Revolutionizing · Modernizing · Simplifying
Revolutionizing · Modernizing · Simplifying
Three days. Fifteen shows. Spread across Red Rocks, Mission Ballroom, The Junkyard, Gothic Theatre, Larimer Lounge, and more. June 19 through 21 is honestly one of the stronger summer weekends Denver has put together in a while, and if you are not paying attention you will wake up Monday with serious FOMO.
Here is the full breakdown.
Tycho at Ogden Theatre
Tycho is the kind of show that sounds like it should only exist at 2am in a city that never sleeps, but somehow it works perfectly in Denver on a Friday night. Electronic, ambient, live instrumentation, genuinely immersive visuals. It is equal parts dance floor and fever dream. Ogden is the right room for it.
Gorgon City with SG Lewis, Jackie Hollander and Option4 at The Junkyard
This is the Friday night move if you have any interest in house music, UK garage, or just a legitimately great dance party. Gorgon City has been a festival mainstay for years. SG Lewis brings the disco-leaning electronic sound that makes people feel like they are in a much cooler city than they actually are (sorry, Denver, you know I love you). Jackie Hollander is rising fast right now, and Option4 is a hometown name that always delivers energy. The Junkyard is a venue that rewards showing up early and staying late. Do both.
Louis Tomlinson with The Aces at Red Rocks
Look, if you know someone who is a One Direction person, this is their night. Tomlinson has built a real solo catalog, Britpop-influenced rock with some genuine songwriting weight behind it. The Aces open, and their track "Girls Make Me Wanna Die" alone is worth getting there before the headliner. Red Rocks on a Friday in June with a crowd that actually knows every word. That is a good night.
Searows at Gothic Theatre, Englewood
Searows has built something real with a pretty small footprint, intimate folk songwriting with an emotional core that pulls comparisons to Phoebe Bridgers and Bon Iver. Gothic is the perfect room for this one, and this is the show for the person in your group who needs to feel something.
Delicate Steve with Slow Caves at Globe Hall
Instrumental guitar, playful melodies, and Colorado's own Slow Caves on the same bill. Globe Hall is a neighborhood venue that gets this kind of pairing exactly right. Low-key Friday option that will probably surprise you.
RX Bandits with Maps and Atlases at Summit Music Hall
Progressive rock, post-hardcore, math rock, all crashing into each other in the best way. RX Bandits back in Denver is always an event. Summit Music Hall is a great room for it.
O.A.R., Gavin DeGraw and Phantom Planet at Red Rocks
Three acts, one very specific demographic, and I say that with complete affection because I am probably in it. Phantom Planet opening means "California" gets played at Red Rocks in the summer and honestly that is kind of perfect. Expect full crowd sing-alongs from the first song to the last.
The Dead South with Amigo the Devil at Mission Ballroom
The Dead South is one of those live bands that converts people who did not think they liked bluegrass. High-energy, tight string arrangements, storytelling that actually lands. Amigo the Devil is a darker folk pairing that works better than it should on paper. Mission Ballroom handles both perfectly.
Lettuce with Borahm Lee at Levitt Pavilion
Outdoor. Summer. Funk. Levitt is free (check the ticketing), and Lettuce is a genuinely world-class live band. This is the Saturday afternoon into evening move.
Flux Pavilion at The Church Nightclub
Dubstep. Bass drops. Late night. If that is your genre, Flux Pavilion at The Church is exactly what it sounds like, and that is a good thing.
Devora at Marquis Theater
Desert rock meets alt-pop and it is a weirder combination than it sounds, in the best way. Devora is building real momentum right now. Marquis is an underrated room for catching artists on the way up.
Emancipator Ensemble at Mission Ballroom
This is the Sunday show that actually justifies staying out late on a school night. Emancipator live with the full ensemble is a completely different experience from the studio recordings. Add support from DUFFREY, Somatoast, and Govinda, plus visual artist Android Jones doing the visuals, and Mission Ballroom becomes something closer to an installation than a concert. Hayley and I have talked about this one all week.
Holly Humberstone at Gothic Theatre
One of the better British singer-songwriters working right now. Indie-pop with real emotional specificity. Gothic is a great fit. Do not sleep on the opener either.
Moon Walker at Marquis Theater
Alternative rock with actual social commentary behind it. Sharp writing, electrifying live energy. Moon Walker is getting national attention right now and Denver is getting him at the Marquis, which is still an intimate room. Worth it.
girli at Larimer Lounge
Pop, punk, LGBTQ+ anthems, fearless energy. girli at Larimer Lounge on a Sunday night is the kind of show that ends the weekend on exactly the right note. Small room, big personality, passionate crowd. That combination almost never disappoints., -
Fifteen concerts. Three days. One extremely busy Denver weekend. Get your tickets before you talk yourself out of it.