Def Leppard and Journey are two 1980s nostalgia acts that have sold nearly 150 million albums combined and set an indelible template for melodic arena rock anthems. Expect to hear hits like Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believin”‘ when they co-headline Red Rocks Amphitheatre Aug. 15. Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. ($59.50-$79.50, Ticketmaster)
97.3 KBCO/Miller Lite Kinetics Ball is the nightlife pre-party to Boulder’s annual spring rite, the Kinetics Race on May 6, in which teams traverse Boulder Reservoir’s land and water in outlandish vehicles. Before the race, the Boulder Theater hosts the ball April 29, with Mike Doughty and local favorites Yonder Mountain String Band. Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. ($30, bouldertheater.com)
Ice Cube long ago secured his status as a renaissance man with his hard-hitting solo albums and surprisingly poignant roles in movies like “Boyz n the Hood” and “Three Kings.” The hip-hop artist/actor visits the Fillmore Auditorium on May 25. Tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. ($28, Ticketmaster)
Queensryche’s highly technical music always has been harder to pigeonhole than its pop-metal peers. The band prefers a progressive sort of art-metal to the bravado of bands like Kiss or Aerosmith. Tickets for its Sept. 29 show at the Fillmore Auditorium go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. ($32.50, Ticketmaster)
– John Wenzel
