mid to late December, ought eight

D ported,

One of our original intentions for the D Note was to import the culture of the rest of world to the mid-west. We grew up in the mid-west and love the mid-west, but the mid-west is a long way from the ocean, and therefore from the influences of the rich cultures of the rest of the world. We wanted to expand our horizons. Even the mural behind the D Note stage can be read as the great wave of the Pacific Ocean on the left facing the great wave of the Atlantic Ocean on the right, with ourselves as the suspended glyph in the center of the suspended waves.

Which is all a lead in to tell you that we've imported the riches of Spain across seas and over mountains for your pleasure and edification this coming Saturday night, Dec. 20. We have a spectacular flamenco show presented by Polkadot, featuring renowned flamenco artist Pablo Rodarte dancers Lisa Trujillo, Rebekah West, & Ashley Crawford, guitarists Kevin Romero & Steve Mullins, w/ special guests:dancer Jeanette Trujillo-Lucero (from Fiesta CO), dancer Lia Ochoa (from NY) and singer Veronica Medina (from Albuquerque). 7pm, $15. You can thank Deva from bliss for this one as Flamenco was her request.

After the Flamenco, at 9:30pm, we'll have Mono Verde, a fantastic new latin reggae band on the Colorado scene. $7, 9pm. So there ya go, mid-west, the world at your doorstep.

But we're not only in the import business, we're in the export business too. Friday night we have lots of local flavor, including three bands from as local as Arvada. We've got the jazz trio Blue Avenue at 5pm, $5,Tyler Porter at 7:30pm, the electric pop of In Search Of Shorelines at 7:30pm, the prog grunge sensibilities of Ten Percent Genius at 8:45PM and the new generation of good old-fashioned blues rock with Delphic Tone at 10pm. $6.

This Thursday night, Dec. 18, come swing with the big band jazz of the Jefferson County Swing Band. It's a free show and last year they packed the joint with swingers. Er, swing dancers. 7:30pm.

Heads up for New Year's Eve: we'll have the high energy African reggae of Irie Still groove us into 2009 in style. Clamdaddys and Quillion acoustic open the night up. $12.

coast to coast,

D porter

Extra Credit: Pertaining to the theme of this letter, here is a poem Adam D wrote on May 15, 1996, back when he lived in San Francisco.

Fore-foot of a Seed

Dream of bringing one side of this great continent
flush with the other, putting a crease down the middle
(a cry from the heartland) and folding it in half,
lengthwise. This will form a love letter whose
contents will be of the most serious import,
but which will travel from receiver to receiver
always blank and ready to be written once more.

mid December, ought eight

d Monde,

It strikes us, just now, that this coming weekend is a prime example of the D Note operating at its full potential.

Check out Friday night, for instance. There's so much happening. First is a "Night of 1000 Ukes" starring The Glenn Taylor Orchestra , Doo Crowder , Ukulele Loki and his Gadabout Orchestra , Zebra Junction and The Junkettes , and The Inactivists . Holy ukulele, batman. I could go on and on about all of these groups. But here's just a couple soundbites. Zebra Junction is playing their first show in Denver in three months and have a sick new CD out called Pomme de Terre. Doo Crowder also has an amazing new CD with his band Pee Pee, which is possibly the best album out of Colorado ever. Come get a copy from Doo himself. Also check out the stunning posters for this s how by The Inactivists on their myspace page. Starting off the night on Friday is the hyper talented and original Glenn Taylor Orchestra at 5:30pm. This show even made the night and day section of The Westword . Nice. $8.

On a prime example of a weekend of full potential you would have to have an important art opening. And guess what? Shitty Kitten is having his reception this Friday night at 7pm for his first solo show at the D Note, called "Letters and Ladies" , and it will be a beaut. He's put together some great group shows for us in the past and we can't wait to see the show he unveils. We believe Shitty Kitten is bound to blow up soon, so let us consider investing in some of his art while it is still in our price range.

Full potential would also require showcasing not only legends in the making, but legends already made. Otis Taylor is definitely a Colorado legend, as a quick google trip will show you. He plays a mean and spooky trance blues, transforms the room in a supernatural way, somehow cathartic, definitely good. He played last spring for us and we are quite honored that he has chosen to come back. Playing before Otis, at 6pm, is Robert Eldridge and Dan Treanor plays afterward, around 10pm, with his Afro-sippi voodoo blues band. We believe we will all feel the true power of the blues this Saturday night. $15.

And to round out the full potential thing, how about a bunch of kids dancing around on Sunday for baby boogie, and a bunch of adults doing an adult dance late Sunday night. Heck, why not throw in an 11 piece salsa band while you're at it.

But of course we won't reach our true full potential without you. Hope you can make it out.

Gracias,

D nada

Extra Credit: How about a lyric from the great poet, Homer. Uh, Homer Simpson that is.

Doh! A beer! I want a beer....
Ray, the guy who buys me beer.
Me, the guy who Ray buys beer...
Far, the way to go for beer.
So, I think I'll have a beer...
La, la la la la la la.
Tea? No thanks I'll have a beer...
And that brings us back to Doh! doh! doh!

early December, ought eight

Doozies,

This week we have a couple of serious ceremonies to celebrate, seriously.

First one is a birthday party this Friday night for our GM, Andy Andurlakis, and he has filled it chock full of musical goodness, starting with the blues of the Clamdaddys at 6pm, then heading over into reggae around 8pm with The Dendrites and the Desciples (awesome), then veering again after 10pm into electro, dubstep, hip hop and finally drum&bass with djays Guy, Freezah, DJ Demo, MC Relyt and Thrill. Many of you may not know that our GM, Andy Andurlakis, is a big name drum&bass MC. We're pretty sure he'll take the mic for a rare D Note appearance if you stick around late enough. $5. Happy Birthday, captain.

The party Saturday night is a Christmas party for PeaceJam, our favorite local Pulitzer Peace Prize nominated organization. And they've pulled off a coup this year by getting trumpet player Ron Miles to play. Ivan Suvanjieff, the rock and roll heart of PeaceJam, is a huge fan of Miles' work and even had the audacity to tell us that this trumpeter named Miles is better than the other one! Show starts at 7pm with Three Squared, Ron Miles Quintet at 8:30pm and then finishes beautifully with Ego Vs. Id at 10:30. Ego Vs. Id is a killer new rock band on the local scene, with a sound that partly hearkens back to the Detroit where PeaceJam was born. $10 donation.

And this Thursday night we're celebrating... this Thursday night! with the solid local band Greenfoot at 7pm and a new band to the room BaDD JuJu at 8:30. $5.

Mark your calendar for Otis Taylor next Saturday and Night of 1000 Ukes next Friday with Zebra Junction, Doo Crowder, Loki and his Gadabout Orchestra, Glenn Taylor Orchestra and The Inactivists.

forward ho,

D volution

Extra Credit: How about a found poem this week. We took a little trip down to Mesa Verde recently and stopped at the ruins of the Sun Temple atop the cliffs. Sun Temple was built in the shape of a giant D. You can see the layout here. We believe this may have been the first D Note. The poem this week is taken from the verbiage on the tourist sign in front of Sun Temple, re-appropriated metaphorically to ourselves.


Sun Temple


From above, the D shaped symmetry is striking.

Such massive construction must have involved a community wide effort.
Perhaps people from all the surrounding cliff dwellings helped with this project.

It is tempting to view Sun Temple as the cliff dweller's attempt
to appeal to the spirits and forestall the total abandonment of their homeland.

Though the structure appears ceremonial, it's exact function remains a mystery.

Thanksgiving, ought eight

Diamonds,

For you, our friends, we give thanks this Thanksgiving. Truly, we would not be here without you. Together we are shaping up to be a brilliant and multi-faceted community.

And speaking of Diamonds, did you hear that Ivana Trump was briefly married to Neil Diamond? She then became Ivana Diamond. Which is pretty funny. But they got divorced shortly afterward because Ivana was having an affair with the golfer Jack Nicholas! After the messy divorce Ivana quickly married Jack. She then changed her name to Ivana Diamond Nicholas. Ba dum bum.

That may have been unnecessary. But this isn't. Hazel Miller, Denver's queen of the blues and first lady of soul, is having a Thanksgiving special at the D Note. We can't think of a better person to bring the spirit of the holiday to the D. If you have family visiting this will be a perfect time to show off your favorite pizza joint. $12

Saturday night we have Taiko-n-Tunes playing at 6pm. Free. Traditional Taiko drumming. Then at 8pm we have an old time rock and roll band called the UUrhythmics for your dancing pleasure. $5.

For the rest of the schedule click on the D

Power up,

D-stablishmentarians

Extra Credit: There are a few new folks on the d-mail list. Welcome. This is the place where we normally push poetry. But this week we will instead wildly push the boundaries of the definition of poetry and send you to watch a gorgeous animation called "I Met The Walrus", set to a rant by poet John Lennon. Click here.

mid to late November, ought eight

D tocks,

Happy whatever day you say it is!

Tonight, Thursday Nov 20 we have and local heroes, Quillion at 8pm and Elana Rogers w/ Mark Maudlin (from Tequila Mockingbird). $3.

Friday night we have the return of FACE at 8pm. This show will fill up early, so come early, eat and then get your face sung off. $12. After FACE is 2:10 Special at 10:30pm, doing their own brand of Colorado rock and roll.

Saturday night we have the return of one of the best reggae bands anywhere, Lion Vibes. This band snuck right up on us over the last year. Killer hooks, very high energy, lots of fun. We would recommend you come dance to their music. $7.

During dinner hour on Saturday there is a belly dance performance by the Sultry Embers, the students of Phoenix, at 6-7:30 pm. $2 suggested donation.

And that right there is a whole lot of goodness.

Exeunt,

D lux,

Extra Credit: Tennyson is one of those classic poets who deserves a renaissance. His poems are a trip. Here's a couple of teaser stanzas from his epic poem The Lotos-Eaters...

The charmèd sunset linger'd low adown
In the red West: through mountain clefts the dale
Was seen far inland, and the yellow down
Border'd with palm, and many a winding vale
And meadow, set with slender galingale;
A land where all things always seem'd the same!
And round about the keel with faces pale,
Dark faces pale against that rosy flame,
The mild-eyed melancholy Lotos-eaters came.

Branches they bore of that enchanted stem,
Laden with flower and fruit, whereof they gave
To each, but whoso did receive of them
And taste, to him the gushing of the wave
Far far away did seem to mourn and rave
On alien shores; and if his fellow spake,
His voice was thin, as voices from the grave;
And deep-asleep he seem'd, yet all awake,
And music in his ears his beating heart did make.

early to mid November, ought eight

D verts,

Here's hoping you are enjoying the micro-cosmos of the current day you are living, not to mention the current sentence you are reading. So much depends upon your enjoyment.

A packed weekend coming up as usual, two benefits this weekend, an art opening and several good bands. The benefit this Thursday, November 13, is for the Colorado Horse Protection League. There will be a silent auction, full of horse regalia, and Crowboy, a very cool alt-country band. Starts at 6pm. $10 suggested donation.

The next benefit is Saturday night, the 4th annual benefit for Habitat with Humanities with The Duke Street Kings. Sponsored by 99.5 The Mountain and hosted by DJ Pete Mackay, this is always a super fun event with a killer auction. Word is that they will have a raffle for a scooter this year too. Starts at 5pm. Last year this event raised 10k, and we hope to do even better this year. $10 suggested donation. If you are a bbq fan you can pay an extra $10 donation for Brickyard BBQ between 5-8pm, first come first served.

The art opening is this Friday at 7pm for Max Kaufman and Austin Parkhill. Max's work is whimsical and fantastical, featuring strange musical instruments and odd beasts. Austin's work is in a whole other vein, hyper realism, random snapshots turned into art via a paintbrush. J.T. Nolan will play at 5:30pm and The Saurus, a great hip hoppy jazz duo will play at 7:30pm.

At 9pm on Friday we have another show by 3 The Hard Way. This time they bring in the conscientious hip hop of Braille from Portland Oregon. $5.

Also worth mentioning is a great songwriter named Nicole Erin Carey traveling through from South Philly who will play tonight, Wednesday, Nov. 12, at 7:30pm, opening up for the Clamdaddys jam. Check out the myspace at the link above. Great stuff. Wanna go, honey?

Love to you and yours,

D flower

Extra Credit: Our friend Albert DeSilver writes odd little narrative prose poems that stick in the gullet long after read. Here's but one.

DEER LAWN CHAIR

Off I am to stroll in the woods as often I am found to do. Today
it's quite wet, February storm just clearing, mist steaming gently
off the dense pines. Along the muddy trail I slog, gun in hand,
soon spotting a deer in the distance. I approach cautiously,
gun braced against my shoulder. the deer stays put. I get
even closer, within arm's length in fact, and the deer, frightened
beyond capacity, instead of sprinting off, folds in half like a lawn
chair. I put the gun aside and take a seat, resting my arms on
her thinly furred and stiffened legs. I lean back against her warm
white belly and relax into watching the mist watching me, and
after a good rest rise with it, folding up the lawn chair, prancing
home.

Early November, ought eight

D voters

Let us give over this opening paragraph to the story of a man coming to play music at the D Note this Saturday night, Ronny Elliott. According to one press release..."Elvis once offered to teach him karate, Chuck Berry had to have him in his band, Bo Diddley wanted to produce a record of his, and Jerry Lee Lewis called him a friend. Once Ronny even had to hold up Jimi Hendrix's Marshall stack while Jimi humped his guitar against it. But that doesn't begin to describe Ronny Elliott, or his forty plus year career in which he has released a dozen albums to both critical and fan acclaim. MOJO Magazine called him, "Craggy but literary country blues like Jerry Lee Lewis if he were a beat poet or Townes Van Zandt with a Ph.D." Intrigued? We were, and we're excited to meet Elliott and hear him sing his songs. Local artists Til Willis and Brent Loveday (of Reno Divorce) will be playing before and after Elliott. Check out the great poster for the show on Brent Loveday's sweet myspace page at the link above. Starts at 8pm. $7

This Thursday we have a couple of talented younger bands for you to check out at 8pm, Delphic Tone and Statewide Emergency. $5. Check out "Midnight Creeper" on Statewide's myspace. Ever, we are amazed at the talent bubbling up from Colorado's cauldron.

Friday night we have another great show, the quickly up and coming band Foma. Foma is a little bit country and a little bit rock and roll. Jen Pumo opens the show at 7:30PM with a down tempo electro sound. "Foma and Pumo", has a nice ring to it, like Uma and Oprah. Thanks to Damon Scott for bringing this show in. $7.

Next Tuesday Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra is back and they have Monarch and Eldorado HS bands with them.

Doing our small part,

D mote

extra credit: Walt Whitman is still the man. Here's a poignant snippet from part five of Leaves Of Grass.

And now gentlemen,
A word I give to remain in your memories and minds,
As base and finale too for all metaphysics.

(So to the students the old professor,
At the close of his crowded course.)

Having studied the new and antique, the Greek and Germanic systems,
Kant having studied and stated, Fichte and Schelling and Hegel,

Stated the lore of Plato, and Socrates greater than Plato,
And greater than Socrates sought and stated, Christ divine having studied long,
I see reminiscent to-day those Greek and Germanic systems,
See the philosophies all, Christian churches and tenets see,
Yet underneath Socrates clearly see, and underneath Christ the divine I see,
The dear love of man for his comrade, the attraction of friend to friend,
Of the well-married husband and wife, of children and parents,
Of city for city and land for land.