Guns N' Roses, Shpongle and the Best Concerts in Denver This Week

Gryffin takes over Red Rocks for two nights — Tuesday, October 24, and Wednesday, October 25 — and Guns N' Roses rocks out at Ball Arena on Friday, October 27.

Shpongle is hosting a two-night takeover at Fillmore Auditorium on Friday, October 27, and Saturday, October 28, while Vincent Neil Emerson has his own two-night run over at Globe Hall the same nights.

Keep reading for more of the best concerts in Denver this week:
The Brian Jonestown Massacre
Monday, October 23, 8 p.m.
Ogden Theatre, 935 East Colfax Avenue
$29.95-$35
Anton Newcombe and his gang of mystic misfits are back to shake the walls with reverb-drenched ballads of sex, drugs and rock and roll. In its early years, the Brian Jonestown Massacre was known for its tumultuous career (as chronicled in the hit rockumentary DIG!), complete with debaucherous stage antics and high tension among bandmembers. Years later, the group seems to have found some sense of tranquility, and is still rapidly producing albums full of catchy psych-pop hooks. The Bay Area psych rockers in the Asteroid No. 4 open the show.
Blonde Redhead
Tuesday, October 24, 8 p.m.
Gothic Theatre, 3263 South Broadway, Englewood
$35-$40
The noise-punk New York trio Blonde Redhead was born when Italian twins Simone and Amedeo Pace met Japanese art student Kazu Makino while getting to know the big city's jazz scene in the early ’90s. After shuffling through potential bandmates to add to the lineup, they decided to stick to the original triad and proceeded to produce infectious avant-garde dream-pop tunes with shades of shoegaze. The group is now on tour in support of its first new album in nearly a decade, Sit Down for Dinner. Brooklyn-based Latinx art-pop sensation Angelica Garcia opens the show.
Gryffin
Tuesday, October 24, and Wednesday, October 25, 6:30 p.m.
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 West Alameda Parkway, Morrison
$68-$367
The West Coast electronic-music producer Gryffin (aka Daniel Griffith) grew up in a musical family and was classically trained on several instruments at an early age. After sharpening his talents in some bands as a teen, he decided to focus on EDM production and has been making waves lately with coveted spots at bass festivals. Don't forget to swing by the free merch pop-up at Larimer Lounge on Tuesday, October 24.
Slow Magic
Thursday, October 26, 8 p.m.
Lost Lake Lounge, 3602 East Colfax Avenue
$22.50
Slow Magic is chilltronica at its finest: The artist uses a combination of pre-recorded beats and live instrumentation (mainly percussive) to transport audiences to the most summery parts of their minds. The lively electro-pop musician keeps his identity hidden behind a colorful mask, but doesn't hide his passion for being the life of the party. He is now on tour to promote his just-released album, Forgotten Feels, which he says is "a reflection of the past and a glimpse into the infinite future." New Zealand dance-inducers Beacon Bloom and Denver electro-hop beat producer Mux Mool open the show.

Maris the Great and the F.O.D.
Friday, October 27, 8 p.m.
Herman's Hideaway, 1578 South Broadway
$30
Maris the Great is a local legend in the underground punk scene who sees himself more as a performance artist than a musician. Dressed in full zombie gear, he attests that he is an undead being whose mission in death is to kill all competing local bands. Before he returns to his lair at the pavilions in Cheesman Park — where you can often find him stomping around — he hosts a Halloween blowout with other local bands, hosted by drag queen Jessica L'Whor. Typhoid Mary, Sin on Six, Honey Bunches of Death and A Vintage Future are all on the bill. Guns N' Roses
Friday, October 27, 6:30 p.m.
Ball Arena, 1000 Chopper Circle
$59.50-$300
The Hollywood party band best known for a life of excess and wild stage antics might have calmed down a bit in its later years, but Guns N' Roses still has an appetite for destruction and doesn't plan on giving up the rock-and-roll lifestyle anytime soon. The notorious rockers have even released a new song, "Perhaps," a piano-driven ballad that has lyrics reflecting on all the messed-up stuff they used to do. Founding members Axl Rose, Duff McKagan and Slash are still strutting the stage, ready to welcome you to the jungle. Blues and rock-revival guitarist Ayron Jones provides support.
Itchy-O's Hallowmass
Friday, October 27; Saturday, October 28; Tuesday, October 31; Friday, November 3; Saturday, November 4; 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Mercury Cafe, 2199 California Street
Hallowmass is an annual ritual for Denver's famed drum troupe itchy-O, and this year marks the ninth iteration of the immersive, experiential concert in its most intimate venue yet. Billed as a "Celebration of Impermanence," Hallowmass is more of a ceremony than an ordinary concert, steeped in philosophical lore to produce what itchy-O calls a "vehicle of ultimate transcendence." The group will play two sets each night, with one beginning at 6 p.m. and the next at 9 p.m. Tickets ($37) to the all-ages show are selling fast; October 28 is sold out. Shpongle
Friday, October 27, and Saturday, October 28, 7 p.m.
Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 Clarkson Street
$49.75-$79.75
A concert by the psychedelic trance and ambient project Shpongle is like a two-hour dose of Burning Man. The duo of producers Simon Posford and Raja Ram usually employ a variety of performance artists and mixed multimedia experts into their show to create a kaleidoscope of chaotic beauty. The well-known visionary artist Android Jones will lend his hand both nights to enhance the  sensory explosion. Don't miss out on the official after-parties taking place at Knew Conscious both nights!
Vincent Neil Emerson
Friday, October 27, and Saturday, October 28, 8 p.m.
Globe Hall, 4483 Logan Street
$25
Texas-bred troubadour Vincent Neil Emerson's star is rising fast, so catch him while you can at this smaller intimate venue before he graduates to playing arena tours. He's now on tour promoting his album, The Golden Crystal Kingdom, which drops on November 10. On the new release, the storytelling folk singer seizes the opportunity to share the history of his family's Choctaw-Apache heritage, of which he says, “I want to preserve the culture of my family in a way they could not.” Americana country singer Zephaniah Ohora opens the show both nights.
Halloween Spooktacular with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra
Sunday, October 29, 2:30 p.m.
Boettcher Hall, 1000 14th Street
$15-$103
This orchestral event is the perfect way to celebrate Halloween weekend with the whole family as the Colorado Symphony performs an exciting array of ominous and eerie favorites. Expect classics such as Dukas's Sorcerer's Apprentice, Bartók's Dances of Transylvania, and selections from John Williams's Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Suite, plus many more. Costumes are encouraged as well, so dress to impress with your spooky best!

Know of shows you'd like to see on this list? Send the details to [email protected]. Looking for more to do? Visit the Westword calendar.