Where in the world (of Denver) will Ed Sheeran pop up? | Arts news

Ed Sheeran is coming for Elton John when he comes to Denver next week.

Billboard announced Wednesday that John’s just-wrapped, COVID-interrupted “Farewell Yellow Brick Road” is, for the nanosecond, the highest-grossing concert tour of all time. It has grossed $939 million over the past five years, far surpassing Sheeran, who held the top spot for three years with his 2017-20 “Divide” tour. That behemoth grossed “only” $776 million, but Sheeran’s tour actually sold the most individual tickets in history.

Of course, all this talk of records is silly, given that Taylor Swift’s ongoing “Eras” and Beyoncé’s “Renaissance” tours are both expected to eventually come in at well over $1 billion each.

Sheeran does this thing where he generally plays two dates in each metro area he visits, first in a relatively small concert hall and then in an arena or stadium. For example, he will first bring his new “Mathematics” tour to the downtown Paramount Theatre on Aug. 18, then move over to Empower Field at Mile High on Aug. 19 (with special guests Khalid and Cat Burns).

Sheeran’s stadium show will cap a phenomenal 2023 Mile High concert season, following sold-out sets by ILLENIUM, George Strait and two from Swift. Sheeran’s show will bring the Mile High summer attendance total to well past 300,000. We haven’t seen a number like that at Mile High since the good old days of numbered “Sunday” concert festivals back in the 1970s and ‘80s. (Anyone else remember Ted Nugent, Heart, The Cars, UFO and The Rockets at Colorado Sunday No. 2 on June 16, 1979? Milk jugs filled with vodka? … Anyone?)

To be fair, Riot Fest and the Vans Warped Tours were also Mile High crowd magnets back in the 2010-14 era. And 2001 was a very big summer at Mile High, with one-off concerts or festivals featuring U2, Public Enemy, OutKast, Incubus, Moby, *NSYNC, Black Sabbath, Marilyn Manson and Slipknot – all of which combined no doubt gave the average Mile High concertgoer a serious identity crisis that summer.

Sheeran is blazing hot right now, but he’s been scorching for six years. Sheeran’s 2017 album ÷ (called “Divide”) is the No. 2 streaming Spotify album of 2023. (Yes, a 6-year-old record is No. 2). Songs from “Divide” have been clicked more than 13 billion times in the first seven months of the year on Spotify alone, generating nearly $5 million in streaming royalties for Sheeran. His top-streaming song – “Shape of You” – has been clicked on Spotify 3.5 billion times this year alone, according to research conducted by a web site called musicindustryhowto.com.

In Denver, expect Sheeran to open his stadium set with the rock anthem “Tides,” followed by “Blow,” before moving into a potpourri from his back catalog. Tickets for the Paramount show are long gone, but plentiful Mile High ducats can be (legally!) scored starting at only $59. (I say “only.” I remember when Pink Floyd’s 1988 Mile High concert went for $33.50.)  

Sheeran’s Denver fans will be on the lookout for a completely random superstar sighting somewhere in the city at some point in the weekend. The adorable English star has been surprising fans by popping up at unexpected public places in just about every city he visits. In Chicago, he became a guest server at Chicago's Wiener's Circle hot-dog stand. After his stadium show in Charlotte, Sheeran showed up at a karaoke bar called Santa’s Pub and sang the Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way” (among others) for a couple in wedding attire.

His “Mathematics” tour wraps up after 16 months on Sept. 23 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

Finlaw among state appointees

Gov. Jared Polis has announced three appointments to three-year terms on the state’s Council on Creative Industries, which oversees the state’s arts office and works to encourage the development of the arts and humanities throughout the state: Sarah Andrews of Avon, Sarah Wood of Fruita and Jack Finlaw of Denver. That’s a biggie. He’s been the president and CEO of the University of Colorado Foundation since 2014 and for years ran what is now known as Denver’s Department of Arts & Venues.

Riddle me this one … times 12

Very odd national news this week when it was announced that a “new musical” called “The 12” will “premiere” next month at Goodspeed Musicals in East Haddam, Conn.

I’m pretty sure I was here when a musical called “The 12” was developed and premiered by the DCPA Theatre Company back in 2015. Maybe you were among the thousands who saw it, too.

It still imagines what happened to Jesus’ apostles in the three dangerous days following his crucifixion. It’s still written by Robert Schenkkan and Neil Berg. And it even features original cast member (and Aurora native) Gregory Treco as Simon.

But no mention anywhere that the musical originated at the Denver Center.

The Denver Center has birthed dozens of new plays and musicals that have gone on to enjoy long lives in subsequent productions by theater companies all over the country, and the DCPA is always cited as the origin company. It’s just the way it’s always been done. It acknowledges the artistic and financial resources the company risked in bringing a new piece to life (whether it is later extensively changed or not). But I couldn’t find the word “Denver” – or any mention of its role in the development of “The 12” – in any of the plentiful publicity that came out this week.

(Although Denver audiences might be charmed that Wesley Taylor has been cast as Tom. He starred in the Galleria Theatre’s long-running one-man comedy “An Act of God.”) 

Still … odd. 

Blues, BBQ, homes and humanity

Ranger Miller’s 26th annual Blues & BBQ Festival for Better Housing held in the heart of Edgewater raised another $30,000 for Habitat for Humanity Metro Denver and other affordable housing projects in the metro area. “That brings our overall total to $540,000,” said Miller, a graduate of Holy Family High School, pilot for United Airlines and frontman of the longest-running garage band in Denver history: The Duke Street Kings.

Briefly…

Artist Nalye Lor's new mural honoring Chinatown's past, present and future will be unveiled at a Reimagining Chinatown Neighborhood Block Party from 3-7:30 p.m. Saturday (Aug. 12) at 1890 Lawrence St. (You can even help give it a name.) …

If you watch “Saturday Night Live,” you know the three young writers who make filmed sketches that take an absurdly comic look at their supposed lives backstage and away from the show’s writers’ room. In real life, they are a comedy trio called “Please Don't Destroy” who went viral (pardon the pun) during the pandemic and got picked up by “SNL.” Ben Marshall, John Higgins and Martin Herlihy bring their live comedy show to the Paramount Theatre at 7 p.m. Aug. 12. …

A cohort of 60 artists from across the nation are in  Clearmont, Wyo., to participate in the 40-year-old Ucross Foundation artist residency program. Among the visual writers, composers, choreographers selected are poet Diana Keren Lee of Longmont, dancer Brandon Welch of Longmont and choreographer Helanius J. Wilkins of Boulder. Ucross is located on a historic 20,000-acre ranch near the Bighorn Mountains in northern Wyoming ...

Speaking of: Opera Colorado has named the members of its Artist in Residence program for the 2023-24 season: Sopranos Kerby Baier and Saane Halaholo, mezzo-soprano Melanie Dubil, tenor Randy Ho, baritone Alexander Granito, and returning bass-baritone Turner Staton …

The Evergreen Area Chamber of Commerce conducted a ceremonial ribbon-cutting last week at Center/Stage, a wonderful little live theater space built in 1924, to commemorate its first 100 years. The theater is now home to Ovation West Performing Arts, which will launch the Centennial season of the building (if not the company) at 7:30 p.m. Friday (Aug. 11).

Follow that story!

My Sunday column looked back on Colorado’s iconic TV sports anchors in the wake of the news that Rod Mackey is leaving Channel 9 after 23 years for Channel 4. This week, irrepressible preps champion Scotty Gange announced that he will be anchoring the 9News sports desk and covering the Denver Broncos full time. As Gange often says in his reports, “It’s a good day to have a great day!”

And finally …

The historic concert that christened the new Dazzle jazz lounge on Aug. 4 was truly one of the great nights in a lifetime of Denver culture-vulturing. Vocalist Rene Marie and pianist Dawn Clement were transporting. But part of the fun of chronicling the opening of any new arts venture is following all the crazy opening day details. Patrons were emailed on Friday morning that Dazzle was not able to secure its liquor license in time for opening. But by 4 p.m., in something of a bureaucratic miracle, the license was granted. Officials said the newly relocated jazz club will be operating on all cylinders and to full capacity by Sept. 15.

PHOTOS: Dazzle jazz club reopens to packed crowd