Old Man Saxon and Jelie bring their extraordinary talents to the B-Side stage on Friday, August 18.  This summer’s lineup is chock-full of Denver talent delivering soul-grooving sounds in all of the tasty genres of music. If you don’t know about B-Side, you only have two performances left in the season to get familiar! Do your stretches and gather your friends for some summer night dancing on the museum’s rooftop. But first, get to know this week’s B-Side bands:

OLD MAN SAXON

Old Man Saxon is a rapper from Denver, most recently featured as the crowd favorite on Rhythm + Flow, the hit Netflix series hosted by Cardi B, Chance the Rapper, and TI. His music has been featured on HBO's Silicon Valley, Netflix hit films Malcolm and Marie and Someone Great, Madden Football, Hightown on Starz, Black Lighting on CW, and numerous national commercials, including Nike. The music video for his hit single “The Perils” had over 100,000 YouTube hits in its first twenty-four hours of release. He’s performed internationally, from Hip Hop Kemp in the Czech Republic to Hiero Day in Oakland. He opened for various artists including Lupe Fiasco, Devin the Dude, Camron, Ghostface Killah, Curren$y and Oddisee. Now, Saxon headlines his own shows, all of which have sold out.

In just two years, Old Man Saxon went from being homeless to becoming an esteemed rap professor, a father to his two daughters, husband to one human woman, and international multi-hyphenate entertainer. He has released four EP’s: The Perils, The Pursuit and Goldman Sax, and The Peacock Honey. His newest project Rothko’s, Chicken, and Waffles is quickly becoming a fan favorite.

Hi Old Man Saxon! How are things? 

It depends on what you mean by “things”. Things are fine but I have been going through it. There was a hard death in the family recently so I’ve been doing a lot of hard things with two little children that won’t stop being sick and needing things from me. I’ve been in Oakland for the past two weeks making funeral arrangements and trying to get back to Denver so I can sleep in my bed again. You asked.

Who is Old Man Saxon? How did the band/ or persona come together? 

Old Man Saxon is a rapper that can rap and entertain. The persona came together from going to hip hop shows in college and seeing how boring they could be if you didn’t know the artist’s songs. I wanted to have a character that would be entertaining to you even if you didn’t know the music. Also the name Old Man Saxon comes from a lot of rappers being “young” this or “little” that. Eventually you grow out of that name. I don’t want the universe to think that I want to be young forever. I want to grow into my name and be an Old Man in the rap game. 

How long have you been performing in Denver? What is your favorite thing about the Denver music scene?

I’ve been performing in Denver for about five or six years. I think my first show I had in Denver was opening for Hiero. That show is still one of my favorite shows because of the energy of the crowd and the love I got from A Plus of Hiero. Depending on the show I would say that my favorite thing about the Denver music scene is the energy from the crowd. Sometimes they are very hyped and I love that. But there was one time I opened up for Curen$$y and the crowd was so high that I thought I was bombing. But when I got off stage there were a bunch of people telling me they liked the show but they were just too high to express emotion.

Where do you find inspiration for your music? 

My inspiration changes a lot, but I would say right now my inspiration comes from my kids. And not in the way that I gotta make music so I can make money for my kids. Of course that’s always an inspiration, but now my kids are directly influencing the type of music I make. I hated that I couldn’t let my kids listen to a good majority of my music for whatever reason. So I’ve been making music that they can listen to. Not just kids songs but also more pop songs that they can sing along to.

Who are some artists/creators that are influential to your musical practice?

Cab Calloway because he was just such a good dancer and entertainer. Mac Dre because he was such an innovator and represented where he was from better than anyone I’ve seen. E-40 for his unique style and longevity.

Music can be an immersive experience. How would you describe your sound as a texture, a scent, or a taste? 

Like one of those sampler appetizer platters that you get from a restaurant that has a bunch of different apps on it. Like cheese sticks, chicken wings, queso, and artichoke dip. Because someone will find something they like when they’re with me.

What should we expect from your performance?

Humans should be expected to laugh and dance and hear some fun, introspective, weird, relatable lyrics.

What are you excited about for this year? 

I might be going to the Philippines later this year so that would be dope.

JELIE

Bradlie Jones, who goes by the moniker of Jelie, is a multi-talented rapper and producer who is at the fulcrum of an evolving hip hop scene. Jelie pronounced “Jel-eye” is a very different and uniquely wired musician who isn’t afraid to break the rules and push the boundaries of our perception with her deeply layered lyricism and well-crafted production. Born and raised in Denver Colorado, Jelie has a drive, a focus, and a tenacity that will lead her to become a relentless and unstoppable force in the independent hip hop circuit. Jelie is making music that is driven by a desire to motivate, inspire, and tell her story her way.

Hi Jelie! How are things? 

Hey what’s up! Things are getting back to normal after a string of shows. I’m finding time to be creative in the studio again so that always boosts my spirit.

Who is Jelie? How did the band/ or persona come together? 

I am a multifaceted artist that values freedom and accountability. I also value creative flow, so I’ve picked up a lot of skills along the way to streamline my creative process in house. I started rapping along to all of the rap songs my mom and dad played as a kid and I never stopped. I performed my first show in 2011 and I’ve been accumulating trusted people on my roster ever since! I’m a solo act but I’m always bringing along a DJ for scratches and a controllerist for beeps and boops. You’d have to be there to understand.

How long have you been performing in Denver? What is your favorite thing about the Denver music scene?

I’ve been performing in Denver since 2011. I was too young to get into most venues for an extremely long time but now I’m free to venue hop. My favorite thing about the Denver scene is the community. Every artist can find a tribe and people who care to listen, look, or appreciate their work.

Where do you find inspiration for your music? 

I find inspiration in testing out new music technology, both hardware and software. I’m a music YouTuber so I’m often stumbling across cool sounds by accident. Sometimes I sit down and hammer out random ideas until something sounds good. Most times it doesn’t sound good, but I still show up and the world will never know because they only hear what meets my personal artistic standards. (It’s not that bad, lol)!

Who are some artists/creators that are influential to your musical practice?

Mixtape J. Cole, 2010s Lil Wayne, 90s west coast gangsta rap, and all the slow jams from the 80s-2000s. My mom and dad had taste on opposite ends of the Black music spectrum. I found my own taste through the mixtape era and the end of the CD era. I loved Tech N9ne, Twista, and Missy Elliot for their uniqueness.

Music can be an immersive experience. How would you describe your sound as a texture, a scent, or a taste? 

My music is like walking into a candy store and then realizing you ventured too far and there’s a produce section in the back with organic vegetables and fruit. It’s like when your favorite shows or cartoons do crossover specials. There are characters in my head and one of my songs might not fit in a playlist with the next but I make it work because it’s still me, just a different part of me. Maybe the parts are a sign of too many therapy sessions.

What should we expect from your performance?

You should expect highs and lows, naivety, and intelligence. I’ve created through all eras of maturity or lack thereof and I’m still growing. 

What are you excited about for this year? 

I’m excited to hide and finish my new music so I can perform it before it is all over. Maybe I’ll drop some surprise collabs. Who knows what the universe will organize. I just take it breath by breath and hope my goals are big enough and don’t only take three days to accomplish. No fun in being done!

Only 2 performances left! For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.