The Thirteen Best Shows in Denver: Valentine’s Weekend

There’s plenty to do this Valentine’s Day weekend, no matter what kind of love (or whatever) you’re celebrating. There’s Ariel Pink for the weirdos and Hellyeah for the cynics and Chris Daniels and the Kings for the funky. The rest of our picks follow. 

Josh Gracin
When: 8:30 p.m. Friday, February 13
Where: Grizzly Rose
What it’ll cost you: $12
Why you should go: Only the smoothest country. Bring someone to cuddle. 
 

Love Shack
(ft. Jeremy Salken of Big Gigantic, Dave Watts, Ryan Jalbert, and Gabe Mervine of The Motet & Allen Aucoin and Aron Magner of The Disco Biscuits, members of Euforquestra, Elephant Revival, YAMN, Fox Street, The Congress, Kinetix and more) 
When: 9:00 p.m. Friday, February 13
Where: Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom 
What it’ll cost you: $23/$28
Why you should go: An impossible array of all-star Colorado musicians come together for a set that promises to be unique. 

Heart and Soul Radio
When: 7:00 p.m. Friday, February 13
Where: Gothic Theatre 
What it’ll cost you: $10/$12
Why you should go: Just an excellent time of a lineup, from opener SF1 to pop-punk genius Heart and Soul Radio. 

Valentines Fiesta
(with DJ LE, Kachondo, DJ Cesar, DJ Ricky)
When: 9:00 p.m. Friday, February 13
Where: Club Vinyl
What it’ll cost you: $10-$20
Why you should go: You like dancing, right? Who doesn’t like dancing? 
 

DeVotchKa
When: 8:00 p.m. Saturday, February 14
Where: Fillmore Auditorium 
What it’ll cost you: $25/$30
Why you should go: DeVotchKa is known worldwide at this point, and Nick Urata is composing film scores, but you can still hear that punk, gypsy folk, cabaret, Americana live.  

My Funky Valentine
When: 7:00 p.m. Saturday, February 14
Where: EXDO Event Center 
What it’ll cost you: $45
Why you should go: The Dating Game live, unlimited drinks and live music by Eddie Roberts’ West Coast Sounds. 

Nightmares on Wax
(DJ Set w/ Nico Luminous, DeFunk, Proper Motion, Focal Point, Stone Soul, Damnesia-Vu and Urban)
When: 9:00 p.m. Saturday, February 14
Where: Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom 
What it’ll cost you: $20/$25
Why you should go: Under the Nightmares moniker, George Evelyn’s shows are an exciting modern-day exploration of jazz-inflected funk. 

Hellyeah
When: 7:00 p.m. Saturday, February 14
Where: Summit Music Hall 
What it’ll cost you: $24/$27
Why you should go: Because sappy music on Valentine’s Day is for suckers. 

Bleeding Hearts Music and Arts Showcase 
(with Soulacybin, kLL sMTH, Erothyme, DJ Seraiah and DJ Glassy)
When: 9:00 p.m. Saturday, February 14
Where: Oriental Theater: 
What it’ll cost you: $15-$25
Why you should go: It’s a Gothic Valentine’s soiree with fire dancing, fire magic, aerial silk performances, live painting, a spooky costume contest and Bleeding Hearts themed drinks and valentines. 

Ariel Pink
When: 9:00 p.m. Saturday, February 14
Where: Bluebird Theater 
What it’ll cost you: $22/$25
Why you should go: Ariel Pink is wiping his slate clean and dropping his “most hated man in indie rock” title with his newest release, pom pom, and it’s bound to be interesting. 

Chris Daniels & the Kings 
(with Hazel Miller Band) 
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, February 14 
Where: Herman’s Hideaway 
What it’ll cost you: $12
Why you should go: Chris Daniels has a new record featuring an impressive cast of Denver groove masters, including Freddi Gowdy. 

Steve Earle
When: 5:00 p.m. Saturday, February 14
Where: Twist & Shout 
What it’ll cost you: FREE
Why you should go: The master of the hard path plays for free at our local record store. Come on. 

Ron Miles Trio with Bill Frisell & Brian Blade 
When: 7:00 p.m. Saturday, February 14
Where: Dazzle Restaurant & Lounge 
What it’ll cost you: $25
Why you should go: Lauded local trumpeter Ron Miles and guitarist Bill Frisell, a Denver native now living near Seattle, have performed and recorded together a number of times, but they’ve only teamed up with drummer Brian Blade on a handful of occasions, including on Miles’s latest disc, Quiver, which was issued in 2013, and last year’s superb disc, Circuit Rider. The act’s previous outings at Dazzle have been simply magical, so you definitely don’t want to miss out on this pair of dates.