Ethan Bortnick is, at the ripe old age of 9, doing something many musicians are lucky to do once — let alone before their teenage years. The Florida-born prodigy has made the rounds on talk-fests such as “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” and “The Oprah Winfrey Show” the past three years, showing off his surreal mastery of the piano and his ability to play any song by ear. The precocious musician, composer, TV host and philanthropist (yep, philanthropist) has played with everyone from Beyonce to Nelly Furtado in his short time in the spotlight. He’s at the Paramount Theatre on Feb. 12, with tickets on sale at 10 a.m. today. ($25-$35, TicketHorse)
Lucero makes a point to stop along the Front Rage on a regular basis, but its Dec. 5 show at the Bluebird Theater has an added incentive for fans of gruff twang and bittersweet songwriting: Drag the River principals and punk veterans Chad Price and Jon Snodgrass will open the concert. Tickets are on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. ($22-$25, Ticketmaster)
Crystal Castles sold out the Ogden Theatre when it visited in August as part of the L.A.- based HARD Fest, but the band will headline an even bigger show when it helps Boulder celebrate New Year’s Eve on Dec. 31 at the Boulder Theater. Tickets for the Toronto electro duo’s set are on sale. ($60, )
David Sedaris’ reading and audience Q&A at the Boulder Theater on Tuesday has been sold out for weeks, but fans of the wry humorist will have another chance to see him read from his new book, “Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk,” when he stops by the Pikes Peak Center in Colorado Springs on April 23. Tickets are on sale. ($28-$45, )
Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe, the saxophone- led funk ‘n’ jazz act that regularly slays its live audiences, will visit Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom on Halloween for its own bit of musical dress-up. The “We Could Be Heros” show will feature covers of Jane’s Addiction, Johnny “Guitar” Watson and others, plus “special guests, surprises and prizes.” Tickets for the Oct. 31 show, with Gift of Gab from California hip-hop duo Blackalicious, are on sale. ($20, )
Joshua Redman, another celebrated saxophonist, was the toast of the jazz world a few years back, but time has allowed the California native to mature into a consistent (if not entirely innovative) musician. The worldly tenor player will bring his trio, featuring Matt Penman and Gregory Hutchinson, to CU-Boulder’s Macky Auditorium on Jan. 23, with tickets on sale Nov. 8. ($33-$50, )
