Over and Under

One big show, one smaller After the ebb of grunge in the mid-’90s, the Goo Goo Dolls managed to keep alive the emotional intensity of the Seattle rock scene with ballads that held appeal to an older, post-angst audience. Since its heyday in the early aughts, the 31-year-old band has had a tough run embracing middle age without giving up on the fountain of youth from which rock ‘n’ roll draws its vigor. The Goo Goo Dolls will work that balance on July 18 at Fiddlers Green Amphitheatre in Greenwood Village, where they’ll be joined by American Idol winner and millennial magnet Phillip Phillips. Tickets start at $25-$70 on axs.com. Los Angeles-based KOLARS (guitarist/vocalist Rob Kolar and percussionist Lauren Brown) has a knack for buffing a weary worldview to a glinting sheen. (The world isn’t on fire; it’s glowing!) With a rousing 1980s rhythm, “One More Thrill,” the band’s calling-card single considers if the compromises of the work-a-day adult — namely, grinding it out to live comfortably — are worth putting your dreams on ice. The duo’s answer to that question plays out with glam concerts punctuated by Brown’s unique rhythm set-up, which has her tap dancing atop a bass drum. Catch KOLARS at the Larimer Lounge on July 15. Tickets: $5-$12 via ticketfly.com.