Photo by Joshua Lawton

Andrea Gibson performs Friday night at the b.side lounge.

Artists are starting to speak out about the state of the country, and, this weekend, activist-poet Andrea Gibson and rapper MURS will air their views at the b.side lounge.

Gibson doesn't put her work to music, but she still manages to make some powerful statements. Friday night, the Boulder poet is hosting the spoken-word "Junkyard Ghost Revival Tour" at the b.side.

The event also will feature fellow spoken-word artists Buddy Wakefield, Anis Mojgani and Derrick Brown. Some of these poets have opened for major national music acts. Wakefield has shared stages with Ani DiFranco, and Brown has opened shows for the Cold War Kids.

"I've always looked at my art as activism," Gibson said. "A large part of what I write about is current events and the political climate of the U.S. We're living in a pivotal time. It has extreme excitement and extreme terror, but I'm trying to write about where I'd like us to be, instead of where we are."

Gibson's poetry has given her some bragging rights. She's held the title of four-time Denver Grand Slam Champion, appeared in the BBC documentary "Slam Planet," and headlined shows across the U.S. and Europe.

She's psyched to make her debut at the b.side.

"I'm really excited to bring the show to the b.side," Gibson said. "There will be four of us performing -- there will be some duets, some trios and some things set to music.

"There's nothing like a spoken word show."

MySpace has dipped its toes into the concert-promotion world. Monday, the popular Internet site is hosting a free show with rapper MURS at the b.side.

MURS is a member of Living Legends, but he's touring to promote his new solo CD, MURS for President. The rapper should have some choice words to say at the b.side.

Xavier Rudd

Aussie musician Xavier Rudd packed the Boulder Theater the last time he played town. The artist's back to perform tunes from his new CD Dark Shades of Blue tonight at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver.

"I've had a really busy year," Rudd said. "I traveled to the U.S., Europe and Canada. I also built a fully sustainable house in Australia. It's completely off the grid. It's solar-powered, and it has its own heating and water systems."

Rudd's always been a socially conscious musician, and building a sustainable home falls into his activist lifestyle. The musician writes about topics that affect the planet, and he uses the ancient aboriginal didgeridoo to punctuate his performances.

The performer's 2007 CD White Moth reflected the softer side of his music, but Rudd's taken a new direction with Dark Shades of Blue. The musician's new songs are fused with edgier sounds for his latest project.

"I always like my songs to be very spiritual and emotional," Rudd said. "This record is definitely heavier and more psychedelic, and the songs are darker and thicker. It's just an expansion of what I do."

Tatanka Take Two

The Tatanka Music and Art Festival is taking place at the Boulder Reservoir this weekend, but there is one special event that's taking place in downtown Boulder.

Saturday at the stroke of midnight, the Everyone Orchestra will take over the stage at the Boulder Theater. The all-star jam features several of the muscians performing at Tatanka and their friends.

The Everyone Orchestra stars Aron Magner and Allen Aucoin from the Disco Biscuits, members of the Motet with String Cheese's Billy Nershi, and Darol Anger.

If you're going to party for the whole festival weekend, you might as well stay up all Saturday night.