20 DECEMBER 4-10, 2025 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | LETTERS | CONTENTS | FRIDAY DECEMBER 5 GREAT AMERICAN TAXI & SAM MORROW SATURDAY DECEMBER 6 DRUNKEN HEARTS SUNDAY DECEMBER 7 SPUN OUT SCRATCH SHOWCASE WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 10 OK.KOOL THURSDAY DECEMBER 11 PARLOR GREENS FRIDAY DECEMBER 12 CASHMERE CHRISTMAS III SATURDAY DECEMBER 13 STELLER WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 17 GLARE THURSDAY DECEMBER 18 SHIFT FT. FATHER FUNK FRIDAY DECEMBER 19 DADDIES OF INVENTION TRIBUTE TO FRANK ZAPPA SATURDAY DECEMBER 20 ZINO DOPE, PG, RESRFACE TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 30-31 DEADPHISH ORCHESTRA THURSDAY JANUARY 8 SHIFT FT. BLOOKAH FRIDAY JANUARY 9 MR. SPECIFIC & BIG SHRIMP SATURDAY JANUARY 10 LIT SOCIETY FRIDAY JANUARY 16 CHICK MAGNET & NOSTALJAZZ & SLIPPERY WHEN WET SATURDAY JANUARY 17 ZACH NUGENT’S DEAD SET THURSDAY JANUARY 22 JIMKATA FRIDAY JANUARY 23 OZZTIN THURSDAY JANUARY 29 SHIFT FT. MIDICINAL SUNDAY FEBRUARY 1 GREAT BLUE FT. 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FRIDAY DECEMBER 19 LIVING LEGENDS SATURDAY DECEMBER 20 BILLY FAILING TUESDAY & WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 30-31 THE NEW MASTERSOUNDS FRIDAY & SATURDAY JANUARY 2-3 DUAL VENUE TROUBLE NO MORE ALLMAN BROTHERS TRIBUTE SUNDAY JANUARY 4 LG NITE USA FRIDAY & SATURDAY JANUARY 9-10 YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND FRIDAY & SATURDAY JANUARY 16-17 LOTUS THURSDAY & FRIDAY JANUARY 22-23 KITCHEN DWELLERS SATURDAY JANUARY 24 TRIPP ST. SUNDAY JANUARY 25 STS9 FRIDAY JANUARY 30 DUAL VENUE KYLE HOLLINGSWORTH BAND FRIDAY FEBRUARY 6 PROBCAUSE SATURDAY FEBRUARY 7 BIG RICHARD & DELLA MAE THURSDAY FEBRUARY 12 GHOSTFACE KILLAH FRIDAY FEBRUARY 13 TAIKI NULIGHT SATURDAY FEBRUARY 14 DUMPSTAPHUNK TUESDAY FEBRUARY 17 FOX STEVENSON FRIDAY FEBRUARY 20 SUNNY RAVE SATURDAY FEBRUARY 21 SWIMMING PAUL WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 25 CHAD GOES DEEP FRIDAY & SATURDAY FEBRUARY 26-27 WHETHAN SATURDAY FEBRUARY 28 JKYL & HYDE SOLD OUT! FIND MORE MUSIC COVERAGE AT WESTWORD.COM/MUSIC Lettuce Entertain You BY EMILY FERGUSON Lettuce is ready to cook. The jammy funkadelic band has been trickling out singles for its latest album, Cook, which was released in full on December 3, just in time for the celebratory “House of Lett” shows at a secret location in Denver on Friday, December 5, and Saturday, De- cember 6. “I always view each album as a kind of continuation from the last,” says Adam “Sh- meeans” Smirnoff, the group’s Grammy- nominated guitarist. “Each of our albums progress in songwriting or production or fi nding a way for us to deliver better perfor- mances in the studio that represent who we are in a live show. And I think Cook does that.” Lettuce shows are always memorable, given the members’ penchant for improv and delivering infectious grooves. The upcoming Denver shows have a special twist, too: They kick off the band’s fundraising efforts for Music Is a Language, a nonprofi t that Lettuce has partnered with to launch the Lettuce Scholarship, which will fund full tuition for a student to attend the Berklee School of Music, where the bandmates met as students during a summer program in 1992. “We are so excited about that,” Smirnoff says of the new scholarship. “Looking at what the prices of college are nowadays, it’s daunting. So if we’re able to help any kids on their journey to get to Berklee School of Music...I mean, what a dream for us to be able to help anyone along the way. We all enjoyed our time there, and we ended up leaving and becoming professional musicians.” Beyond the Berklee credential, Lettuce’s members have impressive performing re- sumes: Smirnoff has toured with Lady Gaga; drummer Adam Deitch has worked with 50 Cent, Wyclef Jean, Talib Kweli and more; bassist Erick Coomes has performed on tour with Britney Spears and the Game. And in 2020, the band’s album Elevate was nominated for a Grammy as Instrumental Album of the Year. Cook brings the heat, too – as well as a little something extra for people who buy the vinyls: A cookbook featuring family recipes from the members will be tucked into the sleeve of each one. The idea “came from the name, Cook,” Smirnoff says. “It’s a refer- ence to, you know, modern slang – ‘let them cook’ – and also the musical creation process, where it’s a bunch of different ingredients.” A Smirnoff friend in New York, chef Josh Capon, had a hand in some of the recipes, in- cluding a take on Deitch’s dad’s Caesar salad. “We have a pretty wide variety of recipes on there, including some family stuff,” Smirnoff says. “My wife comes from an Italian family, and we have her nonna’s eggplant casserole. It’s delicious. Hit the record, pull out the cookbook, try some recipes and listen to some good music.” Now the group is looking forward to its upcoming two-night run in Denver. “We’re trying to leave a little bit of a surprise. We’re fi guring out a lot of it as we go – like much of Lettuce’s existence,” Smirnoff notes. “The amount of time and hard work and energy that we’ve put towards this project is also one of the things that holds it together.” House of Lett, Friday, December 5, and Satur- day, December 6; the location will be revealed to ticket holders via email. The shows are sold out, but a waitlist is available to join. Lettuce will be hosting House of Lett in Denver. MUSIC JOHN VERWA
