Subject: Michael Jackson

• More Messages: Welcome to Neverland

  September 22, 2006

• Q&A With DJ Wilson of Scary Kids Scaring Kids

  October 17, 2007

• A Cure for the Common Cold Warrior

  Past and present Rocky Flats workers say their jobs made them sick -- and it's the government's job to make them better.

  September 28, 2000

• Sounds Like Fun!

  Beat Jungle

  November 9, 2000

• Microbrewing history gets its own photo book

  Way back - way, way back -- before there was a microbrewery in every city, before the terms IPA and ESB entered the common lingo, before big, bold craft beers muscled their way onto liquor store shelves (before color photography, even), the pioneers of the microbrewery industry got their shaggy-looking selves together in Boulder for a home-brewing conference. The year was 1981, and the conference had been organized by Charlie Papazian, one of the patriarchs of craft brewing and the founder of i

  February 10, 2009

• The Jukebox Effect

  Photo: Claudia LopezI deejayed a Valentine's Day party at the Horseshoe Lounge on Saturday. The bar had a great vibe, as always, and the ample crowd was in the mood for a good party. It was the first time I ever had to play music for four and a half straight hours, and I was initially worried that I would: a) run out of songs I wanted to play, or b) not have the right music to keep the party going. I underestimated both the strength of my music collection and the self-sustaining power of a party

  February 17, 2009

• Best Large Venue

  March 25, 2004

• Hangover graveyard: Ogden Street South

  Waking up on a couch fully clothed and feeling like death warmed over is no way to start a day, yet it happens all too often. Everyone has his own remedy, but for me, nothing beats a salty, greasy breakfast. Blurry-eyed and flat-tailed on my couch this past Saturday morning, all I could think about was the steak & eggs special at Ogden Street South (the OSS). Strolling in at 8:30 a.m., I saw the same things I see every time I go there on a Saturday morning: Denver's finest huddled in the cor

  March 18, 2009

• Mister Lonely

  Harmony Korine creates a Neverland for celeb impersonators in the singular and sincere Mister Lonely.

  June 19, 2008

• Hot Hot Heat

  Monday, June 20, Ogden Theatre, 303-830-2525.

  June 16, 2005

• Rush Hour 3

  The third time's the guilty pleasure for Tucker and Chan's buddy cop franchise.

  August 9, 2007

• While His Guitar Gently Weeps

  Scott Baxendale is fretting over Qwest.

  March 9, 2006

• Letters to the Editor

  From the week of January 17, 2006

  January 19, 2006

• The Motet

  Fox Theatre|Cervantes'

  October 27, 2005

• Critical Fatwa

  Michael Jackson

  September 29, 2005

• Off Limits

  Walk softly and carry a big shtick

  September 9, 2004

• Beer Here

  Brew fans gather will gather at the Colorado Convention Center.

  October 5, 2000

• Puttin' on the Hits

  September 18, 1997

• THE ENVELOPE PLEASE

  HERE'S WHAT GRAMMY HOPEFULS SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOMINATED FOR.

  January 17, 1996

• DANGEROUS LIAISONS

  February 2, 1994

• Vintage radio ad for Michael Jackson's Denver tour from 1988 and 911 call

  As expected, it's been all-Michael Jackson-all-the-time at most news outlets today, including ours. Over the course of our surfing this morning, we came across several items of interest that we thought we'd post. First, a vintage recording of radio commercial from 1988 touting Jackson's Bad tour that same year, which we posted after the jump. While we don't remember this particular ad, which ran in Colorado Springs, we're certain that it must've mirrored ads running concurrently in Denver. We al

  June 26, 2009

• Michael Jackson's real legacy: A compilation of bad local moonwalk videos

  I could talk about how Thriller was my first cassette and what it felt like listening to those foreboding synthesizers and Vincent Price monologue coming out of my dinky one-speaker tape player. Or I could talk about what it's been like watching my two-year-old son grooving to "Billie Jean" on his Fisher-Price ghetto blaster as of late. But since everyone's already written that treacly stuff about MJ today, I figured I'd focus on the King of Pop's real legacy: He's left behind a planet united

  June 26, 2009

• The Westword.com blog shortcut, June 26 edition

  Photo by Aaron ThackerayBy the time you get to see Phoenix.... So far today, all of America's remaining pop-culture icons seem to be hanging in there.... Today in Backbeat Online: • Last Night's Show: Phoenix at The Bluebird. • Polytoxic drummer Chadzilla hitches a ride with Slim Cessna's Auto Club. • Beyond Playlist: The Jonas Brothers and more. • Vintage radio ad for Michael Jackson's Denver tour from 1988 and 911 call. • Monolith announces Yeah Yeah Yeahs as a headliner. Today in

  June 26, 2009

• Are you indie or independent?

  As I've mentioned once or twice in this blog, I occasionally DJ around town, under a pseudonym. I use a pseudonym because I want to make it clear that Eryc Eyl, the DJ, operates in a musical universe that is completely different from the one inhabited by Eryc Eyl, the music critic. We are, in some ways, separate individuals. My deejaying has very little to do with my writing. It's an outlet for a completely different relationship with music. I rarely play the hippest, hottest underground re

  June 29, 2009

• How much will Michael Jackson's death cost Phil Anschutz?

  A lot of people stand to make a lot of money from Michael Jackson's death -- record labels, iTunes, memorabilia manufacturers and more. But don't count Phil Anschutz among their number. The Denver-based billionaire is among the sharpest businessmen ever to call Colorado home, yet he's all but guaranteed to take a very unpleasant bath on Jackson's fifty-date "This Is It" European tour, which was slated to get underway on July 13. (The "This Is It" website is now a cyber-memorial.) Back in March

  June 29, 2009

• How I missed my chance to see Michael Jackson live

  An image from the Jacksons' 1984 Victory tour. Regrets: I've had a few. And one of them is not going to see Michael Jackson in concert when I had free tickets to do so. The year was 1984, and to make money while attending UCLA, I worked at the famous (and now long gone) Tower Records branch on L.A.'s Sunset Strip. It was the kind of store where celebrity sightings were common -- soon into the job, my wife stopped asking "How was your day?" in favor of "Who did you see?" -- and perks were plent

  June 26, 2009

• Remembering Michael Jackson's legal faceoff against Denver's Crystal Cartier

  Crystal Cartier. Along with tributes to Michael Jackson's music following word of his death yesterday, news reports have (rightly) gone into detail about his assorted legal troubles -- particularly those involving accusations of child molestation. But none that I've seen have recalled a trial that took place right here in Denver -- one that pitted Jackson against singer-songwriter Crystal Cartier. She argued that MJ had used portions of "Dangerous," a song she'd written, in a number with the sa

  June 26, 2009

• New media and Michael Jackson's death

  MJ. Like most people, I didn't learn about Michael Jackson's death yesterday via traditional media outlets. Instead, I heard from a much more reliable source: Westword receptionist Christina Salazar, who was announcing the news to a gaggle of co-workers as I walked toward the front desk. At first, I thought she was joking, but no: She told me she'd already been Facebooked numerous times, and her phone was blowing up with messages about the development. I then hopped into my car for my 25 minut

  June 26, 2009

• L.A. Weekly speaks with MJ's lawyer

  Last night, our counterparts over at the L.A. Weekly posted an exclusive interview with Bob Sanger, Michael Jackson's attorney for sixteen years. It's a good read. A candid conversation, the exchange offers some interesting insights about Jackson, like how well read he was, and is fully worth checking out if you get a chance.

  June 26, 2009

• R.I.P. Michael Jackson, 1958 - 2009

  By now you've heard that Michael Jackson died today at his home in California. Evidently, he had rented a place out in Belaire and was rehearsing for fifty sold out shows at O2 in London, the first four of which he had already reportedly postponed. Dubbed "This Is It," the shows were supposed to revitalize Jackson's career. This was his '68 Comeback. Sadly, he never made it. Jackson was just fifty-years-old when his heart gave out on him. Although TMZ reported that he was unable to be revived af

  June 25, 2009

• Eminem keeps dominating charts at Independent Records

  For the sixth week in a row, Eminem grabbed the top spot at Independent Records for the week ending June 28. Mars Volta's new album, Octahedron, and Mike E. Clark's Psychopathic Murder Mix V. 1 compilation came in second and third while four Michael Jackson albums, including the 25th Anniversary edition of Thriller, nabbed spots in the top ten. See the full breakdown after the jump.

  June 29, 2009

• Regina Spektor top seller at Twist and Shout

  Regina Spektor's latest release, Far, was the top seller at Twist & Shout for the week ending June 28. Local faves Paper Bird's new EP, Sky Underground, nabbed the number two slot and brand new albums from Dinosaur Jr. and Mars Volta also grabbed slots in the top five. See the full breakdown after the jump.

  June 29, 2009

• The Westword.com blog shortcut, June 29 edition

  Zoning out.... Changing channels? Today in Cafe Society: • ESPN ZONE turns off the scoreboard, blames economy. • Tonight: A symphony of food and wine at Opus. • Milking It: All-Bran Yogurt Bites. • Bad weekend for barbecue at Big Hoss, Q Worldly Barbecue. • Bye-bye, Brandon's. • Arrivederci, Alto. • Ask the Critic: Where to get a good cart lunch. Today in Backbeat Online: • Over the Weekend: White Rabbits at Bluebird Theater. • Are you indie or independent? • Over the Wee

  June 29, 2009

• Michael Jackson's single, bedazzled glove: What's up with that?

  In all the wall-to-wall coverage and rampant speculation in the wake of Michael Jackson's passing -- over the cause of his death, his sexuality, the true paternity of his kids -- we couldn't help but notice that there's one aspect of Jackson's persona that been completely overlooked, an eternal burning question that likewise seemingly no one knows the answer to: What's up with The Glove? Seriously. When and how did MJ decide to don The Glove? Why just one? Surely we're not the only ones complete

  June 30, 2009

• The Westword.com blog shortcut, June 30 edition

  See you next month. Today in Backbeat Online: • Rabbit is a Sphere giving away entire discography. • Michael Jackson's single, bedazzled glove: What's up with that? • MP3 Freeloader: The Nautical Mile Sunday, July 5 at hi-dive. • CacheFlowe's "Computer World" video. • Download a track from Breathe Carolina's new album. Today in Cafe Society: • A real mob scene at Gaetano's. • S'more of a good thing at Forest Room 5. • Adios, Mr. Coco's. • Bye-bye, Brandon's... for now. •

  June 30, 2009

• The legacy of the Michael Jackson-Crystal Cartier lawsuit

  The cover of the 1991 Michael Jackson album "Dangerous." While TV networks aplenty have rehashed the late Michael Jackson's various legal battles over child-molestation allegations, they've neglected his early '90s court appearance in Denver, when he defended himself against accusations from singer-songwriter Crystal Cartier that the title track of the 1991 album Dangerous ripped off her 1988 tune of the same name. But Stan Soocher remembers. An associate professor of music and entertainment-in

  July 1, 2009

• Remembering the King of Pop

  July 2, 2009

• The Westword.com blog shortcut, July 1 edition

  Photo by Kiernan MaletskyYou'll love these Meeses to pieces. Hotter than July? Or exactly as hot as July? Today in Backbeat Online: • Last Night's Show: Meese at Twist & Shout. • DJ Vajra announces new project, offers free mix for download. • Flier of the Week: Get Down at Beta Friday, July 3. • Remembering Tickle Me Pink's Johnny Schou one year later. • SP Double returns with mixtape and upcoming projects. • 3OH!3 grace the cover(s) of AP. Again. Today in Cafe Society: • Parisi

  July 1, 2009

• Analyzing MJ's influence on hip-hop.

  We stumbled across this enlightening graphical breakdown yesterday as we made our way across the Twitterverse. Somebody named Ethan Hein, a cat who evidently has a great deal of time on his hands, took the time and painstaking effort to deconstruct and then chart Michael Jackson's influence on the hip-hop world. While we don't agree with all of the lineage, we did find the breakdown rather intriguing. Click on the image to the left to enlarge.  

  July 2, 2009

• Jeremih grabs top spot at Independent Records

  After six weeks in the number one spot, Eminem was finally knocked down to the third slot by new albums by Jeremih and Killswitch Engage for the week ending July 5. Michael Jackson's 25th anniversary edition of Thriller grabbed the number four slot and Wilco's Wilco (the album), released last week on Nonesuch, rounded out the top five. See the full breakdown after the jump.

  July 6, 2009

• Wilco top seller at Twist and Shout

  Wilco's latest effort, Wilco (the album), grabbed the top spot while Meese's Atlantic debut, Broadcast, nabbed the second slot at Twist & Shout for the week ending July 5. Three Michael Jackson albums were in the top ten and Regina Spektor's Far was knocked down to the seventh slot from number one last week. See the full breakdown after the jump.

  July 6, 2009

• Michael Jackson memorial: More money out of Phil Anschutz's pocket

  A Flickr photoThe Staples Center, where Michael Jackson's memorial service will take place at 11 a.m. Mountain time today. The throng already descending on Los Angeles this morning to attend the Michael Jackson memorial service is being estimated in the seven-figure range, and as the Los Angeles Times notes, their presence is expected to give the city's tourist industry a multi-million-dollar boost. But while hoteliers, memorabilia sellers and plenty more will be walking away from the bash with

  July 7, 2009

• Michael Jackson's death helping Denver's economy, too

  Next stop, Jacko. Although Denver billionaire Phil Anschutz may not be adding to his bankroll as a result of Michael Jackson's death, folks associated with Denver International Airport stand to make a few extra bucks. A report posted on the U.K.-based Cheapflights website notes that so many Brits are flying to L.A. for Jackson's memorial service today that they've had to make stops at airports outside Southern California en route. Here's the piece's key passage: Entertainment website TMZ.com,

  July 7, 2009

• Michael Jackson tribute planned tonight at Film on the Rocks

  Just received word from our friends over at Theaters and Arenas that the Denver Film Society is planning some sort of special Michael Jackson tribute tonight after the Rouge's set, which kicks off at 6:45, and just before the screening of Jaws at dusk. Despite our dogged persistence, our peeps simply refuse to dish on the details, but since this weekly summer series is called Film on the Rocks, we're gonna go out on a limb and posit that the tribute, whatever form it takes, will be, uh, cinemati

  July 7, 2009

• The Westword.com blog shortcut, July 7 edition

  Photo by Cajun BoyMongo meets meat. Everyone form a line. Today in Cafe Society: • Hot Diggity Dog: Denver's Mongo Marquez joined the big leagues at Nathan's on July 4. • Civic Center Eats: Sweet Revenge cookies. • Tonight: Frasca wines paired with small plates from MiniBAR. • Where am I drinking? • Breckenridge Brewery: Yes they can. • Last night's "panic hour" at the Lancer Lounge. Today in Backbeat Online: • Fresh Breath Committee's Purpose getting his Idol on. • Elana Roge

  July 7, 2009

• DJ Chonz MJ tribute mixtape is one of the best so far... and it's free!

  Since Michael Jackson's death, DJs worldwide have been putting together different mixtapes honoring the King of Pop's music and legacy. While there have been some a good ones, a majority of them aren't mixed and you can get the same effect by selecting shuffle on the MJ music in your iPod. But DJ Chonz went all out for his MJ tribute, Peaceful Journey. Chonz pulled excerpts from Jackson's TV appearances, found different mixes of songs and actually included songs like "You Rock My World" and "Lib

  July 8, 2009

• Things you see on the Fox 31 morning show

  ​For reasons that remain unclear, I worked this morning with Fox 31 morning show playing silently on the nearby TV. Just so you don't worry that you missed something while driving to work, here are some of the stories I caught: - An update on the Michael Jackson death investigation with a TMZ correspondent. As far as I could tell, he's still dead. - The story of an 11-year-old Guitar Hero expert. - A story about a deadly car crash ... in New York. - The curious case of the Boulder bear

  July 27, 2009

• A Thriller, Thriller Night

  August 27, 2009

• Phil Anschutz's profits on Michael Jackson's This Is It film: Ka-ching!

  The planet still loves little Michael.​Denver mega-buckser Phil Anschutz has reportedly recouped his entire investment in the late Michael Jackson's aborted "This Is It" tour (after seeming on the verge of multi-million-dollar losses) thanks to the sale of rehearsal footage that makes up the just-released This Is It film. Now all that's left is to watch the moolah roll in -- a process that's already started. The flick racked up $7.4 million in the U.S. on Wednesday, when it opened at theat

  October 30, 2009

• Tech N9NE top seller at Independent Records

  ​Tech N9NE's K.O.D., released last week on Strange Music, nabbed the top spot on Independent Records' charts for the week ending November 1. Michael Jackson's soundtrack to the film This is It and Jay-Z's The Blueprint 3 came in at second and third, while Swollen Member's Armed to the Teeth and Z-Ro's Cocaine rounded out the top five. See the full breakdown after the jump. 

  November 5, 2009