November Picks

Saturday.1
[music] If you can play the bass, you can find a gig. Lead guitarists are a dime a dozen and there are more drummers than wannabe singers out there, but there’s never enough bassists to go around. Sign up for Mile High Bass Camp #4 and become coveted in the Front Range music scene. Mojo’s Music Academy, 230 Primrose Ct. #1, Longmont, 303.776.3373

Sunday.2
[music] Has it really been more than a decade since Ozomatli made world music sound relevant and contemporary? Actually, it’s been 13 years since the band began its experiment with Latin, soul, funk, hip hop, rock and jazz styles that won the fans of each genre over in equal proportions. And they still sound awesome. 9 p.m., Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder, $30, 303.447.0095

Monday.3
[Museum] We’re guessing you don’t know why ancient Egyptians worshipped scarab beetles. Or, how silk worms helped build the Chinese empire. While technically more of a kid exhibit, you can learn a whole lot of fun bug facts to bring up at your next cocktail hour by bringing the family to Bug-A-Pedia. Through Jan. 1, Butterfly Pavilion, 6252 W. 104th Ave., Broomfield, 303.469.5441

Tuesday.4
Now that Halloween has come and gone it may be a little less crowded at Miller Farms Corn Maze. Oh, wait, there’s still Thanksgiving. Maybe everyone will be voting so you can have the corn maze. Through Nov. 24, Miller Farms, 9040 Highway 66, Platteville, 970.785.6133.

Wednesday.5
[Music] Sure, lots of interesting things come from Philadelphia. There’s Allen Iverson, Philly cheese steaks, the Declaration of Independence, scrapple and Boulder-based singer-songwriter John Beacher. Here’s hoping he’s better than pork scraps. 8 p.m., Waterloo Icehouse, 809 S. Main St., Louisville, 303-993-2094

Thursday.6
[Theater] Joseph was a capitalist. All he wanted was a pretty coat, and it looked like that was going to be his undoing. But then he made lemons out of lemonade, and after his brothers sold him into slavery, he turned his attentions to climbing the ladder and was soon running the kingdom. It’s the American dream. Or at least it was when Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was written. Check out Skyline High’s production. 7:30 p.m., Vance Brand Civic Auditorium, 600 E. Mountain View Ave., Longmont, 303.651.0401

Friday.7
[Theater] Long before Law and Order or David Caruso’s brooding self-satisfaction or Monk’s hilarious OCD, there was the mold from which all of them were cast, in one manner or another: Sherlock Holmes. Deduction, observation and a loyal sidekick were his tools, and the stories were all riveting. Thankfully, the character’s larger than his author, thus this new adventure was created for the stage, directed by Ray Viggiano: Sherlock Holmes and the Doom of Devilsmoor. 7:30 p.m. Mary Miller Theater, 300 E. Simpson St., Lafayette, 720.209.2154

Saturday.8
[Art] Amy Flomberg’s a color-whisperer. The way she bends colors to her will recall a blues guitarist bending notes in a ripping solo. The show, iPop, is her first in more than a year, and features all new work—we’re betting you’ll find something you’ll love there. Check out the opening reception; if you miss it, the show hangs until Dec. 7. 7 p.m., Neopolitan Art Gallery, 3107 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, 303.362.0199

Sunday.9
[Music] There’s plenty to like about Iced Earth: Their hard-edged, thrash-meets-metal core sound, their sweeping saga approach to album production, the fact that they’re from Tampa (stuff from Tampa rocks!), but our favorite thing in this era of climate change and global warming is their name. 8 p.m., Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, 303.322.2308

Monday.10
[Education] Now that the dust has settled on this historic election (hopefully), take a moment to clue the yard-apes into what it was all about. The World of Wonder Children’s Museum exhibit: VOTE at WOW! gives kids an opportunity to learn about voting history, participate in voting activities (including a presidential vote for kids), see real voting equipment and more. 10 a.m–6 p.m., at the museum, 110 North Harrison Ave., Lafayette, 303.604.2424

Tuesday.11
[Music] Okay, we get it. You’re in shape, Madonna. And you’re British now, and you’re all Kabbalah-ized, and you’re kicking Guy Ritchie to the curb and you’re on tour through Colorado for the first time ever. Well? What took you so freakin’ long?  8 p.m., Pepsi Center, 1000 Chopper Cir., Denver, 303.405.1100

Wednesday.12
[Lecture] Sure, the Manifest Destiny idea basically contributed the decimation of Native peoples across the American West, but the vast majority of homesteaders were simply looking for a plot of land to live on and raise a family. Boulder Historian Anne Dyni’s popular presentation, Homesteading along the Front Range, recounts tales of the hearty souls who drove their covered wagons to make a new home in East BoCo. 6:30 p.m., Erie Community Library, 400 Powers St., Erie, 720.685.5200

Thursday.13
[Comedy] Tommy Chong knows funny Mexicans, and the fact that he’s officially dubbed Patrick Cadelaria a “funny Mexican” is either the drug-addled mumblings of a stoned pot-head or a ringing endorsement. You tell us which one’s the truth. 7 p.m., Wit’s End Comedy Club, 8861 Harlan St., Westminster, 303.430.4242

Friday.14
[Music] Sure, a few of us may not know whether to hate them or to thank them, but the vast majority fall into one camp or another. Still, like it or not, the New Kids on the Block birthed a new era in pop: The Boy Band (okay, we’re pretending we’ve never heard of Menudo. Go with it.) Pre-teen girls and creepy pederasts the world over rejoiced, and now, neither of those groups will have any interest in this tour whatsoever. They’ve reunited and are heading here. 8 p.m., Broomfield Event Center, 11450 Broomfield Lane, Broomfield, 303.410.8497

Saturday.15
[Music] It’s a wonder that anything even remotely creative came out from under the oppressive thumb of the Soviet Union in the 30s, but Dmitri Shostakovich stood out. Catch his political reawakening in subtle, orchestral form as the Longmont Symphony Orchestra revisits his Symphony #5. 7:30 p.m., Vance Brand Civic Auditorium 600 E. Mountain View Ave., Longmont, 303.651.0401

Sunday.16
[Music] No they’re not a new collection of villains on the TV show Smallville. The Sons of Zeno are actually an ancient musical duo (their bio says they’re more than 200 years old) whose styles are steeped in Americana influences like bluegrass and country. 5:30 p.m., Village Bistro, 2821 W. 120th Ave., #300, Westminster, 303.410.2887

Monday.17
[Food] Despite what the outside world may think, there’s a lot more to eat in Boulder than granola and soymilk. The annual week-long culinary event, First Bite Boulder, makes the local dining scene more accessible to everyone, with 40 local restaurants featuring three-course, prix fixe meals for $26. Yum. Nov. 15-22 throughout Boulder, www.firstbiteboulder.com

Tuesday.18
[Kids] The Lafayette Public Library’s monthly program, “Puppet Shows Plus,” begs the question: Plus what? 70s glam rock? Eritrean domestic policy discourse? Quantum mechanics and string theory? Nah, it’s “plus” craft-making—your kids can make their own puppets after the show. Thank heavens we’ve deciphered that for you. This installment is called Turkey’s Thanksgiving Adventure. 4 p.m., Lafayette Public Library, 775 W. Baseline Road, Lafayette, 303.665.5200

Wednesday.19
[Art] Remember when you were 8 years old and Mrs. Benion had you create a special “collage” for your parents that made use of construction paper and leaves and beads and string and whatever else she found lying around in the dusty art closet? Well, you might have left those talents back in the second grade, but talented artists have turned the skill into a career—and these collages don’t reek of Elmer’s paste. See for yourself at Collage: Finding its Place in the Art World.  Longmont Museum, 400 Quail Road Longmont 303.651.8374

Thursday.20
[Comedy] Chris Hardwick may be best known for his work in the comedic musical duo Hard ‘n Phirm, but his comedy résumé’s got plenty on it. Stints hosting several popular TV shows including Trashed, MTV’s Beach House, Attack of the Show and Talk Soup keep his pockets lined, but his stand-up act is where he truly shines. 8 p.m., Comedy Works, 1226 15th St., Denver, $12, 303.595.3637

Friday.21
[Sports] In the annals of team mascot history, there has been no shortage of team names that fail to strike fear in the hearts of their opponents. The Banana Slugs, Orangemen, Volunteers, Prairie Dogs… Well, it turns out there’s another one to add to the list: the Bossier-Shreveport Mudbugs. Watch the awesomely named Rocky Mountain Rage dismantle these bottom feeding insects in this Central Hockey League showdown. 7 p.m., Broomfield Event Center, 11450 Broomfield Lane, Broomfield, 303.410.8497

Saturday.22
[Music] Do you miss the heavy-edged, Slayer-meets-Creed sounds of the late 90s? If so, you just might enjoy the Denver-based quartet Fault Line. And if not, at least check out their MySpace page (J.J. Gurganian’s the group’s guitarist) which has an awesome-looking devil in the background. 7:30 p.m., Bluebird Theater 3317 E. Colfax Ave., Denver, $10, 303.377.1666

Sunday.23
[Music] Sure, the Gap’s not running swing ads anymore, and the jitterbug’s dead again (at least for another decade or so), but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a decent Western Swing show. Asleep at the Wheel sports an Austin-based swing sound that earned them a half-dozen Grammy awards, along with the staying power to prove they’re not a fad. 8:30 p.m., Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder, $20, 303.443.3399

Monday.24
[Holiday] Okay, when we heard Winter Holiday Film Fest we immediately thought about classics like Miracle on 34th St., It’s a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, etc. So then we found out this film fest features the Will Ferrell romps Elf and Blades of Glory. And yet, we weren’t disappointed at all. 12 p.m., Erie Community Library, 400 Powers St., Erie, 720.685.5200

Tuesday.25
[Art] Though there hasn’t ever really been a cohesive “expressionism” movement in art, expressionists abound throughout history. From Jackson Pollack to Franz March; all have made their respective marks. And now, local painters like Donald Sayers, Kathy and Anthony Steventon and sculptors Lal Linda Echerthoff display their canvasses at the Old Firehouse Art Center. Check out the opening reception. 11 a.m.–5 p.m., 667 4th Ave., Longmont, 303.651.2787

Wednesday.26
[Art] Skip the “fruitcake of the month” club membership for mom and dad this year and head down to the Great Frame Up’s Great Holiday Bazaar, featuring myriad works in an assortment of media from more than 30 local artists. 430 Main St., Longmont, 303.772.7293

Thursday.27
[Holiday] It is Thanksgiving. Eat some turkey and stuffing. Spend time with a loved one. Think about the Pilgrims. You don’t have to go out every night, do you?

Friday.28
[History] One of the things that draws people to small towns is the fact that they age so slowly—a little frozen in time—like an era that you’re a little nostalgic for. Longmont, Then and Now, is an exhibit that proves things change in small towns as much as they stay the same. Longmont Public Library, 409 4th Ave., Longmont, 303.651.8481

Saturday.29
[MUSIC] Who knew that gypsy music needed resurrection? Elephant Revival’s pretty sure they knew, so the band targeted that genre. Put ’em on stage with Riverbend and the Boulder Acoustic Society, and you’ve got a show that screams Boulder as much as Mork himself. 8:30 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St., 303.786.7030