J. Mascis, Reel Social Club Arcade, Flying Lotus and more make our picks of best Denver concerts this week. We’ll be seeing you there, and if you don’t make it out, follow the music musings and our
5) Pizza Underground, Nov. 26 — Marquis Theater
It would be remiss of me not to somehow draw the Reverb readership’s attention to The Pizza Underground show at the Marquis Theater on Nov. 26. What is the Pizza Underground, you ask? Itap a pizza themed Velvet Underground cover band that has child actor Macaulay Culkin playing kazoo, percussion and vocals. Yes, you did read that correctly. Itap a pizza themed Velvet Underground cover band in which the kid from “Home Alone” plays the kazoo. Anyway, you can’t and shouldn’t miss this one for obvious reasons. ($15, themarquistheatre.com)
4) Lemon Future, Julian Church and Nick Spreigl (of Air Dubai) at the Reel Social Club Arcade, Nov. 21 — MicNichols building
The Reel Social Club parties are becoming something of legend in the state of Colorado. You can find them at Summer Scream at Lakeside, Film on the Rocks and the Stanley Film Festival. But, during the Starz Denver Film Festival, RSC pulls out all the stops. They’ve tapped Reverb to bring in some awesome local talent to DJ their SDFF afterparty at the McNichols Building. From 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. we’ll have a set from Denver’s Lemon Future and DJ sets from Nick Spreigl and Julian Church of Air Dubai. Oh and did we mention that there’s an open bar and arcade games? And to complete your film/party experience, you can start your night at the showing of “I Am a Knife With Legs” at the Sie FilmCenter at 7 p.m. Your ticket for the film includes access to the movie and the party.
3) J. Mascis, Nov. 21-22 — Larimer Lounge
There’s something softer and more contemplative about the cover of J. Mascis’ most recent solo effort, “Tied to a Star.” He’s always had unique, cartoon-like artwork for his own and Dinosaur Jr. albums, but this one — a few little monsters gazing into the unknown — seems like a thoughtful children’s story. Maybe it’s like “Where the Wild Things Are.” As a solo artist, J. Mascis has entered a softer phase of his life. Gone are the grungy guitar licks from Dinosaur Jr. in favor of an acoustic guitar and mellow singing and songwriting on “Tied to a Star.” Anyone who has seen Dinosaur Jr. live knows that the band can get unbelievably loud, but when Mascis sits down with just his acoustic guitar on Nov. 21-22 at the Larimer Lounge, fans are in for a pleasant surprise.
2) Death From Above 1979, Nov. 22 — Fox Theatre
We can’t remember the last time Death From Above 1979 played a show in Denver. There was that MSTRKRT show in 2010 (which includes Jesse Keeler from DFA), but that doesn’t quite count. This year, the dance-punk act released its first album in 10 years, filling a long-awaited void for fans of the short-lived act. In support of that latest release, “The Physical World,” the duo is playing Boulder’s Fox Theatre on Nov. 22. This is one of only 23 dates on their 2015 tour. In such an intimate setting, DFA will make the Fox feel like a basement club just like they would have a decade ago. The reason is that not much has changed musically for DFA in the last 10 years, and for the duo’s cult following, this is just fine. They still layer crunchy guitars over dance drum beats, with hints of synths and harsh pop hooks. Dance, headbang, do whatever you want at this one. As an added bonus, Keeler’s MSTRKRAFT will play a late night show at the Fox after DFA.
1) Flying Lotus, Nov. 22 — Fillmore Auditorium
Flying Lotus isn’t for everyone. His rhythms are complex, his structure odd and even his melodies are unexpected. But thatap exactly what makes him such an impressive musician. The producer is changing the concept of electronic music. If anything, he’s more along the lines of a jazz musician than anything else (which is fitting because he’s the nephew John Coltrane). He experiments with sound in a way that few musicians are brave enough to do. He makes his biggest headlining performance to date in Denver at the Fillmore Auditorium on Nov. 22. ($25-$35, livenation.com)
Follow our news and updates on , our relationship status on and our search history on . Or send us a telegram.
Reverb Managing Editor Matt Miller has a really common name so please use these links to find his Ի. Or just send him an email to mrmiller@denverpost.com.
