Pop music
The hardworking Michael Franti
Saturday.Sunny sounds. If Michael Franti was going for the whole Jack Johnson aesthetic with his recent singles “The Sound of Sunshine” and “Say Hey (I Love You),” he nailed it. One of the more eclectic names in the game, Franti is better- known for hippied-out dance parties at music festivals than FM radio play. But the hard-touring musician deserves the accolades and attention. Michael Franti and Spearhead play Red Rocks on Saturday. Brett Dennen opens the show. Tickets, $37.50-$42.50, are available via . Ricardo Baca
The new Nelsons
Tuesday. Willie’s boys. It will be a surreal night of music and semi-familiar faces at Bender’s Tavern in Capitol Hill on Tuesday night when two of Willie Nelson’s sons stop in for special sets of songs. Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real are headlining the show, and Micah Nelson’s band, the Reflectacles, will play support. The Promise of the Real is a Venice Beach-rooted rock act with Lukas on vocals. The L.A.-based Reflectacles is a roots-and-blues-influenced rock act with Micah playing drums. Tickets, $8, are available at . Ricardo Baca
Dance
Lemon Sponge Cake’s unpredictable show
Saturday.Ballet world premiere. Boulder contemporary ballet company Lemon Sponge Cake has never been predictable in its programming, and it’s not about to start now. The company, led by choreographer Robert Sher-Machherndl, will take a creative approach to marking the 260th anniversary of Johann Sebastian Bach’s death with the world premiere of “Bach 260,” a piece set to the German composer’s fugues and other works. Minna Tervamaki, the acclaimed Finnish National Ballet dancer and frequent collaborator, will make a rare U.S. appearance for the premiere. 8 p.m. Saturday, Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. $28.75-$43.75. 303-440-7666 or . John Wenzel
Interweave looks back
Saturday.Dance celebration. Anniversaries are all about looking back, so it makes sense that Interweave Dance Company is celebrating its 30th anniversary with the “Retrospect” show, which revisits and reinvents works from the past decade. The Boulder company, which timed the show to fall on National Dance Day, also will include archival video of vintage Boulder Jazz Dance Company (its previous incarnation) and Interweave pieces. 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., Irey Theatre, CU-Boulder Campus. $18-$22. 303-449-0399. John Wenzel
Theater
Jacques Brel in church
Tonight through Aug. 8. Sunny sounds. A church is the last place you’d expect to see a production of “Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris,” but anywhere you collect voices like those of local actors Paul Page, Daniel Langhoff and Anna High, this 1968 cabaret musical revue should be right at home. This pioneering, odd little cabaret show helped introduce Brel’s oft-brooding, evocative songs to a wider American audience. The company says “doors open” for spirits and French hors d’oeurves at 7 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays, 1:30 p.m. Sundays, through Aug. 8 at St. Frances Cabrini Church, 6673 W. Chatfield Ave., Littleton. All tickets are $15, with food available for purchase. 303-979-7688.
Film
A tribute to the late, great Dennis Hopper
Through August. Tribute screenings.Dennis Hopper, who died in May, took the screen as an uneasy but oh-so-fascinating presence in movies as varied as “Rebel Without a Cause” and “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2.” In 1969, he co-wrote and directed an indelible 1960s-savvy sojourn across a war-riven America, starring friends Peter Fonda and Jack Nicholson. “Easy Rider,” above, kick-starts the month-long run of “Hopper,” a tribute playing Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Also slated: “Colors,” “Hoosiers,” “River’s Edge” and “Blue Velvet.” In a smart move, the film society is offering series packages: $20 members, $27.50 general; single admission $7-$9.75. Starz FilmCenter at the Tivoli, Ninth Street and Auraria Parkway, 303-820-FILM, . Lisa Kennedy
Family fun
Going under
Saturday-Sunday. Underwater adventures. Colorado is firmly landlocked, but that doesn’t mean we can’t go scuba diving. Give scuba a try when the traveling “Be a Diver!” program visits the Downtown Aquarium. Featuring a heated, 15,000-gallon mobile pool, “Be a Diver!” lets anyone go for a quick dive with the help of a certified scuba instructor. Best of all, the dive is free. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The Downtown Aquarium, 700 Water St.; 303-561-4450. Admission to the aquarium is $15.99 for adults ages 12-64, $14.99 for seniors age 65 and older, $9.99 for kids ages 3 to 11. Visit for more information. Kathleen St. John
Gaelic fest at the castle
Saturday. Imported fun. Do the Highland thing at Cherokee Ranch and Castle’s “Ceilidh at the Castle.” Pronounced “KAY-lee,” a Gaelic ceilidh is simply a community gathering, often with music and dancing — in this case, local Scottish band Canned Haggis provides the soundtrack. The evening starts with a Scottish-themed dinner and scotch tasting. 5 p.m. Saturday. Cherokee Ranch and Castle, 6113 N. Daniels Park Road, Sedalia; 303-688-5555. Tickets are $55 for adults, $20 for children age 12 and younger. Call to reserve tickets. Learn more at . Kathleen St. John
Parade launches Boulder County Fair
Saturday. Fair. Kick off the Boulder County Fair at the Boulder County Fair Parade. The fair doesn’t officially begin until Tuesday, but they’re starting early: Fill up for the morning at a pre-parade chuckwagon breakfast in downtown Longmont, then grab a seat before the parade steps off at 10 a.m. The full Boulder County Fair will be up and running on Tuesday with rides, rodeo, livestock shows and much more. The fair runs through Aug. 7. 6:30 a.m. to noon Saturday. Downtown Longmont. Admission is free. Visit for more information, including a complete schedule of fair activities. Kathleen St. John
Hold the ice
Saturday through Sept. 30. Summer skate. Outdoor ice-skating rinks spring up everywhere in the winter, but where’s the love for skating in summer? FlatIron Crossing has your answer at SummerSkate, starting Saturday. The temporary roller skating rink takes the place of their winter ice setup for the last weeks of summer. Skates are available for rental, including adjustable ones for little tykes. 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays, 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sundays. FlatIron Crossing, Interlocken Loop and FlatIron Crossing Drive, Broomfield; 720-887-9900. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for kids ages 4 to 12, $3 for seniors. Skate rental is $3. For more information, visit . Kathleen St. John
