Judge Roughneck is one of Colorado's premier bands! Having a loyal nationwide fan base, and
repeatedly voted Denver's best ska/reggae act, Judge Roughneck has gained both commercial
success and critical acclaim. Due to the band's widespread appeal, they have been asked to
perform once again at this year's Reggae on the
Rocks Festival at Colorado's Red Rocks
Amphitheater.
Judge Roughneck routinely draws hundreds of fans
to its shows across Colorado, including back-to back-
to-back sellout shows at Herman's Hideaway
in Denver, capacity 500. The band has also been
played on numerous Denver area commercial radio
stations including KBCO, KTCL, KBPI and Alice 106.
Judge Roughneck's unique brand of pop-reggae
pays tribute to both the early '80's British 2-Tone
movement and the original jazzlaced ska of
Jamaica, while infusing a generous dose of soul
and R&B. The result is a unique, high-energy dance
sound that entertains a wide audience.
Due to the band's appealing sound and
professionalism, Judge Roughneck has been asked to perform with such international greats as
UB40, Burning Spear, General Public, The Skatalites, The Specials, The Wailers, and Fishbone,
and has aired on over 200 radio stations nationwide. Judge Roughneck also landed a promotional
deal with Corona Beer, which is aired the song "Hot!" on U.S. radio from 1999-2001.
In 2001, Judge Roughneck was one of four bands to reach the finals of the Ernie Ball/Warped Tour
Battle of the Bands. Over 4000 band from North America entered the contest, which flew the regional
winners to Dallas, TX to compete in the semi-finals, and then to Los Angeles, where the finals were
held at the downtown Bonaventure Hotel during the NAMM Convention.
The band features an all-star line-up of Denver musicians including Byron Shaw on lead vocals,
bongos and melodica, Brian Handlos on bass, Chris Reidy on guitar, Zach Pietlock on drums, Jon
Hegel on saxophone and Rolf Reitzig on trumpet.
On March 9, 2002, Judge Roughneck released its 3rd release, titled, "True". The 13 track CD guides
the listener on a musical journey through dub-reggae, old-school 60's ska, 2-Tone-influenced popreggae
and hip-hop. The CD was produced by Kyle Jones and Chris Reidy and was mastered by
Grammy Award Winning engineer, David Glasser at Airshow mastering in Boulder, CO.
“The unbeatable beat!” – The Denver Post
“These guys will make you move, I don’t care if you’re in a full body cast with an excruciatingly
painful sunburn, you will move.” – Denver Live
"Wow! You guys really know how to throw a party!
All of us connected with the Colorado Avalanche can't thank you enough for
the great job you did orchestrating the celebration at City Hall for
our
Stanley Cup Champions
"
