MUSIC
Chris Daniels and the Kings, Banks in Harmony 2012, 6:30 p.m., Aug. 9, Meadowood Park, 3054 S. Laredo St. Admission is free. Information: The final concert in this year’s Banks in Harmony series will feature a Colorado musical institution. Chris Daniels and the Kings have been a fixture on local stages for decades, and their return to Aurora for a free, outdoor show will come at the tail end of a period of transition and growth for the band. Frontman Chris Daniels’ recent battle with cancer has left a mark on the latest output from the rock, blues and R&B oriented outfit. Songs from Daniel’s latest record, “Better Days,” deal with personal transition, faith and a positive outlook, themes that are sure to be a part of the live show in Aurora.
Griffin House, 7 p.m., Aug. 9, Soiled Dove Underground, 7401 E. 1st Ave., Lowry. Tickets start at $20. Information: 303-830-9214 or tavernhg.com/soiled_dove. Details: A Nashville-based musician who was raised in the Midwest, Griffin House shows clear signs of both backgrounds in his blend of Americana and gritty blues cues. House was born and raised in Ohio, where he eventually discovered his musical gifts while attending Miami University in Oxford. House’s tunes show clear traces of influences like Bruce Springsteen, Woody Guthrie and the Mermaid Avenue albums by Wilco and Billy Bragg.
Message In a Bottle, Sounds of Southlands 2012, 6 p.m., Aug. 10, Town Square, Southlands, 6155 South Main St. Admission is free. Information: 303-627-5000 or shopsouthlands.com. Details: The final weeks of the Sounds of Southlands festival will rely heavily on cover bands. With an appearance by Beatles cover outfit Forever Fabs already in the books, the Police tribute outfit Message In a Bottle will continue the trend toward familiar tunes in a new setting. The band plays the best-known hits of the Police from the band’s most successful period in the 1980s, as well as a selection of solo material by bassist and songwriter Sting.
ON STAGE
“Spring Awakening,” 7:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and at 2:30 p.m. on Sundays from Aug. 3 to 26 at the Aurora Fox studio theater, 9900 E. Colfax Ave. Information: ignitetheatre.com. Details: The Ignite Theatre Company may be a relatively young troupe, but the organization has already scored a major creative coup in securing the rights for the smash Broadway musical “Spring Awakening.” Ignite Theatre’s Executive Artistic Director Keith Rabin Jr. announced the show earlier this year, the full cast list was finalized in May and the premiere is slated for this weekend at the Aurora Fox studio theater. The production will be a regional premiere of the Tony Award-winning show by a local company, and the cast includes a mix of veterans and plenty of new faces.
“The Government Inspector,” 7:30 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays; 2:30 p.m., Sundays, July 27 through Aug. 26 at the Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St. Tickets start at $25. Information: 303-856-7830 or vintagetheatre.com. Details: The Vintage will mark its third featured show in Aurora with Jeffrey Hatcher’s “The Government Inspector,” a comedy set in a small Russian hamlet and focuses on the chaos that ensues after a surprise visit from a government official.
ON DISPLAY
Eighth Annual Mile High International Pastel Exhibition, through Aug. 30 at the MADDEN Museum of Contemporary Art, 6363 South Fiddler’s Green Circle, Greenwood Village. Information: pastelsocietyofcolorado.com. Details: This exhibition will include works from artists across the state, all of whom specialize in the medium of pastels. The show is set to include a range of styles and mediums, and will feature the winning entries in the Pastel Society of Colorado’s latest competition.