May 2nd – May 4th

Centuries ago, Academy writers fine-tuned the art of leisure in all its manifestations–opium haze lounging, harem collecting, scrapbooking. Here they pass that knowledge onto you; the result is a highly-polished calendar of events called The Problem of Leisure.

Madden Madrid McClintock: More Pretty Girls Than One.. II.

We’ll be getting in touch with American roots music in the bluegrass haven of Lyons, Colorado. The event, “More Pretty Girls Than One…II,” will feature various female pickers including Mollie O’Brien, Helen Forster, Joan Wernick, KC Groves, Cheryl Winston, Mary Huckins, Jessie Burns, Sally Truitt, Jessica Smith, Annie Sirotniak. The new venue for the second event is Planet Bluegrass’ Wildflower Pavillion, right in the heart of Lyons. More info: highstreetconcerts.com.

Guido Sarducci IV:Northern State at the Falcon.

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Northern State are touring to promote their third and most fun album, Can I Keep This Pen? If you don’t know of Northern State, they’re what the young Beastie Boys would have been if they were the Beastie Girls. So it makes sense that Adrock from the helped produce this new album. Even more awesome is that the girls are now part of the Ipecac Recordings family. Ipecac is the label run by Mike Patton, which is pretty much the most awesome thing ever.

Professor Honeydew: Elbow and Air Traffic at the Bluebird Theater.

Elbow is one of the few remaining acts from Brit-pop’s second wave, although their sound is now far removed from their early material. John Cale famously made their record Switching Off one of his eight desert island discs but they’ve never been able to make it big stateside for whatever reason. Joining Elbow are fellow countrymen Air Traffic, whose sound places them in league with contemporaries like Athlete and Keane–mellowed out Brit-pop that isn’t afraid to get all touchy feely on you. Doors open at 9:00 at The Bluebird; tickets are $20.

Anton O Masia: Hearts of Palm/Bad Weather California at Hi-Dive.

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Bad Weather California, Hearts of Palm,
to weary ears they are a joyous balm.
Friday night, feel thine self happy, alive,
and get thee down to ye olde Hi-Dive.

Ivyy Goldberg, Esq.: Cut Copy at Larimer Lounge.

I was waiting in line to get into the venue at SXSW so I only heard Cut Copy from the outside and just barely saw them through the slats in the fence. I shan’t make that mistake twice. Saturday night I’ll be at the Larimer Lounge bright and early, with my dancing pants on, for a sweet lineup that includes The Black Kids.

Madden Madrid McClintock: Swell Season at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House & Cut Copy at Larimer.

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It’s a double-header. We’re starting at The Swell Season at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House – they’re the cats from that movie “Once” – and then onto the Larimer Lounge to catch Australian dance act Cut Copy, who were one of my faves at SXSW this year.

28 Deep: An Ambitious Triple-Play of Swell Season, Cut Copy, and Destroyer.

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A triple play of shows all on the same night in Denver?! Yes, it’s happening more and more, it seems, and this Saturday night is no exception.

First, if you were lucky enough to score tickets to the Ellie for the sold out Swell Season show, congrats. It will be the show of the year. It will likely end early, which means, there may be time for…

Cut Copy at Larimer Lounge…

and Destroyer at the Walnut Room just down the road.

If you can jump back and forth and catch both, and hit the Ellie beforehand, your night will likely go down as one for the record books. That is my game plan, at least. We’ll see if i can swing it.

Angora Holly Polo: Louis Vuitton Night at the

I don’t know about you, but I like my anarchists sparkly. Louis Vuitton Night is an anarchist-friendly vaudevillian-type celebration, with singers, dancers, contortionists, and an open-mic feel. I hear you get to belt out Journey songs at the end, too. The theme this time is Dinosaurs! How radical is that? Proceeds benefit the Denver Zine Library.

Guido Sarducci IV: Cat-A-Tac & Widowers at Bluebird Theater.

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All the hipsters will be at Larimer for the year’s best electro-pop line-up (Cut Copy, Black Kids, Mobius Band), but don’t forget your roots. Do what you need to do to be at the Bluebird for the Cat-A-Tac/Widowers show. Widowers are hot at the moment (if you read us regularly you already know that) and Cat-a-tac has not played out in a looonnng time, so that’ll be something to see. If you need to clone yourself in order to be at both places, fucking do it!

Dr. Leibnitz Osgood: Kool Keith/Dr. Octagon at the Oriental Theater.

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The forthcoming appearance of Kool Keith and one of his many aliases, Dr. Octagon, brings a much-needed bolus of beats and rhymes to Denver. While his stream-of-consciousness style lyrics and topics aren’t necessarily off the hook, they’re typically off the wall. At very least, they’re unusually refreshing in that he steers clear of well-worn rap fodder like bitches or bling.

What makes this performer worth seeing is his ability to keep his own unique style fresh and unconventional, even at the expense of avoiding mainstream success. Still, he’s been practicing his craft since the early ’90s, and has recorded with the likes of Mike Patton and shared a bill recently with the band Spoon.

Anton O Masia: Louis Vuitton Night at the Mercury Cafe.

If you think you know all this scene
and it’s all the same, you are mistaken.
Louis Vuitton night at the Mercury
shows you a side you’ve surely forsaken.

Performance Art, Secret Musical Acts,
one should be glad to have partaken.

Ivyy Goldberg, Esq.: FutboLucha 2008 at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.

Get outside, ya bums, it’s a beautiful day! Why not head over to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park for FutboLucha 2008, a day long mexican wrestling/soccer festival with live music, food, and Mexican wrestling! (wrestling!! that is mexican!!!!) El Hijo, revered Mexican wrestler and son of el muy famoso El Santo, will be in attendance and will most likely wear a mask. I know I know, it’s in the suburbs, and we all know how I feel about the fucking suburbs, but for a huge Mexican dude sporting a costume and screaming obscenities in Spanish, I’d go to the ends of the earth, my dears. Know this about me.

Madden Madrid McClintock: B-52′s at Gothic Theater.

My brother, sister and girlfriend are dragging me to the B-52s at the Gothic Theatre, which should be both silly and fun. The new record, Funplex, isn’t half-bad. And so onto the “Love Shack.”

Guido Sarducci IV: B-52′s at Gothic Theatre.

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While everybody’s gonna be peeing themselves over at the the Larimer on Saturday, you would be smart to hold it in for the long awaited return of the B-52′s. They will be playing the Gothic tonight and they will be running laps around Cut Copy. If you can only make it to one show this weekend do you really need to be convinced to hold out for the B-motha-fuckin’-52′s?

Irving J. Silvertoad: Denver Kickball Coalition Opening Day.

This Sunday the Denver Kickball Coalition kicks off its Opening Day with myriad festivities including live coverage by Radio 1190, performances by dancers and horrible rendition group singing of the National Anthem along with all of the kickball action you can stand and then some.

It all begins at one in the afternoon on May 4th at Veteran’s Field at I-25 and University. It promises to be a lovely way to spend a sunny day. Probably. Sid Pink may make an appearance and Irving J. Silvertoad is confirmed to make an appearance. Drop by and tell him he is a jerk, or the crown prince of Denver.

This has been a presentation of The Problem of Leisure. Be sure to tune in next time!