Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will kick off the summer — and their national tour — in style at Red Rocks Amphitheatre with shows Tuesday and Thursday, with Joe Cocker opening. An effortless bridge between classic and modern rock, Petty’s mind-boggling string of hits always sounds stellar when cranked at outdoor venues. $49.50-$105. .
Future Islands has been called one of the weirdest bands from North Carolina, and while that’s an exaggeration, a sampling of the (now Baltimore-based) outfit would only reinforce that. Like Tom Waits fronting New Order, the clash of gurgle-throated crooning and clean melodies on the trio’s Thrill Jockey debut, “In Evening Air,” is a jarring yet oddly complementary mix, adding tortured theatrical heft to otherwise sweet, fizzing beds of synthesizer. The band plays storied Denver underground venue Rhinoceropolis on Tuesday, with Lower Dens, Pictureplane, Gauntlet Hair and Nervesandgel. 3553 Brighton Blvd. Donations accepted at the door.
John Wenzel: 303-954-1642 or jwenzel@denverpost.com
