Summer in Colorado gives us many things: plenty of sunshine, green mountains, blue creek beds, scenic drives and losing baseball, among others. High on the list of seasonal benefits is our vast, impressive roster of live music. Whether you’re looking for a night of boot-scootin’ boogie, a “sit-down and cry” performance, a concert that’s part folk act, part comedy set, or a psychedelic journey through the electronic sphere, the Centennial State has your medicine.
The Burroughs with Hand Turkey. 8 p.m. Friday, June 13, Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $23
Hot, sweaty Greeley soul is the name of the game for Jordan Burroughs and his funkadelic troupe from Northern Colorado. They bring a sound and style you don’t often see on this side of the Mississippi River — horns, flashy get-ups, choreographed dance and belting vocals all jammed into one live show.
Judy Collins. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 14, Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. $65
You simply cannot tell the tale of American folk music without mentioning Judy Collins. She was a key piece of songwriting and social activism in the ’60s and has continued for nearly seven decades: 2022 saw the release of Spellbound, her first studio album consisting of solely original material.
Flying Lotus with Reggie Watts. 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 17, Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $56
MAPS Psychedelic Science Kickoff Party takes the stage at Mission Ballroom for a night of cosmic beats and head-spinning electronic music. Vocal savant Reggie Watts is back to layer his voice in humorous, brilliant ways, and Flying Lotus — the leftfield purveyor of experimental music — will have most crowd members in a trance.
Young Nudy with BabyDrill. 8 p.m. Tuesday, June 17, Ogden Theatre, 935 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $50
Quantavious Tavario Thomas: Your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper. In a lane so crowded, Young Nudy has carved his own sound of infectious, intense East Atlanta trap. From unforgettable collaborations with producer-wonder Pi’erre Bourne to chaotic album covers and cadence that hits you square in the face, he’s a must-see performer.
Samantha Crain with Quinn Christopherson. 8 p.m. Lost Lake, 3602 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $26
Samantha Crain’s 2025 album Gumshoe is as boppy as it is twangy, as catchy as it is somber. It’s yet another feather in the Choctaw musician’s cap — the seventh, to be exact — and in mid-June, the Oklahoma-based songwriter will kick out the jams at Lost Lake.
Béla Fleck with Edmar Castañeda and Antonio Sánchez Trio. 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 19, Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. $74
Rest assured, Béla Fleck is going to make that banjo sing. A torchbearer of the plucky, stringed instrument, Fleck has fused its workings to bluegrass, jazz, classical, rock, blues and more. He’ll be in Boulder in mid-June, alongside renowned Colombian harpist Edmar Castañeda and drummer Antonio Sánchez — forming a trio aptly called BEAT.
Charley Crockett with Chaparelle and Rattlesnake Milk. 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 25, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Pkwy., Morrison. $82
Outlaw country, swing and crooning, authentic country ballads, courtesy of the genre’s train-hopping mastermind, sharing his stories at the best concert venue there is. Need we say more?
Surprise Chef. 8 p.m. Friday, July 18, Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $37
Let them cook — this Australian quintet lives up to their name in more ways than one. They’re unpredictable on stage and in the studio, whipping up genre-bending instrumentals, but one thing that does not waver is the quality of their product. Superb, their 2025 album, is sonic omakase, and it’ll be served for a small fee at Bluebird Theater.
Lucinda Williams & Her Band. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, July 19, Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. $68
Behold, the golden voice of Americana. Lucinda Williams has been capturing hearts and ears since the early ’80s, and her show at Chautauqua Auditorium in mid-July will be no different.
Kyle Mooney. 8 p.m. Wednesday, July 30, Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $54
Get together with some friends, grab a few drinks, smoke a little bomb-ass dank-ass from up north (purp-skurt), and head over to Kyle Mooney’s show at Bluebird Theater, for a night of music and characters we couldn’t even begin to predict.
Men I Trust with strongboi. 8 p.m. Monday, Aug. 11, Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $50
You don’t have tickets to Men I Trust at Mission Ballroom yet? It’d be a lot cooler if you did. Emmanuelle Proulx and her Montreal outfit are touring North America this summer, following the release of Equus Asinus and Equus Caballus in March and May, respectively, adding to their stacked catalog of crooning, lo-fi brilliance.