SHOWS, FESTS AND VENUES WILL SHINE
Big shows, new venues, citywide festivals — there’s a lot of culture coming Denver’s way this year. Here is what we are most looking forward to.
Denver sits at a cultural confluence, offering a strong dose of the Western experience and an ever-more-sophisticated blend of mainstream entertainment, thanks to its growing stature as one of America’s most desirable cities. Here are 10 pop-culture highlights coming to the Mile High City in 2017 that provide a glimpse of where we are now — and where we’re headed.
JAN. 7–22 National Western Stock Show, National Western Complex
Starting with the Jan. 5 parade that winds through downtown via 17th Street — including Longhorn cattle, horses and Western wagons ambling among the gleaming skyscrapers (and Denver Broncos mascot Thunder as the grand marshal) — Denver’s biggest Western tradition returns for its 111th year. Expect even more rodeos, family fun, Western art and livestock competitions, particularly since the 2016 event boasted the secondhighest overall attendance in Stock Show history with 686,745 visitors. nationalwestern.com
MARCH 3–4 Chris Rock, Bellco Theatre at the Colorado Convention Center
A visit from Chris Rock after a nine-year touring drought is reason enough to celebrate. But as one of America’s fiercest and most effective social critics, we need Rock’s thoughts on race, politics and parenting more than ever. There are, at the moment, only two shows scheduled for March, but we’re keeping our fingers crossed that he adds another (or two, ideally). axs.com
MARCH 10–AUG. 13 “Vikings: Beyond the Legend, Denver Museum of Nature & Science
As one of the country’s most respected research and educational museums, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science has plenty of clout in garnering marquee exhibits, such as the upcoming “Nature’s Amazing Machines” (June 16-Jan. 8, 2018) and the sure-to-be crowd-pleasing “Ultimate Dinosaurs” (Oct. 6-Jan. 15, 2018). First up: the largest collection of Viking artifacts ever to visit North America, including fullscale model Viking ships, a “virtual excavation” and artifacts of war, Norse mythology and religion. dmns.org
APRIL 8–9 & JUNE 30–JULY 2 DINK Denver and Denver Comic Con
A sign of any healthy cultural scene is when different worthy events compete for the same audience, as with the young but fast-growing DINK (Denver Independent Comics & Art Expo) and the massive, maturing Denver Comic Con, which DINK’s founder Charlie LaGreca also helped start. The former provides a DIY and intensely local warm-up to a summer of pop-culture bingeing at McNichols Civic Center Building, April 8-9. The latter offers a dizzying variety of artists, celebrities, gaming, education and more at the Colorado Convention Center, June 30-July 2. dinkdenver.com and denvercomiccon.com
MAY 29–30 Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Red Rocks Amphitheatre
With headlining visits to Mile high Music Festival and a tour-kickoff run at the FirstBank Center in Broomfield, Tom Petty has been kind to Colorado fans in recent years. But we’re most excited for Petty’s 40th anniversary run at Red Rocks, which will provide a legendary backdrop for the still-vital musician and his band of Heartbreakers, plus an opening set from Eagles member and Colorado favorite Joe Walsh. axs.com
SUMMER 2017 Levitt Pavilion opening, Ruby Hill Park
Given our huge amount of music venues — more than in Austin, Texas, according to our governor (and backed up by apples-to-apples research) — it’s common to see clubs come and go around the metro area. But in addition to smaller planned openings for 2017, like the Black Box (in the old Quixote’s True Blue on Capitol Hill) and Oskar Blues’ Black Buzzard (16th and Market streets in LoDo), there’s the promising Levitt Pavilion amphitheater at Ruby Hill Park. The nonprofit, 7,500-capacity venue plans to debut in summer 2017 and offer 50 free concerts annually. The staff already has strong roots in the local music community, and with the backing of the city we’re hoping to see some notable locals get the spotlight they deserve. levittdenver.org
JULY 22 Steve Martin and Martin Short at Bellco Theatre
Big-duo comedy tours usually lean toward pairs like Jeff Foxworthy and Larry the Cable Guy (April 21 at the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs). But July 22’s show at the Colorado Convention Center’s Bellco Theatre brings two legit legends to town in one can’t-miss show. Buddies and multitalented stage performers Steve Martin and Martin Short will bring fans “An Evening You Will Forget for the Rest of Your Life,” including stand-up, film clips, musical numbers and conversations about their lives in showbiz, plus Grammy-winning bluegrass band and frequent Martin collaborators Steep Canyon Rangers. axs.com
AUG. 2 (Guns N’ Roses) and AUG. 12 (Justin Bieber) at Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Music lovers can count on both hands the number of notable concerts held inside Sports Authority Field at Mile High (or whatever it was called at the time of the event) since it opened in 2001, including biggies like the Eagles and U2. It takes names that large to fill the 76,125-seat stadium, and 2017’s announced concerts would seem to be on par: Guns N’ Roses’ daringly named “Not in This Lifetime” tour plays the venue on Aug. 2, while pop’s favorite punching-bag Justin Bieber brings his “Purpose” tour there Aug. 12. Both have the potential to be triumphant, or train wrecks, and likely everything in between. ticketmaster.com
AUG. 17–OCT. 1 “Frozen” the Broadway musical, Buell Theatre
As an important incubator for Broadway shows such as “The Lion King,” Denver occupies a surprisingly vital spot on the Broadway touring map. That gets reinforced again in summer 2017 as “Frozen,” the adaptation of the enduringly popular Disney computeranimated film, gets the pre-Broadway tune-up as a family-friendly production. Sign up for the latest news at frozenthemusical.com or visit denvercenter.org for up-to-date ticketing information.
EARLY NOVEMBER Denver Film Festival, various theaters
The 2016 version may have ended last month, but we’re already getting excited about the 40th anniversary of the Denver Film Festival. This year was arguably its best yet, with big films, impressive celebrity attendees (including “La La Land” star Emma Stone) and a smart, diverse selection of dozens of cinema’s best offerings. We’re hoping and fully expecting the festival top itself — even if we have to wait most of another year to buy our popcorn. denverfilmfestival.denverfilm.org