The Best Concerts in Denver This Week

Green Buddha, Chali 2na, and Dru Heller play Denver this week.

March 8, 2021

Chali 2na plays two nights at Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom this week. Kelly Hueseman

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Jurassic 5 rapper Chali 2na teams up with drummer Adam Deitch and turntablist Chris Karns at Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom on Tuesday and Wednesday, while the Honey Empire celebrates the release of its new single, "Jealous," and saxophonist Rico Jones performs at Tracks on Wednesday as part of Fireside at Five's Gin & Jazz series. Here's our list of what's happening:

Chali 2na
Tuesday, March 9 and Wednesday, March 10, 6:15 & 9:15 p.m.
Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom, 2635 Welton Street
$69.95
Los Angeles rapper Chali 2na, known for his work with Jurassic 5 and Ozomatli, plays four shows over two nights with Lettuce drummer Adam Deitch and turntablist Chris Karns.

Electronic Tuesdays
Tuesday, March 9, 7 p.m.
Black Box, 314 East 13th Avenue
$20-$160 (tables and booths seat two to six people)
The 2022 Residency Battle include Daystroi, JCROK, Safire and Sunfeathr.

Dru Heller
Wednesday, March 10, 6:30 & 8:30 p.m.
Nocturne, 1330 27th Street
$15
Drummer Dru Heller and his trio present a celebration of the music of the late jazz drummer and composer Paul Motian.

Gin & Jazz
Wednesdays in March, 8 p.m.
Tracks Nightclub, 3500 Walnut Street
$15
Fireside at Five's community-driven jazz series will champion and celebrate artists who embody and carry forth the Five Points jazz legacy in the modern-day Mile High. The lineup includes the Rico Jones Trio (March 10), the Shawn Williams & Seth Lewis Duo (March 17), Stafford Hunter & Latin Jazz Explorations (March 24), and Purnell Steen & Le Jazz Machine (March 31).

The Funk Sessions
Thursday, March 11, 6:15 & 9:15 p.m.
Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom, 2635 Welton Street
$65
This all-star funk lineup includes Craig Brodhead (Turkuaz), Kevin Scott (Jimmy Herring), Nikki Glaspie (The Nth Power), Joey Porter (The Motet), Corey Frye (The Main Squeeze), Eric "Benny" Bloom (Lettuce)
and Drew Sayers (The Motet).

Green Buddha
Thursday, March 11, 8 p.m.
Boulder Theater, 2032 14th Street, Boulder
$50
Green Buddha's roots are in reggae, but the band also mixes in funk, soul, ska and dub.

The Honey Empire (single release)
Thursday, March 11, 7 & 9 p.m.
Lost Lake, 3602 East Colfax Avenue
$40-$80
Denver indie-rock band the Honey Empire celebrates its new single, "Jealous," with two sets.

Jack Dunlevie Trio
Thursdays in March, 6:30 & 8:30 p.m.
Nocturne, 1330 27th Street
$15
Jazz pianist Jack Dunlevie, bassist Patrick McDevitt and drummer Kevin Matthews explore the music of Oscar Peterson's 1964 album We Get Requests.

Find more music events in the Westword concert calendar. Organizing a concert you'd like to be considered for this list? Send information to [email protected].

KEEP WESTWORD FREE... Since we started Westword, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.