Styx and REO Speedwagon long since have passed their cultural sell-by dates, but that won’t stop the nostalgia train from rolling through the Mile High City this fall.
Like Tuesday’s Def Leppard/Journey show at Red Rocks, the tour will milk fans’ misty-eyed memories of early-’80s arena rock, a genre so overblown that it obscured many of the truly exciting things happening in that era of music.
Still, who wouldn’t happily raise their glass to REO Speedwagon’s ubiquitous power ballad, “Keep on Loving You,” or the singalong party anthem, “Can’t Fight This Feeling”? Who cares if the only reason most people remember Styx is for its saccharine hit, “Come Sail Away,” or the weirdness of “Mr. Roboto,” and not the artsy prog-rock that first put the band on the map?
This is what passes for classic rock these days, as pop-culture mouthpieces like VH1 deify once-laughable acts and repackage them for a younger generation entranced by the big hair, glittery makeup and two-piece red leather costumes. Expect a lot of ironic devil signs at the Oct. 1 Coors Amphitheatre show, which also will feature The Fabulous Thunderbirds. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. ($20-$65, Ticketmaster)
Flogging Molly proved its mettle in March when it played two sold-out shows at the recently renovated Ogden Theatre, an impressive stint considering the venue’s 1,700-person capacity. The act, which meshes punk rock with traditional Irish folk, will make a triumphant return to Denver for the Side One Dummy College Tour, which also features Bedouin Soundclash and ZOX. Tickets for the Oct. 3 show at DU’s Magness Arena go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. ($22.50, Ticketmaster)
The Dixie Chicks canceled their Sept. 24 show at the Pepsi Center amid reports of slow ticket sales, although press releases from the band insisted that wasn’t the reason. Now the country superstars have announced a rescheduled date at the Pepsi Center on Nov. 27. Existing tickets will be honored. Fans who can’t attend can get a refund at their point of purchase. ($51-$80.50, Ticketmaster)
Carlos Mencia has added a stand-up comedy show to his Buell Theatre stint. The wildly popular Comedy Central star will perform Sept. 14 in addition to his two sold-out Sept. 15 sets. Tickets for the set go on sale at 10 a.m. today and will likely vanish quickly. ($34.50-$44.50, Ticketmaster)
