124 MARCH 27-APRIL 2, 2025 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SPORTS & RECREATION | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | the Prowl, you are instantly injected with a potent funk fever. The nine-piece group brings the heat to Denver clubs, where it blows the roof off with wild, earnest funk that sounds as if it was plucked straight from the ’70s. The musicians are all tal- ented as hell, and their tiger-striped outfi ts are just the cherry on top. On the Prowl is an album to pump you up, whether you’re getting ready for a night on the town or heading out on a long mountain drive, with such standout tracks as “I Plead the Fifth,” “If I Can’t Run” and “Milk & Honey.” Even better, the songs sound just as amazing live. Gotta have that funk! Best Rock Album Never Needed Me Rootbeer Richie & the Reveille rootbeerrichie.com To really claim you’re involved in the lo- cal scene, you need to have seen Rootbeer Richie & the Reveille. The eight-piece group of longtime rockers, led by Richie Richardson, has built a strong fan base here thanks to rowdy sets that swirl audiences in a wild, steamy brew of rock and roll. You can hear the band’s extensive sound on Never Needed Me, its latest album, released in October 2024. From bouncy tracks such as “Six More Blocks,” which easily trans- fers its lyrics’ excitement to listeners, to the rollicking classic-rock tune “Bad Boy Cry,” the album is brimming with hits — each one a standout you’ll want to hear live as soon as possible. Best Acid-Rock Band The Dirty Turkeys thedirtyturkeys.com You’d be shocked to know that the members of the Dirty Turkeys only started learning their instruments a few years before making things offi cial in 2022. The acid-rock band has put out a series of singles as a waterfall release for its upcoming album, Cowboy Caravan, due on April 11. With brothers Russ and Brad “Gonzo” Hansen, Sam Baker and Ty Tullar, the Turkeys have established a unique sound that blends classic rock, West- ern twang and high-energy cowpunk in the vein of the Cramps. They played the college house-party circuit in Boulder before mov- ing to bars and even the Fox Theatre. Their shows are as lively as their sound, with the musicians often stage-diving or moving into the crowd. Best Blues-Rock Band Shady Oaks shadyoaksband.com Genuine rock and roll can be hard to come by in some cities, but not Denver. Shady Oaks stands as a leader in the next generation of Mile High rock bands, with whiskey-soaked blues riffs and raucous live shows that in- clude searing solos that send the bandmates to their knees. Made up of frontman Ty Gal- laway (guitar/vocals), Jonah Samp (drums), Hunter Bates (bass), Isaac Vance (dual lead guitar/slide guitar), Ian Arras (keys) and Sarah Hubbard (fi ddle), the band is making blues-rock waves in the Denver scene while showing off its more laid-back country side on the 2024 EP Best Thing. Best Rock Band for Shaking Your Booty Boot Gun instagram.com/bootgunmusic The five-piece rock band Boot Gun re- leased its fi rst full-length album, One for the Willing, early last year and has been a fan favorite at shows throughout the city and beyond for years. Boot Gun’s songs, as well as the bandmembers’ personalities, draw in the crowd at every show, with people dancing, singing and laughing along. You wouldn’t think a band named after a con- cealed-carry weapon would be so chill, but the musicians jokingly refer to themselves as the “booty boys” and recently performed while wearing tracksuits (they also all got matching tattoos — that’s commitment). Defi nitely put shaking your booty at a Boot Gun concert on your 2025 bucket list. Best Stage Presence Horse Bitch instagram.com/horsebitch_____ Whether they’re stage-diving or moshing until they all fall in a pile, the members of Horse Bitch have the best stage presence in the scene. This group defi es genres, landing somewhere between train-hopper punk, psychedelic folk and rock. It’s as if Neutral Milk Hotel was kidnapped by pirates and began to sing earnest and strange shanties. But who cares what genre these guys are, anyway? Horse Bitch is mesmerizing in sound, lyrics and stage chemistry, which is evident at every show. The band’s latest album, UVA, makes you just want to hang out with this crew, so head to a concert and experience the madcap music live. Best Jam Band Polysanto polysanto.com Jam bands are known for their on-the- spot improvisation, and Polysanto is es- tablishing itself with that specialty. The four-piece, which includes Mitch Melodia (guitar/vocals), Hartland Brown (bass), Skylar McDonald (guitar) and Luke Rein- hold (drums), often plays around town at such venues as Cervantes’, Lost Lake and the Larimer Lounge as well as at festivals, where the group Music & Venues continued from page 122 continued on page 126
