Meet James Roede | Associate Professor and Part time Rocker

We had the good fortune of connecting with James Roede and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi James, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
This band sprung out of the doldrums of COVID19 pandemic life. John Marentette and I began to have many discussions after work about music over beers at a local brewery during 2019. These discussions inspired me to purchase a 6-string acoustic guitar in an attempt to learn music, develop a new part of my brain and to, maybe, be able to play music with others. Frustrations with the 6-string and encouragement from John led to the purchase of a 4-string, jazz bass. From there, John and I began to learn some of the songs that he and a former partner used to play acoustically. After weeks of almost daily practice, and a chance encounter with a drummer, Mr. Darcy Shaw, we were able to make the move to a full, rock and roll band. The complete band includes John “Uncle Beef” Marentette on vocals and guitar, Joel Meyerson on lead guitar, myself (James Roede) on the bass, Cole Michel on keyboard, Darcy Shaw on drums, Colin Anderson on saxophone, and Matt Mitchell providing more vocals. Overall, the main purpose of this band is to have a good time playing rock and roll songs that we enjoy, and to make others happy by sharing our craft

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Currently, we are primarily a cover band, and we play a great mix of classic rock and roll and blues songs. We cover great artists like The Grateful Dead, Neil Young, Allman Brothers Band, The Band, Pink Floyd, Dire Straits and Gary Clark jr. Cover bands get hated on a lot because the group is not performing “original” music; however, I would like to note that we play OUR interpretation of the song. We are not a ‘tribute band’ either. For example, our talented vocalist, Matt Mitchell, provides some hip hop flair to some classic songs, like “Season of the Witch” by Donovan or “Spooky” by Classics IV. SO, if we play a Grateful Dead song, it’s going to sound like Uncle Beef’s Band, not necessarily the Dead. An additional benefit of playing covers is that we have the ability to play long sets, e.g. up to 3 hours; whereas, a band playing “original” material may only have enough material to fill up 45 minutes! Overall, our goal is not to get rich and famous, it is to simply go out there, play some rock and roll, and have fun with each other and the audience.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Places that I would definitely take a visitor to would be:
– Red Rocks Amphitheater – you have to see the place and lose your breath walking to the top!
– Get dinner at Casa Bonita – one must see it to believe it!
– Dinosaur Ridge – we have a State dinosaur, for Pete’s sake!
– Take a drive down the length of Colfax – Gotta see the old motel signs and interesting people
– Enjoy Denver’s beer culture by visiting Coors brewery in Golden, New Belgium brewery Fort Collins, or visit some of the micro- and nano-brewers around town, like Milieu Fermentation or Comrade Brewing
– If it is summer time, go to a Rockies game – The team is terrible, but it is a great place to be on a summer afternoon or evening
– If it is winter, check out an Avalanche game at Ball Arena – Currently, probably the best Denver pro sports team and these guys are good!
– Have a meal a the Buckhorn Exchange – Iconic Western history and Rocky Mountain oysters
– Catch a live concert at one of the many intimate venues and theaters in Denver, like the Gothic, Bluebird, Ogden, Cervantes, Black Buzzard or Lion’s Lair.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are many people that have been important to our early success as a band and these people should be recognized. First, we would like to thank our significant others for allowing us the time to work on this passion called music. Second, we would like to call out key friends and fans that have been die hard UBB fans and have provided exceptional support. These would include, Leigh, Kerry C., Evey, Zach, Chris and Mary Beth, Johnny, the McC’s, John M., Erin and Adam, Lori W., Sam and Steph, Rob B., Erin C., Matt T. We would also like to give a recognition to Denver-area bands that have also been supportive of this endeavor. These groups include: 2Classic, Vox de Ville, Altaphonic, and Ipecac. Finally, a shout out to local, Denver-area venues that gave us a shot: ACAD, Herman’s Hideaway, Lot 46, and The Old Man.

Website: https://www.unclebeefsband.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unclebeefsband/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMKRaP79WICwh049M_SnwLg

Image Credits
Photos taken by Erin Cheong and Matt Thulson