All right, ladies, let’s roll
Tonight. Roller derby. Denver natives remember the days of roller skating in the old Mammoth Gardens, the former incarnation of the Fillmore Auditorium. And so it makes lovely sense that the auditorium is the occasional home of the Denver Roller Dolls, one of Denver’s female roller-derby teams. The team will again use the Fillmore for its bout tonight against the Minnesota Allstars. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and tickets are $15 at . As we learned last time at the Fillmore, get there early if you want to secure a decent sightline. Ricardo Baca
Classical Music
Thursday. Chamber music. Colorado has the rare privilege of being home to one the world’s great chamber ensembles — the Takács Quartet. Adding appeal this year to its always-anticipated fall appearance at the Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Parkway, is a joint appearance by noted pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin. They will join forces for Schumann’s Piano Quintet in E flat, Op. 44. Also on the program at 7:30 p.m. Thursday are quartets by Bartok and Mozart. $26. 303-987-7845 or . Kyle MacMillan
Saturday. Vocal music. Few works in American vocal music are more imaginative and appealing than Charles Ives’ songs, which remain too little known. Baritone Robert Gardner, 2007 winner of the Lili Boulanger Memorial Award, will present a program of these gems at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Augustana Lutheran Church, 5000 E. Alameda Ave., as part of the Augustana Arts series. $15, $10 seniors and $5 students. 866-464-2626 or . Kyle MacMillan.
Through the weekend. Orchestral music. The concerto grosso, a musical form in which a small group of soloists interacts with a larger instrument ensemble, will be the focus of the Baroque Chamber Orchestra of Colorado’s opening program. Works by such composers as Corelli, Handel and Geminiani will be featured. Performances are set for 7:30 tonight at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral, 1350 Washington St.; 7:30 p.m. Saturday at First United Methodist Church, 1421 Spruce St., Boulder; and 4 p.m. Sunday at Wellshire Presbyterian Church, 2999 S. Colorado Blvd. $22. 303-889-1012 or . Kyle MacMillan
Special Events
Ongoing. Performances, exhibits, talks and tours. With climate change, sustainability and green technology in the headlines everyday, EcoArts could hardly be more timely or relevant. The annual event, a collaboration of 22 organizations, brings together scientists and artists in a variety of events along the Front Range. This year’s edition opens today and runs through Oct. 9. A highlight of the first weekend is “Balancing Acts — Visions for a Sustainable Future,” a program of 10-minute works at 7:30 p.m. today and Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday at the Dairy Center for the Arts, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. Participants include dancer/performance artist Michelle Ellsworth and MacArthur “genius grant” winner Patty Limerick. $16-$23. 888-512-7469 or . For a complete lineup of EcoArts offerings, consult . Kyle MacMillan.
Pop music
Tonight. Old-school hip-hop.Tonight. You heard it right. The 2 Live Crew — yes that 2 Live Crew — will take on Vinyl tonight. Luther Campbell and his buddies are still at it, pushing the ’90s shock-rap favorites at small (and odd) venues all over the country. Don’t expect much. This whole scene — ’90s rap acts playing nightclubs — is, for the most part, a sham. Ask anyone who has seen Digital Underground or Tone Loc in the past five years. But still, if you really are that eager to hear “Me So Horny” again, then have at it. Tickets, $10, are available in advance at groovetickets . Ricardo Baca
Saturday. Latin rock. It says something about Carlos Santana that he’s sold nearly 100 million records. Those are epic numbers by any standards. Sure, more than one-quarter of those came from 1999’s “Supernatural,” the best-selling collaborative record that featured “Smooth” and other such pop-guitar compositions. But still, Santana remains one of his generation’s most legendary players. Santana brings his band to Greenwood Village’s Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre on Saturday for a night of the hits. His son’s band, the Salvador Santana Band, opens the show. Tickets, $20.50-$75, are available at . Ricardo Baca
Visual Arts
Today. Mixed media. Curator Christopher Lynn expands the notion of “negative space” in an exhibition titled “Mind the Gap: Noticing the Unnoticed” in the Gallery of Contemporary Art at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, 1420 Austin Bluffs Parkway. The show, which brings together work by artists from around the world, including Jared Lindsay Clark, Jennifer Danos and Doron Solomons, opens today and runs through Nov. 22. A public reception is set for 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. today. Free. 719-262-3567 or . Kyle MacMillan
Saturday. Chinese art.”The Art of the Sale,” a newly opened exhibition organized by the Denver-based Asian Art Coordinating Council, explores the growth of mass advertising in China during the 20th century and the artistry that was often a part of it. The show continues through Oct. 3 at the Curtis Arts and Humanities Center, 2349 E. Orchard Road, with a public reception from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Saturday. Free. 303-797-1779 or .Kyle MacMillan.
