Local musician Anna Smith vividly remembers her introduction to 1967's "The Velvet Underground and Nico". After her father's record collection was stolen, he took the loss of the Velvet Underground's debut album particularly hard and instructed his young daughter to purchase a copy if she ever came across it. She eventually did, and it became a mainstay of her own collection. Smith's band Ancient Elk made its live debut on August 28, 2013, performing the entire record at the Hi-Dive as part of Denver's monthly On the Cover series.
Smith, also a member of Birds of a Feather, recently stopped by OpenAir along with Ian O'Dougherty, who co-produces On the Cover and also plays in the Ian Cooke Band. On Mile High Noon with host Corey Jones, they discussed the event, which each month features a different Colorado act covering a classic album. "From a musician's perspective... it's a really good exercise," O'Dougherty says. "The whole idea of a cover band is often said with negative connotations... but I think it can be a pretty valuable experience."
Listen to the interview HERE.
During the next On the Cover event, Adam Goldstein is scheduled to cover Bob Dylan's "Blood on the Tracks" from 1975.
