Within the past month, with the explanation that “spring and summer are very active times for Gypsy-related criminal activities,” a letter has circulated under the auspices of the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office warning area residents against “Gypsy Scams.” When the warning reached attorneys at the Colorado ACLU, the civil rights…
There is nothing subtle about the Pretty Sure’s new EP. From frontman Arlo White’s gritty, basement-show vocals to the showstopping guitar to the je-ne-say-what lyrics (“I’ll be a werewolf for you, mama”) that permeate the entire album, this quartet betrays a distinctly Black Lips attitude and blues-punk aesthetic chased with…
For six weeks, Eldren violinist Josh Lee waited in custody at the Immigration Customs and Enforcement detention center in Aurora after a recent criminal charge complicated his immigration status. As he collected money for his $20,000 bond, the Denver music community rallied around him, staging fundraisers and benefit concerts for…
Last night, former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff visited the grand reopening of the CELL, the downtown terrorism prevention center, to discuss cyber security and impending concerns in the Middle East. In front of a packed house at the Denver Art Museum, Chertoff talked both Al-Qaeda and Hezbollah –…
On November 1, Alex Martinez traded his spot in the Colorado State Supreme Court to become Denver’s sixth manager of safety in slightly more than a year. He has spoken publicly about his priorities for the position, which center on renewing public trust in the Denver Police Department and his…
It’s safe to say that the year 2012 is a big one in Mayan culture — but few people really know the extent of its importance, argues PeaceJam Executive Director Dawn Engle. Not up to speed? No worries: Tonight you can catch Mayan Renaissance — a Peacejam-produced movie that puts…
In this week’s cover story, “Back on the Beat,” Westword explores recent changes within the Denver Police Department’s oversight system and its investigation of Alex Landau’s January 2009 beating. For a while, there won’t be any changes: While the Department of Justice analyzes the Landau, the DPD has delayed its…
Alex Landau grins and waves at the thirty people seated in a circle around him at the Hiawatha Davis Community Center in Park Hill. He lives in this neighborhood and knew many of them even before his bloody face made the news. “My name is Alex Landau, and I’m going…
More than eight months ago, Occupy Denver protester (and former Westword cover subject) Corey Donahue called it a “bad nut-tap joke gone wrong.” But this morning, during his trial for the misdemeanor charge of unlawful sexual contact, the events of October 15 grew more serious. After a day-long trial that…
There is nothing subtle about the Pretty Sure’s new EP. From frontman Arlo White’s gritty, basement-show vocals to the showstopping guitar to the je-ne-say-what lyrics (“I’ll be a werewolf for you, mama”) that permeate the entire album, this quartet betrays a distinctly Black Lips attitude and blues-punk aesthetic chased with…
On Friday afternoon, Denver Police Chief Robert White notified officers of the next step in his ongoing work to restructure the department: Through July 27, interested officers can apply for transfer or promotion to detective, corporal and technician candidates. In an interview with Westword last week, White expressed hope that…
See Also: Lower Dens at Larimer Lounge – Tuesday, July 10 There’s something both unnatural and superhuman about the new Lower Dens album, Nootropics. True to the Baltimore quintet’s Facebook bio, which reads only “dark nerds,” the band delved deep into social, moral and technological issues on its latest through…
Initiative 84, a proposed ballot measure that would have reformed the state’s foreclosure process, is effectively dead — but it will enter a third life in the next legislative session. Five weeks before 87,000 signatures were due at the Secretary of State’s office — and with only 25,000 in the…
Denver’s Running of the Bulls is both everything and nothing like its Pamplona namesake. To picture it, take Spain’s decades-old encierro, subtract the traditional heritage, reimagine it as a two-year-old fundraiser, and replace the bulls with horn-helmeted Rocky Mountain Roller Girls wielding pool noodles and waffle-ball bats. Then run before…
Exactly six months after Arapahoe County District Court blocked Marla Sneed’s house from foreclosure, the 53-year-old mother of three is back to square one. Or perhaps square negative one: Earlier this week, she received a letter from PNC Bank demanding a payment of more than $42,000 by July 15 lest…
Take a look at these cats: These are the Amazing Acro-Cats, which have skills that make even the cutest of house cats look like Garfield’s fatter, more sarcastic cousins. The second I saw this photo, I wondered (and then doubted) whether my cat has similar chops — whether she’s secretly…
City Park was awash in purple yesterday evening as hundreds gathered in Celena Hollis’s favorite color during a vigil for the fallen Denver police officer. Exactly one week after she was shot and killed in City Park, politicians, law enforcement and residents visited the same place to celebrate her service…
In light of the death of Denver police officer Celena Hollis, the Colorado Progressive Coalition, ACLU of Colorado and others have postponed the “Summer Against Police Violence” protest. The rally, originally scheduled for tomorrow afternoon, would have fallen at the same time as Hollis’s funeral service, which is also open…
As firefighters continue to tackle the wildfires ravaging large portions of the state, local communities are searching for ways to provide aid, even from hours away. In Denver, a handful of local live music venues and companies have already stepped up to launch shows to benefit fire relief efforts –…
In the days since Denver police officer Celena Hollis was shot and killed while breaking up a fight during City Park Jazz, the DPD and the community have gathered together for an outpouring of local support. On Sunday, the day after Hollis’s public funeral, state representative Angela Williams and councilman…
When local jazz-pop-indie-rock-awesome band Eldren played the Westword Music Showcase last weekend, one member was missing, and the local music community continued to comment on the absence throughout the day. On June 4, violinist-guitarist-vocalist Josh Lee was detained by Immigrations Customs and Enforcement. For more than two weeks, Lee has…
When the Clyfford Still Museum gained access to the modern-art luminary’s personal collection, the curators got more than they bargained for. In addition to Still’s abstract-expressionist masterpieces, the museum’s archives host the entirety of his personal record collection — hundreds of vinyl discs that range from classical orchestration to Southern…
