Rock Club Denver Vol. 1
Through the Decades — December 2013
Kicking off Rock Club Denver, the theme was passed to the host of the inaugural meeting. Our host Nick picked Through The Decades. Of course the beauty of Rock Club is the interpretation of the theme. It has and always does vary for individuals one themes with broader concepts. This inaugural Rock Club was no different. The essence of this theme was this: 5 songs, each song from a different decade.
On a cold December night in 2013, Rock Club Denver met for the first time and each founding member unleashed their playlists. You can see and listen to a selection of them below, along with some brief background on the picks.
Mike M.
New to the concept of Rock Club I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect going in. So, given the broad category, I was excited to dig in. I picked my list of songs that I love and had personal connections to.
- “Bus Stop” — The Hollies — 1966: I don’t know when I first heard this classic, but I was instantly hooked on it. I can probably thank 94.9 in Madison WI for this classic oldie getting in my head at a young age.
- “What’s Going On” — Marvin Gaye — 1971: I take some pride in falling in love with this album as a teenager in the mid and late 90’s. By that point, it was also considered a classic, and while not a rock song, its influence on my musical tastes was undeniable. It is also without argument a beautiful song.
- “Under Wraps #2” — Jethro Tull — 1984: This one gets full credit as a direct influence of my dad. I don’t know how many times I heard Jethro Tull booming from our family room stereo growing up, but it stayed with me. (NOTE: For those paying attention, this is my first song from the 80’s — and because I didn’t think to do a lot of research, I thought this was from the late 70’s., which I’d already covered in song 2. You can tell I was new at this.)
- “Owner of a Lonely Heart” — Yes — 1983: Another direct influence from my dad. This song came out my birth year and it was another common song played in our house growing up. In fact, I think it got played along some of the slideshows my dad synced up with photos and music.
- “Just Like You Imagined” — Nine Inch Nails — 1999: I was a sophomore in high school when The Fragile was released. I’d become a NIN fan a few years prior after Downward Spiral was released, but The Fragile fully converted me to a fan. I still think The Fragile is the best NIN album. Anyway, this particular song ended up becoming my pump-up song for running. It was always the very last song I’d listen to before my cross country or track races. Any time I’d begin hitting a wall or need that extra boost mentally in a race, I’d start playing this song in my head and find that next level. I love every second of this instrumental track. It still works for me mentally to this day.
