Several of the COMBO Board members are off to the Durango Songwriters Expo this weekend! Be sure to stop by our information booth and introduce yourself! Starting today and running through Saturday, the DSE will be held in BROOMFIELD at the Omni Interlocken Hotel & Resort, 500 Interlocken Boulevard. You may be able to still sign up at Https://www.durango-songwriters-expo.com or drop by to see if there is still an opening.
•
Oh, boy. I’ve had several people comment that they are not receiving the newsletters so I contacted our webmaster David about it. Turns out I’ve not been entering their e-mail addresses in a “Send e-mails to” place on our website. I’ll try to fix that in the coming days. So if you get a whole bunch of e-mails from “us”, please forgive me. Just trying to get the kinks out!
•
Don’t want to sound like a broken record but I do need to sound like a squeaky wheel. Please consider re-upping your dues to keep our organization going. None of us gets paid – we’re all volunteers (speakers and song-contest judges, too) but we have a ton of expenses – like the service that gets you this newsletter – and more. To quote The Beatles, “Give me money!”
•
Sad to hear that the Country Jam in Grand Junction has been canceled for 2026. Yours truly booked local country artists for the Singer/Songwriter Rounds for 3 years and I met a lot of really cool country people from the Western Slope. Two of them, Jackson Emmer and Sean Moon, entered our songwriting contest and both of them scored very high and made it onto our compilation CDs. Here’s hoping the organizers will be able to work things out and hopefully it will be back on in 2027.
•
Really bummed that our newest board member Kirsten Texler has had to resign. She had computer skills galore and was really a blessed addition to our organization. Hopefully she will be able to find the time to return to us soon. So again, a call goes out for people to serve on our board. If you are interested, have some time to donate (not much — around 4-5 hours per month), send an e-mail to info@coloradomusic.org with your music interests.
•
COMBO is about the LOVE of Music and the musicians who create and play songs. We do our best to educate and offer an exchange of information, guidance and advice to help musicians advance their careers no matter what genre they play. Our articles and programs represent some phase of the music business that could affect musicians – all musicians, all genres – everywhere.
Our motto: Elevate Your Musical State! (Courtesy of Andy Ard!)
Please “Like” us on Facebook! Helps our “standing” in the web world!
http://www.Facebook.com/ColoradoMusicBusinessOrganization
CALENDAR
TALENT NEEDED:
Matthew Clark Launder is starting a Singer/Songwriter Round at the Wild Goose Saloon in Parker, CO. He asks that you send a video via “messenger” to if you’re interested in playing:
https://www.facebook.com/friends/?profile_id=523662710¬if_id=1758385068562559¬if_t=friend_confirmed&ref=notif
Thursday, November 20th – Deadline to enter the Howard Rosen Talent Contest
E-mail contests@howiewood.com for more info.
# # # # #
SOME OF OUR BIGGER VENUES ARE STILL OFFERING CONCERTS. We won’t list all of their shows here but here are their websites if you want to go:
Denver Arts Complex events: https://www.artscomplex.com
First Friday Jazz Hop in Five Points: https://www.milehighfestivals.com
Red Rocks: https://www.redrocksonline.com
Sofar Sounds (“house” / small venue concerts): https://www.sofarsounds.com
The Tank’s Fests (Rangely, Colorado): https://www.tanksounds.org
Events That Repeat Each Month:
First Friday Jazz Hops: Honor the roots and enjoy the fruits! Our partners at the Five Points Business Improvement District are hosting First Friday Jazz Hops! Enjoy a night of live jazz featuring local musicians and artists performing at venues along Welton Street in Denver’s historic jazz district. Check out their schedule at https://www.milehighfestivals.com
# # # # #
Denver’s NSAI Chapter: 2nd Monday of the month. Contact Lauren Brombert for details on the next meeting! Some are held “live” and others are held via Zoom. If you’d like to present a song to the group for feedback, please click on the link to the Denver NSAI submission page below, and follow the instructions BEFORE the meeting: Please make sure to upload both the mp3 and the lyric sheet! https://www.nashvillesongwriters.com/form/song-submission-consent-denver-co
https://www.facebook.com/groups/denvernsai/
# # # # #
Black Rose Arts Society sponsors an Open Mic on the 2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month in CO Springs. Check it out at https://www.blackroseacoustic.org/openmic!
# # # # #
The TBRAS (The Black Rose Arts Society) offers twice-monthly shows on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month at the Black Forest Community Center, 12530 Black Forest Road, Colorado Springs, CO 80908. Doors at 6:15; All ages. Tickets at https://www.tbras.org |
# # # # #
Front Range Songwriters – Colorado Springs: 1st Wednesday of the month. 7:00 p.m. John Nelson, contact. Location: Covenant Church, 4965 Barnes Road. This is at the SW corner of Barnes Rd. and Iron Horse Trail – one block East of Barnes Rd and Oro Blanco.
# # # # #
Southern Colorado NSAI – Castle Rock: 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. – Meeting via Zoom | Call
Wayne Hanson to be added to the Zoom call and for more info: 720-989-5185
# # # # #
Western Colorado Songwriter Alliance Facebook Group – Grand Junction area: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1122384432992979/
# # # # #
October 2025
Thru October 5th – Various times / days – Jedidah Blackstone, Traveling Poet & Storyteller at the Emancipation Theater, 3801 Martin Luther King Blvd. Denver, CO 80205 | Story & music written by COMBO member Jeff Campbell. Get Tickets at https://emancipationtheater.com/tickets-cart/
Thru Oct. 19th – Buddy Holly Story at Town Hall Arts Center Theater | Tickets and more info at https://townhallartscenter.org/
We-Sa, 1st thru 4th – Durango Cowboy Gathering | https://www.durangocowboygathering.org
Music, comraderie, chuckwagon breakfast, lots of activities for all ages, and more music!
Th, 2nd – TODAY! Dina Baker & the King Stan Band Set to Release New Single on all streaming platforms | Electronic Press kit at https://www.KingStanBand.com.
Th-Sa, 2nd thru 4th – Durango Songwriters Expo at the Omni Interlocken Hotel & Resort, Broomfield, CO | https://www.durango-songwriters-expo.com | Look for COMBO!
Fr, 3rd – Bandcamp Friday – Full Royalties for Musicians Like Lisa Selle, Mad Dog Friedman, Laurie Dameron, Joy Iwancio, Marty Jones
Fr, 3rd – Johnnie J AI Krew Experience releases 17 song LP on Apple Music
Your support helps independent artists continue creating fresh music and sharing their stories.
Fr, 3rd – 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. Rudy Grant & The Buffalo Riders with special guests Ann Penny (from Hee Haw), DeeJ Johnson, and Rocky Hoery, Country Music Dinner Show & Dance at Gran Jardin Restaurant & Lounge, 597 South Clinton Street (Windsor Gardens), Denver, CO
Fr, 3rd – 6:00 p.m. – The Big Spenders (with COMBO member Spencer Pyne) at Oskar Blues, 1555 South Hover Street, Longmont, CO 80501
Sa, 4th – All day! Lafayette Music Festival | https://www.lafayettemusicfest.com/
Sa, 4th – 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. – Celebration of Bassist Andy Pfeiffer’s Life at the Wild Goose Saloon, 11160 South Pike Peak Drive, Parker, CO 80138 | 720-766-8449 | https://www.wildgoosesaloon.com
Sa, 4th – 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. – Laurie D. Jazz Duo with Jeff Fournier at 5 Points Live Jazz & Roots Celebration | Four Great Artists Help Mark 10 Years of Music | Tickets (location address provided after ticket purchase)
Sa, 4th – 7:00 p.m. – Nevan Castaneda as Elvis at LaHabra Depot Theatre, 311 South Euclid Street, LaHabra, CA | Tickets and more info available soon
Sa, 4th – 8:00 to midnight – Revenant at In The Zone, 15600 West 44th Avenue, Golden (West of I-70)
Th, 9th – 8:30 to 10:00 p.m. – Laurie D at Dazzle Jazz, El Chapultepec Piano Lounge, 1080 14th St Denver, CO 80202 | Solo show with jazz, blues, originals & covers | FREE show.
Sa, 11th – 5:00 p.m. – Rock Against Violence at The Federal Theatre, 3830 Federal Blvd Denver, CO | PROCEEDS go directly to JeffCO Schools FOundation and Evergreen High School!
See Events | Tickets at https://thefederaltheatre.holdmyticket.com/tickets/453254
Su, 12th – 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. – Laurie & Lorrie Duo at Busey Brews Smokehouse & Brewery, 70 E 1st St, Nederland, CO 80466 | https://www.facebook.com/share/1BJ6rTqYLx/
Tu, 14th – 6:30 t0 8:30 p.m. – Performance High’s Song Circle, PH Broomfield or online | Host: Emily Stewart | FREE! Register here: https://performancehigh.opus1.io/w/free-events/
Questions? Need help? Contact us at 720-772-7505 or admin@performancehigh.net
We, 15th – 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. – Nevan Castaneda as Elvis at Waldo’s Chicken, 24153 East Prospect Ave., Aurora
Fr, 17th – 6:00 p.m. – Shadow Animal’s (Christopher Ryan) Dreams We Build album relase at the Roxy on Broadway, Denver, CO | FREE ADMISSION! More info at: https://broadwayroxy.com/
Fr, 17th – 7:00 p.m. – Mile High Blues Society’s IBC competition at the Rusty Bucket 3355 South Wadsworth Blvd., Lakewood | One time contest; All proceeds go towards sending the winners to Memphis! 4 Solo/Duo acts, 3 Bands, Special performance by Soular Wave, part of our Blues Youth Program | https://www.facebook.com/events/1153227226707365
Su, 19th – New TV Show Contest “The Road” with Blake Shelton & Keith Urban starts on CBS
Mo, 20th – 7:00 p.m. – Via ZOOM! COMBO’s Town Hall Meeting – G. Brown!
Sa, 25th – Toni Negus at Gypsy Lab Sessions – special live concert! Ticket information TBA | Presented by https://www.KUVO.org | The event will be filmed with Gypsy Lab’s incredible sound and production quality.
Su, 26th – 2:00 p.m. – Colorado Blues Society’s “One and Done” for the IBC in Memphis at Nissi’s in Lafayette | Go to https://www.coblues.org for more information
November 2025
We, 12th – 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. – Nevan Castaneda as Elvis at Waldo’s Chicken, 24153 East Prospect Ave., Aurora
Sa, 15th – (no time listed) – Nevan Castaneda as Elvis at the Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 South Allison Parkway, Lakewood, CO 80226 (in the middle of the shopping center)
Sa, 15th – 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. – COMBO’s Songwriters Showcase featuring the winners of our recent Songwriting Contest at Dub’s Pub, South Broadway, Littleton!
Mo, 24th – “Speed Dating for Bands” at Dog House Studios in Lafayette – More details later
December 2025
Sa, 13th – 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. – COMBO’s Holiday Dinner at the Denver Aquarium | RSVP will be required due to limited seating! Lots of fun watching the fish, mermaids, and scuba divers!
We, 17th – 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. – Nevan Castaneda as Elvis at Waldo’s Chicken, 24153 East Prospect Ave., Aurora