For centuries, being banished to snowy Siberia was a fate worse than death for citizens of Russia. If you’d like to experience some authentic, icy Russian culture, without the forced labor, stop by Red Square Euro Bistro in Writer Square. On a blustery January evening, our thickly accented bartender poured…
Amid the nourishing chaos of city life, we urban dwellers find ourselves brain-deep in startling juxtapositions. Mid-morning one Tuesday, a formation of squawking geese sweeps its shadow across a used-bookstore window, dimming the dog-eared covers of The Corrections, by Jonathan Franzen, and Dead Souls, by Nikolai Gogol. An instant later,…
FRI, 1/16 They say blood is thicker than water, and when it comes to The Duke Ellington Orchestra, the family lines are still flowing strong after more than 75 years. The pedigree is impressive. Edward “Duke” Kennedy Ellington led his illustrious orchestra to prominence in the 1920s through a series…
TUES, 1/20 Mark Kurlansky has written books about the strangest things: cod, salt, Basque culture. But the one thing he’s constantly invested in all of them is a strong worldview — the social history of where such things came from and where they went. Though he’s focused on very singular…
TUES, 1/20 Expect to see lots of chaps worn over ski pants at today’s Cowboy Downhill. Steamboat’s thirtieth annual ski rodeo features more than one hundred professional rodeo cowboys from the National Western Stock Show and Rodeo that’s going on down in Denver. The free spectator event starts at 1:30…
In unofficial (and perhaps unintentional) homage to Chicago’s entertainment ringmaster Billy Flynn, the spirited Dazzle Restaurant and Lounge performs lots of alcoholic hocus-pocus with its Razzle Dazzle martini. The delicious, bright yellow Razzle Dazzle ($7) is made by combining Bacardi Raspberry with orange juice and champagne, then served up in…
THURS, 1/8 The Denver Center Theatre Company is heating things up this winter with a new production of Tennessee Williams’s sizzling drama A Streetcar Named Desire. In a twist on the award-winning classic, the DCTC show will feature an all-African-American cast. “To do Streetcar with an all-black cast was a…
MON, 1/12 Who really knows, other than a sculptor, what goes on in a sculpture studio? It’s actually a loud, messy business — with machinery buzzing and dust flying — but it’s also an endeavor that undergoes many stages of evolution between drawing board and finished work. Most of us…
SAT, 1/10 Get ready for big-time excitement at tonight’s monster truck obstacle-course race at the Monster Jam, sponsored by the United States Hot Rod Association. “It’s really great, because it can be both entertaining and competitive,” says Monster Jam spokeswoman Kenna Conway. “These machines are huge, but they’re operating at…
SAT, 1/10 The National Western Stock Show and Rodeo throws open the barn doors today for a two-week extravaganza showcasing bucking broncos, mutton bustin’, barrel riding, bull riding, calf wrestling, Wild West shows and fancy roping. The usual fun exhibits (the Colorado Elk Breeders Association! Mechanical bulls!) will be there,…
I have multiple vices, and the latest addition to my addictions is Indian food. When I need a fix, I head straight to Little India’s enclosed patio on Sixth Avenue. And since I rarely eat a meal without a cocktail accompaniment — what’s the point? — I promptly settled on…
TUES, 1/6 Theater-goers, rejoice! The Producers, one of the country’s hottest musicals, will finally take the stage in Denver, beginning with an 8 p.m. preview performance tonight at the Buell Theatre. “I think that because the show has generated such a buzz and has garnered such great reviews, people here…
MON, 1/5 We’ve all heard the term “the fabric of life,” but Santa Fe fiber artist Lauren Camp puts a new twist on the old metaphor by giving life to fabric. A jazz aficionado who’s found a unique way to express her love for music and musicians, Camp debuts The…
FRI, 1/2 Reports of the Native American sport lacrosse date as far back as the 1630s, when Jesuit missionaries documented the indigenous peoples of this continent engaging in competition using curved sticks with webbed pockets and a small deerskin ball. The game was rooted in legend and surrounded by ceremony;…
Capitol Hill Books will celebrate more than just the arrival of a new year on January 1. The independent used-book store will be marking its 24th year in business by serving up ten delicious homemade soups and breads at its annual New Year’s Day Open House. “The day is not…
For most of us drinkers, January 1 isn’t a particularly pretty day. When I’m hung over, I want a Coke, greasy bar food and a Bloody Mary — in that order, please. And that kind of misery loves company, so on the first day of 2004, you might want to…
WED, 12/31 New Year’s revelers may start 2004 with more than just a hangover if they party the night away at Appaloosa Grill’s first annual Great Gig in the Sky. They’ll probably have kinks in their necks, too, since the night will feature Denver alt-country rockers Oakhurst playing on a…
WED, 12/31 If you’re looking for an alternative to Denver’s drunken bar scene tonight, check out Brave New Year. The independent film screening/art show/ music showcase is a fundraiser for the upcoming production of 2004, which producer Doug Bohm describes as an updated take on the George Orwell classic 1984,…
TUES, 12/30 In Chris Mosdell’s world of poetry, all roads lead to Nowhere, and there are suitcases with wings, galactic fried eggs and chewing-gum mud. The author, who goes by “Mozz,” is a modern-day Dr. Seuss or Shel Silverstein, creating worlds that are often nonsensical but always whimsical. And at…
SAT, 12/27 Wondering how to fill the weekend lull between Christmas and New Year’s Eve? Pack your bags and head to Winter Park’s Jingle Rails! Jail Ram, a snowboard rail competition featuring 44 amateur and professional athletes from across the state. “This is one of our busiest weekends up here,…
Let’s face facts: We all get presents that we hate. Leather coats three sizes too large? Got it. A honey-baked ham? Why, it’s the perfect gift for a decade-long vegetarian. Every year, I wonder how supposed loved ones can have such bad taste and minimal knowledge of each other’s personality…
If you’re still wondering how to down your bubbles this New Year’s Eve, let me suggest the Champagne Mojito ($6) at Agave Underground, a concoction powerful enough to blast you into one hell of a 2004. Agave, which opened last month, makes this drink by combining Brut Champagne and Bacardi…
