James Blunt quickly sold out the Paramount Theatre in March, a no-brainer considering his mass appeal and
the fact his debut, “Back to Bedlam,” was the top-selling album in the U.K. in 2005 with nearly 2.4 million copies purchased.
Granted, British album sales don’t always translate into American popularity, but Blunt struck a soft-rock chord with his ubiquitous single “You’re Beautiful.” The former soldier, who left the British army at age 27 after serving in Kosovo, has been compared to Elton John, Elliott Smith and Damien Rice. Chances are, most of his fans never have heard of the latter two indie singer-songwriters, although it’s easy to see why he would appeal to Elton John devotees.
Part of Blunt’s mainstream success is no doubt attributable to the company he keeps. Producer/songwriter Linda Perry, known for her hit-making Midas touch, signed him to her Custard label, while producer Tom Rothrock (Foo Fighters, Beck) lent polish to Blunt’s debut.
It’s no surprise, then, that Blunt will play the much larger Magness Arena when he revisits Denver. The venue can hold up to 6,500 fans, depending on the seating configuration. Tickets for the Oct. 28 show at Magness go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday, and they’ll likely go fast. ($35-$42.50, Ticketmaster)
Toby Keith has a way of galvanizing his fans and detractors with equal fervor. The country-
pop star’s album titles “Shock’n Y’All” and “White Trash With Money” speak for themselves, shooting for a middle-American demographic with bald proclamations of redneck patriotism. Most know him from the post-
Sept. 11 single “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American),” but Keith had been plugging away under a smaller spotlight since his 1993 self-titled disc. He’ll visit Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Sept. 27 with Joe Nichols. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Saturday. ($49.75-$69.75, Ticketmaster)
Alice in Chains seemed to suffer a fatal blow after the overdose death of lead singer Layne Staley in 2002, but the band recently announced an extensive national tour, including a Nov. 20 stop at the Fillmore Auditorium. Granted, it’s the outfit’s first road stint in 10 years, and new vocalist William Duvall (Comes With the Fall) will never rival Staley’s raw angst, but die-hard fans will likely care not. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Saturday. ($35, Ticketmaster)
Evanescence will release its new disc, “The Open Door,” on Oct. 3 and follow it with a national tour, including an Oct. 24 date at the Paramount Theatre. The band’s sound, a strange mixture of saccharine vocals and punchy metal instrumentation, has changed a bit over the years as internal drama (injuries, rotating members) marred its momentum. Still, this more-intimate date, in advance of a larger arena tour, likely will sell out quickly. Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Saturday. ($26.75-$30, Ticketmaster)
