Tonight.Local singer-songwriters. Every once in a while, you’ll see a flier for the Living Room Series— a roaming music festival that happens a couple of times a year. The smart kids pay close attention to these fliers, because the Living Room Series hosts some of the brightest singer-songwriters in Colorado — in cool spaces, to boot. Tonight’s Living Room Series takes over theMeadowlark with numerous guests, including Joe Sampson, Nate Meese, Danghead, John Common, Corey Teruya, Mike Marchant, Abe Abraham, Tim Pourbaix, Chris Nelson, Jason Cain, Josh Novak and others. More: . Ricardo Baca
Folk music
Saturday. Indie rock fans may remember the moment in 2007 when mega-indie Sub Pop announced an offshoot record label, Hardly Art. Sub Pop is known for releasing solid records, and people assumed that Hardly Art would follow suit. And they were right. One of Hardly Art’s first releases was Arthur & Yu’s “In Camera,” an intelligent record of melodic indie folk. And so it makes sense that Grant Olsen’s solo music would be every bit as fascinating as his work in Arthur & Yu. Olsen plays a solo show Saturday night at the Meadowlark. (And for more Hardly Art goodness, check out Sunday’s Denver Post, where two separate Hardly Art releases top Post critics’ year-end music lists. Hint: Neither of them is Arthur & Yu, as that CD came out in 2007.) More: . larkbar. Ricardo Baca
Dance music
Tonight and Saturday. There is a definite art to remixing other artists — even other dance artists. And that’s where we encounter LA Riots, who have two Colorado shows this weekend. They’re best-known for their devastating remix of Crystal Castles’ “Crimewave,” — which is hotter, higher and more produced than the well- known Health remix of the same song. LA Riots are also celebrated for their reworking of Justice tracks, especially “DVNO” and “The Party.” Catch these tracks and others when LA Riots take over the Fox Theatre in Boulder tonight and Club Vinyl in Denver on Saturday. More: . and . Ricardo Baca
Visual art
Ongoing. Paintings. An exhibition running through Jan. 4 at the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center, 30 W. Dale St., makes a powerful case for a reconsideration of American painter Walt Kuhn. On view is “An Imaginary History of the West,” an extraordinary series of 29 small-scale paintings produced in 1918-20 that draw on a range of avant-garde influences and daringly blur the boundaries of representation and abstraction. These fanciful views of the American West have been displayed as an ensemble only a handful of times since the artist’s wife and daughter donated them to the Fine Arts Center in 1950. The museum will be closed New Year’s Day but will maintain its usual hours otherwise during the holidays. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and Sundays and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays. $7.50, $6.75 seniors, students and youths; free for children 4 and younger. 719-634-5581 and csfineartscenter . Kyle MacMillan.
Classical music
Saturday. Chamber music. Classical- music offerings will be few and far between this weekend but not impossible to find. Listeners hungry for a little musical enrichment might consider venturing to Breckenridge, where a woodwind trio will present a program of works by such composers as Jacques Ibert, Heitor Villa-Lobos and Ludwig van Beethoven. The three musicians — clarinetist John Klinghammer, flutist Leslie Fagan and bassoonist Adam Trussell — all are members of the Omaha Symphony. They also perform in the summers as part of the Breckenridge Music Festival, the concert’s sponsor. The performance is set for 7 p.m. Saturday in the Father Dyer United Methodist Church, 310 Wellington Road. Tickets will be available at the door. $20, $5 students. 970-453- 9142 or breckenridgemusicfestival . Kyle MacMillan
Night life
Saturday. Hanukkah party. The Christmas-centered parties now past us, Jewish group Birthright Israel NEXT is presenting its “Illumination” party on Saturday, a Hanukkah celebration with a twist of night life. The evening features a Havdalah ceremony at 8 p.m., menorah candle lighting at 10 p.m., interactive art exhibits, Hanukkah cuisine, an open bar and music from Colorado indie-folk group Paper Bird. Admission is donation- based, encouraging $5-$20, three canned goods or an article of clothing for those in need. Gallery 1261, 1261 Delaware St.; 8 p.m.-midnight. John Wenzel
Theater
Wednesday. Improv comedy and music. Just because you see a show on New Year’s Eve doesn’t mean you have to stay for the entire night. That’s why Bovine Metropolis Theater’s “On the Spot” is the perfect way to get into the mood and still hit the fireworks downtown at midnight. The theater’s signature improv comedy and music show, based on audience suggestions, is all-ages and runs at 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. Bovine Metropolis Theater, 1527 Champa St., bovinemetropolis . John Wenzel
Family fun Wednesday. The Children’s Museum of Denver drops the glittery New Year’s ball four times on New Year’s Eve — it’s midnight somewhere, right? The museum’s annual Noon Year’s Eve party is perfect for kids who want all the fun of watching 2009 arrive, with none of the sleep deprivation. See the ball drop, stomp on bubble wrap to imitate fireworks, then check out the other activities: live music, crafts and stories. 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Children’s Museum of Denver, 2121 Children’s Museum Drive; 303-433-7444. General admission is $7.50 for visitors age 2 to 59 and $5.50 for 1-year-olds and those age 60 and older. Parking is $4. For museum members, admission and parking are free. Kathleen St. John
Wednesday. Downtown Denver’s New Year’s Eve fireworks are a big draw, but by midnight, it’s not always family friendly. That’s why there’s an early-bird blast at 9 p.m. It’s identical to the midnight show, so viewers won’t miss a thing. By midnight, you’ll be warm in bed. 9 p.m. and midnight, Wednesday. Watch anywhere along the 16th Street Mall. Free. Kathleen St. John
Tonight-Wednesday. Today is the first day of Kwanzaa, the African- American celebration of family, community and culture. The Denver Zoo marks the tradition during three of Kwanzaa’s seven days, with African dancing, storytelling and music during ZooLights. Then, on Wednesday, get wild at Zoo Year’s Eve — an early evening New Year’s party. Jugglers, musicians and magicians will entertain the crowd before the “New Year’s countdown” at 9 p.m. Kwanzaa celebrations run 5-9 p.m. tonight-Sunday. Zoo Year’s Eve is 5-9 p.m. Wednesday. Denver Zoo, 2300 Steele St.; 303-376-4800. General admission is $8 for adults, $6 for seniors age 65 and older and $4 for kids ages 3 to 11. Zoo members receive a $2 discount off admission. Kathleen St. John
Tonight-Wednesday. It’s the last few days to catch “A Child’s Christmas in Wales,” the Colorado Shake- speare Festival’s holiday play. Back by popular demand, the show is a nostalgic look at Christmases past, adapted from Dylan Thomas’s poetic short story. Even though Thomas grew up in the early 20th century, expect a few familiar moments. 7 tonight, 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Sunday. Visit . for a full listing of dates and times. University Theatre, at the south end of the Norlin Quad on the University of Colorado campus, Boulder. Tickets are $18-$54 for Friday-Sunday shows and $14-$48 for Tuesday-Wednesday shows. Call 303-492-0554 for more information or to order advance tickets. Kathleen St. John
Tonight. For those who can’t let go of Christmas just yet, Irish band Colcannon performs at the Mercury Cafe. Named after a tasty Irish stew, Colcannon plays Celtic music that’s contemporary, but deeply rooted in the old traditions. Their Boxing Day concert will likely follow the same formula: traditional, but not stuffy, and certainly not boring. 7:30 tonight. The Mercury Cafe, 2199 California St.; 303-294-9281. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for children. Kathleen St. John
