WASTED ENERGY

Blog on all things music. From local show reviews, to crusty opinion pieces, interviews with the stars, and historical content from "Waste Paper," a 1980s zine.
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DIY legends tackle AI slop at Ghost Canyon
DIY legends tackle AI slop at Ghost Canyon
Ghost Canyon, Denver’s premiere DIY experimental music fest, recently concluded its 4th year haunting the streets of South Broadway. This year, the festivities kicked off on Thursday August 27 at... Read more...
Third Saturdays on 13th kicks off
Third Saturdays on 13th kicks off
13th Ave, where Wax Trax has been selling records since 1978, has a special place in our hearts. Customers often share their 13th Ave memories with me, such as “This... Read more...
The hallway era at Stanley Marketplace is over
The hallway era at Stanley Marketplace is over
Why our Aurora grand opening will make you skip your Saturday plans Before we use comically large scissors to cut the red ribbon this Saturday, we wanted to share why... Read more...
Blucifer’s incredible artist-forward design – An interview with Gillian Pasley
Blucifer’s incredible artist-forward design – An interview with Gillian Pasley
Denver feels ripe for festivals, yet somehow, we never keep one around for too long. In years past we had Grandoozy, UMS (briefly canceled and now under new leadership in... Read more...
The sights and sounds of European record stores
The sights and sounds of European record stores
I recently returned from a spin overseas, where I visited four European countries: Ireland, Switzerland, Germany and Denmark. We had a jam-packed schedule between planes, trains, and visits with friends... Read more...
An interview with Wheelchair Sports Camp on punk, process, and (im)perfection
An interview with Wheelchair Sports Camp on punk, process, and (im)perfection
After nearly a decade in the making, Wheelchair Sports Camp released their highly anticipated album, “Oh Imperfecta” on Alternative Tentacles last Friday, May 15. Self-described as a “collage of sound,”... Read more...
Record Store Day THIS SATURDAY
Record Store Day THIS SATURDAY
Your frequently asked RSD questions, answered Record Store Day is on Saturday, and it’s a biggie. We’ve ordered more releases, planned more activities, and are giving away more free stuff... Read more...
Asfixia XII: Three Days of Punk in Bogotá
Asfixia XII: Three Days of Punk in Bogotá
Tucked away in the neighborhood of Chapinero, in the heart of a bustling Bogotá; you’ll find Casa Rat Trap. A place known worldwide as a sanctuary for punks. A second... Read more...
How the hell did that James Acaster thing happen?
How the hell did that James Acaster thing happen?
A Q&A about Wax Trax’s Q&A with James Acaster and Kalyn Heffernan At Wax Trax in Denver, Colorado on the 8th of February, at half past one, hundreds of people... Read more...
My neighbors have a band: Duane’s baker’s dozen(s) part 2
My neighbors have a band: Duane’s baker’s dozen(s) part 2
Best of Denver local music 2025 By Duane Davis, Supreme Arbiter of Taste If you want to understand Denver in 2025, don’t bother looking at real estate prices or whatever... Read more...
Duane’s baker’s dozen(s): A field guide to what didn’t suck in 2025
Duane’s baker’s dozen(s): A field guide to what didn’t suck in 2025
By Duane Davis, Supreme Arbiter of Taste As is usual, 2025 has been a busy year for music makers. Luminate, the entertainment industry’s official counter of Everything All the Time,... Read more...
RSD Black Friday TOMORROW!
RSD Black Friday TOMORROW!
While most folks spend this week thinking about hellish airport timelines, the most low-effort and high reward Thanksgiving dish to bring, or if their problematic cousin will show up drunk,... Read more...
Northside grand opening party this weekend!
Northside grand opening party this weekend!
Here’s all the details on the new spot As my brother Sam Rosenberg, our contractors, and I have labored on our new satellite store on 32nd Avenue and Meade Street... Read more...
Denver’s newest indie venue is actually quite old
Denver’s newest indie venue is actually quite old
As a child growing up in Denver, I spent hours upon hours gazing out the backseat window of the family car. Certain iconic buildings are still burned into my memory;... Read more...
I Am Not a Stalker – A Journey of Love for Marc Almond
I Am Not a Stalker – A Journey of Love for Marc Almond
Intro by Duane Davis When Dave Stidman and I hired Barb (then Hirn, now Schiola) at Wax Trax back in the 90s, we very quickly realized we had hit the... Read more...
The Wax Trax RSD 2025 Preview
The Wax Trax RSD 2025 Preview
A little earlier this year, Record Store Day is happening on April 12. In preparation, we’re pulling out the stops at our Capitol Hill and Broadway locations. Activities vary, but... Read more...
Elephant 6’s Wax Trax connections
Elephant 6’s Wax Trax connections
If you already know about the Elephant 6 Recording Company, chances are you’ve slipped into a rabbit hole on it at least once. Championed by indie and avant garde pop... Read more...
Tom Murphy: Chronicler of Denver music
Tom Murphy: Chronicler of Denver music
A few days ago, I was knocked out by some pics and vids taken by Tom Murphy, Keeper-of-the Flame-of-All-Things-Music-in-Denver. The show was with Jesus and Mary Chain and Psychedelic Furs... Read more...
RSD Black Friday doubles down on Denver at Wax Trax
RSD Black Friday doubles down on Denver at Wax Trax
Admittedly, our family and staff have traditionally been as aloof from Record Store Day as rock stars are from just about anything, but we are always down to support our... Read more...
DENVER LYNX RADIO PRESENTS: Record Shopping with Blackberry Crush
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Benny Blancos leaving 13th
Benny Blancos leaving 13th
Lease issues and lackluster City support spur Arvada moveBy Pete Stidman Wax Trax moved to 13th and Washington in 1977, my family bought into the business in 1978, and those... Read more...
Generation X and counting
Generation X and counting
X, the LA-based 80s punk band, released their debut “Los Angeles” in 1980 and have been consistently cool ever since. X is also one of the many musical phantoms living... Read more...
This weekend’s Ultra Magical Soiree
This weekend’s Ultra Magical Soiree
Everything you need to know THIS WEEKEND Wax Trax Broadway Bazaar is hosting an excellent celebration of community, creativity, and local talent with the Ultra Magical Soiree! Over the course... Read more...
Summer events change-up due to city’s Noise Ordinance
Summer events change-up due to city’s Noise Ordinance
Wax Trax’s beloved summer sidewalk shows, and the 13th Avenue Flea are on pause this year as we await the city’s final revisions to its noise ordinance and as the... Read more...
Team Nonexistent – Local band spotlight
Team Nonexistent – Local band spotlight
If the zombie apocalypse hits, Team Nonexistent (the band) is ready. They’ve decided on the wood choppers, the cooks, the scavengers, and the hunters among them. One of the latter,... Read more...
Babah Fly Teaches Connectivity in Chaos
Babah Fly Teaches Connectivity in Chaos
His new single, “Ape Shit,” is an energetic call-to-action If Babah Fly was isolated on a desert island, he would bring three artists with him: Bob Marley, Nina Simone, and... Read more...
Health Dept. Advances Noise Ordinance Revamp
Health Dept. Advances Noise Ordinance Revamp
No mention of balancing the public good, free public music at risk The City’s Department of Public Health & Environment released its ideas on how to change the noise ordinance... Read more...
Wax Trax Broadway Bazaar is Now Permanent!
Wax Trax Broadway Bazaar is Now Permanent!
As you may have heard, over the Christmas months Wax Trax joined up with supreme thrifters Lady Lazarus and the Vintage Vamp to open a vinyl/vintage pop-up over the winter... Read more...
Meet Sundays on 13th Vendor: Wulf Apple
Meet Sundays on 13th Vendor: Wulf Apple
Sundays on 13th is a gathering of micro businesses, artists, musicians, and others that gather every Sunday along 13th Avenue to sell their wares and play/hear some great local music.... Read more...
The Many Faces of Denver’s Sybil Attack
The Many Faces of Denver’s Sybil Attack
Hannah Alexander AKA Sybil Attack struck a chord on a Saturday earlier this summer at one of the most captivating shows I’ve seen this year. Hundreds of Denverites poured into... Read more...
Music is a PUBLIC GOOD: Campaign Update
Music is a PUBLIC GOOD: Campaign Update
If you didn’t catch it, the Westword picked up the story about the Denver Public Health Department’s campaign against having any sound you can recognize as music in the city.... Read more...
Water on the Thirsty Ground launches new ‘Exploding Head Syndrome’ 
Water on the Thirsty Ground launches new ‘Exploding Head Syndrome’ 
By: Simone Fohrman On a recent Saturday eve in March over at the D3 Arts Center, Denver’s own Water on the Thirsty Ground launched their new album “Exploding Head Syndrome”... Read more...
Case dismissed!
Case dismissed!
Campaign for “Community Performances” amendment begins The videos and written testimony sent by you, our readers, along with support from other 13th Ave small businesses, helped Wax Trax get a... Read more...
Who you calling a clown?
Who you calling a clown?
The Denver band Watch Yourself Die is not satisfied with the typical relationship between performer and audience. A passive listener will not make it through unscathed. The name of the... Read more...
Local Tansy Wine charts a path through dystopia
Local Tansy Wine charts a path through dystopia
By: SIMONE FOHRMAN Denver’s local music scene is made up of a vast network of small circles, and while each of these nuclei express themselves differently, they actively cross pollinate–... Read more...
13th Ave. Flea shall return! 
13th Ave. Flea shall return! 
Another victim of city policies last summer was the 13th Ave Flea, a market that folks from Kilgore’s Books, Common Collective, Wax Trax and others on ‘the block’ put together.... Read more...
Noise Ordinance Update
Noise Ordinance Update
The last time we used this email machine, we were all pissed off about the city’s response to a noise complaint that unfairly targeted our wholesome Sunday sidewalk shows. (btw... Read more...