Endless Sunshine @ Civic Center Park

Endless Sunshine returned to Denver on June 29, 2024 at Civic Center Park in Denver, CO. Teddy Swims and Thee Sacred Souls headlined, with many others including Rootbeer Richie & The Reveille, Sam Barber, and more rounding out the lineup, making for a perfect day filled with music and fun.

Rootbeer Richie & The Reveille

Rootbeer Richie was born in the bayou then uprooted to the foot of the Rocky Mountains. Backed by the Reveille, seven of the hardest hitters in Denver’s diamond-in-the-rough music scene, they form the most soulful rhythm & blues band this side of the Mississippi.   Inspired by but never derivative of legends like Fats Domino, Ray Charles, and Sam Cooke, Rootbeer Richie & the Reveille pull from a variety of influences to create their long, tall drink of soul-infused swamp pop. On stage, the band has quickly gained a reputation as one of the most life-affirming live acts in Denver. “The point of the music is to help you feel whatever it is you need to feel,” says Rootbeer. Those who’ve been converted, though, know he’s being modest. After just one spiritual awakening at a Reveille live show, it’s damn near impossible to feel anything other than the unbridled joy of being alive.

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Evan Honer

Evan Honer was still a college student in Southern California when his music — a mix of acoustic folk, indie-Americana, and alternative pop, delivered by a young songwriter who’s never been afraid to blur the boundaries between genres — began earning a global audience.

It happened fast. One minute, he was uploading performance videos to social media with little response. The next, he was a viral success, earning 50 million streams with his version of the Tyler Childers deep cut “Jersey Giant” and building a following with his original music, too. On graduation day, Honer released West On I-10, a debut album that quickly led to collaborations with Liam St. John, Wyatt Flores, Vincent Mason, and more, as well as months of sold-out headline shows across America and Europe.

For his sophomore album Fighting For, Honer decided to keep things simple. Fighting For was recorded independently by close friends in small studios, churches, Air Bnb’s and living rooms. It is being released by Evan’s own independent label Cloverdale Records. With 250 million streams and counting and carving a new path in the music industry as a 100% independent artist, this is still just the beginning of Evan’s journey.

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Sam Barber

Sam Barber is a singer and songwriter who has made waves in country and rock music. with spare, deeply emotional performances that harken back to atmospheric sounds of the past. Barber’s voice recalls Hank Williams’ doleful tone in a style that’s at once plain-spoken and expressive, and early recordings such as 2021’s “Run Away High,” with Barber accompanied only by his guitar, had a confidence and maturity uncommon for a beginner. He moved on to a bigger sound with full-band accompaniment on later sides such as “Ghost Town” and “Dancing in the Sky,” both off his 2023 Million Eyes EP, without losing the power of his rough, elemental style. He also showcased his concert performances on 2024’s Live EP 001.

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Thee Sacred Souls

There’s something inevitable about the sound of Thee Sacred Souls, as if Alex Garcia and his bandmates—bassist Sal Samano and singer Josh Lane—have been playing together for a lifetime already. Produced by Bosco Mann (aka Daptone co-founder Gabriel Roth), Thee Sacred Souls is a warm and textured record. It mixes the easygoing grace of sweet ’60s soul with the grit and groove of early ’70s R&B. The performances are utterly intoxicating, with Lane’s weightless vocals anchored by the rhythm section’s deep pocket and infectious chemistry. Hints of Chicano, Philly, Chicago, Memphis, and even Panama soul turn up here. While it’s tempting to toss around labels like “retro” with a deliberately analog collection like this, there’s also something distinctly modern about the band that defies easy categorization, a rawness and a sincerity that transcends time and place.

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Teddy Swims

Singer-songwriter Teddy Swims found himself on the path towards self-forgiveness when he started putting pen to paper for his debut studio album, I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1). He’s released music and toured the world since making his debut in 2019. The Georgia-born artist has spent the last four years writing his way towards an album that would tell his story.

An emotionally walloping and deeply resonant body of work to be released in multiple parts – much like Teddy’s own journey of self-discovery – I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1) is an album about diving headfirst into healing without any floatation devices. It finds Teddy working out some very big, very real issues through his music. “Now I’m watching people connect with the messages and stories and realizing not only are the songs helping me, but they’re also helping them too,” he says. “It feels like all that work on the back end, all that internalizing, is finally making a difference.”

“My debut album is an honest look into my mental health journey. I believe therapy could really be beneficial to myself and anyone willing to take the steps to heal. But, for some reason I still have something holding me back. I know there are answers to the questions I’m not ready to ask myself. This album is my first step towards being vulnerable about this journey.”

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