It seems perverse to think about going back to school when July has barely begun, but KS 107.5’s annual Back to School Jam ought to soften the blow.
The event is a reliable hip-hop extravaganza, featuring chart-toppers and smaller supporting acts. This year’s lineup, announced on Tuesday, includes headliner T.I. with guests Ciara (pictured above), Yung Joc, T-Pain and Lloyd. Tickets for the Aug. 29 event at Coors Amphitheatre are $25-$45, on sale through Ticketmaster at 10 a.m. Saturday.
Granted, this is the Top 40-style hip-hop and R&B. If you want the more rootsy, underground variety, the Rock the Bells tour at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Aug. 22 is for you.
Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Cypress Hill, Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch, Immortal Technique, Jedi Mind Tricks, Rahzel, Hi-Tek and Supernatural will helm that event. Ticket are on sale now. ($49.50, Ticketmaster)
Velvet Revolver is either the embodiment of the rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic or its scraped-out husk. The band members – Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots and Slash, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum of Guns ‘N Roses – have certainly looked and sounded better, but few know how to communicate the debauched excesses of rock better. Tickets for the band’s Sept. 24 set at Coors Amphitheatre are on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. ($25-$59.50, Ticketmaster)
Jonny Lang will bring his polished new sound, which focuses less on his guitar playing and more on his songwriting and overall arrangements, to the Fillmore Auditorium on Sept. 6. Tickets are on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. ($30, Ticketmaster)
Satellite Party, Perry Farrell’s latest band, is more of a psychedelic jam than some of his dour projects (Porno for Pyros, anyone?) but it’s not a return to his hard rock roots or the trippy experimentation of his solo albums. Check it out for yourself Sept. 18 when the band plays the Gothic
Theatre. Tickets are on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. ($26, Ticketmaster)
