Sweet surrender: Give a listen to cult hero Matthew Sweet and you'd swear you were listening to a dreamy Richard Hell meeting a healthy Tom Verlaine somewhere in the 'burbs. You might say it's all in the guitars--cathartic, ringing lines delivered on Sweet's records, with equal savvy, by Richard Lloyd or Robert Quine, who are cult heroes themselves. But then there are the songs--that crisp pop with a crunchy, fuzzed-out edge. Although Sweet is a Nebraskan, he's a fresh, lovely fix for anyone who misses the New York music scene of the late '70s and early '80s. The really old folks will even hear sounds kindly reminiscent of Buffalo Springfield--although age is certainly not a factor for enjoyment. Catch Sweet--with Lloyd and drummer Stuart Johnson in tow--tonight at 8 at the Boulder Theater, 2030 14th St., Boulder. Tickets are $15; call 830-TIXS.
Thursday March 9 Strings attached: The classical guitar has few champions more accomplished or thoroughly modern as renowned virtuoso Eliot Fisk. A student of Andres Segovia and the founder of Yale University's guitar program, Fisk elegantly interprets the genre's favorites while furthering the cause of twentieth-century classical guitar by commissioning new works by contemporary composers. He'll appear with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra for A Night in the Gardens of Spain at 7:30 tonight and Saturday in Boettcher Concert Hall, 14th and Curtis in the Plex. In addition, a shorter version of the concert will be presented during a CSO "Blue Jeans Concert" at 1 p.m. Saturday. Admission to the evening performances ranges from $8 to $33 ($4-$16.50 kids); the bargain matinee will cost you only $10 ($5 students and kids). For details call 986-8742.
Arriba!: Spicy rhythms and flashy costumes will light up the Denver Civic Theatre this week when the Colorado Latino Dance Festival returns with a second, expanded version. Groups performing this year include Grupo Sabor Latino and the Jeannette Trujillo Dance Company; special features include a presentation of the Afro-Brazilian martial art capoeira, Cuban folk dances and a tribute to the Ballet Folclorico de Mexico, as well as excerpts from Kenny Passarelli's Visiones de Mis Antepasados, which premiered at the theater last year. Performances will be held at 8 nightly today through Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sunday; the Denver Civic is located at 721 Santa Fe Drive. To reserve tickets, $8 to $10 in advance ($10 to $12 at the door), call 595-3800 or 830-TIXS.
Friday March 10 Have a ball: Who knows who will be playing in Coors Field when the baseball season opens next month, but at least some of the LoDo galleries are doing what they can to get us all in the right spirit--in plain view of the new stadium. Jim Dow's loving photographs of American ballparks and a fabulous collection of baseball memorabilia, including Ty Cobb's corncob pipe, Ted Williams's uniform and a jaw-dropping collection of historic gloves, are all part of Batter Up, opening tonight at 7 at the MSCD Center for the Visual Arts, 1701 Wazee St. For information about the show and related tours and lectures, which continue through April 22, call 294-5207. And just down the street at CSK Gallery, 1637 Wazee St., The Big Hit Baseball Show also opens tonight, featuring a dugout-full of art inspired by the game through May 6. A reception will be held from 5 to 9; call 436-9236.
A new twist: Textural pieces formed of gessoed cotton, liquid latex, molten glass or other unexpected media have been Lynda Benglis's mainstay since she emerged to great acclaim in the '70s, and they've catapulted her into a niche not always enjoyed by controversial women artists. Lynda Benglis: Chimera, a touring exhibition of her new, serpentine ceramic works, opens tonight at the Boulder Art Center, 1750 13th St., Boulder, with a reception from 6 to 9. Also opening tonight at the gallery are shows by local artists Scott Chamberlin and Homare Ikeda. Call 443-2122 for additional information.
Saturday March 11 Support goop for kids: What is this thing called slime? And are you too old to appreciate it? The Nickelodeon Family Double Dare Live Tour--a kind of organized chaos where everyone ends up covered with the aforementioned slime, something even more noxious known as GAK and/or whipped-cream via flying pies galore--is the place to find out. The traveling version of the cable network's game show will slop and glop up the Denver Coliseum, 4600 Humboldt St., today at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Attendees can participate in games like Human Bowling and I Love Juicy; casual attire and wetsuits recommended. Tickets are $11.50 or $13.50; call 830-TIXS.
All War out: Funky multiculturalism makes for great dance music. War, a musical conglomeration of blues, soul, disco, salsa and what-have-you, is a case in point--these guys have been churning out a melting pot of grooves for twenty years or so. Led by a core of original members, the crowd-pleasing group will play tonight at 9:15 at the Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave. Wind yourself up and call 322-2308 for tix; they're $15.
Sunday March 12 Your Erin ways: What? You still haven't melted down that gravy-and-stuffing spare tire left around your gut during the holidays? Faith and begorra! When Saint Paddy's draws near, bathing suits can't be far behind. Maybe that's why the annual Runnin' of the Green is so popular--all the guilty hibernators remember that they have feet. This year's lucky 7K jog (that measures out to 4.35 miles, Yankees) begins at 9:45 a.m. sharp at 17th and Wazee in lower downtown, although elite runners can rest until 11, when the initial hoopla with bagpipes is over and the hoi polloi begin to party down in front of McCormick's Fish House. Register at various locations, including Runner's Roost stores and Gart's Sports Castle, before noon on March 11 and your entry fee is $16; laggers will pay $20 on race day. Not to worry, though. Proceeds benefit the Volunteers of America.
Louie, Louie: Louis Armstrong's seminal influence on jazz will be explored and celebrated when the Denver Museum of Natural History kicks off its 1995 Jazz Lecture Series today with the help of Denver trumpet player Ron Miles and the Creative Music Works Orchestra. You'll hear the music and learn something about it; the 4 p.m. concert/lecture will be followed by a question-and-answer session. Tickets are $8 ($6 members); for information call the museum, 2001 Colorado Blvd., at 322-7009.
Monday March 13 Meeting of the mind: Pianist, comic and talk-show pioneer Steve Allen doesn't just sign books. He entertains and philosophizes as well. That's precisely what you can expect when Allen appears tonight at 7:30 at the Tattered Cover LoDo, 1628 16th St., to introduce his various books, including the memoir Hi-Ho, Steverino! Call the book-store at 436-1070 for additional information.
Tuesday March 14 I was a fugitive from a chain gang: We all have a wish list of people we'd like to see put away, but it usually isn't considered reasonable to do anything more than think about it. (Besides, singing in the shower may not really be grounds for arrest.) From 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. today through Friday, though, you can not only have a warrant served on the unsuspecting, you can even incarcerate yourself during the Jail & Bail--Stars Behind Bars fundraising event for the American Cancer Society. It costs $10 and it's all in fun: Once you've had your pal, co-worker or hubby "arrested," you can atone by going down to the ACS's jailhouses--locations include the First Interstate Bank at 17th and California streets, Metropoint in the Denver Tech Center and various sites in Cherry Creek, Aurora, Lakewood and Adams County--and bail the sods out. Lucky prisoners will have unlimited telephone access, rather than the standard single call, so they can round up plenty of friends to chip in. The society needs volunteers to serve as clerks and mock judges at jail sites; for information about how you can help out or simply take the law into your own hands, call 758-2030.
