The summer concert season is (almost) officially over. Only a few outdoor shows remain, and now bands, promoters and fans are taking things indoors – which makes fall one of the more interesting and anticipated concert seasons.
The slate below of 15 of this fall’s hottest concerts is the buzz to answer the summer concert season’s bombast. Fall is bringing a couple of hot reunions to town, including hip-hoppers A Tribe Called Quest this week and grunge favorites Alice in Chains in November.
But wait, there’s more.
The politically controversial Toby Keith arrives later this month with his red-state flair, and the Bush-baiting Dixie Chicks are due in late November.
And don’t forget about the new records being released just in time for the holiday season. Within a 10-day span in late October, The Killers, Bob Dylan and Evanesence will showcase brand-new material in Denver, trying it out in mostly intimate venues before returning to the Pepsi Center on the strength of a new hit or two.
Count on it being a good time. And here we go:
Dave Matthews Band, Pepsi Center, Tuesday and Wednesday: There are still tickets to this mega-act’s second show in Denver this week, but act fast, as Dave Matthews and his boys have a way of packing a venue like nobody else in today’s touring landscape.
A Tribe Called Quest, Fillmore Auditorium, Wednesday: Long before conscious hip-hop hit the radio, A Tribe Called Quest played it smart and thoughtful and probing. 1990’s “People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm” will remain a seminal rap record, and now the group is back together for a tour – and some possible recording.
Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Sept. 18-19: This bill makes sense. Both artists have reigned over adult-contemporary radio, and the overlap of their fan bases must be significant.
Toby Keith, Red Rocks, Sept. 27: This flag-waving country singer has made plenty of trips to Iraq in the last few years. Now he’ll try his hand at Red Rocks in late September. Bring a jacket.
Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins, Fillmore Auditorium, Sept. 30: This is an unusual pairing, with Lewis and her group co-headlining with the North Mississippi All Stars. Regardless, any chance to see Lewis on her current “Rabbit Fur Coat” tour is one that should be capitalized on.
The Fray, Red Rocks, Sept. 30: With a hit record and sold- out shows across the country, these boys from Denver are living the dream. This sold-out date at Red Rocks is the cherry on top.
Chris Brown, Coors Amphitheatre, Oct. 2: Usher who? From “Run It” to “Gimma That,” Brown has given us crunked-out, dancey R&B tracks to define the summer nights that are nearly behind us.
Paul Simon, Magness Arena, Oct. 10: The new record, “Surprise,” may be a disappointment, but Simon is a pro who knows how to mix it up in concert. Expect a lot of oldies.
The Killers, Fillmore, Oct. 15: The synth-rockers from Las Vegas take on Denver two weeks after the release of the anticipated sophomore release, “Sam’s Town.” Yes, Virginia, these are the proving grounds.
Bob Dylan, Fillmore, Oct. 24: With his first new album in five years, “Modern Times,” getting good reviews, it’s high time for Dylan to hit the road.
Evanescence, Paramount, Oct. 24: These radio favorites took their time in crafting a follow-up to the massive “Fallen,” and now the sold-out audience at the Denver date will get to hear live material from the new “The Open Door” (out Oct. 3).
Dashboard Confessional, Magness, Oct. 24: It’s always a big emo sing-along with Dashboard. The band is touring behind the recent “Dusk and Summer.”
Alice in Chains, Fillmore, Nov. 20: The year’s most anticipated alt-rock reunion is here, but the band is fronted by a new singer. Alice in Chains’ last tour with singer Layne Staley, who died of a drug overdose in 2002, was 10 years ago. William DuVall now handles the vocals, and the reaction so far is positive.
The Dixie Chicks, Pepsi Center, Nov. 27: The Dixie Chicks are touring the best record of their career, but they’ve never recovered from their much-publicized anti-Bush statements in London in 2003. Country fans don’t forget easily, especially the conservative ones, and the Chicks’ current tour hasn’t sold as well as expected. The reviews, however, have been mostly positive for the shows and the new record, “Taking the Long Way.”
Panic! at the Disco, Magness, Nov. 28: When Brendon Urie and his friends, then growing up in suburban Las Vegas, tired of covering blink-182 songs, they decided to write their own. Today they’re one of the biggest – and most unusual – names in pop-punk. They separate themselves from the rest of the pack via intricate wordplay and delivery that is impossible to imitate but fun to dance to.
Here are 10 club shows worth a peek this fall.
1. Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players: Family plays music together with slideshow backing. Tuesday, Cervantes.
2. Mudhoney: Legendary grunge group returns to the rock club. Friday and Saturday, Larimer Lounge
3. Brian Jonestown Massacre: It’s always eventful with Anton Newcombe & Co. Saturday, Boulder Theatre
4. Snowden: Addictively jittery indie rock. Sept. 17, Hi-Dive
5. TV on the Radio: With a new buzz record, these soul-rockers are hotter than ever. Sept. 19, Fox
6. The Giraffes and Supagroup: If you like your rock hard and soaked in sweat, beer and sardines, we salute you. Sept. 20, Larimer Lounge
7. MC Chris: Bizarre, perverse rap. Sept. 23, Bluebird
8. Nitzer Ebb: Old-school industrial. Sept. 23, Gothic
9. Human League: ’80s pop heroes. Don’t you want me, baby? But of course! Sept. 26, Bluebird
10. Ben Kweller: Adorable pop stylings, and with a new record. Oct. 3, Gothic; Oct. 4, Fox
11. A Shoreline Dream: Locals who love their atmosphere, releasing a CD. Oct. 6, Hi-Dive
12. Colourmusic: Freak-out pop from Oklahoma. Oct. 21, Hi-Dive
13. Trey Anastasio: The jam hero, in a small venue. Oct. 23-24, Fox
14. Swayback: Local bad boy rockers releasing an EP. Oct. 27, Hi-Dive
15. Lemonheads: After years in hiding, Evan Dando introduces Lemonheads Version 2.0, a group including a couple of Coloradans, to boot. Dec. 2, Bluebird
– Ricardo Baca
Pop music critic Ricardo Baca can be reached at 303-954-1394 or rbaca@denverpost.com.
