American Football, Tennis and more make our picks of the best Denver-area shows this week. See you there, and if you don’t make it out, follow our music musings and our Oh, and if you know any more bands named after sports that are playing this week, please let us know, because apparently we’re really into that.
Tennis, Inner Oceans — April 25, Bluebird Theater
It feels like just yesterday that Tennis was entertaining a lucky group of people at the Museum of Contemporary Art for a UMS event featuring Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh. In fact, it was only a month ago. But, for anyone who saw what they liked in the museum, now is their chance to catch the Denver indie-pop band in a proper venue. Tennis is returning to play a hometown show at the Bluebird Theater on April 25. After a run touring with Haim, the band released its new album “Ritual In Repeat,” which featured production by Patrick Carney (The Black Keys), Jim Eno (Spoon) and Richard Swift (The Shins). Thatap a lot of big indie-rock cred for the duo of Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley. Fellow Denver group Inner Oceans will open the April 25 show. ($15-$18, bluebirdtheater.net)
American Football — April 25, Gothic Theatre
Itap been more than a decade since American Football, the iconic indie-rock band, has played a show in Colorado. The band broke up quite suddenly in 2000, as its band members began to pursue other opportunities. For drummer Steve Lamos, that other opportunity was teaching at the University of Colorado Boulder. But after many years away from American Football, the band is getting back together for a reunion tour. Lamos, will get to perform once again to his hometown friends and family on April 25 at the Gothic Theatre. In a feature story this week, Lamos told Reverb of the reunion: “I’m lucky enough to have this happen, this was the right age for me.”
Acid Mothers Temple — April 25, Hi-Dive
You don’t have to understand Acid Mothers Temple to enjoy Acid Mothers Temple. Just sit back, get into an open headspace (by any means that you choose to do) and let the tones take you to space. For nearly two decades, the band — in its many forms — has been freaking out audiences with experimental, art and ritual rock. As last year: “When the bearded clan of Acid Mothers Temple took the stage, they delved right into an extended cacophonous blast of distortion, jazz drums and Higashi Hiroshi’s cosmic Roland effects.” Also, Denver’s own Tjutjuna is the perfect opener for the show, having been directly influenced by AMT,
Arlo Guthrie — April 24, Paramount Theatre
If you listen to Arlo Guthrie’s new live album, you’ll quickly realize from the first song, that it’s about 30-50 percent talking. And it makes sense, the guy has a lot of stories, as is the folk and oral tradition passed down by his father, Woody. Some of these stories are tales of everyday America, some are protests from the common man, some are just little anecdotes from his own life. The living legend, the living history book plays the Paramount Theatre on April 24.
