French Connection

Relieve Your Holiday Stress
You know you’re starting to feel it already: that slightly irritable sensation in the back of your chest. The stress level may not be building just yet—but you know it’s going to be the holidays soon, and you’re gonna have to spend money on gifts, and your in-laws are coming, and you know your mom’s giving you another ridiculous sweater you have to wear. Shrug it all off for a night and catch one of these shows.

HELL’S BELLES
What could be better than seeing legendary Aussie metal progenitors AC/DC live at the best sounding venue in Colorado playing all of their hits from “TNT” up through “Stiff Upper Lip?” How about seeing them all as women? Hell’s Belles is an all-female AC/DC tribute band in the tradition of Lez Zeppelin, Iron Maidens and the 300 or so KISS versions out there. Word on the street is they rock as hard as the originals, only they’re more fun to look at. Of course, while they could tear up classics like “She’s got a lot of Balls” and “Girls Got Rhythm,” I imagine the subtle irony of songs like “Big Balls” may get a bit lost in the translation. Fox Theatre/Nov. 16-17/9pm/$15/303.443.3399

ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA
It’s hard to gauge just how important Frank Zappa really was to the rock world. Certainly, he was a certifiable musical genius. The man was the rock equivalent of Miles Davis, in terms of the number of musicians he influenced. The best hint at his importance lies not so much in what he left behind after his untimely passing in 1993. His memory lives on in Zappa Plays Zappa, featuring his son Dweezil, a perfect exposition on the musical relevance of his father’s work. And on top of all that, it kicks serious ass. Fillmore Auditorium/Nov. 16/8pm/$45/ 303.837.1482

TORI AMOS
I live by two basic, simple jukebox rules in a bar: 1) No Pink Floyd. 2) No Tori Amos. Now, I have a number of amendments to other rules, but really the only two hard-and-fast, never-broken laws are the two above. That being said, there is a time and place for listening to Tori Amos, and that’s if you’re an angst-ridden woman looking to bond with your sisters and enjoy a cathartic release of crying over the pain you’ve been dealt with a few thousand other women. No one sings it better to that crowd than Ms. Amos. Colorado Convention Center/Nov. 23/8pm/ $7.50+/303.228.8000