Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Denver DJ-producer Illenium likely set records at Empower Field at Mile High, from the most tickets sold for a weekend run (Swift), to the biggest, venue-based concert in Denver history (Sheeran) and the biggest-ever show from a Colorado artist (Illenium).

As state and federal legislators again failed to pass meaningful legislation protecting consumers from outrageous ticketing fees, prices soared. A nosebleed seat to one of Swift’s shows at Empower Field may have cost less than $50 if you were lucky enough to get one during the disastrous Ticketmaster pre-sale. But thousands were forced to buy them on the secondary market for prices ranging from $500 to $10,000 per seat.

The Wall Street Journal found that the average price of a concert had doubled in the past five years, increasing from $125 in 2019 to $252 in 2023. The story was the same with re-sellers such as SeatGeek, whose resale averages doubled from the previous year to roughly the same price.

Those secondary-market tickets were also sold on sites like StubHub which, it should be noted, was forced to refund $3 million to more than 8,500 Colorado consumers in 2021 after the Colorado Attorney General’s Office found it wasn’t honoring its refund guarantees. Senate Bill 60 — a.k.a. Consumer Protection in Event Ticketing Sales Act — easily passed the state legislature, but was vetoed by Gov. Jared Polis in June because it could upset “the successful entertainment ecosystem in Colorado,” he said after killing it. Supporters vowed to revive it.

Local notes, some off-key

Denver strengthened its hold on electronic dance music, with artists, fans and promoters reinforcing the Mile High City as the global capital of the bass subgenre. Transplants such as French producer and DJ CloZee notched crucial headlining spots on the way to bigger, better appearances at venues such as Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Provided you were willing to align yourself with mega-promoter AEG Presents Rocky Mountains, the path from support act to Red Rocks headliner had never looked clearer.

Even as massive concerts continued at the 18,000-seat Fiddlers Green Amphitheatre, and heritage acts played their final Colorado shows (see Eagles, Dead & Company, Foreigner), festivals in metro Denver took a dip. The pause of this year’s Westword Music Showcase left a local music hole in June as the multi-venue event took the year off. Fortunately, South Broadway’s Underground Music Showcase got more equitable and community-oriented as it increasingly catered to all-ages, sober and BIPOC performers, such as the fast-ascending, R&B/hip-hop sensation N3PTUNE, amid a hundred-plus other acts.

The jazz world wobbled as Vail Jazz shut down after nearly than three decades, Denver Post jazz columnist Bret Saunders wrote. The free City Park Jazz series was also clipped by a series of June rainouts, denting its much-needed donations and attendance. The dearly departed El Chapultepec made a comeback of sorts with a legacy/archive project. The former owners sponsored shows at the nationally acclaimed Denver jazz club Dazzle — which itself reopened in a slick, more affordable space in downtown’s Performing Arts Complex. There, blockbuster Broadway musicals such as the jukebox-hit “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” wowed audiences at the nearby Buell Theatre, drawing people to an urban core that’s still hollowed out from the pandemic.

Icons such as the historic Denver Folklore Center changed hands to an equally capable owner in Ian Dehmel, while nearby folk-music hub Swallow Hill welcomed a new concert director in music veteran David Dugan, just days after executive director Aengus Finnan finished out his first full year at the nonprofit.

Immersive entertainment company Meow Wolf, meanwhile, continued making good on its promise to support local artists with diverse, thoughtfully booked shows at the 488-person capacity Perplexiplex venue, from drag showcases to up-and-coming queer singer-songwriters.

Meow Wolf also brought back a slightly reworked Vortex music and art festival to Live Nation’s new-ish JunkYard outdoor venue. Smaller festivals and block parties mingled craft brews and local music favorites. The Colorado Music Hall of Fame inducted progressive bluegrass legend Yonder Mountain String Band, which celebrated the achievement at Telluride’s 50th anniversary bluegrass fest. Hazel Miller, Big Head Todd and the Monsters, and jazz pioneer George Morrison Sr. also got overdue spots in the state’s music hall. Alongside, jamgrass veteran The String Cheese Incident (already in the music hall as of 2022) celebrated its 30th anniversary of helping create and lead the genre.

Colorado Symphony dipped further into its pop collaborations with its Imagination Artist Series, which included not only local platinum-seller Nathaniel Rateliff but also a world premiere from Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA. (More were just announced with the same artists for 2024.)

But as venues and performers struggled to sustain comebacks in the face of cost-of-living and rent increases, every little bit of support made a difference. That included potentially career-changing shows at Levitt Pavilion Denver, which presented 50 free, quality concerts over the summer, and programs from the nonprofit Youth on Record and the state’s Take Note Colorado music education drive.

A garden of faceplants

In terms of national acts, Drake came up with perhaps the most lame excuse for a concert postponement in the history of Colorado music, blaming a last-minute ghosting on “the distance the road crew has to travel along with the magnitude of the production,” which made it “logistically impossible to bring the full experience of the show to Denver … .” The show was rescheduled for January at Ball Arena, with another date added, but one would’ve thought they figured out production details before putting tickets on sale and prompting more than 10,000 people to schedule their lives around it.

We also mourned the latest tour-dissing by Beyoncé, and wondered why current tours from Janet Jackson, Pearl Jam and Metallica snubbed Denver.

Bizarrely, and sadly, Royal Trux leader and indie rock veteran Neil Hagerty was charged with a trio of felonies in an alleged assault on a Denver police officer. The gloom also hung over some indie venues as HQ (formerly 3 Kings Tavern) flooded and closed after a devastating water break (it has since reopened), and workers at the Mercury Cafe — which hosts jazz, experimental music, poetry and comedy — pushed for a union after complaining of unsafe work conditions. Punk rock mainstay Carioca Cafe (a.k.a. Bar Bar) and Wax Trax Records grappled with the city over noise complaints and permits, while jam band Lotus and other acts lost crucial members to untimely deaths.

Broomfield’s troubled FirstBank Center shut down, and Loveland’s Budweiser Events Center announced a name change to Blue Arena. In Colorado Springs, the $55 million Sunset Amphitheater complex broke ground on its way to a planned June 2024 opening. And at a Louis Tomlinson show at Red Rocks in June, nearly 100 fans got cuts, bruises and broken bones after intense hail. Some concession stand workers reportedly laughed at them from their shelters, prompting calls for earlier storm warnings and more safety coverage at the city-owned venue. With climate change worsening, it seems to be just the tip of the extreme-weather risks for future outdoor concerts.

On the brighter side, salsa destination La Rumba marked its quarter-century milestone as Spanish-language concerts at venues ranging from Ball Arena to Levitt Pavilion and Aurora’s Stampede proliferated. That, along with supportive, sober and all-ages options, are a pair of trends we’d like to see continue into 2024.

Looking for a preview of the musical year ahead? Check out our updated list of 2024 Red Rocks concerts, plus music news, profiles and more at denverpost.com/tag/music.

But the arrival of King Henry VIII’s six wives to the Buell Theater (through Dec. 24) is proof that the whole can be greater than the sum of its parts.

In what can be considered one of the best concerts of Denver’s fall season, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’s blast-from-a-past, her-story lesson brings together Catherine of Aragon (Gerianne Pérez), Anne Boleyn (Zan Berube), Jane Seymour (Amina Faye), Anne of Cleves (Terica Marie), Katherine Howard (Aline Mayagoitia)  and Catherine Parr (Adriana Scalice) for a rock show. Or, as the opening song “Ex-Wives” so deftly and drolly introduces the sextet: “Divorced. Beheaded, Died … Divorced. Beheaded. Survived.”

The premise is simple, and seeks the participation of theatergoers. “Den-vvverrr! Make some noise!” Aragon shouts before launching into “No Way.” Although each woman was queen at some point, the audience is invited to decide which queen should don the evening’s crown. The ex with the best sob story wins. Naturally, Anne Boleyn, who infamously met her end due to the executioner’s blade, would seem to have a head start (pun intended). Throughout the show and in the “Don’t Lose Ur Head,” portrayer Zan Berube, with a quirky zest that calls forth Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn, reminds us of that outrageous fate.

Over the next 80 minutes, each woman seeks to persuade the audience with numbers that are consistently winking, sometimes wise and biographically apt. There’s even a ballad. With show-stopping chops, Amina Faye as Jane Seymour — the one who was actually loved by VIII, who died shortly after the birth of son Edward — sings “Heart of Stone,” a tune that suggests that even for her, there was more to her story than the historical record captured.

Given the patriarchal vibe of the time (the Tudor past but also the #MeToo-ish present), the musical — with its (Spice) girl-power feminism — argues there was cause for hurt, outrage, even fear aplenty. But is this competition in misery the best way of going about historical comeuppance? “Six” asks, toys with and then answers that quandary.

As with a proper rock show, there’s a live band, directed here by Jane Cardona. And this being a work honoring queens, the nimble players — on keyboards, guitar, bass and drums — are the Ladies in Waiting.

The wild set (Emma Bailey) suggests a concert venue, one that allows for some measure of intimacy. Think the Fillmore, not Ball Arena. For Anne of Cleves and her tartly delivered tune “Haus of Holbein,” the action heads to Germany.  From start to encore, the light show (designed by Tim Deiling) plays off that conceit: twirling beams of light whirl; the dark, strobe-y energy of a dance club serving up electronica beckons; a cross, etched in glowing light bulbs, signifies piety with an attitude.

There are willfully LOL moments, intent on capturing the attention of the LOL generations. Cleves’s refrain of “I didn’t look like my profile picture” underscores who this lesson in European history aims for. Ditto its brevity.

Feminism lite, perhaps. Theater lite, maybe. This isn’t the sort of musical that bursts forth into song because regular dramatic language can’t contain the emotions. These are songs as biographical sketches, setting the record straight as pop confections.

For some theatergoers, the show might revive a familiar sticking point: Women who claim feeling sexy as a right and a pleasure often look like they’re delivering a mixed message when it comes to female empowerment. Just ask Queen Bey (a different monarch who gets a nod here) or the other pop figures the playbill tags as “Queenspiration,” among them: Adele, Avril Lavigne, Shakira, Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj and Alicia Keys.

Doubters will have to chew on the vivaciously delivered (it’s complicated) “All You Wanna Do,” by VIII”s other murdered mate, Katherine Howard (Mayagoitia). Or pay specific heed to Catherine Parr’s anthemic “I Don’t Need Your Love,” to rightly complicate matters — which makes this fleet, seemingly frothy show a perfectly spiked treat for a holiday month.

Lisa Kennedy is a Denver freelance writer who specializes in film and theater. 

IF YOU GO

“Six”: Written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. Directed by Moss and Jamie Armitage. Choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille. Featuring Gerianne Pérez, Zan Berube, Amina Faye, Terica Marie, Aline Mayagoitia and Adriana Scalice. The Ladies in Waiting: Jane Cardona, Sterlyn Termine, Rose Laguana and Kami Lujan.  At the Buell Theatre, 14th and Curtis streets. Through Dec. 24. For tickets and info: denvercenter.com or 303-893-4100.

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Denver is brimming with New Year’s Eve events, whether you want to attend an all-inclusive soiree, a concert or a casual party. And the holiday falling on a weekend this year makes it even more worthwhile to celebrate.

Here are 15 places to say goodbye to 2023 and hello to 2024. A bonus: If you end up near the 16th Street Mall on New Year’s Eve, pop outside to enjoy a fireworks show, which will illuminate the skyline at 9 p.m. and midnight.

Swanky soirees

Denver NYE Black Tie Party

Don your best formal attire and ring in the New Year in style at the Denver NYE Black Tie Party. Guests get to enjoy an open bar, music from local DJs and cover bands, and Vegas-style casino games. There will also be a complimentary photo booth, midnight balloon drop and party favors.

Dec. 31 from 8:30 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. at Asterisk Event Center, 1075 Park Ave. West, Denver. Tickets cost $135 at newyearsevenight.com.

Denver New Year’s Eve White Rose Gala

The Roaring ‘20s are back in fashion as the theme of the 2023 White Rose Gala. Live entertainment will spotlight music and dance from the era. Decor and dress will reflect that timeless quality, too. Additional attractions include selfie stations and a speakeasy for VIP ticket-holders.

Dec. 31 from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Ritz-Carlton, 1881 Curtis St., Denver. Tickets cost $99-$149 at newyearspartydenver.com.

New Year’s Eve Dance Extravaganza

Dust off your dancing shoes and start the New Year off on the right foot at the Dance Extravaganza, which features multiple ballrooms with bands playing a variety of music styles such as bachata, swing and salsa. The event includes dance lessons as well as free-for-all fun, hors d’oeuvres and a complimentary champagne toast at midnight.

Dec. 31 from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Avalon Ballroom, 6185 Arapahoe Road, Boulder. Tickets cost $40 at eventbrite.com.

Denver NYE Cocktail Party

Looking for an all-inclusive soiree? Look no further than the Denver NYE Cocktail Party. DJs and bands will play in multiple ballrooms at the Sheraton hotel downtown, where guests can also enjoy an open bar, casino games, photo booths and more.

Dec. 31 from 8:30 p.m. to 2 a.m. at Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, 1550 Court Place, Denver. Tickets cost $110-$210 at nyenightdenver.com.

New Year’s Eve at The Tropicana

The Colorado Mambo Orchestra will be bringing the heat to The Brown Palace and transforming the venue with its Latin- and Cuban-infused jazz tunes, led by renowned musician Raul Murciano. (You might know him from the Miami Sound Machine with Gloria Estefan.) The party includes light bites, desserts, a champagne toast and enough sonic heat to make you forget the Colorado winter.

Dec. 31 from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. at The Brown Palace Hotel & Spa, 321 17th St., Denver. Tickets cost $250-$825 at eventbrite.com.

NYE concerts

Decadence Colorado

Outside of summer festivals, there’s hardly a bigger EDM event in the U.S. than Decadence Colorado. The Denver-based New Year’s Eve party at the Colorado Convention Center welcomes the genre’s biggest DJs, producers and groups, including the city’s own Illenium (who this summer headlined at  Empower Field at Mile High). The 2024 installment also features Red Rocks headliners such as Zeds Dead and crowd-movers like Two Friends, Mersiv, Subtronics, Steve Aoki, Sofi Tukker, Sidepiece, Ganja White Night and influential dubstep act Skrillex.

Dec. 30-31 on two main stages. Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St., Denver. Tickets cost $109-$359 at decadencenye.com.

Slim Cessna’s Auto Club at the Hi-Dive

A beloved country-punk tradition, Slim Cessna Auto Club’s NYE shows bring the Gothic folk sound that Denver is known for to intimate crowds for a raucous, two-night run. It’s a gritty tent revival through the funhouse mirror, with glowering, preacher-like stage presence and figurative brimstone aplenty. Swaggering, thunderous instrumentation. Cowboy hipsters. Mortality! In other words: true, ungentrified Denver.

9 p.m. Dec. 30-31 at the Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway in Denver. Tickets cost $25 per night or $40 for both at hi-dive.com.

CloZee at Mission Ballroom

French DJ and, recently, Denverite CloZee is an international EDM headliner having one of her biggest runs yet in the Mile High City this holiday season. Her pair of shows at this sterling RiNo venue are packed with guests, including Vincent Antone, Yoko and Daggz (Dec. 30), and LYNY, Super Future and Pheel (Dec. 31).

8 p.m. Dec. 30-31 at Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St. in Denver. Ages 16 and up. Tickets cost $85-$99 at axs.com.

Itchy-O NYE at Summit

This massive Denver ensemble, which invokes fiery ritual and release as much as dark rhythms and melodies, is taking over LoDo venue Summit for what promises to be a bacchanal with (a) soul. Known for its outlandish costumes, glowing instruments and in-crowd performances, Itchy-O is a unique Denver act that must be seen (and heard) to be believed. Its NYE show is pitched as a celebration when the “ancient and avant-garde merge into a symphony of sensory upheaval.”

9 p.m. Dec. 31 at Summit, 1902 Blake St. All ages. Tickets cost $41.25-$58.50 at concerts.livenation.com.

Neal Francis at the Ogden

Chicago R&B act Neil Francis plays a mean keyboard as he’s backed by airtight percussion, electric guitar and rubbery bass, his tastefully detached vocals meditating over it all. Live, the band is another potent backside activator, leading crowds through sweaty bliss and funky, ’70s-flecked dance numbers that sport as much texture as they do melody. There’s every chance this will be a legendary concert.

8 p.m. Dec. 31, with the Texas Gentlemen, Ogden Theatre, at 935 E. Colfax Ave. 16 and up. Tickets cost $45 at axs.com.

Casual affairs and family-friendly parties

The Improper Circus

Ring in 2024 with help from aerial performers, fire breathers, stilt walkers and tarot card readers when the Improper City bar in RiNo transforms into a circus for the last night of the year. The ticket price includes a welcome drink, complimentary big-tent snacks like popcorn, and a champagne toast at midnight.

Dec. 31 from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Improper City, 3201 Walnut St., Denver. Tickets cost $35 at eventbrite.com.

NYE on Tap

Denver brewery Bierstadt Lagerhaus plans to host a New Year’s Eve party sure to delight beer and cocktail drinkers alike. The all-inclusive ticket price buys access to an open bar featuring Bierstadt lagers as well as liquor, an appetizer buffet and a champagne toast at midnight. A DJ will also be onsite spinning tunes.

Dec. 31 from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m. at Bierstadt Lagerhaus, 2875 Blake St., Denver. Tickets cost $99 at eventbrite.com.

NYE Family Carnival Extravaganza at Bounce Empire

The title of this event hints at the scale of Bounce Empire, a sprawling inflatables “theme park” marketed as a DJ-driven party-pad as much as a kiddie-birthday destination. This event combines both, with full access to the huge inflatable slides and jump houses, as well as full bars and adult chill rooms, plus a full menu and other programming.

8 p.m.-1 a.m. Dec. 31 at Bounce Empire, 1380 S. Public Road in Lafayette. All ages. Tickets cost $39 at bounceempire.com. 

Downtown Aquarium New Year’s Eve Family Celebration
Sharkey, the Downtown Aquarium’s mascot, will be on hand as the cultural attraction, restaurant and venue welcomes folks for its buffet, balloon drop, contests and giveaways for kids. Reservations are required; call 303-561-4450 to secure one. Multi-course dinners are available for $45.

Seatings at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. 700 Water Drive in Denver. All ages. Tickets cost $26 for kids 10 and under, and $46 for everyone else. Reservations are available online. aquariumrestaurants.com/downtownaquariumdenver.

Roaring ’20s New Year’s Eve

Fortissimo’s dueling piano bar will make good on the promises of its brand name – which means “very loud” – with a raucous New Year’s Eve party. Dress the part for this Roaring ’20s-themed event and prepare to belt out sing-along songs into 2024.

Dec. 31 from 8 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. at Fortissimo Dueling Pianos, 891 14th St., #110, Denver. Tickets cost $35-$70 at eventbrite.com.

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Friday. This year’s 8th Sing It to Me Santa fundraiser from Take Note Colorado has powerful cheerleaders in Colorado politics and music — from Gov. Jared Polis to Lumineers frontman Wesley Schultz — but the nonprofit still needs your financial support to get instruments and lessons into the hands of K-12 students across the state.

Fortunately, this year’s fundraiser is headlined by powerhouse blues vocalist Grace Potter, with an opening set by Tracksuit Wedding feat. Ryan Chrys, on Friday, Dec. 8, at RiNo’s Mission Ballroom. The 16-and-up show starts at 7:30 p.m. at 4242 Wynkoop St. in Denver. Tickets are $40 for general admission via axs.com.

Charlie Brown, meet “The Nutcracker”

Saturday. There’s hardly a more evocative mix of joy and melancholy than Vince Guaraldi’s music for 1965’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” But to mix it up, piano player Ron LeGault’s sturdy jazz sextet has for the last 11 years sprinkled in bits of “The Nutcracker” — played with jazz rhythms — for their “Charlie Brown Goes to the Nutcracker” show.

This year’s events take place Saturday, Dec. 9, as well as Dec. 16 and 23, with sets ranging from 6-9 p.m. at the Hotel St. Julien in Boulder. The musical suite is also available on CD and online thanks to Boulder’s Octave Records, LeGault said.

Free and all-ages, 900 Walnut St. in Boulder. Get there early for the best spots. 720-406-9696 or stjulien.com

“Guaranteed” Snow Days at Children’s Museum

Through Feb. 16, 2024. We’ve still got a couple of weeks until it’s technically winter — this year’s cold solstice falls on Dec. 21 — which makes it the perfect time for Snow Days. The winter-themed experience from the Children’s Museum of Denver at Marsico Campus is full of interactive, all-ages fun, including an outdoor sock “skating rink,” a snow maze, fire pits and hot cocoa bar, “ice fishing” hut, and guaranteed snow at its Snow Hill (think sledding, snowman building, etc.).

Open now at 2121 Children’s Museum Drive in Denver, near Denver Aquarium. All activities are included with general admission. Tickets: $16-$18, children under 1 free. Call 303-433-7444 or visit mychildsmuseum.org.

Wonderbound’s “Icy Haught”

Through Dec. 17. Original, contemporary dance is hard to find this time of year amid the “Nutcrackers” and other seasonal, bank-making fare. That’s not stopping top-notch Denver outfit Wonderbound from staging a winter-themed show that’s not tethered to religions or decades-old cultural hallmarks.

“Icy Haught,” created by Garrett Ammon and Sarah Tallman, is the second show of Wonderbound’s celebratory 10th season and an ideal conduit to winter warmth, with both “frosty landscapes and sultry escapades” amid musical classics, the company said.

Shows are at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7-10 and Dec. 14-17, with Sunday shows at 2 p.m., at 3824 Dahlia St. Access to the entrance and parking are off Dahlia, in Northeast Denver. Tickets: $65. Call 303-292-4700 or visit wonderbound.com.

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It’s worth mentioning that most of what I found exciting was released on independent labels, and it hasn’t always been that way. While Blue Note, Impulse! and others attached to the big corporations are still releasing creative music, it’s the scrappy little guys who will truly fill your mind with the joy of discovery. Thank you to Pi Recordings, ESP-Disk, Pyroclastic Records and more for keeping the flame burning this past year.

Kris Davis, “Diatom Ribbons Live At The Village Vanguard” (Pyroclastic): Davis follows through on her remarkable promise as a pianist, composer and bandleader with a double-length set recorded on-stage, even though the samples and other sonic additions are typically more the kind of thing realized in a studio. There’s something delightful to be savored here every time you listen.

Wadada Leo Smith and Orange Wave Electric, “Fire Illuminations” (Kabell): Instead of issuing box sets of his numerous sonic achievements, the trumpeter stuck to digital-only releases this year. This is simply some of the most enthralling jazz-rock fusion to be released in recent times. (I’d also like to mention that I finally got to shake the great man’s hand at the Big Ears Festival in Knoxville this year. It was as much of a high point for me as this perfectly realized music.)

Mendoza Hoff Revels, “Echolocation” (Aum Fidelity): Guitarist Ava Mendoza is a force of nature. This satisfyingly noisy quartet date, with excellent tenor saxophonist James Brandon Lewis pushing against Mendoza up front, is this year’s best cathartic answer to stress overload.

Joe Lovano Trio Tapestry, “Our Daily Bread” (ECM): We need this kind of music, too: soothing without being saccharine. Veteran saxophonist Lovano creates a resonant world with pianist Marilyn Crispell and drummer Carmen Castaldi. The camaraderie on display is reassuring.

Allen Lowe and the Constant Sorrow Orchestra, “In The Dark” (ESP-Disk): The tenor sax man and scholar stretches out over the course of about three hours, demonstrating his mastery of multiple styles.

Illegal Crowns, “Unclosing” (Out Of Your Head Records): This quartet continues to develop into one of the most dynamic in current jazz, and any showcase for guitarist Mary Halvorson and cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum is a must-hear every time out.

Steve Lehman/Orchestre National De Jazz, “Ex Machina” (Pi Recordings): Lehman has always been an imaginative alto saxophonist, and he meets his match with this French big band. There’s a lot of new technology at play on this recording, but it’s the intriguing performances of the actual humans involved that make it a success.

Irreversible Entanglements, “Protect Your Light” (Impulse!): Really, I do like vocal jazz albums – especially when the singing and lyrics (courtesy of Camae Ayewa, sometimes known as Moor Mother) looks to the future, as opposed to romanticizing the past.

David Murray, Questlove & Ray Angry, “Plumb” (J.M.I. Recordings): Is there anything Questlove can’t do? The drummer found some time to head into the studio with the inexhaustible saxophonist David Murray and keyboardist Ray Angry, and the result is a couple of hours’ worth of mind-bending explorations. This is the best enjoyed on a long drive, with no interruptions.

Kate Gentile, “Find Letter X” (Pi Recordings): Yet another multi-faceted collection of highly inventive sounds from the New York-based drummer and composer.

Some live jazz this month: Nocturne presents a “Swinging Holiday Songbook” with various local artists Dec. 20-23. … Purnell Steen and the Five Points Ambassadors celebrate a Cool Yule at Dazzle on Dec. 17.

Bret Saunders is a freelance writer and DJ on KBCO-97.3 FM.

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Some of the metro area’s biggest productions are easily topping $100 for the best seats — we’re looking at you, Colorado Ballet (“The Nutcracker”) and Denver Center for the Performing Arts (“A Christmas Carol”) — but you don’t have to break the bank to feel jolly.

Here are 10 affordable shows — which in this case means under $50 per ticket — that are worth every cent you spend. Prices do not include online fees. All shows are family-friendly unless otherwise noted. See more holiday-fun ideas at denverpost.com/things-to-do.

“Santa’s Big Red Sack”

Feeling more naughty than nice this year? We can all relate to dark irreverence during the holidays. Fortunately, another local tradition is providing the snarky humor that our souls crave — in this case, “Santa’s Big Red Sack,” a comedic show of “nonstop sketch comedy, music and technology bursting at the seams,” according to producers. It’s celebrating its 21st year of offensive glee, so buy a shot to celebrate.

(Note: This is not, as you may have already guessed, a kid’s show.) Through Dec. 23 at The People’s Building, 9995 E. Colfax Ave. in Aurora. Tickets: $30. rattlebrain.vbotickets.com/events

“Granny Dances to a Holiday Drum”

The 32nd year of “Granny” boasts the music, dance and spoken-word performances that the acclaimed Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble and its partners are known for, with new tales and twists each year. If you haven’t seen this multicultural pageant yet, you’re missing an actual Denver tradition.

Various shows, including matinees, Dec. 2-17, at Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Theatre, 119 Park Ave. West in Denver. All ages. Tickets: $35-$45. cleoparkerrobinsondance.org

“Winter Soulstice”

In his first year as artistic director of Denver Gay Men’s Chorus, Johnny Nichols Jr. will lead the choral group through “music that honors the Earth, celebrates diversity, and dances to the festive rhythm of soul music,” producers wrote. Expect some classics, as well.

Friday, Dec. 1, and Saturday, Dec. 2, at Central Presbyterian Church; Dec. 8 at Boulder’s First United Methodist Church; and Dec. 10 at St. Andrew United Methodist Church in Highlands Ranch. Tickets: $38-$50. denverchoruses.org

“Santa and the Slay”

The creators of the ’60s-themed Motones & Jerseys show are coming to Northglenn’s Parsons Theatre with this variety show, which features “an array of musical performances, ranging from classic Christmas carols to modern pop hits, and side-splitting comedy. Santa’s mischievous elves and other special guests ensure that there’s never a dull moment …”

Dec. 8 at 1 E. Memorial Parkway in Northglenn. Tickets: $23-$30. northglennarts.org

“A Winter’s Eve”

Grammy-nominated guitarist David Arkenstone and his musical friends are playing University of Denver’s Hamilton Recital Hall for the holiday-themed “A Winter’s Eve,” which features “a lively candlelit concert” blending “neo-classic crossover, new age, Celtic progressive rock, orchestra and world music,” according to promoters. Phew!

Friday, Dec. 1, at 2344 E. Iliff Ave. in Denver. $22-$35. bit.ly/3sOJiLE

“The Miracle at Tepeyac”

Denver cultural treasure Su Teatro, one of the only theaters that regularly performs bilingual stage shows, is back with its “Miracle at Tepeyac” holiday play. Written and directed by artistic head Anthony J. Garcia, “Tepeyac” is a folk drama that tells the story of “the apparition of the Virgen de Guadalupe to the Indio Juan Diego. The play’s parallel storyline explores contemporary issues such as homelessness and the plight of immigrants,” Garcia wrote.

Dec. 10-17 at Su Teatro Performing Arts Center, 721 Santa Fe Drive in Denver. Tickets: $17-$20. suteatro.org

“Amahl and the Night Visitors”

“Amahl and the Night Visitors” tells the story of “a magic star, a shepherd boy, and how unselfish love can work miracles.” Rendered with a full orchestra, this show is a rare, family-friendly opera being performed by Central City Opera — with a full orchestra in tow.

Dec. 23 and 24 at Central Presbyterian Church, 1660 Sherman St. in Denver. All ages. Tickets: $12-$42. centralcityopera.org

“Carols Around the World”

This harmony vocal show from Mile High Barbershop choruses brings out “enchanting carols from the far corners of the globe followed by a soul-stirring set of sacred favorites, such as ‘Silent Night,’ and ‘Ave Maria.’ ” If that sounds like a fresh breeze after too many canned radio playlists, you’re not alone.

Dec. 9 at Gates Concert Hall, Newman Center for the Performing Arts, 2344 E. Iliff Ave. in Denver. Tickets: $19-$47. bit.ly/3TlNs8H

“Fiestas Navideñas”

ArtistiCO’s annual holiday show features original choreography based on Mexican dance traditions, filtered through this Denver folk-dance ensemble, and directed by acclaimed dancers and choreographers Jose Rosales and Alfonso Meraza Prudente. You may not find this much vivacious holiday pageantry outside of downtown’s Parade of Lights.

Dec. 6-7 at Gates Concert Hall at the Newman Center, 2344 E. Iliff Ave. in Denver. Tickets: $19-$42. bit.ly/46I4QXT

“Evergreen”

Denver’s 48-member, note-perfect Ars Nova Singers are bringing back “Evergreen,” described by artistic director Tom Morgan as a winter solstice celebration, featuring cellist Charles Lee and mixing “mystical melodies of the Dark Ages, cherished traditional carols, and splendorous compositions by 21st-century composers.”

Various shows, Dec. 9 at Longmont’s United Church of Christ; Dec. 10 at Denver’s Saint Paul Lutheran Church; Dec. 14-15 at Boulder’s Mountain View United Methodist Church. Tickets: $10-$35. arsnovasingers.org/buy-tickets

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Braun, born and raised in Boulder and an alum of the university, was appointed the executive director of CU Presents in 2001 and will retire in June after a 30-year career at CU Boulder.

“We were not CU Presents before (2001), so to come together and have that organization be successful and of value to the partner organizations is absolutely a legacy that I’m really proud of,” Braun said.

Sabine Kortals Stein, the senior director of communications for the College of Music, said Braun’s passion for the arts led to her vision for CU Presents.

“She really single-handedly built this entity that is now CU Presents,” Stein said, adding, “She had the vision and foresight and knew who to collaborate with.”

John Davis, dean of the College of Music, said Braun brought art to people who didn’t have prior exposure to it and created a culture of attending diverse events by bringing worldly artists to Boulder.

For example, in the Artist Series, CU Presents brings the best music and dance performers to Boulder from around the world, including Yo-Yo Ma and the Martha Graham Dance Company.

“In the Artist Series, you see (Braun) and the work she’s done for decades,” Davis said. “In that way, she’s impacted CU Boulder on many levels … and she’ll be remembered at CU Boulder for many years to come.”

Braun said she’s had a wonderful career with work that’s been personally very meaningful.

“One thing that I’ve learned in this work is the value of a shared experience that one gets by being in a performance with other human beings in the moment, is really effective in creating community and bridging differences,” Braun said.

“It’s also a really wonderful way to open doors in terms of educating people or understanding things about different cultures. That’s something I really enjoy being able to do and bring to our stage.”

Braun said even though Boulder doesn’t have a lot of ethnic diversity, the community is interested in it. Through CU Presents, Boulder County residents are able to experience artists they wouldn’t otherwise, unless they travel to Denver or beyond.

“It’s an opportunity to understand somebody whose life and background and cultural experiences are very different from yours,” Braun said.

Braun said the performing arts are uplifting, beautiful and uniting.

“There’s inspiration and different lessons people come away with,” Braun said. “It’s been immensely enjoyable and gratifying.”

Stein said Braun exemplifies CU Boulder’s mission to create universal musicians, or musicians that are multifaceted in their skills and careers. Braun is a broadly-based professional, Stein said, who started in music and had a flexible career that remained rooted in the arts.

“We’re also really proud of her because she exemplifies what we’re trying to do for our students,” Stein said.

Davis said Braun is an empathetic leader and makes her team feel heard. He said Braun encourages her team to be the best it can, and the results speak for themselves.

“She’s one of those people you aspire to be, especially as a leader,” Davis said.

Braun said she’s looking forward to enjoying life in retirement. She’s close with her family and wants to spend more time with her 2-year-old grandson. Braun loves to be outside, and wants to spend more time hiking, traveling, gardening and skiing.

“I’ve brought what I see and my unique abilities and talents to this job, and I’m intrigued to pass the torch, in a way, to see what somebody else can do at this point,” Braun said. “And they’ll take it further.”

Davis said Braun will be missed, but her fans in the CU Boulder community are also delighted that she gets a chance to enjoy her children and grandchild and take time for herself.

“It’s both a sad time for us but also cause to celebrate, and celebrating Joan is an easy thing to do,” Davis said.

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Verne Byers, a musician and Denver nightclub owner, had booked England’s most famous rock ‘n’ roll band to perform at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison the following week.

The Beatles were coming to Colorado.

But eight days before the show, a piece of paper arrived in Byers’ hands. The letter, which had arrived inside an envelope postmarked in Greeley, was comprised of cut-out letters from a magazine taped onto plain white paper.

“If you know what’s good for you, cancel Denver engagement,” the letter read. “I’ll be in the audience and I’m going to throw a hand grenade instead of jelly babies,” referring to the British candy fans famously hurled at the rock stars during the concerts.

The letter’s signature: “Beatle Hater.”

This little-known account is tucked away in the FBI’s once-secret Beatles’ files, a collection of documents that detail the American government’s surveillance of the Fab Four in the 1960s and ’70s — particularly John Lennon’s anti-war activity. The files only became public after a historian fought for their disclosure before the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Colorado letter made its way to the FBI’s director, J. Edgar Hoover, and marked the most serious threat on the Beatles’ legendary 1964 North American tour, a marathon 32 performances in 33 days that transformed the concert business in the United States and helped catapult the British band into another stratosphere of global fame.

Nearly 60 years after John, Paul, Ringo and George descended on the Centennial State, the Beatles are back in the news, and on the Billboard charts, with the release of a new — and final — song.

This is the story of the Beatles’ only trip to Colorado — and the threat that could have ruined it all.

Mayhem at the Brown Palace

By early 1964, the Beatles had achieved royalty status in their native England. But Americans had not yet been fully introduced to the famed foursome.

That all changed when the lads from Liverpool appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in New York on Feb. 9 of that year. Some 73 million people tuned in to the hour-long broadcast as the group performed “All My Loving,” “She Loves You,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand” and other hits.

The show brought Beatlemania to American living rooms — but the 1964 North American tour brought the rock stars directly to their fans.

From the moment the band members landed in San Francisco in August to begin their first U.S. tour, they encountered pure, unadulterated bedlam.

Seconds into their first show there, fans rushed the stage, injuring 19 people. The concert twice had to stop after attendees chucked jelly beans at the performers. The Beatles, after the show, were forced to escape in an ambulance when the crowd mobbed their limousine. Girls at the Vancouver concert were so overwhelmed they vomited.

On Aug. 26, the Beatles arrived in Denver for the sixth stop on the tour. An estimated 10,000 people waited at Stapleton Airport to greet the British sensations, with thousands more lining the streets as a motorcade whisked the band to the Brown Palace Hotel downtown.

The commotion at the hotel grew out of control, earning six crowd members and one police officer a trip to the emergency room, Colorado Public Radio reported in a look back at the Beatles’ ’64 visit.

The band stayed in suite 840 and ordered room service: Five grilled cheese sandwiches, fries and soda, author Chuck Gunderson wrote in his book “Some Fun Tonight!,” which chronicled the Beatles’ three North American tours in the mid-’60s.

The Red Rocks show, though, almost didn’t happen.

Byers nearly fell off his chair when the Beatles’ manager said it would cost $20,000 to book the band, Gunderson wrote — an amount seven times what other musicians charged.

The owner of the Kansas City Athletics baseball team, Charlie Finley, even offered Byers a significant sum to buy the concert and move it there, the author found.

Byers refused.

The Beatles were offered two options for their Denver show: the 22,000-person University of Denver Stadium — which has since been demolished — or the 9,500-seat Red Rocks Amphitheatre in nearby Morrison.

Brian Epstein, the Beatles’ manager, opted for the smaller location because “he felt it was too great a risk to try and fill a 22,000-seat venue in a lower population market,” Gunderson wrote.

Inside the FBI investigation

At least one person, however, wasn’t pleased to see Beatlemania come to Colorado.

The FBI, upon learning of the hand-grenade threat, immediately sent the envelope and letter to a laboratory to scan for fingerprints, according to 25 pages of internal documents posted to the agency’s website.

They came back with no hits.

The threat, according to one memo, fell within the purview of the federal extortion statute.

A U.S. Postal Service inspector in Greeley told authorities he had seen no similar letters, FBI documents show. A Greeley police detective said the same. The FBI even asked Greeley High School whether teachers had seen any similar letters from students over the past year.

A week after the FBI learned of the letter, an unnamed Denver agent wrote that investigators had no information about who might have prepared or mailed in the threat.

Ultimately, the Beatles’ Aug. 26 performance at Red Rocks went off without a hitch, though the FBI files indicate Denver police dispatched 200 officers to handle the crowd. The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office sent an additional 50 people to assist.

On Sept. 18, one month after Denver authorities went to the FBI, the bureau wrote that it had not developed any suspects or subjects and “no further investigation is being conducted.” The case would be closed.

Denver wasn’t the only stop on the tour that included safety threats against the band. In other cities, police sent bomb-sniffing dogs into arenas before concerts, Gunderson said in an interview. Other threats drew extra law enforcement scrutiny.

“They drew so much attention wherever they went,” Gunderson said. “It was very easy for people to get in there and make claims or threats.”

Still, the Denver show represented the most credible threat the Beatles faced on the tour, he said.

George Martin, the Beatles’ producer, later recalled climbing up to the top of the Morrison amphitheater and looking down at the band.

“The amphitheater is such that you could have a sniper on the hill who could pick off any of the fellows at any time — no problem,” Martin said in a 2000 interview. “I was very aware of this, and so was Brian (Epstein), and so were the boys.”

The FBI started keeping files on the Beatles as soon as they landed in San Francisco at the start of the tour, Gunderson said. Agency documents note the tour could be used “as (a) possible vehicle through which riot condition might be brought by an outside organization.”

Later, in the 1970s, the Richard Nixon administration surveilled Lennon, worried that the rock star might combine music with politics to urge young people against voting for the Republican in the 1972 election.

“Don’t be rowdies”

It’s unclear whether the public at the time had any knowledge of the anonymous threat against the band.

News accounts from 1964 seemed more concerned about Denver teens making fools of themselves.

“You have the opportunity of attracting worldwide attention today!” a Rocky Mountain News column printed the morning of the concert read. “Don’t be rowdies. Don’t throw things. Don’t try to smuggle beer or liquor into Red Rocks Theatre. Don’t kick and elbow. Gird on the self-discipline that is the mark of a true American citizen.”

Tickets for the show cost $6.60 — double the usual rate. Despite reporting that suggested there were empty seats because the concert didn’t sell out, Gunderson said lax enforcement from ushers meant legions of fans were able to sneak into the venue without paying.

Another misnomer: There’s no evidence members of the band took hits from oxygen canisters on the stage due to the high altitude, he said.

McCartney, in a later interview, admitted it was hard to breathe during the Red Rocks show.

“It was an interesting experience, physically,” he said.

Joan Baez, the famed singer-songwriter in town for a gig, visited the band backstage.

The Beatles played that night for only 35 minutes. They never came back to Colorado.

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Just a few days after a banner featuring the red and white mouth logo for the Rolling Stones was mysteriously unfurled at Empower Field at Mile High, the band announced the North American dates for its latest tour, “Hackney Diamonds” (the same name as the band’s new album).

The Stones will perform in 16 cities across the U.S. and Canada, and stop at Empower Field at Mile High on June 20. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards (who will both be 80) will play many of their old hits and famous songs as well as new stuff from “Hackney Diamonds.”

Tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. on Dec. 1, according to promoter AEG Presents. For more information and to buy them, go to Empower Field’s website.

Of note: the tour is sponsored by AARP (seriously).

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Oso Rojo Hot Sauce

Grab a three-pack of delicious hot sauces from Denver’s Oso Rojo Hot Sauce, which you can build to your tastes from a selection of a six total. We recommend the Habanero Jellyfish, Habanero Mustard and Orange Ginger. $21 per three-pack. osorojohotsauce.com/s/order — Lily O’Neill

B Fresh Gear

Some of the freshest gear in Colorado these days is also some of the most retro. B Fresh Gear, which was founded in Denver in 2012, sells 1980s- and ‘90s-style windbreakers, fanny packs, sunglasses, visors and other apparel emblazoned with loud graphic designs, neon colors and an early digital feel. One of the coolest items: a wide-ribbed corduroy hat with an 8-bit Tecmo graphic of an NFL quarterback dressed in orange and wearing No. 7 on his jersey. The hat puts a new-old spin on the nostalgic glory days of John Elway and the Denver Broncos. $33. bfreshgear.com — Jonathan Shikes

Casa Bonita Sopaipilla Scented Candle

When Casa Bonita reopened in May, it came with a new gift shop offering some creative and quirky souvenirs. One of the most popular is an all-soy, 8-ounce custom-made candle produced in Denver by Wooly Wax to mimic the aromas and flavors of the restaurant’s most famous dish: the honey-covered sopaipillas. Scents of honey, caramelized sugar, citrus and cinnamon mingle together in a way that will make you close your eyes and imagine Black Bart’s Cave. $28. shop.casabonitadenver.com

Joy Bombs

These Joybiles cannabis products look and taste exactly like Skittles and each candy has a manageable 2.5 mg of THC. They are also sold in smaller packages sometimes so they are extra cute. $20-$27 per 40 pack (total of 100 mg THC per package) at dozens of Colorado recreational and medical dispensary locations. joyibles.com/joy-bombs — Tiney Ricciardi

Tingly Crisp from Pho King Rapidos

If you’re a fan of chili oil — that lightly textured, spicy and often nutty addition that melds with Korean, Vietnamese, Thai and other live-giving foods, share the flavor of Pho King Rapidos’s Tingly Crisp. As the name promises, the $14 bottle of handmade hot sauce is perfect for Asian and Latin food, full of tang and bright personality but not overpowering. Bonus: It’s vegan, relying on sichuan peppercorn, lemongrass, thai chili, red chili flake, garlic, onion, brown sugar and salt for its profile. Visit pkr-denver.com (the main site) or bit.ly/3SI4ldl (the ordering link). — John Wenzel

Uncle Tim’s Cocktails

Toast the craft-distilling aficionado in your life with a sample pack of pre-batched tipples from Uncle Tim’s Cocktails. The Denver company sells so-called “series” of miniature libations, such as the Negroni and Manhattan, which feature true-to-form classic recipes along with original takes. The Negroni series, for example, includes a classic rendition, a white Negroni and a Boulevardier, all ready to drink over ice. Each series includes three, 100 ml bottles for $30. Uncle Tim’s Cocktails is also debuting an Old Fashioned series in November just in time for the holidays. If you want to try before you buy, head to Uncle Tim’s tasting room at 1150 S. Lipan St. in Denver. Bottled cocktails, including sampler series, are also available for purchase at uncletimscocktails.com. — Tiney Ricciardi

Indie bookstore gift cards

For the readers in your family or friendship circle, a gift card to Denver’s Tattered Cover Book Store (make that a digital card) or any one of dozens of independent bookstores across Colorado will fit nicely in that stocking. Check out this list of some of them to help you choose (bit.ly/40DXdR0), and read up on local authors, book reviews and more Colorado literary news at denverpost.com/things-to-do/books. Various gift-card values available. tatteredcover.com — Barbara Ellis

“Iron Flame” and more Colorado fiction

It’s easy to find Colorado authors making national headlines these days, such as fantasy-lit megastar Rebecca Yarros, who has a new book out called “Iron Flame.” It’s also high time to introduce yourself to even more of our New York Times best sellers and buzzy, critically acclaimed titles (some just now in paperback). That includes national award winners Kali Fajardo-Anstine (“Woman of Light”), Vauhini Vara (“This Is Salvaged”) and Mario Acevedo (genre anthologies, “Cats in Quarantine”), as well as classics from Coloradans Kent Haruf (“Our Souls at Night”) and John Williams (“Stoner” and the recently adapted “Butcher’s Crossing”). $15-$35 at local retailers. — John Wenzel

Colorado Wildflower Seed Mix

There’s nothing like wildflower season in Colorado. Catching a meadow or forest trail in full bloom is truly a breathtaking moment. But these moments can be fleeting, which is why it’s also fun to plant your own. Boulder’s BBB Seed has been operating for nearly 40 years and sells wildflower seed mixes that you can buy online or in small and mostly independent retail stores around the state. Each mix includes annuals and perennials designed to grow in our climate, like blue flax, purple coneflower, Shasta daisies, baby blue-eyes and blue columbines. $6-$42. bbbseed.com/product/colorado-wildflower-mix — Jonathan Shikes

Vinyl Me Please, please?

Based in Denver, the fast-growing Vinyl Me Please makes and annually sells dozens of reissued, all-time classic titles as well as new albums and critical darlings from tons of musical genres, ranging from Dolly Parton and Stevie Wonder to Taylor Swift, OutKast, and Caroline Rose. While a double LP won’t necessarily fit in a stocking, a gift card ($10-$500) or subscription to its high-end, record-of-the-month club (starting at $128 for three months) certainly will. It’s sure to thrill your resident audiophile, especially if you pair it with a portable, rechargeable turntable from Denver-based Victrola ($60 and up). vinylmeplease.com or victrola.com — John Wenzel

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