18 MAY 21-27, 2026 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | LETTERS | CONTENTS | of Denver, everyone is like, ‘This is amazing.’ But here, he doesn’t get that same love.” “Denver’s music scene has come a long way, in my opinion,” TreVon says. “I think there was a negative connotation with being an artist in Denver at some point. Do we have some work to do? Absolutely. But the way the community has progressed in the last fi ve years has been really beautiful to watch.” Since starting his music career as a teenager, TreVon has gone from opening for touring acts to headlining his own shows at iconic Denver venues like Cervantes (where he fi rst met Gomez, thanks to a nudge from the venue’s talent buyer, Dan Hargrove) and The Bluebird. It seems like Denver could be catching on, in part thanks to TreVon’s willingness to simply give people what they want. A song called “she goes by,” by Denver-based artist @where.t.at, recently started going viral on TikTok – but when accusations fl ew that the song was made with AI, fans were split on whether to continue listening to it or redirect that support to other local artists. So TreVon released his own cover of the song, allowing listeners to enjoy the track while still supporting a human working musician. “‘She goes by’ not only created a huge moment for Denver, but also for artists in the city in terms of exposure. For that, I’m really appreciative. I honestly just wanted to put my own spin on it,” he explains. He also wanted to give a nod to Aurora, the city that raised him. “The real intention was to mention Aurora because I feel like Aurora gets a bad rap, when in reality, there are a lot of great things about the city,” he says. “I never expected the reaction it got. Suddenly, I had a song exposing Denver and Aurora to people across the globe, and it wouldn’t have happened without the moment where.t.at created. So for that, the city thanks you, bro.” (Westword reached out to where.t.at for comment, but has not heard back.) TreVon knows that his music is good, but he also realizes that’s not enough to make him stand out in today’s oversaturated mar- ket. “Because I’m such a music guy, I blinded myself to the way this actually works. You could make the best music on the planet, and it won’t matter if no one is buying it. People have to fucking like you,” he says. He considers himself an introvert, so he’s working on eschewing the fear of “being cringe” and giving more of himself to his au- dience. “I’m shy, I’m quiet, and I don’t like to talk too much if I don’t have to,” he says. “But I’m getting rid of that, and being as vulnerable as I can, and connecting with people. That’s so important, and I had it so ass-backwards.” TreVon and Gomez are already laying the groundwork for what’s coming next. “You have to have a plan,” Gomez says. “We’re planning our next tour, our next album. We’re trying to make sure that people see that Keenan is going from this guy in Denver to this superhero.” Once TreVon gets the city behind him, it’s only a matter of time. Buy Me Flowers: The Album by Keenan TreVon drops on all music platforms Friday, May 22. On Saturday, May 23, he headlines the Bluebird Theater with DJ Squizzy Taylor, Kayla Rae, E.M.E and AC Yung; doors open at 7 for the 8 p.m. show. Tickets online are $36.86 including fees, and the show is open to ages sixteen and up. Music continued from page 17 Many of the songs on Buy Me Flowers: The Album were recorded in AC Yung’s home studio, where TreVon recorded his fi rst album. LOUDER MORNINGSTAR
