Jammin’ in Aurora This Weekend!
May 17, 2018
With the onset of spring comes music and entertainment of all kinds! This weekend in Denver and Aurora, you can enjoy the Colorado Symphony’s take on both modern classical and 1970s pop! The Aurora Symphony also presents an uplifting performance in their 40th Anniversary season, or maybe you would rather spend the day at the iconic and historic Five Points Jazz Festival. Bluegrass and folk performances can also be found at eclectic urban festivals like The Big Wonderful and Jackalope! Theatre, comedy, The Little Mermaid movie and drone races are also on the list of must-sees and dos this weekend!
TODAY/TONIGHT, Thursday, May 17
MUSIQUE NOUVEAU: THE CURRENT VOICE
Classical music often conjures antiquated settings and white, powdered wigs, but contemporary classical music is alive and well—and downright psychedelic! Come see and hear for yourself when the Colorado Symphony performs a program of four modern composers well worth a listen.
Principal Violist Basil Vendryes tackles an incredible piece for viola and orchestra by Owen Pallett titled Five Women. Mason Bates’ spectacular Anthology of Fantastic Zoology is the centerpiece of the evening. In this vivid setting, the psychedelic bestiary teems with strange creatures and wild sonic effects. As part of the Listen/Hear series, this live performance is threaded with thoughtful talk-throughs to help you better understand and enjoy classical music!
Boettcher Concert Hall/DPAC, 1000 14th St. #15, Denver
7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $17-$66
Phone: 303-623-7876
Thursday-Saturday, May 17-19
CATCH A RISING STAR – TAYLOR TOMLINSON!
At only 24 years old and straight off her late-night debut on Conan, Taylor Tomlinson is a star on the rise, commanding the stage with the confidence and capability of comedians with far more experience. She has a “real person” likability that endears her to audiences wherever she goes. Her self-deprecating charm and conversational wit emphasize how wildly normal she can be in a wildly bizarre world.
Tomlinson can currently be seen as a series regular on MTV’s Safe Word. She was a top-ten finalist on Season 9 of NBC’s Last Comic Standing and was featured on the Comedy Central series Adam Devine’s House Party. As a “New Face” at the prestigious Montreal Comedy Festival, she “undoubtedly had the set of the night…with a rock-n-roll attitude” (Interrobang).
Comedy Works-Downtown, 1226 15th St., Denver
Thurs., 8:00 p.m.; Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m.
Tickets: $16-$24
Phone: 303-595-3637
Friday, May 18
KIDS NIGHT OUT WITH THE LITTLE MERMAID
This Kids’ Night Out is about all things under the sea! Featuring a screening of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, this fun-filled evening will follow Ariel’s journey with all of her aquatic friends. You can enjoy your own parents’ night out knowing your kids are safe at the YMCA Southshore’s Lakehouse, complete with dinner, arts and crafts, and games. It will be a fun-filled evening for potty-trained children through age 12! Registration is required.
The Lakehouse, YMCA Southshore, 27151 E. Lakeview Dr., Aurora
6:00-10:00 p.m.
Cost: $15-$17
Phone: 720-870-2221
IN CONCERT – JA RULE AND ASHANTI!
Did you know—Ja Rule and Ashanti were the inspiration for the characters Hamilton and Liza in the blockbuster musical Hamilton? Don’t miss your chance to see these two soulmates together in concert!
As Ashanti recently revealed, she’s putting everything on the table with her “vulnerable” and “risky” new music. As for her best friend, Ja Rule, who is known for his distinctive delivery and memorable hip-hop hooks, he has remained one of rap’s most recognizable stars. Though Ja Rule has branched out from the rap game in recent years, his first love is still hip-hop. Fans who score tickets to this concert can expect to hear the best of both of these music icons/best friends!
Bellco Theatre, 700 14th St., Denver
8:00 p.m.
Tickets: $45-$105
Phone: 303-228-8260
Friday-Sunday, May 18-20
HUMAN ERROR
It’s the nightmare of all new parents—a mix-up, this time not in the delivery room, but due to a blundering fertility doctor. Madelyn and Keenan are NPR-listening, latte-sipping, blue-state liberals, while Heather and Jim are NRA-cardholding, truck-driving, red-state conservatives. Both couples employ the same fertility clinic—with hilariously disastrous results.
Watch this politically-sharp 2017 Colorado New Play Summit debut by Eric Pfeffinger as the two couples face an uproarious nine-month odyssey of culture shock, clashing values, changing attitudes and unlikely – but heartfelt – friendships.
Garner Galleria Theatre/DCPA, 14th & Curtis, Denver
Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 1:30 p.m.
Tickets: $35
Phone: 800-641-1222
BULLETS OVER BROADWAY – ON STAGE!
This zany stage musical is based on Woody Allen’s movie by the same name and is loaded with colorful characters and the songs that made the twenties roar! When a talented young playwright gets his first break by enlisting a gangster to finance the play, things get complicated!
At Woody Allen’s insistence, the musical contains actual popular music from the 1920s, so the feel and sound is authentically a period piece. But the mismatched farcical romances are pure Allen! You won’t want to miss out on the fun!
Vintage Theatre Productions, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora
Fri./Sat., 7:30 p.m.; Sun., 2:30 p.m.
Tickets: $19-$38
Phone: 303-856-7830
Saturday, May 19
DRONE RACE
Remember the pod races in Stars Wars Episode I with young Anakin’s victory? This AMA-sanctioned Drone Race and Freestyle Trick Competition will have you feeling like you’re in the stands at the pod races!
The Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum becomes a drone-lovers’ paradise for a day as you watch multicopters of all sizes zip around a custom-made track and stand in awe as pilots perform freestyle tricks! You can also experience all the museum has to offer included in the price of admission.
Wings Over the Rockies Air & Space Museum, 7711 E. Academy Blvd., Denver
9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tickets: $8.50 – $15
Phone: 303-360-5360
JUNIOR LEAGUE OF DENVER KITCHEN TOUR
So much more than a kitchen tour, this event gives you a peek into four of the most fabulous homes in Denver! The Junior League of Denver is a service organization that encourages women to become civic leaders, so you will be joining like-minded companions in this social gathering!
The homes will showcase a range of styles in Hilltop, Cherry Creek and other central Denver neighborhoods. Each home will feature food and drinks from hip area bars and restaurants, plus you will enjoy a welcome bag, silent auction, backyard DJ and after-party at the brand new MOXY Denver Cherry Creek – all of this is included with your ticket!
1140 Delaware Street, Denver
11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Tickets: $45
Phone: 303-692-0270
FIVE POINTS JAZZ FESTIVAL
Starting with a parade and featuring four stages plus six local venues for performances, the Five Points Jazz Festival offers a full day of nonstop music, food and fun! Music acts range from New Orleans-style jazz and funk to big band swing to fusion, blues, soul and R&B, with some Latin and salsa mixed in for good measure! There’s no shortage of classic jazz ensembles and vocalists paying tribute to jazz greats including Billy Holiday, Count Basie and many more.
Once known as the “Harlem of the West,” Five Points was home to several jazz clubs which played host to many of jazz music’s legends such as Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and many more. This free festival takes place the third Saturday of May every year and celebrates the history of Denver’s Five Points neighborhood. Plan on a full day of tunes in the sun!
Five Points Jazz Festival, 2762 Welton St., Denver
11:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Tickets: FREE
TOUR SOUTHSHORE’S NEWEST MODELS!
This Saturday from noon to 3:00 p.m. you can tour the brand-new, eye-popping Orion and Chatfield model homes from Toll Brothers at Southshore and enjoy complimentary ice cream from Happy Cones! The new models in the Vista Point collection combine resort-style living with close proximity to Aurora Reservoir, an amazing clubhouse and rec center, and Southlands shopping.
Priced from the upper $500s, these luxury single-family homes are also near top-rated Cherry Creek Schools, including the innovative new Altitude Elementary School!
Vista Point at Southshore, 27391 E. Lakeview Dr., Aurora
12:00-3:00 p.m.
Phone: 720-500-0077
WHISKEY AND DOUGHNUT SHOWDOWN!
Who would have guessed doughnuts and whiskey would make such an awesome pairing? Come see for yourself how good it can be while supporting a local charity, Minds Matter. Special, limited-edition sugary creations are in the works and not available any other time.
You’ll enjoy the area’s finest doughnuts and far too many locally-distilled spirits! With unlimited sampling, this will be an event you won’t soon forget! This gathering has been featured in Thrillist, 5280 Magazine, 303 Magazine, Eater Denver, Out Front Colorado, Denver Westword, Things to Do in Denver, The Denver Post, My Boring Closet and many more. This is a 21-and-over event.
Denver Rock Drill, 1717 E. 39th Ave., Denver
2:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Tickets: $30-$65
ROCK ON! WITH THE COLORADO SYMPHONY
It’s not every day that you get to hear favorite rock and pop hits of the 1970s and 80s live—from the Colorado Symphony! Featuring songs by legends such as Bruce Springsteen, Whitney Houston, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Queen, and many more, three dynamic vocal artists take on the challenge of reliving this classic era in pop music with the full Colorado Symphony. Audiences of all ages will enjoy Rock On!
Boettcher Concert Hall/DPAC, 1000 14th St. #15, Denver
7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $20-$94
Phone: 303-623-7876
Saturday-Sunday, May 19-20
THE BIG WONDERFUL – BEERFEST BLUEGRASS BAZAAR!
Possibly the best combination ever—an urban market and festival that features craft breweries, live bluegrass and reggae music, and a bazaar with all the best eclectic food and finds in one spot!
Featuring two sets of the Bob Marley tribute band Wake Up, as well as That Damn Sasquatch, and The Heartstring Hunters, there will be plenty of jamming live music! Founded in Denver’s RiNo Arts District in 2014, The Big Wonderful is a cultural barometer and creative business marketplace, bringing together the best of Colorado’s vibrant craft vending, food, beer, and live music scenes into a fun festival atmosphere!
Stanley Marketplace, 2501 Dallas St., Aurora
12:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Tickets: $5 – $50 or FREE with RSVP email
Phone: 303-413-8308
JACKALOPE INDIE ARTISAN FAIR
Bring a bunch of shopping bags as you will be browsing over 150 craft makers of home decor, housewares, body products, fashion and accessory design, art, food and more! In the heart of downtown Denver, Jackalope is a free and family-friendly event featuring indie artisan products, DIY workshops, music and more! Local food trucks will be on hand for delicious bites, and for the 21 and over crowd, a bar on the third floor will donate all proceeds to the Zane Beadles Parade Foundation charity.
Acoustic tunes by Denver area singer/songwriter Adam Stigall will be performed, and a complimentary Braid Bar by Hailee Kay will send you home with a new look!
McNichols Civic Center Building, 144 W. Colfax Ave., Denver
10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Tickets: FREE
Phone: 323-989-2278
Sunday, May 20
MUSIC FOR A BETTER TOMORROW
Join the Aurora Symphony in their 40th Anniversary Season as they present an uplifting program featuring Holst’s The Planets Suite, a journey through the progression of life that will take you through an array of emotions.
Holst’s personality is masterfully captured in his own music, from the extrovert in Jupiter to the humorous Uranus to the lyrical Venus. Also on the program is Arutiunian’s Trumpet Concerto, featuring Nathaniel Baca on trumpet.
Aurora Fox Arts Center, 9900 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora
3:00 p.m.
Tickets: $15-$20
Phone: 303-873-6622
Start Your Tomorrows Today in Southshore!
There’s no end to your entertainment choices near the master-planned community of Southshore! If this isn’t your neighborhood, stop by the sales offices of top Colorado home builders: Toll Brothers in Vista Point, Century Communities in The Hills, and Richmond American Homes at Lakeview. Explore the stunning models and additional floor plans in ranch and two-story designs, priced from the upper $300s to the $700s.