May 4—Before Nick Urata and his band Devotchka were nominated for a Grammy Award for best soundtrack for the Academy Award-winning film "Little Miss Sunshine," he was a solo artist bopping around the Boulder music scene in the early 2000s.

In a walk down Boulder music venue memory lane, Urata, frontman for indie rock band Devotchka, recalls his early days of playing at legendary venues Penny Lane and Tulagi.

"I used to do open mics there at the beginning, when I really couldn't get anyone to play with me," Urata said.

Clearly, things have changed — Penny Lane and Tulagi are now defunct, and Urata has no problem getting people to play with him.

On Saturday, Devotchka will play an inaugural concert with the Boulder Philharmonic at the University of Colorado Boulder's stunning Gothic-style venue, Macky Auditorium, in a truly special performance, given the band's early ties to Boulder.

Urata recalled a time when he lived in Martin Acres and used pizza as a way to barter with other emerging bands.

"One of the great things about those times is that it was kind of affordable in Martin Acres in Boulder, and there were tons of bands playing across basements in the neighborhood," Urata said. "I think those kinds of places are usually great incubators for artists, and then unfortunately people hear about it, and then the real estate price goes up, and then the artists have to move out. It's an age-old story."

Somewhere along the way, Urata met fellow band members Tom Hagerman (violin, accordion), Jeanie Schroder (sousaphone, bass) and percussionist Shawn King, and the band got its start in Denver. The quartet released several albums, one with a promotional tour that included performances alongside famed burlesque entertainer Dita Von Teese. As they gained in popularity, the band secured an annual spot performing on Halloween at the Boulder Theater.

The band's spooky origins are reflected in its haunting sound, which has been described in the past as cinematic, otherworldly, romantic and hypnotic. It incorporates elements of genres ranging from Eastern European folk, polka, indie rock and punk.

In 2006, the band's Grammy Award nomination for its contributions to the "Little Miss Sunshine" soundtrack garnered international attention, launching Devotchka into mainstream success.

And while the great state of Colorado has produced many a commercially successful band, none have as singular a sound as Devotchka.

In recent years, Devotchka has performed several sold-out shows with the Colorado Symphony, and even recorded a live album with the symphony's backing — all of which were met with rave reviews from listeners.

"When I first started the band, I wanted to move away from the standard rock 'n' roll format," Urata said.

A band full of booming sounds, Hagerman got his degree in violin at CU Boulder and he had a stint playing with the Boulder Philharmonic; Schroder got her degree in tuba at the University of Colorado Denver; King, who also plays trumpet in the band, scores music for film as well. Urata scored the music to the Netflix series "Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events."

"We always tried to integrate a larger cinematic sound into our indie rock style," Urata said. "We always have had that ambition to expand our sound into something bigger."

Which makes for a perfect pairing with the symphonious melodies of the Boulder Philharmonic. Though the band has never performed with the group, they are in extremely good hands — the orchestra will be conducted by Sara Parkinson, a classically trained pianist, conductor and the Phil's executive director. And as it turns out, Parkinson and Devotchka go way back.

"I have made music with everyone in the band over the course of the past eight years," Parkinson said. "Tom Hagerman and I, along with Susan Cahill and Evan Orman, founded a tango/classical ensemble back in 2015, Grande Orquesta Navarre. And during the pandemic, Nick joined us for a gig at the Mercury Cafe and a few other places in the Denver metro area. I also ended up in the recording studio with Shawn and Jeanie at one point.

"Devotchka's creativity is unmatched, and I learn something new from them every time we get together."

According to Parkinson, attendees of the May 6 concert can expect to hear most of their old Devotchka favorites, "plus some new ones."

"Rumor has it that a few of us will step out of the orchestra to join the band at one point," Parkinson said. "Come and see for yourself."

Tickets for Devotchka with the Boulder Philharmonic start at $25, and can be purchased at boulderphil.org.

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Nick Urata of Devotchka.

Courtesy photo

Nick Urata of Devotchka.

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DeVotchKa performing during a previous Halloween show.

Courtesy photo

DeVotchKa performing during a previous Halloween show.

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DeVotchKa.

MySpace

DeVotchKa.

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DeVotchKa

DeVotchKa

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