Arts, Entertainment, and Media

Alabama Shakes at the Ogden Theatre, with Michael Kiwanuka, 3/9/13 (reviews, photos)

ALABAMA SHAKES @ OGDEN THEATER | 3/9/13 There were too many musical threads to count during Alabama Shakes' dynamic and dizzying performance at the Ogden Theatre. During the most heart-rending moments of "Be Mine," for example, vocalist and guitarist Brittany Howard summoned the spirits of James Br ... More >>

The best concerts in Denver this weekend

ALABAMA SHAKES @ OGDEN THEATRE | SAT, 3/9/13 A number of bands are returning to a Southern-rock sound these days, but much of the music they're making is too derivative to be interesting. Alabama Shakes, fresh off a date warming up for Neil Young, bucks that trend. The group's members, who met in hi ... More >>

The 50 worst rap lyrics: The complete list

We've finally arrived: The The best of the worst. The creme de la crap. The unholy of unholies. If you thought 50-11 were bad, you ain't seen nothin' yet. These are the lyrics that can turn a good album sour, and make a bad album laughable. Included are quotes from Eminem, Lil B, J. Cole, 2 Chainz, ... More >>

Free Press media reform panel answers the question: "Is journalism dead?"

Journalism is dead: That seems to be the familiar refrain among the public these days. But last night, a panel of practitioners and free-press advocates at a preview event for the National Conference on Media Reform taking place in Denver next month, begged to differ. In their view, journalism is a ... More >>

Want to be a reality TV star? Haunt Ghost Plate & Tap Sunday

Want to be part of a new reality show? The Breckenridge-Wynkoop restaurants are collaborating with Koncrete Media, a local production company, on a reality TV show, Mile High Social. And they're hosting a casting call from 2 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, March 10 at Ghost Plate & Tap; the crew is looking for ... More >>

Reader: History Colorado's Collision was disappointing

Everyone on New Girl needs therapy...but that's why we love them

The Blackouts make bluesy hard rock exciting again

Indie hip-hop icon Murs on touring the country while juggling a festival

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The 50 worst rap lyrics of all time: 20-11

We've almost reached the end of our countdown of rap's most dreadful lyrics. Think you can stomach ten more? Good. Purely by coincidence, today's selections feature some of hip-hop's most memorable scientific and mathematical gaffes. And we're not talking anything complicated, here; we mean basic ma ... More >>

Casting call for local reality TV show at Ghost Plate & Tap Sunday

Want to be part of a new reality show? The Breckenridge-Wynkoop restaurants are collaborating with Koncrete Media, a local production company, on a reality TV show, Mile High Social. And they're hosting a casting call from 2 to 6 p.m. on Sunday, March 10 at Ghost Plate & Tap; the crew is looking for ... More >>

Read Our Lips

The 50 worst rap lyrics of all time: 30-21

This week, we've presented the first two editions of our worst lyrics in hip-hop. Today, the parade of awfulness continues. These next ones are even worse than before, and we're only halfway done. Be prepared for lines from Lil' Wayne (again, again), Kanye West, Nicki Minaj and Pitbull. Keep reading ... More >>

Free Press' Craig Aaron on teaser for National Conference on Media Reform

Craig Aaron, president and CEO of Free Press, an organization devoted to changing media and technology policies, is among the headliners for "The Perfect Storm: Democracy in the Age of Big Money and Big Media," taking place tomorrow at the Tivoli Center. But while the event can certainly stand on it ... More >>

Four new playwrights featured in Denver Center Theater Company's next season

With its just-announced 2013-'14 season, the Denver Center Theatre Company remains true to its mission of promoting interesting and exciting new playwrights. Four of the playwrights whose work received readings at the New Play Summit last month are included in the next lineup. See also: - Marcus Ga ... More >>

The 50 worst rap lyrics of all time: 40-31

Okay, just when you thought it couldn't get any worse, and it does. Yesterday, I ran down some of the lamest lines, the worst rap lyrics from 50-41, and today we inch ever closer to the top of the bottom. Spoiler alert: Lil' Wayne makes the cut (again), as does Jay-Z (twice), as well as Eminem, Atmo ... More >>

The ten traits of the perfect frontperson

The best frontmen and women all have something in common. Whether it's their ability to connect with a crowd or the swagger with which they carry themselves, their fashion sense, the intrigue that surrounds them or their reckless disregard for their own well being, they all have that ineffable "it" ... More >>

The ten best metal shows in Denver this month

There's a wide range of metal on tap this month that will appeal to an equally wide range of metal fans, from doom and grindcore to death metal and industrial, from local heroes to renowned international acts, in big and small venues. Keep reading to see what shows should be on your calendar this mo ... More >>

The fifty worst rap lyrics (50-41)

Listen, before I breakdown rap's worst lyrics, you should know, I don't hate Lil' Wayne. No, really. I like him just fine. But even good rappers get caught slipping, as evidenced by the fact that Lil' Wayne makes several appearances on this list. And while picking low-hanging fruit is the nature of ... More >>

Passion Pit at 1STBANK Center with Matt & Kim, 3/1/13 (review, photos and setlist)

PASSION PIT @ 1STBANK CENTER | 3/1/13 Passion Pit's show at 1STBANK Center was more about feel than flash, more about mood than pageantry. The globes started to glow pink right before Passion Pit broke into the slow tempo of "Constant Conversations" and singer Michael Angelakos busted out some fine ... More >>

The ten best hip-hop shows this month

The hip-hop, as you know, doesn't stop. It's a new month, which means there's another fresh batch of dope shows for you. And trust: March has plenty of freshness on tap, from revered elder statesmen like De La Soul, Naughty By Nature and GZA to newer cats like Tech N9ne, French Montana and Kendrick ... More >>

Ras Kass

Thursday, February 28, Oriental Theater, 720-420-0030.

Best of Denver 2013 Readers' Poll: The first round of Arts & Entertainment finalists

For the first time in the thirty-year history of Westword's Best of Denver, we've split the Best of Denver Readers' Poll into two rounds, giving you the chance to look at the leading vote-getters and then vote again for your favorite galleries, theaters and entertainments in metro Denver. And the re ... More >>

Alert your uncle with the sweet handlebar 'stache: There's a Jethro Tull convention coming

Do you heart Jethro Tull? If so, you better hold on to your hat, hombre. I'm about to flip your wig: For the first time in the States in more a decade, there's a Jethro Tull Convention booked, and apparently, it's happening here. (I know, right?!) Well, not here here, but rather in Longmont up at th ... More >>

Rocky Mountain News: Marking anniversary of its death four years ago today

Four years ago today, the Rocky Mountain News closed on the cusp of its 150th birthday. The changes in the Denver media scene since then have been profound. And while the Denver Post, the city's surviving paper, continues to exist, its present doesn't look much like the future that seemed in the off ... More >>

Photo: Billboard gives thanks -- and advice -- to embattled BLM director

When you're a bureaucrat under fire, accused of being a tool of Big Oil, there's nothing like a big, wet kiss from your critics to let you know you're being watched -- closely. Particularly if that greeting takes the form of a giant billboard on I-70 in Golden, not far from the Bureau of Land Manage ... More >>

Ten most enigmatic figures in hip-hop

Sometimes there are figures in music whose mysterious and inscrutable magnetism transcends the music they make. More than musicians, they become cultural figures whose every move is analyzed every which way in an effort to figure out what's going on in that great gray matter, as Frank Ocean puts it. ... More >>

Chuck Roy on POTroast and his favorite public places to get high

If you know Denver comedy, you surely know Chuck Roy. The former anchor of the satirical newscast The Crop Report -- an Onion News Network-style series of short sketches on marijuana, Roy is one of the most established names in Denver comedy, hosting an endless rotation of events at Comedy Works (af ... More >>

The Book of Mormon is coming back to Denver! Read on for the details

Remember The Book of Mormon? The musical from Coloradans and Broadway darlings Matt Stone and Trey Parker flew through here just last summer, electrifying Denver audiences, or at least the folks who were lucky to snag its fast-disappearing tickets. But if you missed it the first time around, here's ... More >>

Oscar party roundup: where to watch this weekend in Denver and Boulder

With the 85th Annual Academy Awards going down this Sunday, February 24, you can certainly stay home and catch the Hollywood action from your couch and wallow in Joan Rivers' bitter, pre-show fashion commentary. But while watching the Oscars with Joan and your cat may be fun, discussing the best and ... More >>

The Postal Service at Red Rocks on May 30, presale tickets on sale tomorrow at 10 a.m.

Brace yourself, my aging hipster friend: If you haven't heard, your favorite band from nearly a decade ago is back together and playing shows again. While the Coachella date is the one that got everybody hyperventilating, the Postal Service's tour actually kicks off a few days earlier in Reno. After ... More >>

Can we get Sirus for minute? It's time to give these six artists their own channel already!

Craig Hlavaty I've had satellite radio in my life since Christmas. Nothing is better than falling asleep on the couch on a Saturday afternoon after a big fat lunch with Willie's Roadhouse playing; waking up every few hours to piss during a Ray Price cut and then falling back to sleep. What I love t ... More >>

Ten acts that helped make hip-hop more accessible to mainstream audiences

Hip-hop is a world unto itself. Its rich tradition of spoken word poetry, self-referential subject matter and electronic and sample-based production make it, in many ways, a difficult musical form to adapt to, especially if you come from a more traditional background. These ten acts helped make rap ... More >>

The misappropriation of country music

Country music used to have its own distinct identity, one that was tied to rich traditions of lonesome country roads, hard work, low pay and drinking. These days it's a black hole of insipidity. Following the Grammys, the Lumineers and Mumford & Sons are now reportedly making inroads on country radi ... More >>

Is it time to quit dismissing the taste of teenage girls and start appreciating Justin Bieber?

By Brittany Spanos At what point did teen girls suddenly just become wrong? "Serious" music fans seem to have universally accepted a critique of quality that befalls any artist who willingly sells to the rabid teen girl market and stigmatized the fans who dare to sometimes be male or at least above ... More >>

GogoLAB

Border Patrol
Self-released

Does anyone still care about John McClane?

See also: More Titles for the Die Hard Franchise

Borgore on the number of hot chicks in Boulder and why he gets so many naked pics sent to him

With a recent chart-topping house banger on Beatport, Israeli producer Asaf Borgore has a new record on the horizon. Aside from enjoying other recent success with his Miley Cyrus on the collaborative chart topper "Decisions," Borgore is mainly focused on finishing his forthcoming album at an L.A.-ba ... More >>

Ten songs Rockies first baseman Todd Helton could use for his walk-on music this season

Pitchers and catchers reported this week. You know what that means, right? Yeah, probably nothing. We're not going to get our hopes up here. I mean, aside from our new skipper, Walt Weiss, a beloved former Rockies shortstop, there's really no reason to believe this season will be any less agonizing ... More >>

The ten hottest musical pairings

For centuries, men have known that the real power of music lies in its ability to get you laid. From "panty-dropper" mixtapes that your parents made back in the day, to John Cusack standing outside the window with Peter Gabriel on the boombox, to that little boy banging on the drums in Love Actually ... More >>

Name That Artist

The Die Hard franchises's five best kills -- and how you can win tickets to the marathon

On February 13, the Harkins theater in Northfield is celebrating the release of the fifth chapter of the Die Hard franchise with a marathon of the entire film series, which gives moviegoers the opportunity to experience decades of death scenes and Bruce Willis' slowly receding hairline all in one da ... More >>

Chris Shaw of Ex-Cult on the appeal of mono recordings and how it's a working class sound

Known for a diverse music scene, Memphis, Tennessee has become known for its punk and garage rock scene, thanks to acts like the Oblivions, the Reatards and the bands championed by Goner Records. Ex-Cult came out of that punk world but ended up making the kind of rock and roll with the drive and ene ... More >>

Drilling at Mesa Verde and Dinosaur National Monument: BLM boss backpedals after protests

The director of Colorado's Bureau of Land Management office seems to be engaged in an elaborate game of chicken over the past few months. On several occasions, Helen Hankins has announced plans to auction off oil and gas leases in environmentally sensitive areas, including tracts near Mesa Verde Nat ... More >>

Marcus Gardley debuts Black Odyssey at New Play Summit

Marcus Gardley, one of the five writers featured in this year's New Play Summit, has received several honors and awards -- including the PEN/Laura Pels award for Mid-Career Playwright -- and has been widely produced. His Black Odyssey, an ambitious, large-cast production that most theaters would hav ... More >>

Tea Leaf Green's Reed Mathis on the soul of improvisation

Hip-hop 101: Adam Bradley is revolutionizing education...one rap at a time

See also: The poetry of Jalon Martin, Adam Bradley's Montbello rap student

The Stooges' Raw Power turns forty today

Great art does not always move units. Case in point: The Stooges' 1973 album, Raw Power, was a complete flop commercially. But, as with the story about the Velvet Underground, it seems that everyone who did buy it must have been inspired to start a band, because forty years after its initial release ... More >>

New Play Summit should be a whale of a creative weekend

One of the most important parts of the Denver Center Theatre Company's mission is to introduce local audiences the most interesting, up-and-coming playwrights around -- and to help those playwrights explore their ideas and carry forward their creative work. To further that mission, every year the Ne ... More >>