Q&A with Vincent Gallo of RRIICCEE

Although Vincent Gallo has a reputation of being a bit of a hot head at times, during a recent chat with Westword, he was more than gracious as he discussed his current tour, clarified how he and the other three members of RRIICCEE don’t necessarily improvise so much as they…

Mile High Makeout, Scene 2: Skinning the Cat

Something disturbing happened to me a couple of weeks ago. It had to do with skinheads, Skrewdriver and shopping. On a recent trip to the dollar store, a young cashier struck up a conversation with me about music. He had a shaved head and a blue flight jacket, with a…

Harry Potter and Your Eventual Obsolesence

Turn on ABC Family’s 25 Days of Christmas programming, and you’ll see a lot of what you might expect; classic TV cartoons, claymation specials, great old movies and an odd lot of newer ones. But here’s something you might not have expected: the whole thing seems to center around the…

My Fantasy? Screw New England

Due to the sporting events of the past few months, Denverites have license to hate everything New English, from the overdog Red Sox to the over-hyped Pats all the way down to maple syrup, clam chowder, and Ben Affleck (perhaps a bad example). The city just a few years ago…

Does This Photograph Glorify Matthew Murray?

Under ordinary circumstances, the attached photograph of a twerpy-looking young man looking down at an electronic keyboard as if confused about what the hell to do with it would never be considered a glamour shot. But a media debate is raging over how and even if news organizations should use…

The Late Ike Turner Speaks

Ike Turner, who died of thus far unreported causes on December 12 in Southern California, was one of the most divisive figures in popular music. “Rocket 88,” which plenty of observers peg as the first-ever rock-and-roll song, was largely his creation despite it being credited to Jackie Brenston, and he…

The Irish Heart

Like the classic Riverdance duality of a rigid upper body and fluid legs, the Irish heart embraces a love of life matched only by its maudlin sentimentality. It’s this emotional crossroads — played out on the dock of Cobh (pronounced Cove) in County Cork — that The Christmas Revels: An…

Punk Products

Flea-market fiends need not fret: The monthly Punk Rock Flea Market, a collaboration of Suburban Home Records and Vinyl Collective and 3 Kings Tavern, is going as usual down this month. From noon to 5 p.m., stop by 3 Kings at 60 South Broadway and peruse the clothing, the art…

King of the Mountains

Let’s face it: With the onset of winter and the arrival of snow, there are more competition-and-music combination platters in the high country than you can shake a ski pole at. But this year, Telluride’s Jeep King of the Mountain and BaseCamp Music Experience is arguably the best of the…

Forget Jingle Bells

“By performing holiday pieces you haven’t heard before mixed with more familiar pieces arranged in a way you haven’t experienced, we’re bringing a fresh perspective to traditional holiday music,” says Tom Morgan, artistic director of Ars Nova (or “New Art” in Latin). In other words, if you’re looking for a…

Stellar Luna

The moon is in its first quarter tonight, which means the stars are aligning and the time is auspicious for Keystone’s tenth annual Luna Chase Snowshoe Race. Participants will travel atop the Peak to Peak Trail, at more than two miles above sea level, for this adventure race suitable for…

All Aboard!

Is your toddlin’ tyke all “Thomas” this and “Thomas” that, chugging around in an engineer’s cap and blowing the whistle every five minutes? Then have we got a Christmas gift idea for you. Southern Colorado’s Rio Grande Scenic Railroad took a cue this year from the Durango-Silverton narrow-gauge line (which…

Waiting for Butoh

Naropa University guest artist Katsura Kan is a master Butoh artist and ranks among Japan’s first generation of Butoh. The Kyoto native studied at the Kongo School, formed his own multinational dance troupe and has toured and performed around the world, so he’s well-versed in the range of techniques and…

Swinging Christmas

John Pizzarelli, who sits in with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra tonight, is a jazz guitarist with an impressive pedigree; he’s the son of Bucky Pizzarelli, a gifted string-bender in his own right. That’s not what pays the bills, though: Pizzarelli is also a vocalist, and he’ll join the CSO to…

Red Letter Day

There are many good reasons to miss being in school: summer vacation, lunch breaks with friends and even those occasional classes with inspirational teachers. But no one in his right mind misses homework. Rest assured that Buntport Theater’s Teacher’s Pet series, which takes place every other month and does include…

Viva Zapata

There are no shortage of flicks about dead singers these days — but The Gits, which debuts tonight, is a documentary with a difference. The movie, directed by Kerri O’Kane, tells the story of the Seattle-based title group, which was on the cusp of breaking nationally when charismatic lead singer…

Good for All

The press has an uncircumcised hard-on for the comedic music duo Good for the Jews — think a Jewish Flight of the Conchords — who play the Soiled Dove Underground tonight as part of their “Putting the Ha! in Hanukkah” tour. In fact, Blender would shower them with an infinity…

Project Holiday

Is stodgy style at the superstores getting you down? Ditch the humdrum of the departments and dart over to today’s frosty Freeze fete, where the trends are cool and the couture is haute. DJs Japadapta, Uplifter and Bobby Collins will help ignite your passion for fashion as you peruse the…

Holiday Hotness

Put down that boring glass of eggnog and enjoy a smokin’ night of holiday fun at A RED HOT Burlesque Christmas, tonight at 9 p.m. at the 4th and Main Night Club, 380 Main Street in Longmont. The high-energy show will feature ’70s-infused dance rock performed by 8TraC, a funky,…

Sound System

Grab a boombox or some speakers for your MP3 player and join in the performance of Phil Kline’s Unsilent Night tonight in Boulder. Here’s how it works: Participants will meet at 7:30 p.m. at the corner of 15th and Pearl Streets in Boulder with a portable sound system in tow…

Little Stars

Putting together a group show for last week’s massive Art Miami gallery expo — an international fete offering first-class exposure to artists and gallerists alike — can’t be an easy job for a curator in Denver. But for Ivar Zeile, the brains behind the forward-facing Plus Gallery, limiting himself was…

Monster Mash

Katie Taft’s work is all about plaster and papier-mâché, creatures and cameras: First she creates her creatures, quite solid “Imaginary Friends,” then reinterprets them in more amorphous photographs. To date, the figures have been small, like toys, but for Friendzilla — a new exhibit at PlatteForum Gallery of work by…