Saturday night’s event at the Gothic Theatre (3263 S. Broadway) is a kickoff party for the Colorado Irish Festival. That might not sound strange at first, but the festival doesn’t run until the weekend of July 8-9, 2006. That does seem a bit odd.
So why is the kickoff party so early? “Because you have to really kick the Irish in the pants to get them organized, myself included,” joked event organizer Pat McCullough. “We’re trying to get the word out early to potential performers, vendors and volunteers.”
The festival theme for 2006 is “Green roots and cowboy boots,” as they take a look at Irish music as it relates to the history of the American West. Expect lots of Celtic rock and bluegrass crossover artists at the summer fest, but Saturday’s lineup is much more rock oriented.
Catch the Kansas City-based The Elders’ version of high energy, crowd pleasing Celtic rock originals, and local newcomers the Potcheen Folk Band will play a raucous set of punk-tinged Irish tunes that has more to do with potcheen (a type of Irish moonshine) than folk music.
Saturday at the Gothic Theatre, $15, all ages, 6 p.m., Ticketweb.
DeVotchKa scores at Sundance
DeVotchKa rocks the Valentines Ball tonight, an annual event at the Boulder Theater. The group has every reason to celebrate; they scored the film “Little Miss Sunshine,” a breakout hit at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. Apparently, the film fest itself wasn’t all the band had hoped for.
“I have never been to Sundance and I don’t think I want to return,” said DeVotchKa’s frontman and singer, Nick Urata. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment to see our first film realized, with an audience of movie stars, and get a standing ovation, but as soon as it was over, reality set in, and we could not get into one film, party or bar.”
That said, Urata still loved the experience of working on a film score for the first time.
“This process was different in that the directors had the final say on every note,” he said. “In this case it was good because they had a very strong musical vision and great instincts. In the film we had to be very careful because we needed to be funny without being dorky and sad without being too tragic.”
Funny and sad, not dorky and tragic. Sounds like the perfect soundtrack for tonight’s show.
Catch DeVotchKa tonight at the Boulder Theater; $15, 21+, 303-786-7030.
Love hurts
Two words: Valentine’s Day. Love it or hate it, the happy-lovey-cutesy holiday is nearly upon us. If you’d rather skip the whole thing, head to 5 Degrees (1475 Lawrence St.) on Wednesday, February 15. The Anti-Valentine’s Day party is all about celebrating your single life; ladies drink free from 10 p.m. until midnight, with free promotional vodka shots for everyone all night.
Cero rocks
Been to Café Cero lately? I dropped in recently, and the live music scene there is becoming a big draw. For years the cozy little spot was known more for its snuggle nooks and patios (still a good reason to go), but now the place is rocking.
Fridays they feature rotating local bands, but the rest of the week is fairly scripted; Saturday it’s reggae night, Sundays are a lounge scene, Mondays are blues night, and on Tuesdays through Thursdays, house bands of the funk/jazz/hip hop variety take the stage. Add in drink specials and a great neighborhood vibe, and it’s definitely worth revisiting. 1446 S. Broadway, 303-282-1446.
Kat Valentine writes about night life Fridays in 7Days. Reach her at kat@kingproduction.com or call 303-820-1568.
