Lighting Up on Denver's Inaugural Tacky Light Tour

A jovial group of marijuana smokers and comedy fans romped their way through town last night on the maiden voyage of the MassRoots Tacky Light Tour, a more organized (but not much more) version of the impromptu light-and-light-up tours that Coloradans have taken on their own for generations. Sam Tallent and Aaron Urist of Sexpot Comedy were the comedian/hosts, "jiggling" (their word) on the back of the bus for our entertainment and handling the somewhat goofy crew like true pros. Everyone on the bus said their cheeks hurt from laughing so hard: In that sense, mission accomplished.

South Broadway dispensary Denver Relief was the gathering point for the night of shenanigans. After a quick and divey dinner at Brendan's Pub, it was down to Englewood for the first of four tacky light stops. The scene featured Barbies in boxes, rotating monkeys on wires, creepy Santas you could pose with at 5041 South Elati Street, even one house whose lights blinked brilliantly to the Christmas music on 97.7 FM at 5136 South Pennsylvania Street. 

This wasn't the first time Westword has gotten stoned with Sam Tallent, one of our 100 Colorado Creatives who proved he's equally adept at cracking wise or making light of tacky light situations. Urist was a fine gentleman as well, and while onlookers might be forgiven for assuming the passengers had taken the two comedians hostage for our entertainment, the duo made it work. "This is the weirdest place I've ever done comedy," said Urist.

The passengers engaged in a joint-rolling contest and popped cheap champagne — "stepmom's medicine," the comics called it — as the bus rolled, making a stop for munchies along the way. We can only imagine what our fellow travelers from Orlando, Florida, will say about the wonders of Colorado when they return home.

The Tacky Light Tour will repeat tonight and tomorrow night, as well as next Thursday through Sunday — although the cast of comics will change. Tickets for each tour, which includes dinner, travel and entertainment, are $60. Keep reading for more photos of the inaugural voyage.