National Public Radio

Westword Book Club: Brandi Shigley focuses on the essential and eliminates the rest

This week, Westword asked fashionista Brandi Shigley about her favorite books. The interview was fittingly conducted in front of an adorable lofted book shelf, which Shigley refers to as her treehouse, at Fashion Denver, her combination boutique, studio, consulting office, and mini roller-s ... More >>

Video: Geek Bowl gets celebrity help in Austin, returns to Denver in 2016

It's not like Geeks Who Drink, the Denver-based, bar-style trivia juggernaut that got its start here in 2005, needs much celebrity power: Over the past eight years, it's stretched to more than twenty states, and thousands of people turn out to test their nerdy knowledge each week at hundreds of wate ... More >>

Three local film fests are lighting up screens in Denver and Boulder

Fugazi is a benchmark, a signpost and an example of how it could and should be done

Gateway Acts is a new ongoing series on Backbeat in which we examine the music that served as an entry point for our burgeoning musical obsessions, a gateway drug that tuned us in and turned us on. Today, guest columnist and Flattery Festival founder Ian O'Dougherty (Uphollow, Ian Cooke, TaunTaun, E ... More >>

Indulge in the hilarious SantaLand Diaries in Boulder

James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem chooses Denver photo for Canon short-film project

When Melissa Wollenberg of Highlands Ranch snapped a cute/surreal photo of her son in a gas mask, standing before the orange haze of this past last summer's out-of-control fires, she had no idea that it would eventually be chosen by film legend Ron Howard and LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy for their ... More >>

Crowd Pleaser

Amendment 64: Attorney General/marijuana critic John Suthers would defend it in court

In announcing the passage of Amendment 64, the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act, during a newscast this morning, National Public Radio floated the possibility that the measure could wind up before the U.S. Supreme Court owing to pot's illegality at the federal level. And if the proposal wound up ... More >>

Comedian Paula Poundstone on politics and her best friend, the audience

Over the past three decades, Paula Poundstone has worked as a standup comedian, political correspondent, television-show creator, cartoon-voice actor and columnist. And during that time, Poundstone has decided that the best place to be is the stage -- alone with a microphone and no one else on the b ... More >>

Debate 2012: University of Denver charging press $175 for wireless -- and seats are extra

As we opened our laptop to file our first story from the University of Denver today, we realized we were missing a key ingredient: wireless. And that led us to a discover that, despite all the awesome swag given out at the presidential debate, reporting (comfortably and wirelessly) comes with a pric ... More >>

On Occupy Denver's first birthday, we count the ways it drove us crazy

James Holmes: Inside the courtroom with shock-haired Aurora theater shooting suspect

Update:James Holmes, the 24-year-old suspect in the Aurora theater shooting, walked slowly into a packed, wood-paneled courtroom this morning to be advised of his rights. He wore a maroon jumpsuit, but the most shocking thing about his appearance was his hair, which was a bushy tumble of neon orang ... More >>

E.J. Dionne on the Supreme Court, cable news and evangelicals

Only a few hours after the Supreme Court declared Obama's health-insurance mandate constitutional, we spoke with Washington Post columnist and NPR commentator E.J. Dionne, who was at the Aspen Ideas Festival promoting his book, Our Divided Political Heart: The Battle for the American Idea in an Age ... More >>

Louis C.K.'s show will be December 15, 2012, at the Wells Fargo Theatre

Foul-mouthed, hilarious, shameless standup comic Louis C.K. rolled out his latest direct-to-fans initiative last night, saying that he was selling tickets for his upcoming tour directly to fans, much in the same way he sold his special "Live at the Beacon Theatre" online for $5 late last year. The ... More >>

R.I.P. singer James Van Buren

Local jazz and blues vocalist James Van Buren passed away yesterday. He was 77. Mark Diamond, Freddy Rodriguez, Paul Romaine, Doug Roche and others were scheduled to perform tonight a benefit show tonight at Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom for Van Buren's day-to-day living expenses medical expenses, ... More >>

Top ten recent politicians to excuse stupid comments with "I misspoke"

Earlier, we reported about Representative Mike Coffman's excuse for a comment he made suggesting that Barack Obama may not have been born in the U.S.: "I misspoke." By making this claim, Coffman is in good company: It's become a favorite of politicians who say something dumb or inaccurate but want t ... More >>

Occupy Denver at six months: Ten unintended consequences of the movement

Today, on Occupy Denver's six-month anniversary, the organization is separated from its long-time home in Civic Center Park. Regardless of whether you expected the movement to make it this long, the past half a year brought no shortage of eye-opening events and preparation for the future. In order t ... More >>

Paper Bird's Paul DeHaven: "The ballet changed everything. There's nothing we can't do."

Over the last six years Paper Bird (due tonight at the Fox Theatre in Boulder and tomorrow night at the Aggie Theater in Fort Collins) has become a Denver favorite for all ages and backgrounds. Since dropping its debut album, Anything Nameless and Joymaking, in 2007, the bandmembers have been on a r ... More >>

Scott Gessler not at fault for flaws in spending report, Secretary of State's office says

Update: Secretary of State Scott Gessler has been named a possible suspect regarding flaws in the Colorado Independent Spending Report released by the National Institute on Money in State Politics; the report showed a total expenditure for 2006-2010 much larger then was actually the case. However, G ... More >>

Out Front Colorado, LGBT magazine, sold to new owners

After weeks of rumors that the local LGBT publication was on the block, Out Front Colorado officials announced yesterday that the mag has been sold to Transformation Communication Group. What exactly comes with this news, we're not sure yet, but in recent months the main concern has been financial s ... More >>

Occupy Denver: What local artifacts would make it into museums and history books?

Occupy Wall Street became an unofficial part of history the moment it spread to all seven continents, but now it's becoming one for the books. At least six big-name museums and cultural organizations have launched quests to gather evidence, ephemera and relics from the movement for future collection ... More >>

Tom Mink on $425K settlement in Howling Pig/"Junius Puke" case

"Junius Puke."​Update: Yesterday marked exactly eight years since officers in Greeley arrived at the home then-UNC student Tom Mink shared with his mom, confiscating his computer and more because of complaints about the way he'd portrayed a professor in his fledgling Internet publication, The ... More >>

Tim Tebow: 10 memorable tweets from Twitter non-believers

Tim Tebow.​When members of Twitter Nation isn't abuzz with rumors about Tim Tebow breaking up Lindsey Vonn's marriage, they're chewing over The Chosen One's pros and cons. And even after six straight victories, there are still plenty of doubters. We've collected the ten most memorable recent t ... More >>

Occupy Denver: Dog leader Shelby would approve of these Constitutional amendments

If Occupy Wall Street is easy to criticize, it's also a movement with which many politicians can find common ground. In the past month, Democratic Representatives Jim McGovern and Ted Deutch have introduced drafts of amendments to the U.S. Constitution that reflect the ideals of the 99 percent with ... More >>

Hearts in Space puts out a new EP

Round two with Patrick Horvat, exec chef of Venue

Lori Midson​ Patrick Horvat Venue 3609 West 32nd Avenue 303-477-0477 www.venuebistro.com This is part two of my interview with Horvat. Part one of that interview ran in this space yesterday. Favorite restaurant in America: Marotta's, in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. It was where I got my start i ... More >>

Win tickets to see David Sedaris on November 7

ViaDavid Sedaris​If you have no pressing plans a week from tonight, Monday, November 7, why not go see acclaimed essayist, author and unique orator David Sedaris at the Paramount Theatre?

Pete Tong on twenty years at the BBC, relaunching FFRR and returning to Pacha

​Pete Tong (due at Beta this Saturday, October 15) has had a ridiculous year: In commemoration of holding down a slot at BBC Radio 1 for twenty years, he took over the station for twelve hours, plus he re-launched his Pacha residency in Ibiza and started a pool party residency in Vegas. We cau ... More >>

Open Air, new CPR station at 1340 AM: Launch emphasizes the safe side of adventurous

Back in June, we spoke with once-and-future Colorado Public Radio staffer Mike Flanagan about the impending debut of a new indie-rock station at 1340 AM. At 6 a.m. this morning, the outlet, dubbed Open Air, made its bow, and while it's clearly in soft-launch/preview mode at this writing, the messag ... More >>

John Denver peak naming controversy goes national thanks to NPR (AUDIO)

​Suddenly, the question of whether a a Mount Sopris peak should be named for John Denver has gone from a local story to a national one even as a petition with at least 2,800 signatures hangs in limbo. Yesterday, National Public Radio devoted a significant chunk of All Things Considered to a d ... More >>

Was the Denver County Fair a success? Dana Cain weighs in

Weird and winning?​Throwing a county fair for the first time ever is a lot like losing your virginity, it turns out: The stakes are high and the results may be a little messy and awkward, but that doesn't mean it wasn't thrilling, and it certainly doesn't mean you're going to stop doing it. "W ... More >>

Doug Anderson, owner and master baker of Hi*Rise, on what it takes to make ordinary bread happy bread

Lori Midson​ Doug Anderson Hi*Rise 2162 Larimer Street 303-296-3656 www.hirisedenver.com This is part one of my chef interview with Doug Anderson, owner and master baker of Hi*Rise. Part two of my chat with Anderson will run in this space tomorrow. At 32, Doug Anderson decided he wanted to ... More >>

More dispensaries than Starbucks stores in Denver? So what?

​Back in the fall of 2009, trying to get a handle on the growing medical marijuana business, Denver City Councilman Charlie Brown visited Los Angeles, where he discovered that there were more dispensaries than Starbucks outlets. In January 2010, the Denver Post reported that there were now mo ... More >>

DeVotchKa's new video for "The Man From San Sebastian" directed by Vincent Comparetto

​Have you seen the new DeVotchKa video yet? Talk about the ideal artistic pairing. Directed by Vincent Comparetto, the clip perfectly captures the vibe of the song. I mean he just nailed it. It's like Comparetto climbed into my head and pulled out the exact type of imagery I picture each time ... More >>

Mike Flanagan on Colorado Public Radio's new rock station coming to 1340 AM

Mike Flanagan.​Colorado Public Radio has been trying to unload 1340 AM for ages, with no luck. Now, after years of simulcasting its news programming on the signal in order to retain the outlet's license, the organization has decided to launch an original, rock-oriented station at the frequency ... More >>

Doug Lamborn retreats as the National Renewable Energy Lab touts its achievements

Doug Lamborn.​Call it a big fat coincidence, but days after Rep. Doug Lamborn backed off his efforts to cut funding for renewable energy research, Golden's National Renewable Energy Laboratory has unveiled a colorful online magazine promoting the practical applications of its work. Now Lamb ... More >>

Osama bin Laden's death as experienced by the Facebook generation

OBL or UBL?​Osama bin Laden's death was an instant Twitter sensation. But likely more people shared their immediate reactions on Facebook -- especially those under twenty, like my seventeen-year-old twin daughters. Last night, while my wife and I channel-surfed, 20th century style, in advance ... More >>

Behind the controversial Anthology of Rap, co-edited by CU hip-hop professor Adam Bradley

Today: Bakers and food bloggers from across the world hold an online bake sale to benefit Second Harvest Japan

​When San Francisco food blogger Sabrina Modelle heard about the earthquake and tsunami devastation in Japan, she reacted the same way that most of us did: staring, dumbfounded, at the horrific images on the television screen, or listening in disbelief to the coverage on the radio. And it was ... More >>

Denise Plante: KOSI host says magnets were perforating her son's intestines (X-RAY)

Denise Plante.​Most fans wouldn't expect a visit to the Murphy and Denise Facebook page to be disturbing. Yet a post from earlier today by KOSI morning-show host Denise Plante certainly qualifies. She shares a medical crisis currently being experienced by her son after he ate some tiny magnets ... More >>

Reader: Colorado Public Radio might survive end of federal funding, but not other stations

​In a recent post, a Colorado Public Radio executive said the troubles at National Public Radio hadn't impacted CPR -- and while he conceded that a possible elimination of federal funding being pushed by some politicos would hurt, it wouldn't be fatal. Maybe that's true for CPR, notes one read ... More >>

David Holthouse confronts killer inside him on This American Life: Read shocking story here

David Holthouse, 7.​Listeners to the latest edition of This American Life, a National Public Radio staple hosted by Ira Glass, heard a startling story -- one Westword readers first discovered back in 2004. The subject? Then-staff writer David Holthouse's plan to murder the man who'd raped him ... More >>

Mark Udall's State of the Union plan has reps looking for dates; Dana Perino calls it "silly"

Mark Udall.​At first, even Colorado's reps weren't sold on Senator Mark Udall's idea about Republicans and Democrats sitting together at the State of the Union speech. Now, as Cokie Roberts noted on National Public Radio this morning, the concept's taken on a life of its own, with elected offi ... More >>

Colorado Public Radio's morning news beating KOA, but bond rating remains negative

Max Wycisk.​Our post yesterday about KHOW's Peter Boyles dominating Denver morning radio featured ratings data that told plenty of other interesting stories. Among them: KCFR, the news channel of Colorado Public Radio, kicked the ass of KOA, long the city's commercial news leader, in most majo ... More >>

Mac Lethal on Justin Bieber, outlandish egos and his Black Clover gang

​ Mac Lethal has been reppin' the Midwest for the past twelve years, ever since he started entering battle raps in high school. Quickly acquiring a reputation as a fearless competitor, he earned a spot at the 2001 Scribble Jam and took second place, which catapulted his career in a new direct ... More >>

John Grant resurfaces in Denton, Texas with Midlake as his backing band

​A few weeks ago, Tom Murphy and I were sharing stories, and somehow we got on to the subject of Tornado Dream, a fascinating film chronicles the rise and fall of three great Denver bands, Rainbow Sugar, Orbit Service (an earlier incarnation; Randall Frazier has since brought the band back to ... More >>

The Chain Gang of 1974 attracts a fair bit of notice at this year's CMJ

Luca Venter​After spending the better part of the past couple years touring with 3OH!3's as a sideman, Kamtin Mohager stepped away from his hired gun duties earlier this year, which has enabled him to focus all of his attention solely on cultivating his own band, the Chain Gang of 1974. To tha ... More >>

Sole & the Skyrider band bring rock and hip-hop together with a social conscience

The Fort Hood tragedy and echoes of Columbine

Major Nidal Malik Hasan, the alleged Fort Hood shooter.​Whenever there's a mass shooting of the sort that burst out at the Fort Hood military base in Texas yesterday, the vast majority of people who lived in the Denver area in 1999 immediately flash back to what happened at Columbine High Scho ... More >>