It wouldn’t be stock show season without a couple of big shows at the Grizzly Rose. Denver’s premiere country venue has tapped into the post-holiday stock show spirit for too many Januarys to count, and this year they’re enlisting the help of some of alt-country’s most exciting names to ring in the new year with a little boot-scootin’ rock ‘n’ roll.
Who: Robert Earl Keen, who plays the Rose on Thursday, is one of Texas’ most prominent singer-songwriters. Both a master storyteller and a heck of a singer, Keen is a 20-plus-year veteran of honky-tonks – and he thrives in these clubs more than he does the larger theaters and auditoriums he often plays.
The Wreckers, who take the stage on Jan. 13, are part nu-country, part folk-rock – and a little pop, given that well-known Top 40 singer Michelle Branch comprises half the duo, which also features her friend Jessica Harp. Some see them as too much lipstick and hairspray and not enough country, but the songwriting remains solid.
And since the National Western technically runs through Jan. 21, we also should mention a couple of other Rose shows, including Western Underground and Steve Holy.
When: Robert Earl Keen, Thursday. The Wreckers, Jan. 13. Western Underground, Jan. 18-19. Steve Holy, Jan. 20. And the live weekly house bands throughout the stock show are Mike Love (Jan. 9-15) and Keith Mitchell (Jan. 16-22).
Tickets: Robert Earl Keen, $20. The Wreckers, $15. Other admissions vary. All tickets are available via ticketmaster.com or 303-830-8497.
Where: 5450 N. Valley Highway.
Did you know?: Don’t know how to dance to country music? Don’t worry. The Rose offers free country & western dance lessons at 7 p.m. Wednesdays.
Never been?: Everyone from Faith Hill to Garth Brooks has played the Rose, and the club has been recognized by the Academy of Country music and the Country Music Association as one of the top clubs in the country.
Hot tip: Get there early for the best parking and the cheapest drinks.
More information: 303-295-1330, grizzlyrose.com
Pop music critic Ricardo Baca can be reached at 303-954-1394 or rbaca@denverpost.com.
