The Beastie Boys, like Elvis before them, took a traditionally African- American art form and popularized it for white audiences.
And like Elvis’ recordings, the hip-hop trio’s music was eventually worthy of its influences, even if it spawned myriad cringe-inducing imitators. Of course, it took Mike D, MCA and Ad-Rock a few years to perfect their nasal, New York-centric rhymes and beats. The satisfying concoction of turntable scratching, punk sensibilities and absurdist humor coalesced nicely on the crew’s late ’80s and early ’90s work.
Tickets for the band’s Aug. 16 show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre are on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. ($49.50, Ticketmaster)
Beyoncé has accomplished an impressive amount in her 25 years, winning five Grammys for her solo debut and appearing in numerous films. Even if the former Destiny’s Child member didn’t get the Oscar
(it went to Jennifer Hudson from “Dreamgirls”), she’s still sitting pretty on the charts. Tickets for the R&B singer’s Aug. 22 show at the Pepsi Center are on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. ($39-$79, Ticketmaster)
“Green Rocks,” sponsored by nationally renowned Boulder radio show etown, seeks to be the “greenest” event in Red Rocks’ history by practicing eco-consciousness through education, recycling, carpooling and energy offsets. Michael Franti & Spearhead, John Butler Trio and Mavis Staples will perform, with a pre-show address from Gov. Bill Ritter. Tickets for the June 30 show are on sale now. ($36.95-$39.95, Ticketmaster)
Modest Mouse chose a pair of acts from its Pacific Northwest stronghold to bolster its late-summer tour. Band of Horses and Love as Laughter, both on indie haven Sub Pop, will open for the Mouse when it hits Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Aug. 1 to promote its new album, “We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank.” Tickets for the rock maelstrom are on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. ($33.50-$37.50, Ticketmaster)
Deep Purple churned out a few hard-rock hits (“Strange Kind of Woman,” “Smoke on the Water”) before convulsing through decades-long lineup changes and reunions. Still, the band is as committed as ever, releasing albums of original material and live CDs every few years. Tickets for the act’s Aug. 21 Fillmore Auditorium show are on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. ($45, Ticketmaster)
The Black Crowes have been staying busy, recording a new album slated for 2008 and touring consistently through the summer and early fall. The blues-rock group will bring the North Mississippi All-Stars as openers when it plays Red Rocks on Sept. 9. Tickets are on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. ($25-$49.25, Ticketmaster)
