Author: L. Kent Wolgamott
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O.A.R. ready to rock with show at Ford Amphitheater
By L. Kent WolgamottLast Word Features Chris Culos was reviewing a list of 40-plus songs that O.A.R. was preparing to play as the hard-touring Maryland rock band set to embark on another run of shows. That list included hits such as “Lay Down,” “Shattered (Turn The Car Around)” and “Love and Memories”; a few of the…
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Grammy Award-winning bluegrass artist coming to Colorado Springs for show
By L. Kent WolgamottLast Word Features Molly Tuttle won the Grammy Award for best bluegrass album two years in a row (for her 2022 album “Crooked Tree” and her 2023 follow-up “City of Gold”) and was the first woman to win the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Guitar Player of the Year award. So why did…
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Steven Curtis Chapman set for Christmas music show at Rocky Mountain Calvary in Colorado Springs
By L. Kent WolgamottLast Word Features Steven Curtis Chapman grappled with the dilemma facing every recording artist when he began to contemplate writing songs for his latest album, “Still”: in the streaming era, when little physical product is sold and most listeners choose only a song or two from any artist, is there a reason…
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Wynonna Judd joining Little Big Town for Colorado Springs show
Ever since she debuted alongside her mother, Naomi Judd, in the duo The Judds, Wynonna Judd has been known as a country artist. But those who have delved into her solo albums or see her in concert recognize that there’s also a good bit of soul and rock ‘n’ roll in her singing and her…
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Country musician Aaron Watson set for Colorado Springs show
Attention Nashville, an assault is coming your way out of Texas. It’s going to take the form of a 40, that’s right, 40-song album from Aaron Watson, who in 2015 became the first independent artist to have an album top the Billboard Country Album chart. “We’re planning an invasion of mainstream country music,” Watson said…
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The Mavericks set to join Dwight Yoakam for tour stop at Ford Amphitheater
The Mavericks are not now nor have they ever been a country band. Sure, The Mavericks received a pair of Country Music Association awards, three Academy of Country Music awards and a best country album Grammy honor in the 1990s. They’ve seen songs such as “What A Crying Shame,” “Oh What a Thrill” and “Here…
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Hard rock band Escape the Fate bringing good vibes to Colorado Springs
Escape the Fate guitarist TJ Bell knew even before his band began touring behind its latest album, “Out of the Shadows,” that the hard rock band’s live show was going to work right and connect with audiences. “This is a true story, man,” Bell said. “(Vocalist) Craig (Mabbitt) and I, we have these nightmares. We’ll…
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Trans-Siberian Orchestra bringing Christmas rock opera to Colorado Springs
Al Pitrelli found a way to describe the Trans-Siberian Orchestra this summer when he was reading a biography of conductor Leonard Bernstein. “He had a quote in there: ‘True art needs to be accessible, but never ordinary,’” Pitrelli said. “It kind of lit me up, and I read that passage a bunch of times over…
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REO Speedwagon rolling into Colorado Springs decades after band’s inception
Last year, REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin traveled a few miles from his Southern California home to catch the Foo Fighters at a club with a capacity of 600. “It was so inspiring,” Cronin said, making mention of the recent passing of Foo Fighter Taylor Hawkins during a phone interview. “When I took that opportunity to…
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‘Scary as a heart attack’: Shock rocker Alice Cooper brings his show to Colorado Springs
Alice Cooper is happy to talk about who he is, and not just during interviews. “I’m Alice. I’m the master of madness, the sultan of surprise,” he sings on “I’m Alice,” the lead track of his new album “Road.” On track two, “Welcome to the Show,” he adds, “I play the creature ‘cause I know…