B-Side: Namebackwards & Fruta Brutal

B-Side Music Fridays is a live music series on Friday nights in July and August where Colorado musicians perform in MCA Denver’s rooftop garden. Enjoy an intimate performance from some of the city’s top performers while sipping crafted cocktails and relaxing on the best rooftop deck in Denver.

Rooftop doors open at 6:30PM, but feel free to come earlier to check out the exhibition!

Namebackwards (headliner)

Enmanuel Alexander is a Denver-based multi-instrumentalist, composer, and bandleader known for his genre-defying improvisation and dedication to uplifting Black and Brown musicians. As the creator and host of Off the Cuff, a weekly residency at Meadowlark Bar, he curates immersive improv sessions featuring top talent from the Denver music scene. A graduate of MSU Denver’s jazz program and recipient of the Dale Bruning Jazz & Improvised Music Scholarship, Eman blends live looping, Black American music, and soul in his solo project "namebackwards," and collaborates with many different artists including; Kayla Marque, Sound of Honey, Barbara, and The Parrisian. His performances challenge norms and cultivate community, aligning seamlessly with the spirit of B-Side Fridays at MCA Denver.

Fruta Brutal (opener)

Born in Ecuador and raised in the United States, Martín Better Longo channels the tension and beauty of a mixed cultural identity through his project, Fruta Brutal. A dynamic force within Rock Alternativo and Indie Psych Pop, Fruta Brutal's music serves as a profound exploration that, with luck, can reach people across borders. With roots in Denver and New Orleans, and across South American, Martín experiments with a diverse array of musical styles to arrive at Fruta Brutal's eclectic sound—a musical approach of synthesis reminiscent of Brazil's Tropicália movement. Playing live and recording upcoming tracks with Susan Lucía and Ben Weirich, the trio offers an energy packed show, and a bold, genre-bending repertoire.

About the Curator

Born and raised in Colorado, Demi Harvey is known for creating community through her social media influence, events, and partnerships. She has a deep appreciation for the Colorado music scene and has built up artists through her work with Indie 102.3, The Underground Music Showcase and more music focused organizations across the city. Follow her on Instagram @demiakademigod.

Host or Publisher Museum of Contemporary Art Denver