Glen Campbell, pop star, requires little introduction. Less obvious, however, is his start as anonymous session man backing artists such as Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and the Monkees, among others. (Remember, only Michael Nesmith could play.) Campbell even “joined” the Beach Boys during an eighteen-month tour. Once he was given…
Access to behind-the-scenes band life has become increasingly banal. Between “reality” television and coverage of performers hoping to lower the bar on self-destruction (dudes, anything you’d dream of trashing, Led Zeppelin has already destroyed twice as monumentally), it’s tough to even cock an eyebrow at backstage behavior anymore. The entertainment…
For the most part, My Morning Jacket keyboardist Bo Koster still enjoys touring — but he’s got a much better grasp of its negatives than he did before joining the notoriously nomadic band in 2004. “I always think about The Last Waltz, where Robbie Robertson was like, ‘The road’s an…
Douglas Spencer is taking a bumpy ride down memory lane. Huddled up with Monofog vocalist Hayley Helmericks on a snowy Colorado day, the wiry guitarist is recounting how he first got into music. When he was eight years old, Spencer and his dad stopped at a yard sale. That’s where…
“Paint the Town Read,” Amy Haimerl, January 4 Read Alert! What a truly awesome story! This is what Westword should be about — this article makes it interesting to live here, uncovering little-known bits about the city. It is actually kind of a relief from some of the more titillating…
Dear Mexican: Why do non-Mexicans consider it a compliment when they tell Mexicans they don’t look Mexican? I am 100 percent Mexican (5’7″, with black hair, brown eyes and olive skin) and ever since I left my home town of El Paso, I’ve been subjected to this backhanded compliment. No…
Although the snow is taking a mounting toll on the local economy, Denver is doing a booming business in secret snowboard trips, as boarders from across the country descend on the Mile High City to test its slickest rails and ramps, benches and bridges, then report their findings to national…
I have a friend whose name is Hot Gary. This is not his actual name, of course, but it’s my duty to protect his identity, so I’ll refer to him as Hot Gary — even though everyone knows his real name is Gabe and that he still lives with his…
When discussing his approach to broadcasting, CBS Radio’s Don Howe is a model of civility. “I really believe that radio is a competitive medium,” he maintains, “and I feel it’s very fair to creatively compete to reach audiences.” In practice, though, Howe’s business philosophy is anything but polite. During the…
Every city has bargain-basement pitchmen: TV and radio hucksters who launch themselves into our living rooms with high-decibel sales pitches that confuse poor Grandpa and cause toddlers to shriek for quality pre-owned vehicles. The Pleasures Dudes may have carved their own peddling-porn niche, but their shtick follows a time-honored practice…
Michael Wheeler, one of the Pleasures Dudes, is riding the stripper like a horse. She scampers on her hands and knees while Mike slaps her butt and flails for the television camera. It’s just after 9 p.m. on a Tuesday — a slow night at Dandy Dan’s, which makes the…
RADAR. With its outlandish appearance, the Denver Art Museum’s Hamilton Building has overshadowed what’s on display inside. There are a few exceptions, and first among them is RADAR: Selections From the Collection of Vicki & Kent Logan, installed in the Anschutz Gallery. Put together by Dianne Vanderlip, the outgoing curator…
Foothills Art Center curator Michael Chavez has long been a fan of Colorado artist Wes Magyar and the surrealistic bent of his work. But because Foothills doesn’t traditionally host solo shows, Chavez began to look at other local artists working in related styles. He eventually settled on twelve individuals, including…
Genocide isn’t a pretty subject for an art exhibit or anything else, but it’s one that can be faced from unexpectedly positive viewpoints. Curator Georgina Kolber proves that with dual exhibitions opening today at the Mizel Museum: The Dead Weight of Complacency, a series of educational panels exploring the nature…
According to the Denver Center for the Performing Arts’ Jenny Schiavone, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which begins its local run tonight, “is for anyone who struggled through adolescence.” Strictly speaking, Spelling Bee isn’t kid stuff. The six spotlighted youngsters are portrayed by adults such as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre,…
“According to the official scorekeeper, I beat ’em all last year, stickin’ like a tick to a beast with a bellyful of bed springs for a full 45 seconds!” brags Denver City Councilman Charlie Brown, winner of the mechanical-bull-riding contest at the 2006 Concerts for Kids Country-Western Fundraiser. This year’s…
An e-town taping is always a two-way street between the performers and the audience, with participatory cues and a behind-the-scenes feel that are nothing but fun. It makes you wonder why e-town doesn’t host family shows more often, tailor-made as it is to the kiddie constellation. Of course, when a…
Those with brown thumbs might think January is a tad early to plan a garden. But the scarcity of water in Denver makes forethought a crucial component of successfully growing flowers, grass, you name it. That’s why the Denver Botanic Gardens, 1005 York Street, is opening its doors for the…
Now, listen to me, ladies, if courtship’s on your mind, When it comes to pickin’ cowboys, beware of what you’ll find! They’ll make you fall in love with them if you give them half a chance, But there are certain cowboys that don’t know much ’bout romance. They’re used to…
The Scott LaBarbera era at the Oriental Theater, 4335 West 44th Avenue, got off to a rocky start. The newish co-owner endured a public falling-out with his former associates over a year ago, so the theater’s one-year Anniversary Party is more than just four days of revelry in celebration of…
I have enough trouble deciphering what my girlfriend thinks about something as simple as Chinese or Mexican for dinner without delving far enough into her mind to write even one sentence from her perspective. And forget kids: I have no idea what they’re thinking. My little cousins say more insightfully…
Jen McMillan is a woman on a mission to bring back the symbols of rebellion and authority-bucking that have been co-opted, corporatized, cleaned up and recycled into mainstream American culture — thereby completely losing the I-don’t-give-a-rat’s-ass edge that made those symbols great in the first place. That’s why she’s opened…
