Front Range recommended shows, 12/9

Thursday, 12 December (Surfside 7, Ft. Collins CO)
Convalescents


My favorite local punk band is opening for DC Fallout this week. Convalescents always put on a solid, high energy set (show review), tightly blending Green Day-style pop punk and classic punk attitude. Their original songs are strong, but it's really just a cathartic joy to surrender to their adrenaline-infused beats and precise playing.

Listening to headliners DC Fallout, you can expect a full night of thrash and rebellion.

Friday, 13 December (Boulder Theater, Boulder CO)
Tig Notaro

Maybe you heard about Tig Notaro's amazing 2012 set at Largo's in Los Angeles, where she started out by announcing her recent cancer diagnosis, "Hello. Good evening. Hello. I have cancer. How are you?" While this doesn't seem like a formula for funny, Notaro's resilience and humor in the face of her personal tragedy created one of the most powerful comedy performances I've ever heard. Her life has improved since then, but she's still finding plenty of laughs by opening up her own experiences and finding the irony, silliness, and amusing observations.

Saturday, 14 December (Aggie Theatre, Ft. Collins CO)
SHEL 
In contrast to all of the hard rockers, rappers, and techno types that usually fill up the Aggie, this week, local favorites SHEL will be in residence. If you've never heard their rich harmonies, classic/classical instrumentation, and folk-flavored intensity, you're in for a treat. As they tour around the country, I keep expecting them to hit it so big, that they forget all about us. But their Ft. Collins roots are strong enough to bring them back home to perform for old friends.