Scene Stealers | Nov-Dec 2024

Image by Amanda Tipton Photography

The Nutcracker by the Boulder Philharmonic and Boulder Ballet @ Macky Auditorium

No holiday would be complete without a performance of Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet that follows a young girl named Clara and her magical Nutcracker who whisks her away to the Land of Sweets. Get swept up in the memories of your childhood with the unforgettable score of this holiday classic. This joint production of the Boulder Philharmonic and the Boulder Ballet is limited to only two nights, November 30 and December 1. Tickets start at $29 and are available from Boulder Phil.

Melvin Seals & JGB @ Boulder Theater

Jam-band legend Melvin Seals had one of the longest tenures in the famous Jerry Garcia Band, joining the band in 1980 and remaining a member until Garcia’s death in 1995. Now the bandleader of a reinvented modern incarnation of the rotating band, Melvin Seals & JGB mix R&B with gospel, funk, rock, and jazz in a unique cocktail that only one of the founders of the jam-band style could have mixed up. Playing December 13 at the Boulder Theater, tickets start at $35.

Cody Qualls: Christmas in Colorado @ Muse Performance Space

Having made a name for himself as a member of renowned Boulder a cappella group Face, Louisville-based singer Cody Qualls has been a rising star as a solo artist, having performed across the US, Central America, Europe, Russia, The Caribbean, and Australia. Performing hits from his holiday EP The Inquiry as well as covers from the likes of Josh Groban, Prince, Andrea Bocelli, Bruce Springsteen and more, this promises to be an unforgettable holiday show. Tickets for this December 8th show are available on the Muse Performance Space website and start at $30.

Decibel Metal & Beer Fest @ Summit Music Hall

Get ready, metalheads, for a weekend of devastatingly heavy and hard metal with plenty of beer to go with it. Presented by Decibel Magazine, the festival on December 6-7 is being headlined by California death metal legends Autopsy and features heavy hitters all the way down the bill from YOB to Cirith Ungol to Pallbearer to Chicago deathgrind outfit Earthburner who are coming hot off the release of their new album “Permanent Dawn” earlier this month. Tickets start at $53 for single-day tickets and $116 for three-day passes from the Decibel Magazine website.

The Adventures of Pinnocchio by Boulder Opera @ eTown Hall

An opera by English composer Jonathan Dove with a libretto by Alasdair Middleton based on the famous 1883 Italian nursery tale novel of the same name, “The Adventures of Pinocchio” brings to live the familiar story of the little wooden puppet Pinnocchio who dreams of being turned into a real flesh and blood boy. Conducted by Mario Barbosa, the opera is a true all-ages event with a story that will appeal to children and a sophistication that the adult crowd will appreciate. With performances on December 14 and 15, tickets are $30 for adults and $20 for children and students from the Boulder Opera Company.

Cass Clayton Band Presents Christmas of Soul @ Nissi’s

Recently voted Favorite Female Vocalist of 2024 in the Colorado Blues Society Members’ Choice Awards, Cass Clayton and her band are set to perform some non-traditional Christmas songs at Nissi’s at a special show on December 19. With a band made up of members of The Jauntee, 40 Oz. to Freedom, Taylor Scott Band, and others, it promises to be a rockin’, bluesy good holiday time. Tickets are $15 ahead of the show if you buy from Nissi’s website and $20 at the door on the day of the show.