Dope Lemon, Bad Religion and the Best Concerts in Denver This Week

The Mars Volta kicks off the week at Red Rocks on Monday, October 9, and Bad Religion brings back four decades of punk to Mission Ballroom on Thursday, October 12.

Alison Wonderland takes over Red Rocks on Friday, October 13, while Herb Alpert shows us how its done at the Newman Center on Saturday, October 14.

Keep reading for more of the best concerts in Denver this week:

The Mars Volta
Monday, October 9, 8 p.m.
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 West Alameda Parkway, Morrison
$55-$349
Growing up in a tumultuous area of El Paso exposed the Mars Volta to a litany of experiences, good and bad. The young intellectuals turned to music to deal with the troubled waters, and started the kick-you-in-the-teeth punk-metal group At the Drive-In. After that project began to fizzle, the core members started to make psychedelic electro-dub music as De Facto. Now, as the Mars Volta, the members reflect their El Paso upbringing with lyrics sung in both Spanish and English and music that is as chaotic and beautiful as their hometown. Teri Gender Bender (of Le Butcherettes fame) opens the show.

Dope Lemon
Tuesday, October 10, 8 p.m.
Ogden Theatre, 935 East Colfax Avenue
$29.50
The psychedelic chill-folk project known as Dope Lemon is the brainchild of Australian multi-instrumentalist Angus Stone, who got his start playing as a duo with his sister Julia. After releasing a solo album under his own name, he decided to embrace the edgier version of himself and began releasing tunes under the Dope Lemon moniker. Now he makes music that’s oozes slowly like honey right through your bones. Come on out to hear all of the new songs from his just released album, Kimosabè. Support will be provided throughout the tour by Franklin Jonas (the fourth, and lesser known, Jonas Brother).

Mahalo Cowboys
Wednesday, October 11, 9 p.m.
Goosetown Tavern, 3242 East Colfax Avenue
$10
One of Denver’s best DIY concert collectives and artist promotion machines, Coastless Creatives, is back with another excellent lineup of up-and-coming local bands. This show will showcase space-rock quartet Mahalo Cowboys, supported by fellow Denver indie rockers Cherokee Social, Cactus Heads and Axan.

Bad Religion
Thursday, October 12, 8 p.m.
Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop Street
$39.50-$45
The SoCal punk-rock legends in Bad Religion started rocking out together in 1980 and have been skewering pop culture, politics and religion (of course) ever since. The lineup has changed a bit over the years, but the punk-rock ethos has remained the same. The group teased at releasing a new album soon, so there might even be some new material to catch at the show this week. Fellow West Coast punk rockers the Dwarves and Speed of Light provide support.

Temple of Wonderland
Friday, October 13, 6 p.m.
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 West Alameda Parkway, Morrison
$55.95-$99.95
Alex Scholler (aka Alison Wonderland) is an Australian multi-instrumentalist and EDM producer who stumbled into her EDM career after becoming dissatisfied with her cello pursuits, and became so good at making dance music that she just couldn’t stop. DJ Hanzel and fellow Aussie EDM artists Crooked Colours will be there, too, and don’t miss Scholler’s darker alter-ego, Whyte Fang, performing at ReelWorks on Thursday, October 12.

An Evening With Herb Alpert & Lani Hall
Saturday, October 14, 7:30 p.m.
Newman Center for the Performing Arts, 2344 East Iliff Avenue
$59-$99
The iconic trumpeter Herb Alpert has worked tirelessly throughout his life not only to make amazing music of his own, but to make other musicians’ dreams come true, as well. As a co-founder of the wildly successful A&M Records label, he discovered countless talented artists, including the group Brazil ’66, with lead singer Lani Hall (Herb’s future wife and current bandmate). The prolific artist remains productive to this day and just released a new album last month: Wish Upon a Star.

Ulrika Spacek
Sunday, October 15, 7 p.m.
hi-dive, 7 South Broadway
$17-$20
The British shoegaze psych-rock outfit Ulrika Spacek released a new album earlier this year, Compact Trauma, that perpetuates the group’s trippy take on pop music. Austin’s melodic psych mob Holy Wave and Denver drone-fuzz dudes Wave Decay open the show.

Know of shows you’d like to see on this list? Send the details to musiccalendar@westword.com. Looking for more to do? Visit the Westword calendar.