Girls, despite their complete disregard for search- engine optimization, were one of the biggest indie bands of 2011. Their September release, “Father, Son, Holy Ghost,” was a delicate collection of 11 songs that recalled the vulnerabilities of the late Elliott Smith while simultaneously surf-rocking with the best of ’em. Lead singer Christopher Owens is a gifted songwriter whose stories mostly concern heartbreak and looking back on his years as a junkie. While his contemporaries wallow in self-pity, Owens sings with a charming self-deprecation (yes, there’s a difference). Tickets for tonight’s show at the Gothic Theatre, $20-$25, are available through .
Kelly Clarkson will wrap up one of the 1stBank Center’s biggest weeks in recent memory, following Radiohead on Tuesday and Miranda Lambert on Saturday. Clarkson is still riding the wave of success from her October release, “Stronger,” and her newest, younger fans may very well not even know her as simply the “American Idol” girl. Pop-rock heartthrob and amateur comedian Matt Nathanson will open the show — quite the leap from his Ogden Theatre days. Tickets for Sunday’s show, $49.50-$65, are available through TicketHorse.
John Hendrickson: jhendrickson@denverpost.com or
