Twenty-eighteen is coming in hot with a slew of shows and concerts, ranging from small to big, local to national and calm to crazy. It’ll be a long weekend with the 31st falling on a Sunday, which means catching three full nights of music is more than possible. The weekend’s festivities will cover every type of genre imaginable across the Denver Metro area, so there’s no doubt that whatever you’re in the mood for will be readily available. Slip your dancing shoes on, because we’ve got the rundown of every show happening this New Year’s weekend.
READ: All of the 2018 Red Rocks Shows Announced So Far
Friday, December 29
Recommended: 12/29-31 — My Morning Jacket @ 1stBANK Center
My Morning Jacket is taking over the 1stBANK Center for a three-night run of rock ‘n’ roll and balladry that they’ve been known for since their formation in 1998. Although it has been several years since their last studio album, the five-some from Louisville, Kentucky has maintained their relevance in the national music scene. The New Year’s Eve weekend run comes right in between a summer tour and the band’s own international headlining festival, One Big Holiday in the Dominican Republic. Frontman Jim James will lead the band for the weekend that will come and go all too quickly, so catch these shows while you can.
Recommended: Doctor P @ Beta Nightclub
Denver loves its EDM, so it was inevitable that there would be some good electronic music to catch this New Year’s weekend. English dubstep producer and DJ Doctor P will grace the stage at Beta on that Friday and get fans pumped up for the impending holiday. Though Doctor P, formally known as Shaun Brockhurst, told us a while back that he felt “late to the game” in terms of electronic and dance music, he’s accomplished a lot in less time, such as co-founding Circus Records with Flux Pavilion, DJ Swan-E and Earl Falconer. He’s even hit the Red Rocks stage as part of the Global Dance Festival lineup, but on December 29 he’s getting more intimate in downtown Denver. Dubstep lovers, don’t miss out.
Also see…
12/29 – Transit Authority @ Oriental Theater
12/29 – Orbiter with 80 Grit, Controlled Demise, Letter and Uncultured Swine @ Marquis Theater
12/29 – Off With Their Heads with Black Dots and Allout Helter @ Hi-Dive
12/29 – Meet The Giant, Kill Vargas, Sweet Nothin, Maddie’s Changed and Weinercat @ Seventh Circle Music Collective
12/29 – Mississippi Uptown Toodeloo @ Be On Key Psychedelic Ripple
12/29 – Citra, Fi and Superpop @ Herman’s Hideaway
12/29 – Derek Banach Quintet @ Nocturne Jazz
12/29 – Oomah, MIDIcinal, Mobiius, TESFA and OHNOO! @ Your Mom’s House
12/29 – Boar Worship @ Larimer Lounge
12/29 – Fort Knox Five with The Party People, The Dirty Gemstones, PhloEthik and Looney Ando @ Cervantes’ Other Side
12/29-31 – Umphrey’s McGee @ Fillmore Auditorium
12/29-31 – Fox Street @ Bluebird Theater
12/29-31 – Boombox @ Gothic Theatre
12/29-31 – Nahko and Medicine For The People @ Ogden Theatre
12/29-31 – Slim Cessna’s Auto Club @ Globe Hall
Saturday, December 30
Recommended: Sage Francis @ Oriental Theater
Several years ago we spoke with “hip-hop poet, blasphemist emcee, and lyricist provocateur” Sage Francis, and for the Saturday of New Year’s Eve weekend, he’s who to see. Dubbed by his cult-like following as the “forefather of indie-hop,” Francis hasn’t slowed down since his initial surge of success in the early 2000’s. After founding his one-man operation Strange Famous Records, Francis went on to become one of the highest-selling independent artists of his genre, a genre that seems to have been created for him, by him. Between both national and international tour dates, this night at the Oriental Theater you’ll catch some of Francis’ word-play that has risen him to infamy.
Also see…
12/30 – Rumble Young Man Rumble @ Larimer Lounge
12/30 – The Fresh & Onlys with American Culture @ Hi-Dive
12/30 – Rob Drabkin with The Copper Children and Intuit @ Cervantes’ Other Side
12/30 – Moon Boots @ Club Vinyl
12/30 – Red Stinger with Pitch Invasion and Record Thieves @ Lost Lake
12/30 – Aural Deception, Ratt Poison, Dimeanight, Darklight District and Reverend Nasty and the Soul Stealers @ Herman’s Hideaway
12/30 – Pete Lewis Quartet @ Nocturne Jazz
12/30 – Taylor Shrederick and Friends @ Your Mom’s House
12/30 – Manufactured Superstars @ Beta Nightclub
12/29-31 – Umphrey’s McGee @ Fillmore Auditorium
12/29-31 – Fox Street @ Bluebird Theater
12/29-31 – Boombox @ Gothic Theatre
12/29-31 – Nahko and Medicine For The People @ Ogden Theatre
12/29-31 – Slim Cessna’s Auto Club @ Globe Hall
12/30-31 – North Mississippi Allstars @ Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox
12/30-31 – Trevor Hall @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom
12/30-31 – Dead Floyd @ Bey On Key Psychedelic Ripple
Sunday, December 31
Recommended: Migos, Post Malone, Young Thug with Lil Yachty, Dizzy Wright, King Green, Splyt and Maleman and Jairon with Cassidy @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
We were the first to break the news that Red Rocks would be hosting its first-ever New Year’s Eve show this year, so it’s only natural that we would highly recommend bearing witness to this historical event. Headlining the night will be Migos, Post Malone and Young Thug, with support from an even longer list of rap and hip-hop musicians. “Rain or shine” states the show tickets, and what could be more unforgettable than listening to some of the best of the business, at Red Rocks, during a winter snow as it turns from 2017 to 2018? We can’t imagine much else.
Also see…
12/31 – Railroad Earth @ Paramount Theatre
12/31 – itchy-O with The Velveteers @ Summit Music Hall
12/31 – A-Mac & The Height with Tenth Mountain Division @ Cervantes’ Other Side
12/31 – Nuns of Brixton with The Shaloms @ Larimer Lounge
12/31 – The Yawpers with Ha Ha Tonka and The Beeves @ Oriental Theater
12/31 – Flobots @ Marquis Theater
12/31 – Higher Society New Year’s Eve featuring Lee Burridge @ Club Vinyl
12/31 – DJ Chonz @ Bar Standard
12/31 – Reno Divorce with Granny Tweed and The Blackouts @ Lost Lake
12/31 – The Yawpers @ Oriental Theater
12/31 – Freddy Jones Band @ The Soiled Dove Underground
12/31 – A Krizz Kaliko New Year’s Celebration @ Roxy Theatre
12/31 – The Bastard Suns, P-Nuckle, Jackson Taylor and Los Hitos @ Herman’s Hideaway
12/31 – Royal Roost Revival @ Nocturne Jazz
12/31 – Pandasaywhat?! @ Your Mom’s House
12/31 – Posso @ Beta Nightclub
12/29-31 – Umphrey’s McGee @ Fillmore Auditorium
12/29-31 – Fox Street @ Bluebird Theater
12/29-31 – Boombox @ Gothic Theatre
12/29-31 – Nahko and Medicine For The People @ Ogden Theatre
12/29-31 – Slim Cessna’s Auto Club @ Globe Hall
12/30-31 – North Mississippi Allstars @ Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox
12/30-31 – Trevor Hall @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom
12/30-31 – Dead Floyd @ Bey On Key Psychedelic Ripple