Ask any performer and they’ll tell you there’s something different about performing on a “home stage” — the stages they’ve seen heroes and peers perform on countless times in their life. 

For The Barlow, the Arvada Center’s outdoor amphitheater is one of those stages. So, getting the chance to open for alt-rocker Lucero at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 11 is a big deal for the band.  

The Barlow — Shea Boynton on vocals, guitar and banjo, Troy Scoope on bass, Ben Richter on drums and Brad Johnson on guitar and vocals — have been a group since 2017 and draw inspiration from classic and contemporary country artists like Steel Woods, Cody Jinks, the Randy Rogers Band and Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson. 

We chatted with Boynton about the group’s history, performing at the Arvada Center and more: 

Interview edited for brevity and clarity. 

Tell me about the background of The Barlow. 

Most of us have known each other since high school (Arvada Senior High) and played in different bands together at one point in time or another. We started The Barlow as a casual thing — we were all itching to play and needed a creative outlet. The band came together naturally as we were already buddies. The first couple years were us getting our foothold musically and playing around Denver/Colorado. Touring escalated after we released “Horseshoe Lounge” in Feb. of 2021 and we’ve been full steam since. 

What’s it like being part of the Denver music scene?

Denver and Colorado are small, tight knit scenes. It’s always reasonable to assume we’ll run in to folks we know within production, promotion or other artists when we’re playing inside state lines. 

We proudly wave the #coloradocountry flag and always tell folks we’re from Arvada. This is where we were raised, where we’re raising our children, and have built our lives here. We couldn’t be prouder to play country music from a place that’s less conventional than others. 

What does it mean to be playing at the Arvada Center and opening for Lucero?

We’ve all driven by the Arvada Center a million times, so when the opportunity came up to play there we were elated. It’s home. Any chance to play among our friends and family always feel like a celebration. I’ve been listening to Lucero for more than 20 years, getting to share a stage with them is a huge privilege.

We pride ourselves on touching every genre within our lane that we can. As musicians, we make memories for folks and we aim to do our job each night.

Find more information at www.thebarlowband.com/ and get tickets at https://arvadacenter.org/events/lucero.  

Mountains of fun at 4^th ConiferFest

What better way is there to appreciate late summer in Colorado than by getting a little elevation and attending the Rotary Club of Conifer’s 4^th annual ConiferFest?

Held from 11 a.m. until about 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 12, at the open space adjacent to Our Lady of the Pines Church, 9444 EagleCliff Drive in Conifer, the fundraiser features live music from Who’s Thomas, Captain Quirk, Magoo the Band and Sam Gyllenhall Band. Attendees will be able to enjoy various beverage options (including margaritas), food trucks and more.  

All you need to know can be found at https://coniferfest.com/. 

Celebrate 15 years of CinemaQ Film Festival 

Sharing the stories of the LGBTQIA+ community has rarely been as crucial as it is right now, with the community’s rights under constant assault. This makes the annual Denver Film CinemaQ Film Festival not just important, but worth celebrating. 

It’s the festival’s 15^th year and it is bigger than ever, with some truly incredible films getting screened over its run at the Sie FilmCenter, 2510 E. Colfax Ave. in Denver, from Thursday, Aug. 10 through Sunday, Aug. 13. Some of the highlights include “Chasing Chasing Amy,” “Bottoms,” “Our Son” and “Problemista.” 

As is always the case with Denver Film, there will be great panels with filmmakers and other creatives. Get tickets, passes and all the details at www.denverfilm.org. 

Clarke’s Concert of the Week — The Strokes at Red Rocks 

The Strokes are one of the most important bands of this century, and their debut album, “Is This It” radically reshaped the direction of indie and alternative rock. I’ve pretty much loved all the group’s albums in their own way, and even if they don’t have the critical success they used to, they’re still legends that demand attention.  

The group doesn’t tour often and so the fact that they’re playing Red Rocks, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway in Morrison, at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 14, is a massive deal. Despite the fact they’ve been around for 20 years, they’ve never played the mythical venue before, so this is going to be a special evening. They’ll be joined by alt-rock vocalist Weyes Blood as the opener.  

Purchase tickets at www.ticketmaster.com. 

Clarke Reader’s column on culture appears on a weekly basis. He can be reached at Clarke.Reader@hotmail.com.