Ear to the ground:
– Morrissey fan refuting that the ’80s new wave singer would resurface for this upcoming Denver show as an plumper, Elvis-ier version of his former self
Not your father’s military band
One of Cortez’s native sons is coming home and he’s bringing the whole band.
Dan “Jay” Jarmon – who is originally from Cortez – plays bass for The American Hitmen, a hard-rocking group of ex-Marines that takes the stage tonight (Thurs., June 19) at 9 p.m. at Blondies Pub, in Cortez.
Fans of network TV may recognize The Hitmen from their stint on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” in 2013. Although they were knocked out in the third elimination round, The Hitmen finished their run by performing live at none other than New York City’s Radio City Music Hall.
That’s a long way from the battlefield of Fallujah, Iraq, where brothers Dan and Tim Cord, and Jarmon started jamming together while serving in the Marine Corps.
Upon returning home in 2005, the men relocated to San Diego, where they headlined shows all over Southern California, including venues such as the Whisky A Go Go, House of Blues, Belly Up, and the world famous Viper Room. In 2006, they deployed to Iraq for a second time, only to find themselves performing on the USO tour with The Charlie Daniels Band.
In 2007, The Hitmen were honorably discharged and settled this time in Salt Lake City, in hopes of making a bigger dent in a smaller music scene. There, they met up with drummer Phil Snyder and went on to headline the Vets for Freedom Tour in San Diego and the California Music Festival. In 2009, they became what is believed to be the first American rock band in 36 years to perform in Vietnam when they were invited by the Vietnamese government to play at the Hard Rock Café in Ho Chi Minh City.
Since then, The Hitmen have performed alongside Sheryl Crow, .38 Special, Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters and Living Colour. Their sound has been compared to everyone from The Cult and The Black Keys to Led Zeppelin.
To give a listen, go to www.reverbnation .com/americanhitmen#