Denver's Best Moves West
The first time I ever saw Yo, Flaco! was in 1999 in Boulder when they were billed strictly as a Latin group with a smooth female lead singer. There were about fifteen people in attendance at the bar and three on the dance floor. My, how things have changed. Fast forward to today and Yo, Flaco! is Denver’s top drawing local band. The band has toured the country, earned an American Music Award nomination, been named "The Best Unsigned Band in America" in a national band search sponsored by Jim Beam, and recently completed a recording project with producer Thom Russo (Jay-Z, Audioslave, Michael Jackson), and have been awarded seven consecutive Westword Music Awards. This hip hop/jazz ensemble has decided to move to Los Angeles in December to not only challenge themselves musically, but to expand their boundaries and test the waters of the L.A. music scene.
Does this mean that the band no longer loves the Denver music scene? According to guitarist Brandon Martin, “It’s not that at all. As an artist, eventually you need new surroundings and new competition to become inspired. Denver is a great place to be and a great place to start a band. Of course we will miss Denver.” Drummer Seth Murphy added, “The Denver hip hop scene is evolving and is a fertile ground for a lot of talented instrumental hip hop musicians. It is a collection of supportive individuals. From an artist’s stand point, you want to keep pushing boundaries and exploring - also putting yourself in a position to absorb what is true for you. After seven years in town everyone is looking for a new outlook.” Laughter broke out in the rented rehearsal space of Yo, Flaco! when I asked how the decision was made to move to California and apparently it depends on who I ask. Being in a band is like any other relationship and the time comes to either “step up or step off. It’s not that things can’t be done here in Colorado but it’s just a feeling that we have that we need to step into a bigger market. We feel like we’ve done everything we possibly could here. We love it here and we’re very appreciative of everything from here and we need to leave the pond and it felt like a natural progression,” said Martin.
The positive energy inside the rehearsal space was barely containable when I asked if the band is excited about the move out west. The two band members that were present exchanged knowing smiles. The band has received an extra boost of excitement from the decision to move to a new place. Murphy explained, “We’re VERY committed to doing what we’re doing right now and that brings a unity that we’ve been craving for awhile. We’re looking forward to moving forward. The prospect of an unknown horizon has really kind of kicked everybody’s…” “Yeah,” added Martin.
Fans have been very supportive of the band’s decision to move to L.A. “No one has expressed displeasure,” said Martin. “Everyone has said ‘good luck, it’s about time.’”
“I’ve felt nothing but love and support from any fans or contemporaries,” smiled Murphy. “It means better Yo, Flaco! and better music. It’s not like we’re never going to play Denver again. We want everyone to know that Denver is our home.” Yo, Flaco! is determined to touch people’s lives with their music and all the people that they touch are going to know that Denver is the home of Yo, Flaco!’s style of hip hop jazz improv.
Yo, Flaco! will be celebrating their fans and Denver roots with a weekend of shows at Herman’s Hideaway on Friday and Saturday 11/3 and 11/4. An after-party will follow and all fans are invited. Sharing the stage with Yo, Flaco! will be another Denver hip hop band, The Flobots. “They’re great and they’re friends of ours. They’re awesome, great people and great human beings and that’s why we wanted them to be a part of the weekend with us,” said Murphy. When I asked Flobots bassist Jesse Walker what his take is on the local hip hop scene he replied, “I think it's a great time to be a musician in Denver. The city is growing rapidly, and that's creating a myriad of new opportunities for bands. The Denver hip hop scene is good but has a lot of room to grow. This is both good and bad. It's good in that the hip hop fans in Denver are hungry for good, innovative hip hop, and the bands that are making the music have expanded flexibility to create a unique sound. But it's bad because the hip hop community has yet to solidify into something powerful. It's on its way, but the departure of Yo, Flaco! certainly doesn't help. We (The Flobots) know it's up to bands like us to sustain the musical energy Yo, Flaco! brought to the Denver scene.” So what do The Flobots think of Yo, Flaco!? “Yo Flaco!,” Walker replied, “has influenced every live hip hop group in Denver, and we are no different. They are regularly recognized as one of if not the best band in Denver, and achieving a portion of their local success would be more than we could have ever hoped when we started this band in early 2005.”
For those that have never seen Yo, Flaco! here is your last chance. For those that have seen them many times, be sure to come out, boogie down, wish them luck and see their final Denver appearance before they move west. “We would absolutely love it if this weekend represented everyone who has ever gone to see the band - to come on Friday and Saturday night and do it one last time,” explained Murphy. “Let’s make it a celebration.” Best of luck to you, Yo, Flaco! Denver represent!
Originally published in the Colorado Music Buzz Magazine
