Brad Paisley will kick off the new year on a triumphant note, having won male vocalist of the year from both the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music, and still riding high on the radio success of his song “Online.” The pop-country vocalist, last here in June for the Greeley Stampede, will play the Pepsi Center on Jan. 16 with Rodney Atkins and Chuck Wicks. Despite the reasonable ticket price, expect lots of flashy visuals from the high-tech stage show. Tickets are on sale at 10 a.m. Dec. 1. ($29.75-$45, Ticketmaster)
Colorado Ballet’s “Nutcracker” kicks off its 24-show run tomorrow, with a variety of afternoon, mid-week and weekend performances for the busy family or couple. Check out the region’s definitive version of this classic ballet through Dec. 24. Tickets are available now. ($12.95-$117, Ticketmaster)
Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret will offer a typically diverse slate of shows in the coming frigid weeks, including New Orleans storyteller/ singer Beth Patterson on Sunday, Americana songwriter Jeff Finlin on Nov. 30, and Erica Brown Blues Band on Dec. 9. Grab your tickets early, as shows at this cozy venue frequently sell out. (various prices, )
The Comedy Addiction Tour mines the universal vein of compulsiveness we all fall prey to occasionally, the comedians having “been to the mountain and back” for drugs, sex, money, food and other behaviors. Tickets for the Dec. 9 set at the Donald R. Seawell Ballroom in the Denver Performing Arts Complex are on sale now. ($28-$33, )
Peter Mulvey will bring his acclaimed folk songs to Swallow Hill from Dec. 7 to 8 for co-headlining shows with Cheryl Wheeler. Tickets are on sale now. ($21-$24, )
3OH!3 continues to make noise outside of our state, but that won’t stop the aggro hip-hop duo with the rabid following from playing a hometown holiday show. Tickets for the Dec. 8 set at the Gothic Theatre with the Photo Atlas, the Chain Gang of 1974 and Distrakt are on sale now. ($12.25-$14, TicketWeb)
Leftover Salmon’s Dec. 29 concert at the Boulder Theater is officially sold out, but fans of the Cajun-jamgrass band still can snag passes to the Dec. 28 show at the Ogden Theatre with New Monsoon. ($32.50, Ticketmaster)
Marc Cohn’s Gothic Theatre show on Dec. 14 also is sold out, but tickets for his Dec. 15 Beaver Creek show at the Vilar Center (with Amy Correia) and his Dec. 16 Fort Collins show at the Lincoln Center (with Brandi Carlile) are still available. (various prices, )
Trans-Siberian Orchestra fans are also out of luck for the muscled-up Christmas music act’s Dec. 5 night show at the World Arena, but tickets to the afternoon set are still available, as well as tickets to the Dec. 6 Pepsi Center show. ($34-$58, TicketsWest or Ticketmaster)
