If you have an event taking place in the Denver area, email information to carlotta.olson@gazette.com at least two weeks in advance. All events are listed in the calendar on space availability.

Thursday

Otis Taylor — 6:30 and 9 p.m., Dazzle at Baur’s, 1080 14th St., Denver, go online for prices. Tickets: dazzledenver.com/#/events.

RubyJoyful — Featuring Drew Emmitt (Leftover Salmon) and Rob Ickes, 7 p.m., Swallow Hill Music, Daniels Hall, 71 E. Yale Ave., Denver, $35-$40. Tickets: swallowhillmusic.org.

National Veterans Creative Arts Festival Stage Show Performance — 7 p.m., Newman Center for the Performing Arts, 2344 E. Iliff Ave., Denver; tinyurl.com/addecenw.

MaMuse — With Ashley Willfire, Lotte Walda, 7 p.m., Mercury Café, Ballroom, 2199 California St., Denver, $20-$25. Tickets: mercurycafe.com.

Sunset Series: Shine Sweet Moon — 7-9:30 p.m., BurnDown, 476 S. Broadway, Denver; burndowndenver.com.

Southall — With Reid Haughton, 7:30 p.m., Gothic Theatre, Englewood, $22.50. Tickets: axs.com.

Interrogation: True Crime Stories — 7:30 p.m., Comedy Works South at the Landmark, 5345 Landmark Place, Greenwood Village, $14. Tickets: comedyworks.com.

Alice Merton — 8 p.m., Bluebird Theater, Denver, $25. Tickets: axs.com.

Last Podcast on the Left: JK Ultra Tour — 8 p.m., Paramount Theatre, Denver, $39 and up. Tickets: ticketmaster.com.

Inna Vision — With Logan LaValley and Coronation, 8 p.m., The Oriental Theater, 4435 W. 44th Ave., Denver, $10 and up. Tickets: theorientaltheater.com.

Judd Hoos — With Peach Street Revival & Denham, 8 p.m., Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver, $16. Tickets: globehall.com.

Messa — With The Flight of Sleipnir and Circling Over, 8 p.m., Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver, $15-$18. Tickets: hi-dive.com/events.

Chet Porter — With Geller, 8:30 p.m., Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St., Denver, $17-$22. Tickets: larimerlounge.com.

Thursday-Saturday

Kelsey Cook — 7:30 p.m. Thursday-Saturday, 9:45 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Comedy Works Downtown in Larimer Square, 1226 15th St., Denver, $30-$35. Tickets: comedyworks.com.

Carlotta Olson, The Denver Gazette

The Denver Broncos will open the season on the road in Week 1 against the Seattle Seahawks. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, oddsmakers have given the home team a 4.5-point advantage making Denver the underdog. The over/under stands at 43. This spread dropped just minutes after the official Broncos 2024 schedule dropped.

This spread seems like it could grow further in Seattle’s advantage given that Denver will likely be starting a rookie quarterback in Bo Nix or even worse having Zach Wilson be the Week 1 starter with Nix not ready to go. What they have going for them is that they have the most season opening wins since 1960 having gone 40-22-1 in that span, but they have lost their last two season-openers.

As someone who lives in Idaho, I dislike the Seahawks about as much as a Broncos fan can dislike that franchise. However, with Denver on a serious rebuilding effort and a rookie quarterback it will come down to progress for me. How is this team progressing each week and how does Bo Nix look out there on the field. That is where my attention will be focused with an eye on that future.

What do you think of the Broncos Week 1 line against the Seahawks here?

Former Oregon Duck quarterbacks Justin Herbert and Bo Nix just are AFC West division rivals and will play each other twice a year. The dates will be released on Wednesday night for Herbert’s Los Angeles Chargers vs. Nix’s Denver Broncos… Now Oregon fans will just have to decide which team to root for in the Duck vs. Duck showdown. 

Nix was selected by the Denver Broncos No. 12-overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. Former Oregon receiver Troy Franklin also joins the Broncos, or should we say, the Denver Ducks. Nix and Franklin will try to emulate the immense success and great connection they had at Oregon, which boasted the No. 2 scoring and passing offense in 2023. 

Adding to the Duck fun, former Oregon linebacker Troy Dye signed with the Chargers this offseason under new head coach Jim Harbaugh. 

Chargers coach Harbaugh vs. Broncos coach Sean Payton is another great storyline, as two of the most-celebrated coaches in football go head to head. 

The Broncos are currently on a three-game winning streak vs. the Chargers. 

Of course, both Herbert and Nix face the difficult task of competing in the same division as the Kansas City Chiefs and quarterback Patrick Mahomes. The reigning-Super Bowl champion Chiefs have won the divisional crown for eight-straight seasons.

Can one of the former Duck quarterbacks take down one of the greatest NFL players ever in Mahomes? Head-to-head, Mahomes has a 5-1 record against Herbert. Those heated divisional games seemingly always come down to the wire and the Chargers have struggled to win in close games. 

The Broncos-Chargers rivalry dates back to 1960. All time, the Broncos lead the series 73–55–1. Yet somehow, Denver and L.A. have met only once in the playoffs, in the 2013 AFC Divisional round, the Broncos beat the Chargers 24-17. 

This season, the old rivalry gets a lot more green and yellow.