March 2018 | Denver's Most Highly Anticipated Shows

compiled by Meesh Deyden for the masses

Lorde photographed in 2014 by Ultra5280 Editor in Chief, Robert Castro 

Lorde photographed in 2014 by Ultra5280 Editor in Chief, Robert Castro 

Mon 3/5 Lorde at Pepsi Center with Run the Jewels

Following her Grammy snub and a string of heartfelt and righteous comebacks, Lorde's North American leg of her Melodrama tour finds an equally fierce (if not more so) ally in openers, Run the Jewels. You may recall Killer Mike's moving speech at a music venue in St Louis, Missouri just a half hour after the Ferguson grand jury decided to not indict officers involved in the killing of Mike Brown. Unsurprising to fans, both acts are heralded for making emotionally and politically astute music that makes you wanna dance h a r d. To sweeten the deal, the seemingly disparate pair just released a remix of Lorde's "Supercut" featuring verses by Killer Mike.

Tix: At the time of publication, tickets are still available! // Pro-Tip: The Pepsi Center powers that be have ordered bartenders to stop serving about 3/4 through the show, so plan ahead for optimal buzz. 

Sat 3/10 Lucius at Boulder Theater

When you move to Brooklyn to embark on your music career and move into a house that turns out to have been a music school and a recording studio, it seems destiny may be working an angle. Since the release of their 2012 EP, Lucius-- led by Berklee School alums Jess Wolfe and Holly Laessig-- have toured with Jack White, had their song "Two of Us on the Run" streamed 30+ million times, garnered top nods from NPR & NY Times for their 2014 album, Wildewoman, and snagged a gig singing back up for the legendary Roger Waters. Instead of amping up the production after all this, Lucius is returning to the basics, releasing Nudes, an album of acoustic tracks coming this spring. 

Tix: SOLD OUT // Pro-Tip: Take the bus from Union Station aka don't be a drunk idiot. But if you are drunk and have a case of the drunchies, the Taco Bell next to the theatre will be your best friend.

Sun 3/11 George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic at Ogden 

George Clinton and P. Funk recently released a track (see video above) that is the 1st song under the Parliament name since the 80s. That's decades w/o an official new P Funk groove! "I'm Gon Make U Sick O'Me" is part of Medicaid Fraud Dog, an album that Clinton says will feature "P-Funk horn players Fred Wesley, Pee Wee Ellis, Greg Thomas, and Benny Cowan." So if you missed their private show for Outdoor Retailer at Broadway's Temple in February, you can still grab tickets to their Ogden show. 

Tix: $32 // Pro-Tip: Get funky before the show at the funkiest joint on the block-- Sancho's of course. 

Fri 3/16 Portugal the Man at MCA

Turns out that Portugal the Man is pretty tight with current MCA exhibited artist, Cleon Peterson. The recent Grammy winners will be playing a private show at the museum for some lucky fans, and all ya gotta do to get a ticket (really, the only way to get a ticket) is give 'em the ole razzle dazzle, social media style. For full entry rules click here. 

Tix: see rules for entry here // Pro-Tip: If you have time before or after the set, check out the exhibit in the basement-- it's a video collage matched up to Kanye's "Ultralight Beam" by renowned artist Arthur Jafa!

Tu 3/20 Kinky Fingers at Lion's Lair with Acid Tongue, Ancient Elk

Yo! Surf rock babes, Kinky Fingers, are ridin the wave these days with their latest release, Garbage Plate, hittin the streets and an upcoming Treefort Fest slot! They've been playing a bunch of shows around town, but we're particularly excited for their March gig at our beloved Lion's Lair! Doors are at 8:30 and we suggest getting there in time to check out some stellar opening acts! 

Tix: $8 // Pro-Tip: Lion's Lair is one of our fave classic Colfax dives, so treat it with respect, damnit! And by respect we mean: bring cash, tip your bartender, cheer on the bands, and if you wanna talk during a set, don't do it right by the stage, ya twerp. 

Bands you need to know | Lia Ices & Majical Cloudz

This week we had the opportunity to cover a few different shows where the openers caught our ears and eyes just as much as the headliners did. Check out our stories below to hopefully get you stoked on two up and coming acts from across the globe. 

 

LIA ICES | Los Angeles, California | on tour with: Phantogram

Opening for Phantogram at the Ogden Theatre this past Monday night, Lia Ices stole our hearts quickly and easily with her upbeat, synth-pop magic. Descibed by my photographer as “snazzy dance numbers”, Lia Ices music is quite the compliment to Phantogram. Digital and experimental, yet fun and ethereal courtesy of Lia’s warm voice, her music is a wondrous mix of fantasy, technology, and global adventure. Using what sounds like east Asian-influenced synth tracks, and spanish-influenced guitars in her songs “Sweet As Ice” and “Thousand Eyes”, the sonic sweetness coming from stage was enough to entrance even the most passive person in the room. Her new record, Ices, was released on September 16th, and is already receiving critical praise from numerous sources, including a feature on NPR’s “First Listen” section this month. The track “Higher” is even this week’s track of the week at Starbucks, so as you pick up your fall season fix, be sure to pick up some sweet tunes at the same time. In the mean time, check out one of our favorite tracks, "Thousand Eyes", below: 

Majical Cloudz | Montéal, QC, Canada | on tour with: Lorde

Do you remember the first time you heard a band that made you truly think? One that made you stop in your tracks, who's music is what grabbed your attention, not the "twerking" or the design of the stage? Watching Majical Cloudz will make you do just that. With two men in stark white shirts on stage in front of Lorde's black draped fabric, Devon Welsh and his producing partner Matthew Otto were quiet, collected, and deliberate in their performance. A simple man and his microphone on an empty stage, Welsh delivers lines from their recent album, Impersonator, with haunting devotion; an act that will cut right to the core of any listener. The song that stuck wiht me the most is "Childhood's End", whose opening verse features the lyrics "Someone died/Gunshot, right outside/Your father, he's dead/I see him in my head/Childhood's End/Goodbye, my holy friend/Love me, it's a sin/Can you see me caving in?" With beats reminiscent of The XX or Massive Attack (the House theme song, anyone?), Majical Cloudz fits my desires for a rainy day, or a introspective night in at home. A well-fit pairing with Lorde, the duo are making good use of their opening slot on her headlining tour in the US right now. With no plans for the future yet announced, I plan to catch the group the next time they roll through Denver, and Ultra5280 will keep you in the loop as well. Check out the video for their song, "Childhood's End" below: 

Lorde | First Bank Center | September 28

Dressed in a navy suit and a little grin on her face, seventeen year-old Ella Yelich-O’Connor sauntered on to an empty stage at the 1stBank Center last night around 9:00pm. The stage was dark and silent, but the six thousand people watching her approach went absolutely mad. Ella - better known to the world as Lorde - played Denver for the second time this year last night, and her 90 minute set showed more artistry and passion than I could have ever expected from someone who’s been catapulted to fame over the quick course of one year.

As the opening track “Glory and Gore” began, it was just Lorde on stage between two giant streetlights with a black drape hung behind her. The beginning of the set felt a bit restricted and awkward, just watching Lorde on stage by herself with no one and nothing to bounce off other than the crazed crowd. I was a bit concerned; unsure how this kind of presence could possibly carry an entire set, but at the end of song three, “Tennis Courts”, the curtain dropped showing a keyboardist and drummer on stage as well. As quickly as the curtain dropped, every aspect of the show changed. Lorde’s movements on stage began to loosen and open up, taking every chance to interact with the stage, her fans, and her band. I found myself enjoying every single second of the set from there on out. 

The show flowed with grace and ease, playing tracks “Killing Time” and “Biting Down” between prop additions and costume changes. A show with only three performers has potential to feel slightly empty but the props on stage allowed for a beautiful performance. Smoke bubbles, a giant custom carved box, huge LED screens outlined with golden crown molded frames, and Lorde’s outfits - three differently colored versions of a simple crop top with matching harem pants - all lent themselves to setting the mood. Another notable aspect of the set was Lorde herself: voice smooth as butter through every song, a stark difference from the sharp, wild movements of her body and hair. Big pop productions in the same realm as this often have the tendency to go over-the-top with their stage layouts, and I appreciated the simple elegance that came with her show. The stage was dynamic with moving pieces helping set the mood song to song, but there was nothing so outrageous it distracted the audience from the music, and that is a mark of a true musician in my eyes.

The show beginning to end was built around the music telling a story. LED screens played different video pieces for each song in the background, and she chose to cover “Heavenly Father” by Bon Iver, and use Kanye’s “Flashing Lights” as an interlude. Rather than ending with a radio single or a super upbeat track like “Million Dollar Bills”, she chose to close with “A World Alone”, the track that also closes her debut album Pure Heroine. Everything Lorde does, from the music she makes to the shows she performs are thoughtful and calculated. She is quirky and weird, certainly still a teenager merely trapped in a surreal world of fame and fortune. But unlike many of her peers, it is clear that she protects her music and does with it only what she feels is right, not what is dictated by anyone else. I foresee a lovely future for this new princess of pop.

I leave you with a lovely quote from one of the few moments Lorde took last night to stop the show and soak in the evening.  “The last time I came to Denver it was so cold, and it was snowing and it was beautiful. I never thought I would feel so at home so far (away) from home. You live in such a beautiful place, but what makes me want to come back here is you guys. I feel like I kind of know you, and that's cool for me.”

We’d like to think we know you too, Ella, and that’s cool for us. You’re welcome in Colorado anytime. 

-Maddie