Die Like Bothans is:

Theo Guething- Drums | Eric Kitchens- Bass | Mike Cruz- Lead Guitar | Chris Wilkins- Guitar

everybody sings… including the audience.

The band’s strengths- vocals with catchy hard rock and metal hooks and incredible instrumental chemistry place Die Like Bothans in a league beyond the one-dimensional aspects that often plague the hard rock and metal genre and show how diverse influences and well crafted ideas lead to great songs when done with integrity and passion.

The Summer of 2020 was surreal and scary for everyone. We were all locked in our houses, going a little stir crazy, but we were all a little hopeful for what we knew would be coming when the world was out from under the pandemic.

Four bands in various stages of hiatus, some from COVID, some from garden variety band drama, others from a desire to do something new. Die Like Bothans began with a want ad from someone in the neighborhood to “just jam and see what happens” and grew with a Facebook acquaintance that had been wanting to work together for years. DLB came from a couple of guys taking the chance to reach out and make a connection, with face masks, social distancing, and, of course hand sanitizer to see what would happen; and what happened has been amazing!

“Originally, the plan was to do hard rock and metal covers in local bars” said Die Like Bothans’ drummer, Theo Guething, “but as the group lineup solidified, we realized we had a lot of creative energy that worked well together, and it would be a waste to just play other people’s songs.” Nonetheless, a scant 4 months after their first rehearsal, Die Like Bothans decided to book a slot on Open Stage Denver’s weekly “open mic” at The Venue in Westminster, CO and needed to round out their newly penned originals with faithful covers of “If you want blood” by AC/DC, “Ain’t Talking’ Bout Love” by Van Halen, and their own unique spin on “Time” by Pink Floyd. Their draw for this first show overwhelmed the bar staff and had Chris William’s, owner of Open Stage Denver proclaim Die Like Bothans as “one of the best bands we’ve ever hosted at an OSD night!” and immediately recommend them for booking on weekend nights.

The Bothans’ schedule was quickly filled out with near weekly 3+ hour sets at various other venues throughout Northern Colorado. Primarily anchoring Bike Night events for Greeley Harley Davidson at the Burnout Grill in Milliken, CO where upwards of 150+ patrons would be in regular attendance. “We booked those dates without knowing what we’d play for 3 straight hours! We had about 4 weeks to build a set list that could cover what we committed to, but I knew we could do it.” said Eric Kitchens, bassist for the band. “By the first Bike Night we played, we had more than enough material, and were able to swap things in and out over the coming weeks so it always felt new.” he continued. The band continued to grow their repertoire through encouraging patrons to “write a song on a $5 bill and drop it in the tip jar, and we’ll learn it for next time, write it on a $20 and we’ll play it right now!”

A little rain didn’t stop the music at a Greeley Harley-Davidson Bike Night at the Burnout Grill in Milliken, CO

“It hasn’t even been 24 hours since your show and I’ve already had the staff and many patrons ask when you guys were coming back, You guys ROCK!”

-Val Gilson

Sales & Marketing Manager

Hard Rock Cafe, Denver

Die Like Bothans prides themselves on delivering a “100% Give It All You’ve Got” performance every time they hit the stage and are ALWAYS a crowd favorite anywhere & everywhere they perform.

The summer of 2022 has been an exciting time for Die Like Bothans. After recording their debut EP at Evergroove Studios in Evergreen, CO earlier in the year, they have been diligently listening to mixes and preparing the mastered tracks for release in September. “Locust” will be available on all streaming platforms and limited physical release. In July, the band submitted the video for their single “Little Princess” to Infinity Park Glendale’s COLORADO THROW DOWN SHOW DOWN, where they were one of 16 bands out of nearly 100 entrants selected as semi-finalists, going on to win the greatest number of fan votes in online voting to become one of 6 finalists competing for $10,000 in prize money. “It’s an honor to be in the 2022 Throw Down Show Down, there were so many big names in the Colorado music scene that we were up against” said Chris Wilkins, lead vocalist and guitarist for the band, “even if we don’t win the grand prize, the ability to be on the stage and present our music, and show that it competes with all the other music out there is incredible.”

Die Like Bothans also prides themselves on their flexibility to fit whatever bill or venue they are on. Like sharks in an aquarium, they’ll happily fill what the bill calls for, be that a full 3 1/2 hour night of covers until the lights come up, or an hour originals set with other acts, Die Like Bothans is prepared to bring their brand of hard rock and metal to any stage. The band is also equally prepared for shows within the Denver metropolitan area and road/fly dates wherever they may be. The band can provide their own sound reinforcement and lighting if needed, and prefers their own backline gear whenever possible. Venues interested in booking Die Like Bothans may request their technical rider and stage plot when contacting us through the form below.

Hear the buzz! Listen to tracks from Die Like Bothans’ debut EP “Locust”: