Día de la DeVotchKa

Forever gone are the days of balancing the glockenspiel and Sousaphone on the same dive-bar stage. DeVotchKa has come home with the accolades of a Grammy nomination for the Little Miss Sunshine soundtrack firmly notched into their cummerbunds.

Tonight's Day of the Dead Masquerade Gala marks the first time the onetime burlesque house band has graced a Mile High stage since New Year's Eve, and for DeVotchKa, Denver is a strange land in which to be a big fish. "People always think of you as 'that one guy who bussed my table or tried to hit on me,' and not as a credible performer," says frontman Nick Urata. "But we never get to be home — so now it's actually a reunion and an excuse to celebrate."

That celebration will take place under the purple glow of the Fillmore's chandeliers tonight with the Yard Dogs Road Show and the Benevento Russo Duo. "It is a beautiful thing to play a classy joint — especially for someone like me, who has squandered my youth playing in dives for angry audiences," adds Urata. "But hashing it out in front of hostile crowds in foreign places gives you legs to stand on when you finally get your day in the sun."

DeVotchKa's Day of the Dead Halloween Gala starts at 8 p.m. at the Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 Clarkson Street, so come on down — and dress to impress. Tickets, $23 to $25, are available at www.livenation.com. For more information, visit www.devotchka.net.
Sat., Oct. 27, 8 p.m., 2007