Rubbing noises: That slow bash and drone you hear must be the Melvins, a band that takes backward and forward steps in the same beat, dragging the soul of Metallica in its wake. The Melvins headline tonight at 8 at the Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder; contributing with opening decibels and other strange feats are godheadSilo and the Smackjackets. Admission is $8.40 in advance ($10.50 day of show); call 447-0095 or 830-TIXS.
Thursday April 13 Backhanded compliment: Hockey is alive and well in Denver. The Denver Grizzlies, who clinched the International Hockey League's Southwestern Conference title this year with flying colors, will now begin their bid for the IHL title in the first round of the Turner Cup Playoffs. The stick-wielding bruins will face off against the Minnesota Moose tonight and tomorrow at 7, at home at McNichols Arena. They go on the road Friday and Saturday, returning to McNichols, if necessary, on April 25 for game five. And if they win this round, it's on to round two and stiffer competition. Tickets to each match, available at the Grizzlies box office or King Soopers stores, range from $9 to $17; call 1-800-444-SEAT to order by phone.
Beautiful dreamer: Now that her entrancing novels have made her a major name in the literary world, magical realist Isabel Allende has penned an autobiography, Paula, as moving and fanciful as her fictional works. Allende will be at the Tattered Cover Book Store, 2955 E. 1st Ave., tonight at 7:30 to read excerpts from the powerful book. Numbers for a place in line will be given out beginning at 6:30; call 322-7727 for details.
Friday April 14 Passion is no ordinary word: Few songwriters as fine as Graham Parker have had to endure obscurity for as long a time. It's closing in on twenty years since his first album, Howling Wind, sliced through the mid-Seventies dreck with one of the most haunting yet angrily well-conceived sets of tunes to touch the industry before or since. And some think he peaked with 1979's sizzling Squeezing Out Sparks, widely considered the record that most successfully honed Parker's skills to perfection. Parker's most undaunted fans will tell you, though, that his writing has never faltered over the years, in spite of ravaged record deals and a much-heralded, more mature laid-back period. Somehow, he's fought back the martyrdom by continually penning tunes with both friendly wit and the right measure of the old vitriol. Parker will perform tonight at 9 with his current band, the Episodes, at the Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax. For tickets, $16, call 322-2308 or 1-800-444-SEAT. All bottled up: Journalist, columnist and author Pete Hamill has no shame. His bestselling memoir, A Drinking Life, never sidesteps his years of alcoholism now past but instead weaves them into an account flavored by both spiraling descent and the lessons learned. Along the way, Hamill injects vivid pictures of Irish Catholic street life in Brooklyn--where he grew up during the '30s and '40s--and of his ensuing fast life as a New York City reporter under the influence. In town for the day, Hamill will speak at a noon luncheon at the Denver Press Club, 1330 Glenarm Pl. ($12-$14, 571-5260), and autograph books at 7:30 p.m. at the Tattered Cover, 2955 E. 1st Ave. (322-7727).
Saturday April 15 True believer: In the mold of Richard Thompson, England's Clive Gregson sings, plays guitar and writes one hell of a great song. No wonder, when you consider that Gregson is not only a Thompson fan but a sometime Thompson bandmate. In recent years, he's recorded some wonderful records and toured with Christine Collister as well (their Swallow Hill gig two years ago is fondly remembered). This time around, though, Gregson is doing it all on his own. He graces the comfy Swallow Hill Music Hall stage, 1905 S. Pearl St., tonight at 8. Admission is $12 ($10 members); call 777-1003 to reserve seats.
A square deal: In old-time baseball language, being "square" meant you had pluck on the playing field. And if you were a "striker," it meant you were hitting the ball rather than voicing grievances. While the big-leaguers tone up during this year's extended spring training, the strikers of the Colorado Vintage Base Ball Association will, in fact, be hitting balls out of the park. Today the group begins its season with a match between the bloomered Colorado Territorial All-Stars and the mustachioed Littleton Rough and Readies. Not only that, but just like the Rockies, they'll play in a fancy new ballpark, this one fully equipped with packing-crate bleachers. The game, which takes place at Fort Logan Base Ball Park, Oxford Ave. and Lowell Blvd., begins at 10 a.m., following a dedication of the field at 9:45. For information call 973-8369.
On the stump: Once in a while, you go the the theater just to have some good, plain fun. Crossing film noir satire and silly comedy, the Firejet Mystery Theatre's The Penguin Jug with Dick Dark is just that. A local production by Piotr Gzowski, with original music by Wendell Vaughan, the play's run has been extended through April 29, with performances at 8 p.m. Saturdays, at the Vogue Theatre's Black Box/Improv Studio, located next to the main theater at 1459 S. Pearl St. Tickets are $5; for information and reservations call 722-8503.
Watt's up: A postpunk elder statesman through and through, Mike Watt, who once ground his way through musical history with the Minutemen and fIREHOSE, isn't one to sit on a pedestal. Listen to his recent solo effort, Ball-Hog or Tugboat?--what you won't hear is too much of Mike Watt. Instead, he's assembled a stellar cast of alternative stars and is happy to stand in a corner, playing bass and opening his mouth for a couple of tunes, while the others take the limelight. What will he do in person? Only one way to find out: Watt's at the Mercury Cafe, 2199 California St., tonight at 9:30. Tickets are $10; call 294-9281 or 1-800-444-SEAT.
Sunday April 16 Time to kiln: Be glad that some folks never outgrow the childhood fascination for mud pies--they're the same talented people who turn clay into whimsical, functional or simply beautiful art that can hold your coffee or hang on a wall. Each year, the Foothills Art Center, 809 15th St., Golden, assembles Colorado Clay, a juried exhibit of works of many dimensions, both physical and wildly creative. From Wesley Anderegg's "ugly" mugs--drinking cups with faces that look as though they were frozen in volcanic ash--to Susan Bittell's fetishlike female figures, the pieces not only delight but give a historical take on the evolution of contemporary pottery. But hurry, today is the last day to see Colorado Clay. The center will be open from 1 to 4 p.m.; admission is free. Call 279-3922.
Monday April 17 Record time: If you were going to record a live CD, where would you do it? Some place that's intimate, has an appreciative audience and has a killer sound system, right? Guitar virtuoso and fun guy Leo Kottke had the right idea when he chose to do it in Boulder's Fox Theatre, which ably fits the profile. You'll have a chance to help Kottke make history, or at least a small part of it, when he performs during the second of two sessions there tonight. With his knock-out playing and droll tale-telling, Kottke will do the hard work all by himself. Better practice clapping, though, if you want to be immortalized yourself. Admission is $10.50; call 447-0095 or 830-TIXS.
Tuesday April 18 Poetry in motion: Honduran poet Roberto Sosa, who has won Spain's Adonis Prize and Cuba's Casa de las Americas Prize for his work, is recognized as a major talent in Latin America. Sosa will read in Spanish from his latest book, the bilingual The Common Grief, when he appears as a guest of the language department at Regis University, today at 12:45 and 7:30 p.m. in the O'Sullivan Arts Center, located on campus, 3333 Regis Blvd. Victoria McCabe will read in English. For additional information call 458-3576.
