Wilco’s “Sky Blue Sky” could have been another experimental record, sucking up to the critics the way the last couple of albums inadvertently did.
But the Chicago group’s latest feels more like a continuation of the solid alt-country that put it on the map, eschewing studio tricks and oblique melodies. Jeff Tweedy and Co. sound right at home with new members Nels Cline and Pat Sansone.
Judge for yourself when Wilco plays a two-night stint at the Fillmore Auditorium Sept. 1-2. Tickets are on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. ($35 or $55 for both nights, Ticketmaster)
“Spamalot,” like Mel Brooks’ “The Producers,” took a comedic film premise and spun it into Tony award-winning gold, this time for the U.K.’s revered Monty Python troupe. Named the best musical of 2005, the Broadway sensation hits Denver Sept. 18-Oct. 7. Tickets are on sale Sunday. ($30-$80, TicketsWest or)
The Rock the Bells Tour last visited in December with an austere lineup, but its recently announced roster reads like a who’s-who of groundbreaking hip-hop artists. Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Cypress Hill, Talib Kweli, Rahzel and others will play the Aug. 22 Red Rocks Amphitheatre show. Tickets are on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. ($49.50, Ticketmaster)
Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem each released lackluster follow-ups this year to their name-making debuts, but their Sept. 17 tandem gig at Red Rocks will still be a treat for the indie kids. Tickets are on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. ($40.50, Ticketmaster)
Lynyrd Skynyrd will bring its Southern-fried nostalgia jams to the Broomfield Event Center on Aug. 2, with openers the Groove Hawgs. Tickets are on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. ($25-$49.50, Ticketmaster)
Muse long ago discovered what others have only recently found: Imitating Radiohead is gold. Tickets for its Sept. 18 set at Red Rocks are on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. ($35, Ticketmaster)
Hilary Duff is to Britney Spears as the Olsen Twins are to Paris Hilton and Nicole Ritchie – a relatively wholesome alternative to trashy, cynically calculated fluff. Tickets for Duff’s Aug. 21 Coors Amphitheatre show are on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. ($25.50-$50, Ticketmaster)
Kelly Clarkson’s tour cancellation earlier this week was notable for its frankness. Promoters often hide behind vagaries when shelving high-profile jaunts, but Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino offered a refreshing assessment: “Ticket sales have not been what we anticipated and we came to the realization that we had bit off more than we could chew.” Refunds are available at the point of purchase, which for many was Ticketmaster.
