Here are five shows you should check out, although note that you'll need to sober up for at least one of them:
Saint Patrick’s Day Weekend at Clancy’s
Clancy’s Irish Pub, 7000 West 38th Avenue, Wheat Ridge
Tickets are $5 at the door
Concerts from Thursday, March 13, through Monday, March 17
If you’re more of a traditionalist, hitting up an Irish pub is always a safe bet. Denver is home to plenty of such pint-slinging watering holes, but this year, Clancy’s Irish Pub in Wheat Ridge is the place to be if you want a side of dancing — and some headbanging — with your corned beef and cabbage.
The longstanding Irish institution is kicking off the Saint Patrick’s Day festivities on Thursday, March 13, with Denver Celt-grass group Banthom House. The Denver trio specializes in traditional jigs, so it’s a fitting opening to the five-day celebration Clancy’s has planned.
Friday, March 14, is when the hurrah kicks into full gear with an entire day of music inside and outside, featuring sets from CDUB, Travis Press, Styles Davis, DJ Abilities, the Rainmakers, Jack Hadley, Celtic Steps, Queen City Pipe Band, Delta Sonics, American Gael and the Commoners. Cobranoid, Messiahvore and Temporal Driver are also playing a free show at Clancy’s Underground.
More of the same comes on Saturday, March 15, with appearances from Luna Sol, Skulls (a Misfits tribute), Guerrilla Radio (a Rage Against The Machine tribute), Sabotage (a Beastie Boys Tribute), Suicide Cages, Meet The Giant, King Rat, Wolf Loescher, Rosin the Bow, Nerea the Fiddler and the Constant Tourists.
Sunday, March 16, sees Scooter James, Crypto Church, Fast And Loose (a Motorhead Tribute), Nativity In Black (a Black Sabbath Tribute), Built To Last (a Grateful Dead Tribute), Bleed N Green, Big Paddy and Juice O’ The Barley.
Finally, on St. Patrick’s Day, Queen City Rovers, Brian Hornbuckle Band and Wicked Sheahoques are on tap (several of the aforementioned acts have more than one set throughout the weekend. Check Clancy’s website for each day’s lineup).
Whoever braves this five-day stretch deserves a pot of gold... or maybe a long nap. Horse Bitch with Gestalt and Tiny Tomboy
Globe Hall, 4483 Logan Street
Saturday, March 15, 8 p.m.
Tickets are $26
With St. Paddy’s Day falling on a Monday, most are primed to celebrate the entire weekend, and why not? Globe Hall knows what’s up and is hosting a local pre-game show of sorts with Horse Bitch, Gestalt and Tiny Tomboy.
The all-local bill is a perfect representation of the city’s current alternative subculture, and Horse Bitch is by far the zaniest band out there. The sextet calls itself “emo honky-tonk.” With violin and pedal steel, Horse Bitch could also be described as grunge-loving cowpunk, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the group's fiddle player, Olivia Shaw, breaks out an Irish ditty for the occasion. It’s a vibe more than anything.
Gestalt is easier to classify. It’s “whatever,” according to the four-piece. For what it’s worth, we’ll call it indie emo, but you be the judge.
Tiny Tomboy, a brooding alt-rock trio, rounds out the lineup with its searing lyrics about heartache and unrequited love — two things that make for good drinking music. So raise a glass and jump in on this one.
Ceramik with Flak, Human Wound and Datura
D3 Arts, 3632 Morrison Road
Monday, March 17, 7 p.m.
$12 donation at the door
Okay, the concert at D3 Arts isn’t going to be your typical Guinness-drenched St. Patrick’s Day shindig (the venue is alcohol-free), but more a palette cleanser for those who prefer some straight-edge hardcore. Don’t worry, you’ll still leave dizzy, after Ceramik, Flak, Human Wound and Datura rip up the D3 Arts stage on Monday night.
Ceramik, a furious five-piece out of California, cuts to the chase with a whirlwind of D-beat-inspired ditties, especially on its most recent release, A Life So Bleak.
Denver trio Flak is similar in its auditory assault while mixing in more metallic elements, which can be heard on the crew’s 2024 self-titled EP. Human Wound, from Lyons, is a newcomer to the Front Range scene, having formed less than a year ago, but it didn’t waste any time in dispelling its gritty powerviolence live. Datura, which bills itself as “queer Denver emo sludgecore,” is even more obscure. First popping up on local bills at the end of 2024, Datura is more focused on playing shows than releasing music digitally at the moment.
So if you’re chasing a different kind of buzz, check this one out.
Poppy with kumo 99
Summit, 1902 Blake Street
Monday, March 17,
Tickets are $40-$45
There’s not a ton of concerts happening on the holiday itself, but Poppy at Summit is the biggest one this year.
The alt-pop icon is on tour promoting her latest album, Negative Spaces. If you’re unfamiliar with Poppy, aka Moriah Rose Pereira, she’s known for her unique blend of bubblegum Japanese pop, hard rock and nu-metal. If she wasn’t already one of the biggest alternative acts around, her appearance with Knocked Loose on Jimmy Kimmel Live last March launched her even more into the mainstream, as Poppy performed the Grammy-nominated song “Suffocate” with the Kentucky hardcore horde.
Knocked Loose isn’t scheduled to perform with her during the Denver date, but Portland EDM duo kumo 99 is a worthy opener, with its punk-infused drum-and-bass offerings. It’s going to be a rowdy evening, in all the right ways.
This is exactly what Zealot might look like on St. Patrick's Day...if you've had a couple.
Courtesy Brent Nicholas
Zealot with Sound & Shape
Squire Lounge, 1800 East Colfax Free
Monday, March 17, 7 p.m.
Free
Head over to the Squire Lounge for a free show on St. Patrick’s Day with local act Zealot and Nashville’s Sound & Shape.
Zealot might look like creatures out of an Irish fable — particularly frontman Luke Hunter James-Erickson’s penchant for wearing golden ram horns when he performs — but fret not, the Denver indie band is only there to share some catchy tunes, including some new music, if you’re lucky.
Prog-rock trio Sound & Shape is a nice addition, as the Denver date is more of a warm-up for an ensuing West Coast run with King’s X, so let’s show them a good time.
Find more concerts on our concert calendar.
