, and more make our list of best Colorado shows this week. We’ll be seeing you there, and if you don’t make it out, follow the music musings and our
5) Denver Day of Rock — 16th Street, May 23-24
It’s hard to beat a free concert — especially one that brings Hold Steady, Black Joe Lewis, the Whigs, Cadler’s Revolvers and more. Even Craig Finn of the Hold Steady appreciates playing a free show: “In some ways free things like this are the best types,” he told us. “You might play for people who wouldn’t know you or don’t have a take a big risk to come see you.” But along with his literary rock band, and other great acts, the fifth annual on 16th Street brings beer gardens, food trucks, vendors and more on May 23-24. Did we mention it’s free?
4) MS MR — Ogden Theatre, May 28
hits the darker, more industrial side of the electro-pop spectrum. Female-fronted acts of the genre have hit a new level of popularity in the last few years with bands ranging from the brighter (CHVRCHES) to the middle-ground (Phantogram) to MS MR. The band was originally scheduled to play the Gothic Theatre in early April, but was forced to cancel and move to the bigger Ogden Theatre on May 28. Denver’s Rose Quartz will open the show.
3) Tune-Yards — Gothic Theatre, May 28
With her third album released earlier this month, Merrill Garbus’ project returns to Colorado for her biggest headlining spot at the Gothic Theatre. Defined by world and afro-pop rhythms, Tune-Yards brings unconventional instrumentation and construction to what’s typically a straight-forward indie-pop genre. It’s rare that music this complex would catch on with mainstream audiences, but her latest release, “Nikki Nack” hit No. 27 on the U.S. charts. Garbus returns to Colorado on May 28 with opener Sylvan Esso.
2) MeadowGrass — La Foret, Black Forest, May 23-25
Now in its sixth year, MeadowGrass Music Festival returns after last year’s devastating fires ravaged its community near the La Foret Conference and Retreat Center in Black Forest. While the festival grounds remained unharmed, a number of MeadowGrass performers lost homes in the fires. As a rallying point for the community, MeadowGrass 2014 brings 22 artists to perform at the grounds on May 23-25. Acts at the folk and string festival include the Duhks, Elephant Revival and the Mother Hips. ($60-$100, rockymountainhighway.org)
1) Kishi Bashi — Gothic Theatre, May 24
When a classically trained violinist embraces contemporary indie-pop, electronic and experimental music, it turns out to be something surprisingly whimsical. Kishi Bashi adds his cheerful outlook to this crossroads of sounds and it becomes a vibrant patchwork of chamber strings, clear falsetto vocals and synth. A renowned violinist, Kishi Bashi has been a touring musician with notable acts such as Regina Spektor and Of Montreal, and he takes cues from each in his solo material. Touring in support of his sophomore album, “Lighght,” the musician returns to Colorado to play the Gothic Theatre on May 24. ($15-$17, gothictheatre.com)
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