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Wednesday plays the Larimer Lounge on Monday, May 15, and POND rocks the Gothic on Tuesday, May 16.
Fruit Bats comes to the Ogden on Friday, May 19, while the Dresden Dolls play a three-night run at Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox on Friday, May 19, Saturday, May 20, and Sunday, May 21.
Opiuo rounds out the week with a much-anticipated show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Sunday, May 21.
Keep reading for more of the best concerts in Denver this week:
Wednesday
Monday, May 15, 8 p.m.
Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer Street
$15
Wednesday has been making big waves lately. The country-gaze group out of Asheville, North Carolina, continues to expand its sound on the just-released Rat Saw God. Los Angeles grunge-pop trio Cryogeyser provides support.
POND
Tuesday, May 16, 8:30 p.m.
Gothic Theatre, 3263 South Broadway, Englewood
$27
The Australian psych-rockers in POND have been making wavy tunes for fifteen years now, collaborating (and sharing members) with Tame Impala. The opener for the Wednesday show at the Larimer Lounge, Cryogeyser, will open this show, too.
Coastless Creatives Presents: A Graduation Celebration
Wednesday, May 17, 8 p.m.
Lost Lake Lounge, 3602 East Colfax Avenue
$12-$15
The local artist/music collective Coastless Creatives continues to curate great lineups of up-and-coming Mile High musicians, with this week highlighting Gartener (a new project started by Knuckle Pups bassist Coco Martin). Fellow local groups Knuckle Pups, Fun Machine and Hannah Ford provide support.
Devin the Dude
Thursday, May 18, 8 p.m.
Oriental Theater, 4335 West 44th Avenue
$20-$150
Everyone’s favorite weed rapper from Houston is back in town to fill the room with his haze-inducing tunes. Devin has been “The Dude” for more than 25 years now, and still has plenty of game. Denver hip-hop artists S.T.O.I.C. and Supa Nova help open the show.
Fruit Bats
Friday, May 19, 8 p.m.
Ogden Theatre, 935 East Colfax Avenue
$25.95
An alternative folk-rock group from Chicago, Fruit Bats was founded in 1997 by Eric D. Johnson, who has played with some other great Windy City bands such as Califone. Expect catchy hooks, silly lyrics and new material from the just-released album A River Running to Your Heart, which the group is touring behind now. Brooklyn-based new-age space-folk artist Kolumbo opens.
The Dresden Dolls
Friday, May 19, and Saturday, May 20, 9 p.m.; Sunday, May 21, 8 p.m.
Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox, 1215 20th Street
$43-$73
The self-described “Brechtian punk cabaret” band from Boston is quite a sight to be seen, often incorporating performance art such as juggling and fire-breathing into the live set, while the bandmates wear costumes and makeup. The band hasn’t released a new album since 2008 and has been on an intermittent hiatus ever since, only playing a handful of shows every few years. Here’s your chance to catch the elusive duo and company before it’s too late!
Thelma and the Sleaze
Saturday, May 20, 9 p.m.
hi-dive, 7 South Broadway
$12-$15
This all-female Southern punk-rock band rips the Nashville sound to shreds before sewing it back together, Frankenstein-style, into Thelma and the Sleaze’s own outlaw, boot-stompin’ sound. Washington, D.C., glam-punk band Suzi Moon and Denver rock groups Glueman and Crypt Keeper open the night.
Opiuo
Sunday, May 21, 5:30 p.m.
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 West Alameda Parkway, Morrison
$45-$79.95
The Kiwi-born Oscar Davey-Wraight (aka Opiuo) is now based in Melbourne, where he produces a unique style of electronic music that blends elements of glitch-hop, funk and bass. The night’s lineup is elevated by Opiuo backing musicians The Opulent Orchestra, ethnotronica powerhouse dance-masters Beats Antique, heavy chill-hop producer Supertask, and Denver downtempo artists DMVU and Groovsauce.
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.
