2015 Colorado summer concert guide

By Quentin Young

It’s summer concert time, and here’s the guide we believe will be of most use to you. We’ll leave it to the marketing behemoths behind Taylor Swift and U2 to tell you about their shows.

We couldn’t quite find a place for the 1980s show, featuring Howard Jones and A Flock of Seagulls, scheduled for June 13 at the Budweiser Events Center in Loveland. We ran out of room for the Denver Botanic Gardens concert series and City Park Jazz in Denver.

But northern Front Range music fans will find here all the basic information on some of the essential series, festivals and events planned for the coming months. We organized the guide, in no particular order, into lists of 15, this being 2015 and all. (Note: Some festivals have set dates but not their lineups, which is why some events don’t include highlighted acts.)

SHOWS OF NOTE

• Big Gigantic’s Rowdytown IV Sept. 25-26, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison; biggigantic.net

Boulder’s Big Gigantic really have gotten big, and their annual Rowdytown party at Red Rocks is getting bigger. An electronic duo that sports live instruments, Big Gigantic invites some of its music friends from around the world to perform with them, and their friends happen to include artists such as RL Grime, Thomas Jack, Snails, Jauz, Two Fresh and DeFunk.

• Passion Pit May 27, Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St., Boulder; bouldertheater.com

The teenage Michael Angelakos started making pop songs in mid-2000s. The project has grown into Passion Pit, the Cambridge, Mass.-based vehicle for Angelakos’ sometimes danceable and often ponderable music. Holychild opens the show.

• The Avett Brothers July 10-12, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison; redrocksonline.com

North Carolina’s Scott and Seth Avett started as rockers, but in the 2010s they topped the charts with a sound that blended their pop tunefulness with acoustic instrumentation. A sign of their success is a run of three nights at Red Rocks, and on one of those nights, July 12, John Prine, one of America’s greatest living songwriters, opens the show. Lake Street Dive opens for The Avett Brothers on July 10 and Sturgill Simpson on July 11.

• Imagine Dragons July 27, Pepsi Center, 1000 Chopper Circle, Denver; imaginedragonsmusic.com

The members of the Grammy-winning Imagine Dragons make rock songs that can be emotionally sensitive but optimistic. The Las Vegas-based quartet has climbed into arena-tour territory, which is where they’ll be again this summer when they stop at the Pepsi Center.

• Lettuce and The Motet June 5, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison; redrocksonline.com

If funk is your flavor, try some Lettuce. The Brooklyn-based outfit is two decades into dishing its jam-funk across the country, and it’s still fresh. Of greater interest to local fans is Boulder-based funk powerhouse The Motet, which opens the show. Led by drum juggernaut Dave Watts, The Motet has been getting used to supporting roles on the Red Rocks stage in recent years. It seems inevitable they’ll headline one day.

• Brian Wilson July 8, 1stBank Center, 11450 Broomfield Lane, Broomfield; 1stbankcenter.com

Brian Wilson is one of the giants. The Beach Boys visionary is among the handful of 20th century artists — among the ilk of Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Bob Dylan and Michael Jackson — who helped shaped the sound of American popular song. At 72, his performance chops aren’t what they once were, but so what? Rodriguez opens the show.

• Will Butler June 1, Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave., Denver; bluebirdtheater.net

Will Butler was nominated for an Academy Award for co-writing the soundtrack for Spike Jonze’s film “Her.” Butler released his first solo album, Policy, this year. It’s a new chapter for the Arcade Fire member.

• Charli XCX and Bleachers July 29, Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 Clarkson St., Denver; fillmoreauditorium.org

Two of music’s most interesting figures take the stage as part of the “Charli and Jack Do America” — that’s Charli XCX, the English dynamo who started singing at raves in her mid-teens, and Jack Antonoff, the guitarist for fun. and beau of Lena Dunham.

• GRiZ with SunSquabi Sept. 4, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison; redrocksonline.com

It’s a fact, sax goes with EDM. Big Gigantic does it. So does GRiZ. GRiZ, aka Grant Kwiecinski, came to fame in Detroit, but he recently moved to Boulder, and he has included another Boulder electronic act, SunSquabi, on his Red Rocks lineup this summer.

• Tyler, the Creator June 24, Fox Theater, 1135 13th St., Boulder; foxtheatre.com

Tyler, the Creator once came to Boulder and, in a public ceremony, awarded himself the keys to the city. As part of the vanguard of contemporary hip hop, the Odd Future leader is unpredictable, prone to pranks and enormously creative.

• The String Cheese Incident July 24-26, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison; redrocksonline.com

Love them or hate them, The String Cheese Incident is indisputably one of Colorado’s most successful musical exports of the past two decades. Their members today often are to be found indulging themsleves in side projects, but when they get together, they can still pack Red Rocks three nights in a row.

• Hi-Dive Garage Fest June 5-6, Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver; hi-dive.com

The Hi-Dive is one of the primary tastemakers in Denver-area indie rock and is a beacon of the South Broadway music scene. So, if you don’t go to its festival, you’re not cool. Includes sets by Zebroids, Dirty Few, Best Creeps, The Buckingham Squares, The Harms, Soft Skulls and Jobless.

• Keller Williams & The Keels June 12, Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder; chautauqua.com

Keller Williams, the embodiment of the independent artist, has been venturing into various musical projects since the early 1990s. One of them is a running collaboration with the husband-and-wife bluegrass team of Larry and Jenny Keel. Their album Thief, a collection of cover songs, includes a surprisingly snappy version of Marcy Playground’s “Sex and Candy.”

• Leftapalooza Aug. 1, location TBA; lefthandbrewing.com

Cover bands are lame, you say? Left Hand Brewing believes they’re at least good for throwing a huge party. Leftapalooza is the Longmont brewer’s annual battle of the cover bands, and, of course, it includes plenty of entertainment for your palette, as well as your ears. The lineup is yet to be announced, but past acts have included tributes to the B-52s, Rush, Grateful Dead, The Police and Eagles.

• The Knew, SPELLS, Dragondeer May 16, Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver; hi-dive.com

You will have fun if you see this show. The Knew’s party rock is some of the baddest-ass music being made in Denver. SPELLS is just out of control, as they themselves sing in one of their songs. Throw in some psych-blues from Dragondeer, and you’ve got one of the most fun local sets in Denver all summer.

MUSIC SERIES

• Concerts in the Park 6:30-8 p.m. Tuesdays, June 9-July 28, Roosevelt Park, 700 Longs Peak Ave., Longmont (Highlights: Idlewhile, Katie Glassman & Snapshot); longmontcolorado.gov

• Downtown Summer Concerts 7-9 p.m. Fridays, June 5-July 24, Fourth Avenue and Main Street, Longmont (Highlights: Chris Daniels and the Kings, The Long Run); longmontcolorado.gov

• Chautauqua Summer Concerts Series June 2-Sept. 24, Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder (Highlights: Ry Cooder, Sharon White and Ricky Skaggs, Indigo Girls, Emmylous Harris & Rodney Crowell); chautauqua.com

• Prospect Sound Bites 5:30-8:30 p.m. Mondays, through Sept. 7, Prospect Park, 700 Tenacity Drive, Longmont (Highlights: Mojomama, The Wendy Woo Band); prospectnewtown.com

•Bands on the Bricks 7 p.m. Wednesdays, June 10-Aug. 12, Pearl Street Mall, Boulder (Highlights: Chain Station, The Samples); boulderdowntown.com

• Downtown Sounds 6-8 p.m. on selected Thursdays, June 18-Sept. 24, Crist Park, 105 Fifth St., Frederick (Highlights: Watersong, The Railsplitters); frederickco.gov

• Louisville Street Faire 6:30-9 p.m. Fridays, June 12-Aug. 14, Steinbaugh Pavilion, 824 Front St., Louisville (Highlights: MarchFourth Marching Band, Marcia Ball, Gin Blossoms); downtownlouisvilleco.com

• Mishawaka Amphitheatre Through Sept. 13, 13714 Poudre Canyon Road, Bellvue (Highlights: Chris Robinson Brotherhood, EOTO, Ryan Bingham, Dawes); themishawaka.com

• Niwot Rock ‘N Rails 5:30-8:45 p.m. Thursdays, June 4-Aug. 27, Whistle Stop Park, First and Murray Streets, Niwot (Highlights: Kerry Pastine and the Crime Scene); facebook.com/rockrailsniwot

• Foote Lagoon Concert Series 7 p.m. Thursdays, June 25-July 30, Loveland Civic Center, 300 E. Third St., Loveland (Highlights: Hazel Miller, Quemando); lovelandmuseumgallery.org

• Lafayette Recreation Summer Concert Series 7 p.m. Wednesdays, July 8-29, Festival Plaza, 311 South Public Road, Lafayette, on July 8; Waneka Lake Park, 1600 Caria Drive, Lafayette, all other times (Highlights: Raising Cain Band, Rachel & the Rukus); cityoflafayette.com

• Art Night Out 7 p.m. third Friday, May-September, Festival Plaza, 311 South Public Road, Lafayette (Highlights: Quemando, Euforquestra); cityoflafayette.com

• Bohemian Nights’ Thursday Night Live 7-9 p.m. Thursdays, dates TBA, 354 Walnut St., Fort Collins; bohemiannights.org

• Loveland Concert Band summer concert series 7:15 p.m. Tuesdays, June 2-July 7, plus Saturday, July 4, at the Lynn and Norma Hammond Amphitheater, 2626 N. Taft Ave., Loveland; loveland fortnet.org/lcband

• Twenty Ninth Street concerts 6-8 p.m. Thursdays, June 25-Aug. 6 Central Plaza, Twenty Ninth Street, Boulder (Highlights: Hazel Miller, Face); twentyninthstreet.com

NORTHERN COLORADO FESTIVALS

• Boulder Creek Festival May 22-25, Ninth Street to 14th Street and Canyon Boulevard to Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder; bceproductions.com

• RockyGrass July 24-26 Planet Bluegrass, 500 W. Main St., Lyons (Highlights: Earls of Leicester, The Infamous Stringdusters, The David Grisman Sextet, Billy Strings & Don Julin); bluegrass.com

• Folks Festival Aug. 14-16 Planet Bluegrass, 500 W. Main St., Lyons (Highlights: Sufjan Stevens, Peter Yarrow, Jason Isbell, Gillian Welch); bluegrass.com

• Bohemian Nights at NewWestFest Aug. 14-16, historic downtown Fort Collins; bohemiannights.org

• LOHI Music Festival June 13, Highland Tap & Burger, 2219 W. 32nd Ave., Denver (Highlights: The Infamous Stringdusters, Kung Fu, Hot Buttered Rum); lohimusicfestival.com

• ARISE Music Festival Aug. 7-9, Sunrise Ranch, 100 Sunrise Ranch Road, Loveland (Highlights: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Rising Appalachia, Shook Twins, Jaden Carlson Band); arisefestival.com

• Longmont Jazz Festival July 18, Roosevelt Park Pavilion, 700 Longs Peak Ave., Longmont; longmontjazz.com

• Greeley Blues Jam June 13, Island Grove Arena, 501 N. 14th Ave., Greeley (Highlights: Delbert McClinton, Elvin Bishop); greeleybluesjam.com

• Rocky Mountain Old-Time Music Festival July 9-12, Parrish Ranch, 15722 Parrish Road, Berthoud (Highlights: Roan Mountain Hilltoppers, Walt Koken and Clare Milliner); thecroma.org

• Leftapalooza Aug. 1, location TBA, Longmont; lefthandbrewing.com

• The Denver Post Underground Music Showcase July 23-26, various venues along South Broadway in Denver (Highlights: Tennis, STRFKR and DIIV); theums.com

• Riot Fest & Rodeo Aug. 28-30, National Western Complex, 4655 Humboldt St., Denver; riotfest.org

• Westword Music Showcase June 20, various venues in the Golden Triangle neighborhood, Denver (Highlights: Flume, The Black Angels, MisterWives, Robert DeLong); westword.com

• Capitol Hill People’s Fair June 6-7, Civic Center Park, Denver; peoplesfair.com

• Vans Warped Tour Aug. 2, Pepsi Center parking lot, 1000 Chopper Circle, Denver (Highlights: BoyMeetsWorld, KAYA, New Beat Fund, Pierce the Veil, Riff Raff); vanswarpedtour.com

MOUNTAIN FESTIVALS

• The Telluride Blues & Brews Festival Sept. 18-20, Telluride Town Park, 500 E. Colorado Ave., Telluride; tellurideblues.com

• NedFest Aug. 28-30, Jeff Guercio Memorial Baseball Field, 151 E. St., Nederland (Highlights: MarchFourth Marching Band, Hard Working Americans, Vince Herman); nedfest.org

• Telluride Bluegrass Festival June 18-21, Telluride Town Park, 500 E. Colorado Ave., Telluride (Highlights: Trampled by Turtles, Janelle Monae, Leftover Salmon, Greensky Bluegrass); bluegrass.com

• Global Dance Festival July 17-19, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison (Highlights: Tiesto, Kaskade, Flosstradamus); globaldancefestival.com

• The RIDE Festival July 11-12, Telluride Town Park, 500 E. Colorado Ave, Telluride (Highlights: Widespread Panic, Gov’t Mule, Jonny Lang); ridefestival.com

• Sonic Bloom June 18-21, Hummingbird Ranch, 732 County Road 653, Rye (Highlights: STS9, Talib Kweli); sonicbloomfestival.com

• Loudwire June 26-28, Jam Ranch, 1065 Highway 6 & 50, Mack (Highlights: Linkin Park, Rob Zombie, Weezer); loudwiremusicfestival.com

• Mammoth Festival June 12-14, Snowmass Town Park, 97 Lower Mall, Snowmass Village, Aspen; snowmassmammothfest.com

• Gentlemen of the Road Stopover Aug. 21-22, Vandaveer Ranch, 5610 U.S. 50, Salida (Highlights: Mumford & Sons, The Flaming Lips); gentlemenoftheroad.com

• Palisade Bluegrass and Roots Festival June 12-14, Riverbend Park, 451 Pendleton St., Palisade (Jackie Greene, Elephant Revival); palisademusic.com

• JAS Aspen Sept. 4-6, Snowmass Town Park, 97 Lower Mall, Snowmass Village, Aspen (Highlights: No Doubt, Hozier, Lenny Kravitz); jazzaspensnowmass.org

• Wanderlust July 2-5, Snowmass Village, Aspen; wanderlust.com

• Longs Peak Scottish-Irish Highlands Festival Sept. 10-13, various venues, Estes Park (Highlights: Seamus Kennedy, The Elders); scotfest.com

• Telluride Jazz Festival July 31-Aug. 2 Telluride Town Park, 500 E. Colorado Ave., Telluride(Highlights: Maceo Parker, Bill Frisell Trio); telluridejazz.org

• Groove Music & Arts Festival July 18-20, Shadows Ranch 1259 Alvarado Road, Georgetown (Highlights: Hot Buttered Rum, Kyle Hollingsworth Band, Keeler & The Keels); groovefestival.net

COMMUNITY EVENTS WITH MUSIC

• Festival on Main 6-10 p.m. Aug. 28, along a downtown stretch of Main Street, Longmont; festivalonmain.com

• Culture Jam 5-10 p.m. June 6, Left Hand Brewing, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont (Highlights: La Santa Cecilia, Paa Kow); lefthandbrewing.com

• Erie Town Fair & Balloon Festival 10 a.m.-9 p.m. May 16, various locations, Erie (Highlights: Hazel Miller); eriechamber.org

• Boulder County Fair July 31-Aug. 9, Boulder County Fairgrounds, 9595 Nelson Road, Longmont; bouldercountyfair.org

• Carbon Valley Music & Spirits Festival Aug. 1, Centennial Field, 123 Forest Ave., Dacono; ci.dacono.co.us

• Rhythm on the River July 10-11, Roger’s Grove Park, 220 S. Hover Road, Longmont (Highlights: The Nacho Men, Chris Daniels & The Kings); longmontcolorado.gov

• Lyons Outdoor Games May 30, Bohn Park, 219 Second Ave., Lyons (Highlights: The Revivalists, Interstate Stash Express); lyonsoutdoorgames.com

• Burning Can May 30, Bohn Park, 219 Second Ave., Lyons; burningcan.com

• Taste of Fort Collins June 12-14, Howes Street and Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins (Highlights: Andy Grammer, Smash Mouth); tasteoffortcollins.com

• Loveland Loves BBQ, Bands & Brews July 10-11, Railroad Avenue between Fourth and Fifth streets (Highlights: Amplified Soul, Bakersfield Band); lovelandlovesbbq.com

• Larimer County Fair & Rodeo July 31-Aug. 4, The Ranch, 5280 Arena Circle, Loveland (Highlights: Rocktin Grove, Von Stomper); larimercountyfair.org

• Bolder Boulder May 25, along the race course, Boulder (Highlights: Gasoline Lollipops); bolderboulder.com

• Hanuman Festival June 11-14, Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St., Boulder (Highlights: Lucent Dossier Experience, Dub Kirtan); hanumanfestival.com

• ArtWalk Longmont 4-8 p.m. July 18 and Sept. 19, along a downtown stretch of Main Street, Longmont (Highlights: Defunkt Railroad, Nick O’Connor); artwalklongmont.org

• Longmont Oktoberfest Sept. 12, Roosevelt Park, 700 Longs Peak Ave., Longmont; lefthandbrewing.com

Quentin Young: quentin@dailycamera.com and twitter.com/qpyoungnews