Red Bull Sound Select Brings Hot Shows for Low Price

Tim Wenger | April 6, 2015

by Tim Wenger

If you follow the show scene here in Denver, you have probably heard about Red Bull Sound Select and the jam-packed shows they have been throwing around town. Many of Denver’s current hot acts such as The Yawpers, Tokimonsta and others have been featured at the shows. The next event is April 15 at the Larimer Lounge with MO, Povi Tamu, and Inner Oceans.

Fans who RSVP in advance at redbullsoundselect.com can get $3 tickets (the show is $10 without the RSVP, if you are fortunate enough to get in). CMB spoke with Brianna Hernandez, Denver’s RBSS Project Manager, to get the lowdown on the concept and how you can get involved.

CMB: Give us some background on Red Bull Sound Select and how it came to be, and why Red Bull chose Denver for these events.

BH: Red Bull Sound Select is an artist development program and music discovery platform to help break emerging artists. Each month Red Bull Sound Select Presents hosts shows in a number of national and international markets. These nights are curated by each city’s most notable music influencers and tastemakers (such as Brooklyn Vegan, Filter Magazine, and Sub Pop Records, etc) and feature hand-selected local artists to open for a major headlining act.

Red Bull Sound Select launched in Denver in 2014. We onboarded 20 artists into the program, and produced 10 sold-out shows. This year, Denver’s curators include The Denver Post’s Underground Music Showcase, Souls In Action, and DJ Low Key.

CMB: How are artists selected for the shows and what they can do, if anything, to get in touch with you guys.

Curators select both the local artists and headliners for each show. Artists and bands that are onboarded into the program are identified as being on the verge of “breaking.” These are hard working artists with an established fanbase, who can benefit from Red Bull’s additional resources and guidance to help broadedn their reach.

As someone who works in the local music industry, it’s been so rewarding to watch local artists take advantage of Red Bull’s resources. Red Bull flew Kitty Crimes to Chicago last year to open for Andrew W.K., and placed local rapper FL on a Chicago showcase last fall. It’s so costly for Denver’s artists to tour to neighboring cities, so these were amazing opportunities for Kitty Crimes and FL to reach new audiences.

Rose Quartz had a hugely successful year as Sound Select artists. They were placed on tour with St. Lucia as part of Red Bull Sound Select’s Tour Bus, opened for Future Islands at The Wiltern during Red Bull Sound Select’s 30 Days In LA, and recorded at Red Bull Studios in LA.

If artists are interested in playing a Sound Select show, I would encourage them to connect with our curators to discuss potential opportunities.

Online: redbullsoundselect.com