Backyard Hero: Chris Thomas

Jenn Cohen | July 1, 2013 | 0 Comments

by Tim Wenger

Chris Thomas is a household name in the Denver music community, and it’s not just because he is tall, dark and handsome. Between his time with Spools of Dark Thread and Omniism, and becoming the main contact person and talent buyer at Denver’s legendary Herman’s Hideaway, he has interacted with just about everyone in the scene. He has also been busting his ass to ensure that Herman’s continues to bring in not only the hardest working local talent, but the occasional illustrious national name as well. Colorado Music Buzz caught up with Thomas to dissect his mind and figure out what makes him, and vicariously our favorite south Broadway venue, tick.

CMB: First things first. Let’s hear about how you got into the music scene here in Denver, and what’s up with Spools of Dark Thread and Omniism.

CT: I was singing with some friends and looking to be more of a professional vocalist/front man when I met Jamey Crow Bartley (Spools) online in ’06. We had good chemistry immediately and similar musical interests. We got Spools of Dark Thread up-and-running pretty quickly, created a decent buzz, and had some big turnouts in Denver, both headlining and opening for bigger touring bands. We had a lot of personnel changes over a short time frame and I wanted to keep moving forward with something less likely to implode, so I created Omniism and brought in some of my favorite Spools’ members.

CMB: How did you get to be “The Man” at Herman’s?

CT: The Man? Ha ha, thank you. I suppose I’ve learned a lot from Mike and Allan Roth and I’ve become savvy enough helping them run business for them to keep me around year after year.

During the Spools’ “hey-day” I made an impression on Mike and Allan Roth (the owners of Herman’s Hideaway) with my fruitful promotion techniques. I snagged a Talent Buyer position at Herman’s Hideaway 5 years ago and it’s continued to evolved into cooler things as I’ve learned a lot about the business, met cool people, and indulged multiple skill-sets, like announcing bands, and audio engineering. I’ve made a lot of relationships working at Herman’s and it’s been great!

Backing up: Spools is still technically a band, but Omniism has taken the front burner. Omniism is finishing up our second studio record, the band’s playlist has something for everybody, and it feels more and more like a solid future, with growing momentum.

CMB: What role do you think Herman’s plays in the music scene here, and why do you feel it is so important?

CT: I describe Herman’s to visitors by comparing it to The Whiskey A Go-Go in LA (or basically as “Denver’s version of The Whiskey”) Herman’s has a lot of history, and it has an independent vibe that corporations can’t even emulate. Big Head Todd & the Monsters got their start at Herman’s. Also, bands like Jane’s Addiction, 311, Faith No More, and Dave Matthews have graced the Herman’s stage. Herman’s is the embodiment of longevity in the Denver music scene, which I suppose has rubbed off on me, too.

CMB: What bands have really impressed you lately?

CT: There are SO MANY great bands in Denver (and the front range) right now, and such a variety; bands that I feel will be of interest to other markets, if we can continue to help one another generate interest. That’s the key. Feel free to ask me more about THAT. Anyway, Chris LaPlante from P-Nuckle keeps evolving, Something Underground has been working SO hard, Joe Fornothin’ is amazing, Clara Finn, Calder’s Revolvers, Eldren, Seris, Switchpin, Dead For Denver, Jacob Cade, Post Paradise, Reno Divorce, Quemando, Anxious, Bop Skizzum, even Snackcakes and Beer has valid entertainment to offer.

CMB: What takes a live performance to the next level, making it great and not just another band playing another show?

CT: Conviction, angst, singers who can soar; obviously, technical advantages help, such as lights synced to set, but nothing can take the place of passion and a strong ability to convey emotion.

CMB: What’s in your car right now?

CT: Taproot‘s most recent record The Episodes.

CMB: It seems like Herman’s has brought in more touring acts lately, is that your doing?

CT: Thanks for noticing. Yeah, we’ve been hosting more touring bands, and yeah, a lot of it’s my doing, but the best touring band shows I can remember all have great local support. That’s what these touring bands remember too.

CMB: What are your goals in the music scene? Is there anything you haven’t accomplished that you want to?

CT: We (my friends and I) just started up a charity, milehighscenesters.com, raising money for school music programs, donating instruments, mentoring youth musicians. I’m looking forward to putting more of my resources in to that as I continue to learn and refine my skills. My goal is to direct a full A/V production facility.

CMB: Where do you eat after a show?

CT: I prefer home, but Breakfast King is always cool.

CMB: What trends are dominating Denver music right now?

CT: Let’s see, people appreciate music that the artist can duplicate live. I see the trend moving more toward studio records being more reflective of the live-band show, capturing the magic instead of contriving a bunch of crap that no-longer sounds human.

CMB: What approach do you take to song writing? What goes through your head that makes you think, “I gotta write this down?”

CT: Good question! There’s never any rules, and I’m usually inspired. For me it’s more of a discipline. “How does this tempo make me feel, or what tempo goes with this emotion,” notes, lyrics, etc. I build around a theme, “This is what I want to say.” These words fit with what I’m saying; this phrase fits with the rhythm, etc.

CMB: Any shout outs?

CT: Tyler Duffus has been engineering my stuff. Pulled Pin Media Group has been helping with my video. COOL PEOPLE!