Chet Faker, SXSW Cares 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
4) The Mountain Goats — Gothic Theatre, June 5
Fans lovingly consider the Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle as some sort of literary genius. In fact they are so taken with his writing ability, they started a White House petition last year to make him a the Poet Laureate of the United States. Maybe fans are a little overzealous, but with lyrics like “I played video games in a drunken haze” he does have a knack of relating to people. Since the mid-’90s, Darnielle has released 14 albums under the Mountain Goats moniker. He returns to Colorado on June 5 to play the Gothic Theatre. ($22.50-$25, gothictheatre.com)
3) Guided by Voices — June 4, Gothic Theatre
With another lineup to showcase and a new album to support, Guided by Voices will return to Colorado on June 4 to the Gothic Theatre. As part of a surge of creativity that has produced six albums since 2012, the band released “Cool Planet” in mid-May. Talking about his current lineup, , “The strengths are mainly the original characters or personalities of the so called classic line-up. The names and faces that the hard core fans can identify with.”
2) SXSW Cares with Esme Patterson, Emerald Siam and more — May 30, Hi-Dive
About two months after a drunken driver tragically killed four people and injured dozens more at SXSW, the Colorado music community continues work to help the victims and their families. On May 30, Hi-Dive is hosting SXSW cares, which features some of Denver’s finest musicians, along with chances to win awesome stuff from festivals, venues and more. Esme Patterson, Emerald Siam, Straight Outta Luck, Dwayne and Calder’s Revolvers will perform. As part of a raffle, organizers are giving out chances to win passes to UMS, SXSW and more.
1) Chet Faker — June 4, Bluebird Theater
Chet Faker gives the cold heart of electronic music a soul. Combining R&B vocals with soulful electronic beats, Faker occupies a similar spot in EDM crossover music as James Blake. He finds a balance of deep bass grooves, a drizzle of saxophone, gospel choruses and electronic experimentation on his latest album, “Built on Glass,” which was released in April. But where most electronic singer-songwriters will rely to heavily on looped samples and autotune, Faker’s vocals are produced clean and natural sounding and given a traditional pop structure. The Australian artist plays Denver’s Bluebird Theater on June 4. ($13-$15, bluebirdtheater.net)
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