will take the stage at 8:30pm. Lion Vibes is followed by a great reggae band, The Desciples at 10p and then at midnight Thrill (our web designer) will throw down an electro set while our GM, MC Dozha unleashes a torrent of word. $7. Come celebrate with us!

Note: 6pm Friday night there will be a wine education by prof. Tony Chadwick of Synergist wines for $10.

Saturday starts early, 10:30am, with our second week of Zumba. We got a dozen of you out last week and everyone had a blast. Not a bad beginning at all. Please come join the fun. You'll be glad you did.

At 4pm we have the Mardi Gras edition of The Music Train Family Concert Series. Local legend Aden Harrell and friends will be playing Mardi Gras songs for the whole family. $7 adults/$3 kids.

We have The Zen Cowgirls 6:30p and then The Jagtones back in the house at 8pm. We'll be doing double duty at the D Note, dancing and donating. The Jagtones are generously giving all door proceeds to Haiti relief. $10 suggested donation. The Jagtones are a fun cover band and always manage to get the house rocking.

Ever and anon,

D La Soul

Extra Credit: If you read enough poems you inevitably get to where you start to see poetry everywhere. See for instance the following paragraph, taken from an article about Charlie Parker by Geoffrey C. Ward in the Nov, 2000 Vanity Fair we found in a discarded at the local gymnasium.

Found Poem (for Bird)

Nothing musical was ever alien
to Charlie Parker. He often drank
at a midtown bar whose jukebox
was stocked with country music.
When one of his acolytes asked why
he liked to hear songs they
thought were corny, he answered,
"Listen. Listen to the stories."
A friend remembered leaving him
transfixed in a Manhattan snowstorm
late one night, unable to tear himself
away from the thump and blare
of a Salvation Army band. Another
told of driving with him through
the countryside when someone
remarked idly that livestock loved
music. Parker asked the driver
to stop, assembled his horn, stalked
into the field, and gravely played
choruses to a bewildered cow.

2/11/10

2010-02-18T10:23:00.001-08:00

D hearts

No time to waste. We've got some holidays to hype!

First we have Mardi Gras party this Friday. Couldn't be a better line up, even if you were in New Orleans. Otone Brass Band plays at 7p, $8. Otone Brass Band does New Orleans style originals and they are nothing short of fantastic. Then at 9pm we have The Creole Zydeco Farmers, Louisiana's finest Old Skool band. Just check out the photo of these guys on The Colorado Friends Of Cajun/Zydeco website. $15. There will be lots of beads, lots of dancing, lots of spirit.

Saturday morning at 10:30am we have our first ZUMBA class. This is a new kind of work-out that is dance oriented and super fun. Come help us get the Zumba party started. $8.

Saturday at 5pm-7pm we have Kana Ka Pila, a event which features hawaiin musicians in a traditional jam. FREE. Very romantic date material for Valentine's Day BTW.

Saturday night, in case you don't want the date to end early, or prefer it to start late, we have 3 funk/groove bands, Night Groove at 7:30p, Burning Abigail at 9p and Stan Jones Band at 11p. Dance, dance, love. $5.

Sunday we have Aden Harrell trio playing a special Valentine's set for the Baby Boogie. THIS is the way to spend Valentine's day with the family.

Sunday night we have a special addition of Salsa too. Could there be a better way to impress your mamacita on Valentine's day than to give her salsa lessons and then sweep her off her feet to a full salsa band? The answer is the same in spanish as english. No. And for $8 it is affordable.

See, we got you covered for the holidays! Oops, what about President's day? Hmm. Oh, okay, we'll do a special open stage this Monday just for the heck of it. Come dressed as your favorite president and host Jay Ryan will give you presidential treatment.

Oh and next Tuesday is national Animal Day and so we have a fundraiser for Table Mountain Animal Shelter with a band called The Mellow Johnnies. Kidding about the holiday. Not kidding about the fundraiser.

And next Friday is another holiday, the 7th anniversary of the D Note w/ Lion Vibes, Greg Harris Vibe Quintet, Desciples, Dozha, Thrill and Slo Children.

Hope you will help us celebrate...ALL OF IT!

Rainbows and unicorns,

D liver

Extra Credit: We often find ourselves trying to remember the following poem by Rumi. We send it out now to all of you, with love.

The minute I heard my first love story,
I started looking for you, not knowing
how blind that was.

Lovers don't finally meet somewhere,
they're in each other all along.

2/4/10

2010-02-04T10:33:00.001-08:00

D Forest,

As many of you know by now, J.D. Salinger left the planet last week. One of the greatest literary characters of all time is Salinger's poet Seymour Glass. The name can be heard as a directive, "See more glass." The directive is ambiguous. Is the glass a mirror? Or does the glass refer to a window? The world beyond the glass is implied, but it is the glass itself, the medium, we are being directed to notice more closely. The name is a koan, a riddle, a kind of miniature poem, and we invoke it by raising our glass in farewell to the great writer.

Then let us party. We can start with the progressive jazz of the John Lake Ensemble at 9pm tonight, Feb 4, after trivia. $5.

Friday night we start with an art opening for Robin Munro. The show is already up and it's a doozy. Come meet the man behind the art while DJ Sneakypants spins a set. At 8pm we have a night of indie rock with King For a Day, New Ben Franklins and Dave Boylan Band. $5.

Saturday starting early we have Arvada's ninth annual Chocolate Affair 11am-3p. This event, presented by the Arvada Festivals Commission and Historic Olde Town Arvada Association, features the Chocolate Therapist, Julie Pech, a Taste of Chocolate, the Chocolate Treasure Hunt, a Creative Chocolate Cookie Contest, and giant Lamp Post Hearts all over town. Calorie-craving chocolate lovers can sample chocolate-based food and drink presented by several invited chocolatiers, bakers, and restaurants. Get one ticket for $1.00 or six tickets for $5.00 and taste deliciously presented samples. Benefits the Arvada Ralston House. What's not to love?

At 3pm we have West Arvada Dog Park concert and benefit with the Jeffco Brass Band at 3:30p and Open Range at 4:30p. $2 cover or $5 per family. Silent auction with over 100 items.

At 6:30p we begin a benefit for Birambye International (Windpower for Rwandan Orphans) w/ Thriller Dance Lesson at 7:30p TAUGHT BY DANCER FROM ORIGINAL THRILLER VIDEO! Also performances by Willows, Earmark Saints, Sons of the Addicted. $10 suggested donation. This is a really cool, forward-thinking organization. Check out their website.

Sunday we have a Special Super Bowl Baby Boogie. Bring the kids to boogie and enjoy the game. $1 off drafts for parents and special Pigskin Pizza Pie for the kids.

Next Saturday at 10am we begin ZUMBA, a dance based work-out that is fun and addictive. $8.

Among D trees,

D fir

Extra Credit: Last week we had 4 translations of Mallarme's poem Petit Air along with the original French version. We put out a call for a new translation and Jax Delaguerre took up the challenge. This version may lose some of the evocative syntactic slipperiness of the original, but gains accessibility and more than a touch of the personal.

Petit Air

A lonely spot,
No swan, no dock,
As jaded as my own
Disinterest.

Here the morning glory
Grows above my reach
Freckled by the heavens
With all the golds of sunset.

Langourous as linen falling
From my love's disrobing
The firebird soars warbling
To a perch just past my shoulder.

It all washes over me suddenly,
Your delight in your nakedness.

1/21/10

2010-01-21T11:06:00.000-08:00

D bockels,

It's funny. We don't miss it. And yet we wouldn't have missed it for the world. What are we talking about? We couldn't say. Only you know for sure.

We can only tell you we are not talking about Something Underground with Wendy Woo and Angie Stevens tomorrow night, Friday Jan. 22, at the D Note, because we haven't missed that yet. We hope you won't either. Something Underground is not only a super talented, freewheeling band of brothers, but also a central axis along the deep, wide grid of local Colorado music. They bring that energy to their shows, especially when they play the D Note. This one will be no exception. Wendy Woo, as many of you know, writes and performs beautifully and you can bet she and the SU will be sitting in with each other. We've also been informed Angie Stevens will be jumping in the mix too. Wendy plays at 8 and SU will start around 10. $7, Alex Boyd opens the night with his precocious Old Age music at 6pm.

Saturday day at 2pm Stone Brewery (yum!) is having a beer tasting for the beer club. If you wanna join the club come on by. You can get details here.

Saturday at 7pm we have Illuminate 2010 - Winter BellyDance Gala! BellyDance Show and Hafla with Phoenix & Yallah! $6 Adults and $5 for kids under 10. These are always filled to the brim so come early to get a seat. After the Hafla, at 10pm we have the return of Pawn Ticket Trio, a fantastic horn-driven lounge band that does covers of everything from Abba to Zappa. $5.

Tonight, Thursday, Jan. 21, after trivia, at 9p, we have a couple cool bands from Boulder, Portal and Free Radt. Portal has shades of both Tool and Portishead, if you can imagine that combo, with lots of interesting time changes and a little bit of freak out. $5.

Heads up. Starting Feb. 13 we'll have ZUMBA classes at the D Note Saturdays 10:30 - 11:30 with Dia. $8. All levels and ages welcome. ZUMBA fuses hypnotic Latin rhythms and easy-to-follow moves to create a fun work out.

Love to see you soonest,

D scribe

Extra Credit: Picked up a poetry newspaper last time we were in NY called The Boog Reader. Found this poem by NY poet Mark Statman among the detritus.

Please Read This

that's how the page started
no salutation
no dear or hello or
I was thinking of you
just
please read this
but then there was no more
a blank paper page
that on a computer
would have been
an empty screen
a sky
would have been cloudless
at the movies
there'd have been no movie
how do you explain disappeared urgency
how do you explain
what doesn't follow
it seemed terrible
yet something to have been expected--
surf sounds, wind sounds,
what makes worldlessness so painful
and so normal
the word please
it covers it all
we can explain the absent this
explain what can't be read
but not the please
we can explain
so much of everything
but not please
not here

1/14/10

2010-01-14T10:26:00.000-08:00

D baters

Hope everyone out there reading this is good. Or is it more grammatically correct to say we hope you are well? Guess what? They are both grammatically correct. See tricky grammatical details here. It is wonderful to have the choice. "Good" and "well" are different, no? You can be good even if you are unwell. You can be well even if you are not good. It's all well and good and we sincerely hope you are both good and well.

Friday night, 1/15, there is an eclectic and fun line up. First you should check the award-winning Bauhaus style poster Matt Dougherty did for this show here. Then you should come check out the show. FTP, a new band helmed by Steve Werges, plays at 6:30p, then The Way Low Down at 8:30p. There should be a better term for these sorts of neo-folky bands that Colorado is so full of. This one features mandolin, banjo and fiddle and the crowd loved them last time they played the D Note. Around 9:30p, Brent Loveday, from Reno Divorce, brings his band back for some rollicking country punk ballads. Check out Loveday's fantastic "Cemetary Song" on his myspace. Batting clean up at 11p is Hot Damn and The Hell Yeahs. This is another of those neo-folk type bands hard to pin down, with a sort of rag tag Tom Waits sound. The way they describe themselves is "A lumberjack orchestra, pirate romper stomper, toodaloo and tralala, a four man tuba player, if the mountains were smart enough to make music, a mariachi band in a whale's stomache, the sound of suspenders being slapped on a large man's chest."

Saturday at 4pm we have a special edition of the The Music Train Family Concert series, featuring Kutandara, a marimba ensemble utilizing a variety of instruments, songs, and dances from around the world. Primary inspiration and influence comes from the Shona peoples of southern Africa. $7 adults/$3 kids

Saturday night starting at 8pm we have an indie/experimental show with a psychedelic trip hop band called The Good Grime Sound System. They are playing with Malt Thizney and Pure Crates. $5. Cool school.

Next Friday, Something Underground and Wendy Woo.

Exit, stage left,

D fenestrater

Extra Credit: Our friend Anselm Berrigan recently published a book on City Lights called Free Cell. We are slowly making our way through the intensive density of the words. Most of the poems in the book are all called "Have a Good One". Here are a couple.

Have a Good One

Fathom cost by merit
of vainly wracked advances
to light takedown's mist.

Keeping under wrapped pace with
market forces' multi-orbital yet
self-revolving mis-circulation

of service's inference. You will
have more or less money at less
value in the near future. Ideas?

Have a Good One

Non-identification has its rewards.
Hey dude. In the sightless ocean
deep, red-colored shrimp can't
see red. Other creatures that
emit red light dine well at
the expense of such weakness.

Have a Good One

only through porous antique
gestures of will can our love
be truly maintained as the set
of administrative functions we
require it to be, so as to weave
and burn with philanthropic glee

NYE newsletter

2009-12-31T13:28:00.000-08:00

D tastic,

This will be our last newsletter of the aughts. Best/worst name we've heard for the last decade? The naughties. Best/worst name we've heard for the next decade? The one-ders.

We put away the naughties and kick off the one-ders tonight, Thursday, Dec. 31, with all the oomph of Pete Townshend's signature guitar playing windmill maneuver. We've got the Phamaly (Physically Handicapped Actors and Musical Artist's League) band Captain Quirk playing the entire soundtrack of the Who's Tommy from 10pm to midnight. This show is an encore of the show Phamaly put together as a fundraiser last year. So many people asked for a second show that they approached us about doing a show on NYE and we loved the idea. Captain Quirk will do a dance set before and after Tommy so come prepared. (For future note, Captain Quirk is also going to recreate Abbey Road at the D Note on April 30.) At 6pm we will have the Cameron Hicks quartet to start the night out right. $15

Tomorrow, Friday, day one of twenty ten, we have a CD release for Mono Verde. Mono Verde is one of our most favorite bands in the world, a latin reggae band influenced by many different cultures. The CD will be great, but this band is best heard live. Baila! Opening will be The Pawn Ticket Trio, another local favorite, doing lounge versions of everything from Abba to Zappa. $7.

Saturday we have After Babylon, an able cover band, playing at 4pm, bring the family. Free! At 7:30pm our friend Ptomaine Tommy put together an interestingly eclectic show.
He says, "The Everhopefuls for one set about 45 minutes starting around 7:30 pm. They are folk music. The big universe for one set of about 1 hour maybe a little longer starting around 8:30 pm, Jazz and Blues maybe some rock and roll.The Pan Handle Daddyz starting about 10 for about 1.5 to 2 hours depending on the crowd, country western swing band." Thanks Tommy, Sounds like fun. $7.

Next Tuesday we have a special fundraiser. Here's the deets: " Learn Salsa Dancing and Save Lives! Tuesday January 5th at 7:00pm join us for a fun evening including a salsa lesson for beginners, performances by skilled salsa couples, open dancing, door prizes, cash bar/food. Salsa Lesson: 7:30-8:30pm with Joseph Snowhawk. Open Dancing: until close with DJ Nelson. Donation: $25 requested donation per person for the evening and door prizes. Benefit Nonprofit: Kick Start My Heart is a local nonprofit foundation who raises funds to provide Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), emergency training and cardiovascular wellness education at local schools and sports facilities, specifically to benefit in the event of traumatic heart conditions. Nationwide, over 5,000 to 7,000 children and young adults die each year from cardiac issues. In most cases, their lives could have been saved by Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and a portable AED. Athletic children are particularly susceptible to sudden cardiac arrest, but people of all ages can experience traumatic, life-threatening heart events. 300,000 people die in the US from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) every year killing more than HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, and lung cancer combined. Survival rates can jump from 5% to nearly 75% with availability of an Automated External Defibrillator." God bless good people.

Next Friday night we got the Paper Bird.

We're thinking about changing up Tuesdays, doing something regular like we do Sunday (salsa), Monday (open stage), Wed (blues jam) and Thurs (trivia). We've got some ideas, but thought we'd put the question out to you. Any of you creative geniuses out there got a good idea? Send them along. If you are inclined to help get behind an idea and make it work, even better!

Auld Lang Syne

D fine

Extra Credit: Because we cannot find decent translations of Mallarme (arggh!) we have recently taken to doing them ourselves. Here's our first Mallarme translation. More may or may not be coming.

The Faun

The nymphs I would keep forever.

So clear,
their light incarnate, that it hovers
in the air heavy with slumber.

Did I love a dream?

My doubt, a mass of ancient night, is finished
in many subtle branches, which, leaving
the true wood itself, proves, alas! that I offered
myself alone for the triumph of the perfect rose.

Reflect....
if the girls you speak of
figure in the desire of your fabulous senses.

Christmas 09

2009-12-31T13:27:00.000-08:00

D compress,

Holiday stress getting to you? We recommend you try the trick of making every difficult thing mean something good. Like maybe if your flight gets delayed you use the extra day(s) to tie up loose ends. Maybe your uncle is boring you to death with one of his stories you can use the extra hour(s) to sleep. etc.

Another fantastic stress reliever is the magic elixer of wine mixed with good music. Tonight, Tuesday, December 22, we have a wine tasting hosted by local wine whiz Tony Chadwick at 6pm. Tony's a funny guy and a serious oenophile. $10. There will be music supplied by jazz pianist Brian Dean and soprano Evelyn Connors. Evelyn says they "also go by Ol' Fire Hands McGinty and the Contessa Vanilla Pipes. But probably not. I got into a bit of trouble in Austria by referring to myself as a Contessa, and I'm pretty sure Brian hates it when I call him Fire Hands."

Tomorrow there will be much magic in the hour in the hands and voices of the Clamdaddies. Best free night of humpday music on the front range.

Thursday we will be open, but only to Christmas spirits who aren't restricted by solid locked doors.

Friday we will be open to the flesh and blood public at 5pm. For entertainment MC Dozha (GM Andy Andurlakis) will host a DJ Hero tournament on the Wii. Local headlines read MC GM DJs Wii XMas. Free. Bring the family.

Saturday, 6:00pm, we a have Ryan Macpherson (from 2:10 Special) carrying his big voice softly. Then we have Cobalt Jack back to rock the heck out of the hall all decked with holly. Old school rock and rolly. $5

Next Tuesday, Dec. 29, at 8pm, we have the return of Jeremy Jones/ Serafin Sanchez quartet. These guys always blow the house up with their brash and subtle form of new jazz. $10.

Next Thursday we take it into the New Year with The Who's Tommy. There is a band called Captain Quirk made up of players from Phamaly, a phenomenally good theater ensemble made up of physically handicapped players. The band, in true thespian style, has perfected the rock opera and will be performing it at 10pm. They will also play a set before and after Tommy full of heavy dance songs. We are excited for this show. $15. A good idea to call for reservations if you wanna try to get a table. Opening the night at 6pm will be The Cameron Hicks Quartet, playing beautiful jazz for your dining pleasure. Free (until 7:45). Say goodbye to the aughts. Here come the one-ders.

Come the one-ders we have a CD release for Mono Verde, with Pawn Ticket Trio opening, Jan 1.

Need we tell you what kind of wonders 2010 will bring? We'll give you a hint. We host Paper Bird Jan 8.

Okay then,

D recompress

Extra Credit: How about some of Pete Townshend's lyrics from Tommy presented, here, as poems.

I'm Free

I'm Free I'm free
And freedom tastes of reality,
I'm free I'm free,
And I'm waiting for you to follow

If I told what it takes
to reach the highest high,
You'd laugh and say "nothings that simple"
But you've been told many times before
Messiahs pointed to the door
And no one had the guts to leave the temple!

I'm Free I'm free
And freedom tastes of reality,
I'm free I'm free,
And I'm waiting for you to follow

back to top
Welcome

Tommy:

Come to my house
Be one of the comfortable people.
Come to this house
We're drinking all night
Never sleeping.

Milkman come in!
And you baker,
Little old lady welcome
And you shoe maker

Come to this house!
Into this house.

Come to this house
Be one of us.
Make this your house
Be one of us.

You can help
To collect some more in
Young and old people
Lets get them all in!

Come to this house!
Into this house.

Ask along that man who's wearing a carnation.
Bring every single person
from Victoria Station,
Go into that hospital
and bring nurses and patients,
Everybody go home and fetch their relations!

Come to this house
Be one of the comfortable people.
Lovely bright home
Drinking all night never sleeping.

We need more room
Build an extension
A colourful palace
Spare no expense now

Come to this house
Be one of us
Come into this house
Be one of us

Come to this house
Into this house

Welcome

12/10/09

2009-12-10T12:35:00.000-08:00

D snuffaluffaguses,

December is upon us, a December to remember, a shivering cold December. A good thing to keep in mind about the cold is that it has an opposite. Opposites create contrast. Assuming we survive the cold, won't we appreciate the sun that much more when it comes back around? This is what we keep telling ourselves anyway. Vive la difference.

Heaters are on high at the D Note and there is plenty of warmth. Tonight, Thursday, Dec. 10, we start with Geeks Who Drink Trivia at 6:30pm. Check out the poem on the Geeks Who Drink D Note blog, our quizmaster's clever site-specific take on Night Before Christmas. If you have delicate sensibilities we suggest you skip the poem, which, like the quiz itself, is rated at least PG 13.

After the quiz, at 9pm, we have the conscious hip hop of Mind's Eye and Mr. Morning After. $5.

Friday night we host the annual Holiday party for our friends PeaceJam starting at 7pm. The mission of the PeaceJam Foundation is to create young leaders committed to positive change in themselves, their communities and the world through the inspiration of Nobel Peace Laureates who pass on the spirit, skills, and wisdom they embody. You can show this great organization support in several ways, including coming to the Holiday party. Rudy Balles will be spinning tunes all night. $3. You can also help in another important way. From the website: "Help young leaders change the world with just a few clicks of a mouse! PeaceJam Foundation and our Affiliate Offices are participating in the Chase Giving Challenge, which is a competition on Facebook that will award a total of $5 million to the non-profit organizations that receive the most votes." The voting ends tomorrow! Go here and follow instructions. Finally, you could also help by buying a very special guitar. You can make a difference. Vive la difference.

Saturday at 3pm we have a Suzuki method violin recital. Then at 7pm we have Clusterfunk back in the house playing classic rock/R&B/Soul. Do you do you do you do you wanna dance? $5

Sunday we have a very special Christmas treat for kids of all ages at 3pm. Aden Harrell has just put out a brilliant Christmas CD "New Baby's In Town", filled to the brim with both his original songs and standards. We've heard the CD and if it won't melt the grinch in you we don't know what will. This is a free show and the kids love Aden so we highly recommend you bring the family.

Sunday night salsa, Monday night open stage, Tuesday night COMBO Christmas show with Steve Werges and Gristle Gals, Wednesday night Clamdaddys. Warm, warm, warm.

Hope to see you sooner than soon,

D icer

Extra Credit: The band Snowboots, featuring poet (and friend) Tyler Burba, has put out a great new CD, "Snowboots Greatest Hits". Here's some sample lyrics...

My Friends

Everything I've done
under this sun
has been fun

Yes it's true
I'm living in Haiku

And though you thought
that I'd walk away,
You notice how I've stayed?

Everything we make
Keeps our hearts awake

And yes it's true
I'm living in Haiku

With some take-out menus and a paper clip
I'm gonna build a ship and deliver you

My friends and me will be free
My friends and me are out to sea

12/4/9

2009-12-04T00:55:00.001-08:00

D tune,

Ever try recording your own voice in auto-tune? We highly recommend it. You will sound very 2009. If you've never heard of auto-tune, then just stick to regular tuning as it will be coming back into style soon.

Stay tuned. This coming weekend we got art and culture coming out the yin yang.

Friday, Dec. 4 we have an art opening for Christina Penn, Page Zekonis, John Putenenny, Lauri Anderson and Monica Sales, a very eclectic group of artists. Makes for a nice show. There are four great eclectic bands playing for the occasion too. First at 7pm we have Mute Man's Microphone. These guys sound like Sublime, if Sublime were CO instead of Cali (and not junkies.) Around 8:30 we have Wheelchair Sports Camp, a hip hoppish group with a twist. Around 9:30 we have Hot Damn And The Hell Yeahs, which sound like Tom Waits meets The Lounge Lizards (Down By Law). Fantastic new band. And batting clean up is Pawn Ticket Trio, a sextet which plays horny lounge funk from Abba to Zappa.

Saturday there is a big band orchestra called Sentimental Sounds playing 4-6.

Then at 7pm we have a flamenco performance, Pablo Rodarte's Dance Espana, feat. Steve Mullins, dancers Natalia Perez Del Villar and Lisa Trujillo. $15/$12 students. Always with duende. If you don't know what duende is please google Lorca's essay on the subject.

At 8:30pm we are thrilled to present Wadirum, a very talented local acoustic band that sounds a little like a mix of Damien Rice, Bright Eyes, Swell Season, Sigur Ros, Iron and Wine, Martin Sexton, Jeff Buckley, Tool, Neil Young, Brett Dennen, Lucinda Williams, Regina Spektor, Karsh Kale, Amadou and Mariam, Daniel Lanois, Talking Heads, The Police, Pink Floyd, Ben Harper, Andrew Bird, Ani DiFranco, Bob Dylan, Elliot Smith, Deep Forest, Jane's Addiction, Jonah Smith, Kaki King, Nick Drake, Nina Simone, Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead, Patty Griffin, Rufus Wainwright, Ryan Adams, Simon and Garfunkel, Steely Dan, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Tom Waits, Willy Porter, Primus, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane, Bionic Rhoda, The Wahoo Moment and Pete Novembre. $8

Batting cleanup at 10:30pm Saturday night is an interesting local band called Tethys Ocean. These guys have an orchestral rock sound which we will here dub "psychedelic pastoral". They whipped up a simple, but powerful graphic for this show too which you can check out on their myspace. $5.

That is a very D Noty weekend.

Baby Boogie and Salsa will top it off Sunday afternoon into Sunday night.

Yours

D light

P.S. The phenomenal Captain Quirk, the band of the excellent local theater group Phamaly, will perform a dance set which will include the whole of the soundtrack to the movie Tommy will play the D Note for New Year's Eve this year. We hope you come so you won't wish you had when 2010 comes around.

Extra Credit. Here's a poem by nobody in particular.

Nonsense Poem

Moving forward let me back up and tell you exactly what
I am trying to keep to myself. To begin with there will be
an ending, and further, I don't know if there is anything further
and one thing more, I don't know if there is anything more.

Outside of us all there is a lonely person inside
and inside of them is a big, wide open sky.
What everyone wants from you is for you to be yourself,
so forget about yourself and give the people what they want.

Exactly what to expect is not clear at the present moment,
but soon we shall see what the future has in store. Later.
For the sake of tradition we have done all of this before.
Each of us must make sure the light is not too heavy.

thanksgiving 09

2009-11-26T09:21:00.001-08:00

D cosmos

"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known." So says that space-age sage, Carl Sagan.

And we believe something incredible is waiting to be known tonight at the Clamdaddy jam. Bring your relatives and get into the Thanksgiving spirit with some of the most generous musicians we know. Also, who wants to cook tonight? Free.

Tomorrow we will be closed for family turkey/tofurkey time.

Friday we will be back with a vengeance. The Otone Brass Band plays at 7pm. Another great show to bring the inlaws to. As Aden Harrell of Otone Brass Band says, "if you start being thankful, I bet you'll be able to finish." Otone recently stole the show from Galactic at the Fox in Boulder. We knew they could. $8

After Otone at 9pm we have a showcase from Colorado Audio Group with solid local bands Stan Jones Band (blues pop) and Bobby Doran (sweet acoustic neo-soul). $5

Saturday we have Delphic Tone at 7:30, a very good, very young blues-rock band from Arvada. Then another local rock band takes the stage around 9pm, The Duke Street Kings. They will get you dancing. They always do. And after all that turkey/tofurkey, you'll need it. $5

How do you keep a turkey in suspense?

Tell you later.

D stuffing

Extra Credit: Classic turkey lyrics for you...

Turkey in the Straw

As I was a-goin'
On down the road
With a tired team
And a heavy load
I cracked my whip
And the leader sprung
I says day-day
To the wagon tongue

Went out to milk
And I didn't know how
I milked the goat
Instead of the cow
A monkey sittin'
On a pile of straw
A-winkin' at
His mother-in-law

I came to the river
And I couldn't get across
So I paid five dollars
For a big bay hoss
Well, he wouldn't go ahead
And he wouldn't stand still
So he went up and down
Like an old saw mill

Did you ever go fishin'
On a warm summer day
When all the fish
Were swimmin' in the bay
With their hands in their pockets
And their pockets in their pants
Did you ever see a fishie
Do the Hootchy-Kootchy Dance?

Turkey in the straw
(Whistle)
Turkey in the straw
(Whistle)
Roll 'em up and twist 'em up
A high tuck a-haw
And hit 'em up a tune called
Turkey in the Straw

11/19/09

2009-11-19T12:33:00.000-08:00

D to the D,

We read a beautiful line, in an essay by Rebecca Solnit, this morning... "I still think the revolution is to make the world safe for poetry, meandering, for the frail and vulnerable, the rare and obscure, the impractical and local and small." Or, as local poet Doo Crowder puts it in a song, "I'm as fragile as the law will allow."

Onto the weekend at hand.

Tonight, Thursday Nov. 19, 9pm, after trivia, we have a local indie rock band The Best Response. Myspace says they are influenced by Saosin, Lamb Of God, Iron Maiden, Mike Patton, Sparta, Incubus, Story of the Year, Muse, My American Heart, Rage, System of a Down, Qotsa, My Morning Jacket, Deftones, Bullet for My valentine, As I Lay Dying, All that Remains, Thrice, Fall of Troy, Meshuggah and Porcupine Tree. $5

Friday night we have a CD release for Ironwood Rain at 7pm, a local trio made with a pound CS&N, two ounces of EL&P and a dash of Jack Johnson. Ironwood Rain have enlisted the retro dance band The Jagtones to follow them at 9pm. Good times will be had. $5

Saturday day we have the new installment of the Music Train Family Concert series, featuring the latin music of Ricardo Pena. We like to start kids young on salsa around these parts. $7 adults/ $3 kids

Saturday night we have a special fundraiser for Family Tree featuring a really great line up of bands, starting with Aju and Molina at 7pm, then Mono Verde, followed by Speakeasy Tiger and finally Yerkish. Mono Verde is our favorite local world band. And Speakeasy Tiger killed it at Monolith this year. They are blowing up. Good bands and good cause. Since 1976, Family Tree has provided a continuum of services and shelter to families and youth of metro Denver to overcome child abuse, domestic violence and homelessness. $10 suggested donation.

Get back to where you once belonged,

D back

Extra Credit: And now, just because, here's a terrific little poem/essay by Brad Neely from the recent issue of Believer Magazine #65.

There Can Be No Pure History

It seems to me that in order for the past to survive at large it must be converted into an interesting story. There's just no avoiding it. Our minds can do no better. It's a horrifying thought to consider that our life might be larger than our ability to consider it, and even more awful to think that our concepts of life over time are incomplete, fictionalized outlines suffering from the conflict of subjective interest. So, in the meantime, I'll be happy with how we imagine it. Everyone in the 1970s said "groovy" and "far out." Well, everyone in the 1860s talked like this:

"Are you testing my mettle, you microbe?"
"You haven't any mettle to be tested. But if you did I would put it through a rigourous exam!"
"S'blood!"
"Forsooth, a squabble!"
"Fuzz his nuzz!"
"I shall fuzz thy nuzz, you coxcomb!"
"Tear his jacket!"
"Gads! Cram his soul far down!"
"Call of your man, you heathen!"

I can't remember where or when or by whom, but I am going to go ahead and just say the Ulysses S. Grant once said, "There can be no pure history." I see no way to disagree.

11/12/09

2009-11-19T12:32:00.000-08:00

D La Soul,

This weekend fancy beards, moustaches, flamenco, funk, bands that start with W and more.

The weekend starts off with trivia tonight at 6:30pm. Then there is a CD release for Tommy Staudt. A rising star with a touch of Fray. $5

Friday night we have a Flamenco show at 7pm w/ Maria Vasquez, Kevin Romero and Vicente Griego "El Cartucho", a Flamenco singer, educational artist and traveler from Embudo, New Mexico who has devoted his life to the study of cante flamenco, the art of flamenco singing. “Vicente Griego ‘El Cartucho’ is striking for his deep sonorous wails that seem to come from a cavern, someplace deep within his soul…” -Anna Poplawska, Chicago Artist’s News. $10

After Flamenco at 8:15 pm we have The Neighbors, a jazz ensemble from North Denver, and then at 9:30p we have The Atomic Brass Project bringing The Tower Of Earth, Wind and Fire Power. $5

Saturday is our first annual Beard and Moustache Showdown and it's a doozie. Monica D was inspired to put on this event after witnessing the World Beard & Moustache Championship in Anchorage earlier this year and she's done a great job putting the first one together at the D Note. Proceeds to benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Denver. Great music, awarding winning breweries, family friendly. (Kids free before 7:30) Advance tickets still available today and tomorrow for $12 or $15 at door for beer tasting and beard competition. $10 for The West and Wisebird (from Austin TX) after 7pm.

Support and Prizes provides by: Legends Salon, Rheinlander's Bakery, North Denver News, Knit Knack, Bliss Cafe, Vacation Rentals, Jack of Diamonds Tattoo and many more.

Times and Info:
3:00p - 5:00p - Registration and Beer Tasting ($12 Advanced/$15 Day of Event) Music by Clamdaddys
5:30p - 6:30p - Moustache and Beard competition
6:30p - 7:30p - Music by Wonderlic during voting/judging.
7:30p - 8:00p - Winners Announced
8:00p - 9:00p - The West (featuring members of The Reals) $10
9:30p - ????? - Wisebird (from Austin, TX)

Beer tasting provided by the following breweries: Dry Dock (winner of 2009 GABF Small Brewery of the Year), Left Hand, Avery, Stone and Alaskan.

Sound like fun?

Next Tuesday at 4:30pm we have celebration of the life of the great bassist and luthier Bob Monroney, with lots of good music. Then around 9pm we have Doo Crowder (of Pee Pee) and friends.

Fancy follicles,

D face

Extra Credit: Several people guessed correctly on the first riddle last week, but the fastest was Robin Degrassi James. Michelle Jungbauer was the only to get number 2. Congrats. Nobody got the third.

1. In marble walls as white as milk,
Lined with skin as soft as silk,
Within a fountain crystal clear,
A golden apple doth appear.
No doors there are to this stronghold,
Yet thieves break in and steal the gold.

EGG

2. A bright red flower he wears on his head;
His beautiful coat needs no thimble nor thread;
And though he's fearsome, I'll have you know
Ten thousand doors open when he says no!

ROOSTER

3. What is that which goes up the hill
And down the hill,
And of all yet standeth still?

A ROAD

And finally, in honor of the hairy event this Saturday, a very romantic poem to a beard by J.R. Solonche

To My Beard

What can I say but I am sorry,
I apologize for what I do to you,
my daily ruthlessness and cruelty.
What can I do but ask for your forgiveness
and your patience. For someday,
I promise you, someday I swear
on the beards of the prophets
and on the beard of the poet Whitman and
on the beard of the president Lincoln,
I will not stop you any longer,
I will let you go free, I will take down
the fence around you made of sharp blades.
For someday, I promise you, I will let
you run wild through the valleys
of my face like a stallion, I will let you
wander over the desert of my face
like a holy man in his vision of heaven
and hell, I will let you grow, blossom
and flourish, and I will stroke you
and comb you and keep you orderly
and free of knots and tangles,
and you in turn will make me look
distinguished, a wise old man as I stroke
you looking serious, looking as though
I were thinking deep thoughts about
life and death. But I will be thinking
only about you, my beard, my second face,
and this will be our secret.

J.R. Solonche

D Note letter, 11/5/9

2009-11-05T12:23:00.001-08:00

D notary

Hey there. How are you? We hope you feel as incredibly fantastic as we know you actually are.

This a beautiful weekend coming up, full of new art, music, a fundraiser and a focus on diverse community. Check it out:

Tonight, Thursday November 5, 9pm, after trivia, we have a couple local bands, Fighting for the Universe, acoustic rock trio with sounds of Jimmy Eat World, John Mayer, Foo Fighters, & Counting Crows. The Bottom Line - Denver/Colorado Springs, CO - Featuring Phil Taylor (of American Idol), up front and vocally flawless, backed by a rock solid band that plays everything from Maroon 5 to Jack Johnson. $5

Friday night we have our annual fundraiser for Intercambio de Comunidades. This is a non-profit organization that offers English as a Second Language classes to adult students in Denver. The mission is to build respectful communities and broaden opportunities for immigrants through language education, cultural exchange, and friendship. There will be lots of dancing so if you are looking for some Salsa mixed with some Merengue, Bachata and Reggaeton then you are in luck. DJ Diablo will be spinning all night. There will be a latin dance lesson at 9p. There will also be a silent auction. $12 suggested donation. It is also Monica D's birthday and she will be there and would enjoy a birthday spanking from you!

Saturday night at 6pm we have the second installment of Telling Stories. Hard to describe this series, but, from our perspective, it is phenomenal. Basically several talented classical musicians perform with local writers. The theme for this installment is something old, something new. Here's the program: The “old”: Alaunde Copley-Woods, flute, plays “Les Folies d’Espagne” by Marin Marias. More “old”: Leah Biber clarinet, and the Meo String Quartet perform Mozart’s Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, first movement. The “new”: Luke Wachter and Dean Hirschfield play “Three Moods of Two Percussionists” by David Mancini, 1st movement. And some more “new”: Jennie Dorris, marimba, Leah Biber, clarinet, and Chris Jusell, violin, play “When the Smoke clears” by Barbara White. Essays read by Dave Burdick, Megan Quinn, and Jeanine Fritz. I've read Burdick and always dig his humor. And Megan Quinn just so happens to write for Arvada Mile High News. $10

At 8:30pm we have an art opening for Benjamin Coleman w/ Pawn Ticket Trio, Junk Drawer and After The War. First time for Pawn Ticket Trio at D Note. It's more than a trio and they are cool, loungy and horny, with influences from Abba to Zappa. Junk Drawer is a local band we've had before and dig, the bluesier side of Ween. After The War is a new band with members from The Pinkoes.

Next Friday night we have Flamenco at 7pm and next Saturday we have The Beard and Mustache Showdown with The Clamdaddys, Wonderlic, The West and Wisebird. Start waxing your stash now.

Sayanora,

D man

Extra credit: We recently found a great little book of riddles. There is a long tradition of riddles as poems. We'll buy a drink for the first to get any of the following riddles (without cheating!) We'll give the answers next week.

1. In marble walls as white as milk,
Lined with skin as soft as silk,
Within a fountain crystal clear,
A golden apple doth appear.
No doors there are to this stronghold,
Yet thieves break in and steal the gold.

2. A bright red flower he wears on his head;
His beautiful coat needs no thimble nor thread;
And though he's fearsome, I'll have you know
Ten thousand doors open when he says no!

2. What is that which goes up the hill
And down the hill,
And of all yet standeth still?

Halloween, 09

2009-11-05T12:22:00.001-08:00

D vill,

That time of year again. No, not talking about the snow. But there is that. We're talking about halloween. Halloween has pretty much become the official D Note holiday, which makes sense when you consider that it is the most creative of the holidays. If you haven't been in this October yet, then you're missing an incredible display masterminded by Diandra, including thousands of home made spiders, crazy webs, halloween paintings by Nicko and creepy cool surprises.

We are proud to present two halloween shows for you this weekend...

Friday night: DEAD CELEBRITY DANCE PARTY. Starts with Slo Children at 6:30 doing an entire set-list of original Halloween songs. Slo Children features Adam and Jeremy DeGraff, Adam Ferrill, Alejandro Castano and Jax Delaguerre. Then at 8pm we have Stonebraker back in the house, a rockin' band who always get the room jumping. At 9:30pm there is a Thriller dance lesson led by Roberta Farley of Shut Up And Dance (in homage to the biggest of the recent slew of dead celebrities.) At 10pm we have the infectious funk of Ten Pound Elephant. $5

Saturday night the theme is PSYCHOZOMBIE and we have some great psychobilly bands, Hillbilly Hellcats (9:30pm), Hellbound Billy (11pm), Redline Rockets (8pm). Starting the night off at 7pm is The Jackson Induced Mutant Laboratory, spooky theramin and synthesizers. $8

You can see the fantastic posters Matt Dougherty did for this weekend on the homepage of www.dnote.us

Tonight, Thursday Oct 29, we will be open, and we'll have the world series on, but no trivia or band. Come out for a hot toddy.

Next Tuesday there are two great bands, one from St. Louis MO at 8pm called Fundamental Elements. These guys have come through before and knocked us out. Just some of the best R&B style music we've ever had. Then at 9:30pm we have Electric Tickle Machine. ETM is a great psychedelic garage band from E. Ville New York. It is amazing to have two bands this great "randomly" playing on a Tuesday night in Arvada, an embarrassment of riches. We hope you will come out and be part of it. Really, it'll be worth the extra effort. Those few who show up will be saying "BEST. SHOW. EVER!" $5. Also on Tuesday we have Game Night, so the board games will be out. And Downtown Toys and Games will host guitarhero, the full band version, on the big screen starting at 5:30pm. free.

Next Wednesday there's a free swing lesson at 7:30pm before the clamdaddys come out.

We hope you are working on your beards and mustaches for The Beard And Mustache Showdown happening Nov. 14. Tell all your friends, especially the ones with the fascinating facial hair.

Over and out,

D fenestrator

Extra Credit: The lyrics to a Slo Children song, so you can sing along this Friday night.

I Feel Tractor

Over the fields I go

Seed by seed I sow

Row by row I hoe

Watch the garden grow

Watch out SCARECROW!

10/22/9

2009-10-22T10:55:00.001-07:00

D nature,

So bluegrass, reggae, jazz, hip hop, salsa and rock and roll walk into a bar. Stop me if you've heard this one before.

Tonight, Thursday Oct. 22, after trivia, is a reggaebilly band called The Way Low Down. Reggaebilly is a genre first explored to fine effect by bluegrass musician Peter Rowan. This band makes it sound even more natural. They also have a banjo player named Peter Cogan, which sounds strangely similar to Peter Rowan. $5.

Tomorrow night we start at 6:30pm with the jazz trombone of Darren Kramer, one of the finest around. He's playing with special guest LA guitarist Brian Monroney. LIve looping w/ electric trombone, electric guitar, virtual synths, vocoder and lemur! $5

Then at 9pm we'll have a halloween show by House of Waxx w/ Boombox Saints, Casuals, Dj Curly and Emcee Ocelot (from Steamboat), Casuals. House of Waxx have put on some great hip hop flavored shows at the D Note over the years and this will be no exception. $5

Saturday from noon to 4pm Pro Drum Studio Presents: The Cavalcade of Stars...Drum Solo Competition. Head to Head contests of drum solo technique featuring the top young drummers in the area, and the debut of the newest progressive rock band in Denver. "Marlo Narwhal," w/ special guests "Heart Beat." free

Then, starting at 7pm on Saturday we have 7even Days Till Sunrise, Ryan Macpherson and Illuminate. Indie rock bands eager to party at the D Note. $6

This Sunday night is our 6th annual Salsa Halloween bash. (6th annual!) There will be a costume contest for cash at 10pm! Check out the gorgeous hand drawn poster Matt Dougherty did for this one on our myspace. If you blow it up you can see that the fingers of the middle dancing skeleton echo the branches of the tree.

Next Tuesday we have Martin Gilmore trio playing at 7pm and a new improvisatory composition group called Manhorse (feat. Matt Dougherty and Geoff LaPlant) playing at 8:30pm, free.

Thanks for being you,

D natural

Extra Credit: We always read the poems in the New Yorker, even though we don't usually like them. Why is that? Because sometimes you find a good one, one that resonates, perhaps even enlightens. Maybe you feel the same way about the poems in this newsletter? Here's one from a recent New Yorker we liked and hope you do too.

THOUGHT PROBLEM

How strange would it be if you met yourself on the street?
How strange if you liked yourself,
took yourself in your arms, married your own self,
propagated by techniques known only to you,
and then populated the world? Replicas of you are everywhere.
Some are Arabs. Some are Jews. Some live in yurts. It is
an abomination, but better that your
sweet and scrupulously neat self
emerges at many points on the earth to watch the horned moon rise
than all those dolts out there,
turning into pillars of salt wherever we look.
If we have to have people, let them be you,
spritzing your geraniums, driving yourself to the haberdashery,
killing your supper with a blowgun.
Yes, only in the forest do you feel at peace,
up in the branches and down in the terrific gorges,
but you've seen through everything else.
You've fled in terror across the frozen lake,
you've found yourslef in the sand, the palace,
the prison, the dockside stews;
and long ago, on this same planet, you came home
to an empty house, poured a Scotch-and-soda,
and sat in a recliner in the unlit rumpus room,
puzzled at what became of you.

--Vijay Seshadri

10/15/09

2009-10-15T12:16:00.000-07:00

D holler,

Here's a riddle for you. What's comes at the end of the end? We'll tell you the answer at the end of this newsletter.

Let us get started. Tonight, Thursday, Oct. 15, after trivia, we have Conscious Elliot. Solid local band. Check out the cute poster on their myspace.

Tomorrow night is a typical D Note potpourri. First, at 7pm, are bands Convergence and Fervor, acoustic indie pop from Chicago and Atlanta. Then at 9pm we have The Jake-Leg Shakers, a band from Denver w/ a classic rock sound. Then around 10:30pm we have Waffle House Funk, a fun(k) band out of Boulder. $5

Saturday at 2pm we have the Music Train Family Concert Series featuring The Hobo Nickels. We love this band. And not just because their songs are all about landmarks. Listen to "Weaubleau Well" on their myspace page to get the flavor. $7 adults, $3 kids.

At 7pm Saturday we have the Topsy Turvy Halloween Spooktacular Show & Hafla w/ Phoenix, Yallah! & The Sultry Emberz plus DJ Slave 1. The Halloween Hafla (or "Haflaween" as we like to call it) is always off the hook. Check out the website for the entire agenda for the night. Costumes are encouraged. $8 adults/ $5 kids.

We have a few more halloween shows coming up this month, 6th annual salsa halloween bash on 25th, Without Trees sings Misfits on 29th; Thriller dance lessons, Slo Children, Stonebraker and 10 lb Elephant on 30th (dead celebrity theme); Redline Rockets, Hillbilly Hellcats and Hellbound Billies on 31st.

The answer to the riddle is the letter D. It also happens to be what comes in the middle of the middle.

Ever,

D lirious

Extra Credit: Somebody mysteriously left a book of Langston Hughes poems at the D Note, which we found and devoured. Langston Hughes was born in Joplin MO in 1902, which also happens to be the hometown of Ma and Pa DeGraff. Here's a favorite poem from the book.

DREAM

Last night I dreamt
This most strange dream.
Everywhere I saw
What did not seem could ever be:

You were not there with me!

Awake,
I turned
And touched you
Asleep,
Face to the wall.

I said,
How dreams
Can lie!

But you were not there at all!