Dave Chappelle
In many ways, seeing comedian Dave Chappelle live on a comedy stage is more gratifying than the reruns of his Comedy Central show, “Chappelle’s Show.”
Of course there’s that rush of seeing him live. But the content is angled more toward the real world than pop-culture references.
Denver audiences got a lot of Chappelle last week when the comic played a series of secret shows at the Comedy Works. Each set varied wildly, although riffs on Comedy Central and Michael Richards were consistent themes.
During his 9 p.m. show on Feb. 7, the comic focused most of his set around an institution he calls “The Game,” a.k.a. greed or corporate America or wastefulness. It gave the show a surprising serious tone, and while you never doubted his sentiment, the room was never, ever without laughter.
Chappelle is a master at being serious and honest without bringing everybody down. And as it turns out, laughter is a pretty potent medicine. |Ricardo Baca
Camera Obscura
Tracyanne Campbell, singer for Scottish indie pop band Camera Obscura, began her group’s Feb. 8 set at the Bluebird by thanking the audience for choosing them over the Incubus concert across town. The thought of someone wanting to see both seems absurd, considering their antithetical styles, but Campbell’s gratitude was heartfelt.
Veering from Camera Obscura’s new album (“Let’s Get Out of This Country”) to Robert Burns’ poems (“I Love My Jean”), the show offered a bit of everything. People grew restless during quieter numbers, compelling the superfans on the balcony to shush them, but mostly the crowd welcomed the band like long-lost friends.
“Lloyd, I’m Ready to Be Heartbroken” and “If Looks Could Kill” provided high-energy points in the mostly sedate night. Campbell became so lost in her singing at one point that she appeared to wipe away tears. It was a nice reminder that not every indie rock concert has to be a coolly detached affair. |John Wenzel
“Beauty and the Beast”
A new dance version of “Beauty and the Beast” by Robert Mills, artistic director of Ballet Nouveau Colorado, shifts the classic story to the cellphone world of the present.
While the idea is imaginative, the execution often isn’t. A high-voltage ensemble scene in Act 2 offers an innovative mix of ballet and hip dance-club moves, but too much of the rest of the choreography is blandly conventional. It functionally conveys the narrative but offers little dancing of any consequence.
That said, the arched, steel-truss set pieces by Nicholas Kargel ably evoke the changing settings, and the performances are largely effective. James Hernandez offers a credible portrayal of the Beast, and Julie King, though a bit stiff at times, holds her own as Beauty.
Ballet Nouveau is not yet close to the level of the Colorado Ballet. But the 19-member professional company serves as a low-cost alternative, especially for suburban audiences unwilling to venture downtown.
A final performance is set for 8 tonight in Broomfield Auditorium, 3 Community Park Road. |Kyle MacMillan
Earl Greyhound
Everybody compares Earl Greyhound with early Led Zeppelin. And after seeing them at the Larimer Lounge on Feb. 7, it’s a comparison that makes sense.
But it’s also not a line the New York trio will live or die by. This band exists because of the Zepp records and the work of Marc Boland and his band T. Rex. But they’re not out to pick up where those groups left off.
This music has a unique, free-flowing soul to it. The battling vocals of guitarist Matt Whyte and bassist Kamara Thomas are reminiscent of TV on the Radio and The Dirtbombs – a band injecting soul into a vessel that isn’t used to it. The results are a blast.
The drums are heavy, and the bass is understated yet demanding. The heart of this band, in recording and on stage, is Whyte, and he manages this ship with such expert efficiency that it’s unlikely they’ll be playing the rock clubs for much longer. Just look at Wolfmother. |Ricardo Baca
