Arts & Entertainment

Cinematographer Gio Toninelo's fascination with G.I. Joe inspired him to start the G.I. Joe Stop Motion Film Festival thirteen years ago. The festival screens all sorts of movies that use action figures to tell stories. Fun, right? But last year, Toninelo found himself duking it out with the toy manufacturer Hasbro, which threatened to sue him over the trademark to the festival's name. Undeterred, he renamed the Denver-based traveling event the Action Figure Stop Motion Film Festival, expanding the figurines that could be used in the movies (which he found to be a relief). The festival will be back in Denver this fall, and will then let other cities in on the action. G.I.O.: a real American hero.

Readers' Choice: Denver Film Festival

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How fast is Denver changing? Head to Sheridan Boulevard at sunrise and look east across Sloan's Lake, where you'll first see the sun peeking through the downtown high-rises, then its rays glinting off a dozen cranes all in the process of transforming the city's skyline, particularly to the south along West Colfax Avenue. The scene is so startling, you might find yourself needing a drink. Fortunately, the Lakeview Lounge at 2375 Sheridan opens at 7 a.m.

Caught between the busy arteries of Federal Boulevard to the east and the Sixth Avenue freeway to the north, Barnum Park can be easy to miss. But this hilly green space is a treasure on the west side, home to multiple baseball diamonds, an off-road bike course, a dog park and plenty of places to picnic. It also offers some of the best views in the city, particularly from the pedestrian bridge that crosses the freeway. Here at dusk, you can lean back and watch Colorado's legendary sunshine dissipate, bouncing off downtown's endlessly growing skyline. Give thanks that you're not one of those poor souls below, stuck in our now equally legendary gridlock.

It's short, but oh, so, sweet to see a herd of more than a hundred Texas Longhorn cattle moseying along 17th Street, reminding this city of its not-so-long-ago days as a cowtown. The annual kickoff to the National Western Stock Show on the first or second Thursday in January includes marching bands, chuckwagons, old cars, cowboys, cowgirls and maybe even a few llamas heading from Union Station down to Broadway. There's a barbecue lunch that benefits the 4-H International Youth Group, but you don't need to ante up for that in order to kick up your cowboy-booted heels. The city's National Western Complex may be undergoing a billion-dollar transformation, but this time-honored, free tradition shows how the West was fun!

Readers' Choice: Levitt Pavilion

There's a lot to see under that gold dome. Some impressive architecture, for starters, in addition to the permanent displays of stained glass, portraits, photographs, quilts and flags. The Capitol also hosts rotating exhibits provided by Colorado Creative Industries, including the current Colorado Scenic and Historic Byways show, celebrating the program that marks its thirtieth anniversary this year. Climb the stairs for a good look at the native stone used to build the Capitol, then keep climbing to Mr. Brown's attic, a 2,000-square-foot gallery between the third floor and the dome, dedicated to the history of the Capitol building, with pictures and artifacts that tell the story of the building from its beginnings — when developer Henry C. Brown donated the land — to today.

Readers' Choice: Denver Distillery

Denver has a host of overblown festivals offering big bands, good food and plenty of shopportunities. But Temple Tantrum, a block party that debuted over last Labor Day weekend outside the Temple art space at 24th and Curtis streets, offered the city something different: an experimental, immersive art, music and comics festival that brought together the best of Denver's DIY creative scene. Organized by Temple ringleader Lewis Neeff, with funding from community donations and Meow Wolf, the inaugural event was headlined by Pictureplane and Plantrae. A 2019 reboot has yet to be announced; if this festival doesn't reappear, we'll pitch an unholy tantrum.

Readers' Choice: Great Mexican Beer Fiesta

Every fall, the Westwood Chile Fest transforms Morrison Road, the busy thoroughfare that cuts diagonally through southwest Denver, into a street festival celebrating the cuisine, culture and citizens of this community. Put on by neighborhood-centered nonprofit BuCu West, the fest is a hyper-local showcase of the best in the 'hood, presenting performances by Aztec, Vietnamese and indigenous American dancers as well as local rock and hip-hop acts. Dozens of local artists showcase their work alongside booths of fresh produce grown locally through the Re:Vision co-op and artisanal goods made at the Kitchen Network, Morrison Road's commissary kitchen and small-business incubator. But the highlight of the day comes when the fest really turns up the heat, as brave challengers attempt to down the hottest chiles they can handle, from jalapeños to ghost peppers.

Only in Coolorado. Every March, the mountain town of Nederland celebrates its most notorious, and definitely dead, resident: Bredo Morstol, who's been frozen in a state of suspended animation in a Tuff Shed high above the town for more than two decades. To honor this icy immigrant, thousands of revelers gather at what's billed as the state's "most frigidly fun festival" for three days of live bands, coffin races, polar plunging, ice turkey bowling, hearse parades, plenty of antifreeze (alcohol) and lots of international attention. Sadly, the 2019 festival might have been the last: Organizer and owner Amanda MacDonald says she's ready for a break. No word from Grandpa Bredo, though.

A Taste of Colorado has gone through many changes since it was introduced in 1983 as an addendum to the resurrected Festival of Mountain and Plain, which debuted in Denver's Civic Center Park in 1895 and had disappeared by 1912. While the revived Mountain and Plain portion of the Labor Day weekend celebration soon disappeared in a deluge of turkey legs and bad has-been bands, the Taste of Colorado became an annual tradition in Denver, even if mocking it as the "Waste of Colorado" became a tradition, too. But all that changed last year, when the Downtown Denver Partnership decided to give the Taste a facelift, booking far better bands and adding a VIP experience, moves that just earned A Taste of Colorado fourth place in USA Today's contest for the best food festivals in the country. The changes will continue at the 2019 festival, set for August 31 through September 2, with expanded food offerings and more vendors. One thing hasn't changed, though: It's still free to get a Taste.

While both longtime festivals (People's Fair) and newbies (Grandoozy) are taking a break in 2019, Larimer Square's Chalk Art Festival continues to make its mark on Denver. The event that starts on Saturday, June 1, this year will be the seventeenth annual festival, a free, two-day street-painting party during which hundreds of artists turn Larimer Square into an outdoor gallery filled with stunning, if temporary, works of art. Like so many Denver institutions, Larimer Square is examining its options...but no matter what else its future might hold, we're certain it will involve fistfuls of colorful chalk.

Readers' Choice: Underground Music Showcase

Jeff Lee and Ann Martin, longtime booksellers at the Tattered Cover, were on a book-buying trip in Wales in the ’90s when they came upon St. Deiniol's Residential Library. That started their dream of creating a residential library in Colorado, one where they could donate the tens of thousands of books they'd been collecting on the people and land of the West. The result was the Rocky Mountain Land Library, which is creating a home for many of those books at Buffalo Peaks Ranch in Park County. Closer to home, Lee and Martin just opened a branch in Globeville, which is not only stocked with plenty of books, but is also booking author appearances, classes and other special events.

Denver native Kali Fajardo-Anstine grew up in a family of storytellers steeped in Chicano culture, who migrated north from the San Luis Valley. As an adult, she's carrying on that family tradition with her first published collection of short stories, Sabrina & Corina, a spin on how heritage is ingrained in a new generation of Latinas with indigenous roots. Gorgeous storytelling, Fajardo-Anstine's birthright, is what makes her freshman collection so compelling — and an instant classic of multicultural literature.

kalifajardoanstine.com

Denver author Steven Dunn, shortlisted for Granta's Best of Young American Novelists issue, already mined his difficult past growing up in a racially-charged West Virginia town for his first Tarpaulin Sky imprint, Potted Meat, a visceral indie-press winner that's been turned into a film set for release soon. For his second book with Tarpaulin, water & power, Dunn again dips into his personal experience, reporting through diary-style observations on Navy life and the darker underpinnings of its powerful infrastructure. This, too, is being made into a film, by experimental filmmaker Amir George. And Dunn isn't done yet.

tarpaulinsky.com/steven-dunn/water-power

In addition to his own poetry, longtime literary-scene habitué Brice Maiurro is known for his involvement with local small presses and reading series. The founder of Punch Drunk Press and poetry editor at Suspect Press, he now guides a more free-form project: the South Broadway Ghost Society, which blends an online journal (with plans for a print annual later this year) with unconventional readings at multi-disciplinary events that include art exhibits and live music. It's a bold model for things to come: Maiurro says he's committed to a ten-year timeline, and we're looking forward to seeing where it takes him.

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Founded almost a decade ago, just as storytelling shows were beginning to surge in popularity, the Narrators began as an intimate and ephemeral gathering full of true tales told by local writers, actors, comedians, musicians and other performers. In the years since, two of the long-running show's venues have closed, and the original hosts have been replaced by Ron Doyle and Erin Rollman, but the event's spirit has only grown more fierce with time. Now ensconced at Buntport Theater, The Narrators crew has embarked on a series of ambitious collaborations with such outfits as the Denver Art Museum, High Plains Comedy Festival, the Denver Museum of Nature & Science and the Denver Film Festival. Whether you choose to join the crowd or listen at home, each episode offers a full range of feels.

thenarrators.org

Move over, Kit Carson, Zebulon Pike, William Larimer, John Evans, William Byers, Horace Tabor and all the other men, good and bad, remembered in Colorado history books: It's about time Colorado women were given their due. Last year, History Colorado opened the Center for Colorado Women's History in the Byers-Evans House Museum, and it does much more than name names. The center conducts scholarly research, hosts in-depth exhibits and lectures, offers special tours and, above all, tells the story of how women have contributed to Colorado. Welcome to the club, Frances Wisebart Jacobs, Justina Ford, Florence Sabin, Mistanta, Minnie Reynolds Scalabrino and all the others who've helped shape our state.

First-time visitors to Denver are often surprised to find that the city isn't actually in the mountains and that cows aren't grazing in the grass. Want to give them another bite of the reality sandwich? Take them to the Molly Brown House Museum. This is actually where Margaret Brown lived at the turn of the last century, after she and her husband, Johnny, made their fortune in Leadville and before she became an international legend for surviving the sinking of the Titanic. By then, though, Margaret had already made a name for herself (never Molly, by the way) in Denver, fighting for the rights of the poor, of children and of women; she even considered a run for Senate. Her home-turned-museum will give your house guests the real story on this local heroine, and also a glimpse into how a dedicated group of residents saved the structure in 1970, going on to create Historic Denver and preserve much more of this city's past.

Readers' Choice: Denver Art Museum

Many museums exhibit the same work year after year. The first time you visit, the displays are stunning; after that, not so much. At the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver, bold exhibits change frequently, showing challenging work of all types. One day you might see tattooed lemons; another, you might be dwarfed by a sculpture made of Slinkys. In addition to the galleries, the museum offers concerts by local and national artists, standup comics serving as docents, and endlessly fascinating lectures, culinary events and more. You can even enter a lottery as part of the museum's Octopus Initiative, an art-lending library, and if you're lucky, take home work by a local artist to keep for a year.

Readers' Choice: Denver Art Museum

A temple to a legendary abstract expressionist filled with grandiose paintings and austere artistic observations, the Clyfford Still Museum is an unlikely place to host a grin-inducing music series. But with its free summer concerts, the institution definitely delivers. Organized by Swallow Hill Music, past performances have included such artists as Red Baraat, Sean Rowe, Dustbowl Revival and Juno What?!. On a summer night, there's no better place to enjoy live bands, dance with children and elders alike, then step inside for a quick trip through galleries, seeing works by a painter whose style nearly matches music in its ability to capture experiences beyond language.

A trip to most museums lasts no longer than, what, two hours? But a visit to the Denver Museum of Nature & Science can be an all-day affair, thanks to increasingly intriguing programming and its IMAX theater. Since the museum is an educational institution, the films aren't always the standard action/adventures that do so well on the big screen. The Phipps IMAX Theater tends to show documentaries that dive into the inner workings of our planet, focusing on everything from oceans to dogs, and tickets are about half the price of those for an IMAX show elsewhere. Blowing your kid's mind for under $10? Worth every penny.

As galleries and cooperatives found themselves increasingly priced out of Denver in recent years, they started scouting for other options, and often found themselves settling in Lakewood, a town that welcomed them with open arms...and occasionally an open pocketbook. That's the result of the 40 West Arts District, a state-certified creative district along Colfax Avenue that's been working hard to promote the strip as a vibrant cultural and economic destination, full of creative shops, studios and galleries that add up to a helluva party on First Friday. Soon to join the lineup: the Colfax Museum, which had to move from its home on East Colfax when that building was sold and now, nine months later, is almost ready to debut in its new home on West Colfax. Go west, young artist.

Readers' Choice: Art District on Santa Fe

On the first Friday of every month, Denver's Art District on Santa Fe turns into an arty party. Dozens of galleries, shops, studios and co-ops open their doors during the First Friday Art Walks to both art lovers and those who just want to join the crowd. That crowd often numbers in the thousands as people traipse along Santa Fe, stopping to talk, listen to music, grab a snack from a food truck (or pop into one of the strip's restaurants), and sometimes even look at art. The action stretches a dozen blocks south from 13th Avenue; a must-stop is the new home of the Chicano Humanities & Arts Council, at 222 Santa Fe, for a refresher course on Santa Fe's historic role as the focal point for Denver's Latino culture.

Public art in Denver tends to be supersized — so supersized that grandeur no longer seems so grand. Belgian artist Jaune, whose paintings of tiny construction workers appeared on walls up and down Brighton Boulevard during the 2018 Crush Walls festival, offers a refreshing take on public street art: one that is not meant for drivers, but rather people actually walking the streets. When you spot them, the pieces surprise and delight, but they're also reminding you that the growth Denver is experiencing isn't happening by magic. Real workers are building up the city, and in his own tiny way, Jaune is honoring them — with a healthy dose of playfulness.

Readers' Choice: Crush Walls 2018

If you're cruising the back streets of the Elyria neighborhood in north Denver, this artist house is easy to spot. It's a colorfully patterned muralistic masterpiece, augmented by painted stones and flower pots, organically placed in arrangements around the yard, with additional artifacts and found objects to fill in the spaces. In a city of McMansions and fugly slot homes, we always brake for creativity. You should, too.

Although many Denver streets boast stunning murals, L.A. artist Shrine's wraparound treatment of Sweatshop's studio compound in the Arts District on Santa Fe is still a standout. It's a bold, orderly composition in red, black and yellow, adorned by dingbat-style symbols, tucked next to Metropolitan State University of Denver's Center for Visual Art. You can spot it from the street as you walk along Santa Fe Drive, but to appreciate the full effect, step into the plaza between the buildings. Then remember to drop in at the CVA, too.

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Jeremy Burns is a lenticular image genius, known for his clever "Larimer Boy" and "Larimer Girl," and his latest large-scale offering definitely looks different depending on where you stand. His canvas this time was the Pepsi Bottling Company off Brighton Boulevard, and the huge mural depicts a form mid-step, but the shading and different color blocks of red, yellow, blue and green make that form less obvious to detect. Burns, who has lived in RiNo for the past fifteen years, started the piece during Crush Walls 2018 but didn't finish until later in the fall. It was definitely worth the wait.

Art provided a critical building block for the Dairy Block and its centerpiece, the Maven Hotel, which both display carefully curated collections. To see them, start in the Alley, the block's cushy secret passageway, where you can sip a drink from the bar as you look in awe at the art or even interact with it. Then cruise the Maven lobby, which displays work by fifteen Denver-centric artists, from Chris Bagley's dreamy video installation to Michael Dowling's history-focused ghost images in the elevators. Make a reservation and you'll find even more art — not only on the walls, but also in guest-room details, including mugs by Kaelin Tillery and glassware by Kevin Davis.

Chris Haven's work often contains masterful repetition, impressive line work and bold characters: his "pyramid people." What distinguishes his new piece in Five Points, which he painted in July 2018, is its size and striking black-and-white aesthetic. The mural wraps around the building, covering each brick with careful shapes made from spray paint. Haven, who's originally from Westminster, uses his art as commentary for the environment around him. See what details (and pyramid people!) you can find in Haven's paint.

Readers' Choice: Jaime Molina and Pedro Barrios at Cerveceria Colorado

Frank Kwiatkowski's wheat-pastes are unmistakable: linocut-printed swirls of wobbly lines cross-cut with multiple colored stripes, which are then affixed to vacant surfaces with a water, sugar and flour concoction. But it's the content of his work that's so distinct: The artist creates vignettes of human interaction on the street, with commentary on environmentalism, class warfare, sobriety, homelessness, health care and gentrification. The world Kwiatkowski captures under a thin layer of wheat paste is undoubtedly inspired by his view of the city from the pedicab he drives — an occupation that makes the artist, like his art, a downtown fixture.

thekwiatkowskipress.com

Creative powerhouse Deanne Gertner wanted to find a way to direct-market work by Denver's artist community while bypassing the middleman. The result was Hey Hue, which made its debut last summer in a truck parked on the fringe of the Underground Music Showcase in the Baker neighborhood. Since then, Gertner's continued to market pieces both in and out of the truck, always displaying a palette of work that represents a wide cross-section of emerging artists. The kicker? Each piece in Hey Hue's truck shows and pop-ups is priced at $200 or less, helping would-be collectors get in gear.

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Talk about vroom service! Trinidad is now an officially designated Colorado Creative District, and art cars have helped put the town back on the map. It started when Trinidad denizen Rodney Wood and his friends began throwing the annual ArtoCade art-car parade on the main drag, then realized that for the event to really rev up, they needed to solve two problems: where to store the art-car collection and how to bring curious folks to Trinidad year-round. Their solution? The Art Cartopia Museum, a true roadside attraction right off I-25, which invites curious travelers to ogle the rolling art pieces and listen to a few wacky stories from the volunteer crew that runs the currently free attraction. Once you spot Joerilla, the gargantuan gorilla blow-up, you'll know where to go.

After meeting at the New York Academy of Art, students Aaron Mulligan and Lucía Rodríguez fell in love and eventually settled in Mulligan's home town of Denver, working toward their dream of creating a different kind of art gallery that would encourage working outside the box while also serving as a classroom and community center for fellow artists. The result was JuiceBox, where the couple is creating a scene by hosting movie nights, color-theory classes, hands-on Family Fun Center evenings and art openings. A gentle mashup of DIY and solid gallery shows (it's strategically located next door to the similarly minded Dateline), JuiceBox is an under-the-radar next best thing.

Since 2014, Dateline has existed at the intersection of the underground art world and the formal gallery setting. Dateline co-founder Jeromie Dorrance is the conduit for DIY makers and experimenters who come through the space, and artist-curated shows have put works by the likes of Molly Bounds, Phil Bender, Julio Alejandro, Mark Fitzsimmons and more on the walls. That underground connection also allows Dateline to create context for Denver's larger art world, as when 2018's This Is It, a group show curated by Lorenzo Talcott, brought some of Denver's biggest graffiti players into the gallery while the Crush Walls street-art exhibition was taking place right outside. In clearly valuing homegrown art and artists, Dateline gives prominence to the non-critical space to which "local" art was once relegated.

The City of Aurora conceived of the People's Building as an essential component to the development of the Aurora Cultural Arts District, which is bringing shiny new life to Aurora's fading downtown along the East Colfax corridor. Under the curatorial direction of all-around creative and New York transplant Aaron Vega, the venue is connecting with people looking for fun, cheap, offbeat and unsnooty entertainment. The People's Building offers performance opportunities to all kinds of people: individual artists and musicians as well as independent dance, theater, comedy and music entities and organizations, making for a kaleidoscopic range of events for everyone, from Song Slams to yoga classes.

When the nonprofit Birdseed Collective took over operations at the Globeville Recreation Center last summer, the group's artists got down to business, covering every inch of the space with color and shape. Surrounded by the visual work of such artists as Elisa Gomez, Moe Gram and Thomas Scharfenberg, as well as the unmistakable serape patterns of Birdseed leader Anthony Garcia, neighbors can now come here to learn, be fed or simply hang out. Though the collective had already been doing programming for the center for a while, taking over operations meant that Birdseed now had a permanent home for its weekly food bank, a place to teach all-ages breakdancing lessons and space for local Grupo Tlaloc to share the tradition of Aztec dance. And the collective keeps dreaming new community-centered ideas into reality: This spring, it will launch its first youth football team, the Denver Dragons.

birdseedcollective.org

The Secret Love Collective is responsible for many inviting and thoughtful art installations popping up across Colorado, including costumed parades, vibrant photo booths and sequined twists on traditional family portrait settings at the Denver Art Museum's Untitled series, and a Spooky Valentine's party at Understudy. Comprising a queer-identified assembly of artists, Secret Love Collective is inherently political; members Katy Batsel, Lares Feliciano, Piper Rose, Frankie Toan, Genevieve Waller, Katy Zimmerman and Lauren Zwicky come together to create spaces that invite exploration of the concepts of love, vulnerability and human connection in temporary worlds of felt, fabric and fringe.

secretlovecollective.com

Organizing events around photography is nothing new, but there's something refreshing about TheyShootn's approach. This loose collective of photographers has put together Día de los Muertos gatherings, Lotería-inspired art shows, lowrider car events and panel discussions about the gentrification of Denver's east side. By bringing the community together with art, TheyShootn co-creators Armando Geneyro and Blake Jackson and their crew of shooters have created context and given weight to important and often overlooked elements of the city's culture and people.

@TheyShootn

If you haven't seen the light art of Lumonics, a working studio and homage to the colorful illuminated works of nonagenarian Dorothy Tanner and her late husband, Mel, Google it now. Though best seen in person in a dark room, you'll get an idea of the magic being made there. Inspired? Now you can make your own light sculpture from Plexiglas and LED lights, with expert instruction at the Lumonics studio. Taught by Tanner associate Marc Billard, the four-session classes are an opportunity to bring the wonder of light to your own living room; no experience or artistic talent required. Let there be light!

Carla Atwood Hartman, granddaughter of celebrated furniture and architectural designers Charles and Ray Eames, has every reason to be interested in chairs, and that's how she became the Chairs Lady. For nearly twenty years, she's been teaching kids and adults to release their inner artists by creating their own sculptural visions of miniature chairs. At her brick-and-mortar studio in the Golden Triangle, Hartman offers private and occasional drop-in classes; she also stocks a design-focused retail corner that's full of finds for last-second gift-giving. Please be seated.

Who knows what humans could build with their own two hands if only they had the space? And the tools? And maybe a few maker-friendly tips? All three are available under one roof at the well-named My Own 2 Hands, a comfy, 6,000- square-foot workshop that offers state-of-the-art tools, work benches, storage lockers and in-shop mentors and experts, as well as how-to classes and camps for kids. No excuses: It's time to make your masterpiece.

Fort Greene's low-key brick exterior highlighted by an 0x000Aancient "Budweiser on tap" sign may not signal much from the outside — but crack open the door to this Globeville watering hole and you'll find the sights and sounds of a robust arts and music community. The bar's tiny set of expertly decorated rooms makes a big deal of Denver creatives, hosting album-release shows, dance nights and the occasional Selena-themed party/art show/costume contest. In a city where you can find a formulaic bar in almost every neighborhood, Fort Greene's dim lights, mini-stage and comfy couches create the perfect environment for creating true community.

Marilyn Megenity's Mercury Cafe has long been a haven for Denver's creatives, welcoming artists as patrons, employees and, of course, featured entertainers. The cavernous space has three rooms that are constantly being transformed by swing dance lessons, in-house theatrical productions, live music, witchy workshops and craft markets, movie screenings and more. Its website calendar (which is also conveniently printed out and hung in the establishment's bathroom stalls) is consistently jam-packed with both down-to-earth and out-of-this world events. This Mercury is always rising.

Programmer Keith Garcia has been bringing Denver into the cult-film fold for more than two decades, and his latest foray, Big Gay Matinee!, is nothing short of brilliant. With an intentional 1:30 p.m. Sunday time slot — sliding perfectly between drag-queen brunch events and Sunday evening beer busts — this afternoon movie snack brings sometimes obscure favorites out of the celluloid closet. Garcia gives educated and entertaining introductions to obvious classics like Valley of the Dolls and Auntie Mame, along with more nuanced picks such as A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy's Revenge and Troop Beverly Hills. Each showing is preceded by an appearance from a local drag performer, ramping the camp up a notch as only Garcia can.

At between $19 and $20 a pop, a ticket to an IMAX show is steep. But the experience is totally worth the price of admission if you're watching a movie that deserves a larger-than-life screen. Not only is the IMAX screen at UA Colorado Center Stadium 9 so massive that it teeters on overwhelming, but it brings in the right films to maximize its size. (Free Solo, anyone?). If you're an IMAX newbie, we recommend opting for seats in the back of the theater so that your eyeballs don't explode. But if you like living on the edge, sit front and center to feel like you're part of all the action and adventure.

Watching a movie at the Mayan Theatre is like taking a trip back in time. Between the faux Mayan iconography — heads seemingly severed from Mexican stone totems— that decorates the three theaters, the seats that feel oh-so-quaint (read: mildly uncomfortable) and the bar stocked with Colorado craft beer and other boozy treats, you're not sure exactly what city you're in. Or what century. But that's what makes this weird, wonderful movie theater so much fun. In a town that seems to love trashing its past, the Mayan has maintained its 1930s art-deco glory since the Prohibition days. Take a seat and take it all in.

There's nothing new about dinner and a movie. But what the Alamo Drafthouse practically revolutionized is combining both, so that you never have to rush through a meal to make a movie or starve through a two-hour flick before dinner. And this menu is the reel deal, offering a variety of "snacks" that include everything from loaded fries to chicken and ricotta meatballs, gourmet pizzas, creative salads, hot dogs, and sandwiches that offer a nod to cinema history, like the Royale With Cheese. The beer, wine and cocktail menu is just as elaborate, and the Drafthouse 0x000Aregularly rolls out thematic menus based on the movies it's showing. Sit back, relax and just remember to chew with your mouth closed.

Readers' Choice: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

In many respects, the AMC Highlands Ranch 24 is a typical multiplex, albeit an upgraded one. While seats in most of the theaters at this complex are large and recline into the equivalent of a fainting couch, the Dolby Cinema setup is even more posh. The chairs are cushiony creations covered with simulated black leather so luxurious that after sinking into one, you may never want to stand up again. And the acoustics are spectacular, as long as you stick to the center of the room. (Warning: Don't sit in the back row.) True, the ticket price for the average Dolby Cinema screening is close to $20, but the AMC Stubs program, a rival to the tail-spinning MoviePass app that allows buyers to attend three movies per week for a $19.99 monthly fee, also grants access to the theater's premium presentations, including Dolby Cinema. It's a cost-effective way to experience how the other half watches movies.

Readers' Choice: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

The rise of streaming services has only increased the homogeneity of mainstream theaters, which frequently devote the lion's share of their screens to the same big-budget blockbuster, leaving fewer opportunities than ever for quirkier or more personal cinematic efforts. But the Sie FilmCenter is truly keeping the tradition of independent theaters alive. In addition to highlighting critically acclaimed movies that commercial theaters increasingly ignore, the Sie programmers regularly cherry-pick excellent but underseen flicks culled from the annual Denver Film Festival, showcase classics in conjunction with the Tattered Cover bookstore, and promote themed events such as the Women+Film Festival, scheduled for April 9 through 14. It's all proof that you can chill without Netflix.

Readers' Choice: Alamo Drafthouse Cinema

Even if you're not exactly a film fanatic, it's worth venturing off the mainstream movie-theater circuit a few times a year to see what kinds of movies are being made outside of Hollywood. For that, you can rely on the Denver Film Society, which shows a loaded program of indie, foreign and documentary films throughout the year and throws an excellent annual festival. Sweetening the deal is the Society's slate of memberships, which offer considerable value even for the casual movie-goer. All memberships get holders early access to tickets, occasional free screenings, discounts on concessions and happy-hour pricing on drinks at the Henderson Lounge in the Sie FilmCenter, where most DFS films are shown. And many of the memberships also include generous credit toward movie tickets, guest passes and cards for free popcorn and soda.

Every year, the Arvada Center's Black Box Theater repertory company selects a group of top-flight actors for the season. These performers get several weeks of paid work, challenging roles in a never-predictable roster of plays that range from classics to surprising premieres, and a chance to work with great directors and sophisticated tech people. As a result, artistic director Lynne Collins tends to have her pick of talent. While the performer lineup changes year to year, the standard is always high.

Once you've seen a Buntport Theater Company production, you'll want to see them all. You'll want to keep recapturing the sense that you're in on something weird, offbeat, charming, smart, friendly and very special. Buntport, which has never lost its freshness over two decades of shows, is the brainchild of five enormously talented, inventive and literate writers — four of whom also perform. They create their own work or reimagine the work of others so that it becomes unrecognizable. Or perhaps more deeply recognizable. If you haven't been to Buntport, you owe it to yourself to get there, ASAP. And if you've been trying to explain Denver's unique quirkiness and humor to out-of-town friends, take them, too.

For a long time, Boulder offered little for serious theater-goers — surprising for a town of painters, dancers, scientists and other brainiacs. That changed a dozen years ago, when husband-and-wife team Stephen Weitz and Rebecca Remaly founded the Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company. In the process, they brought serious theatrical professionalism to Boulder, and they've been mounting an eclectic mix of fascinating and mostly contemporary plays at the Dairy Arts Center ever since. The production you're seeing on any given night may be a disappointment or a revelation — or a twisty, clever, complicated mix of both — but we guarantee it will be worth your time.

Readers' Choice: Denver Center for the Performing Arts

There's a lot of good children's theater around town, but a visit to the BDT Stage's family-friendly summer offering should thrill any little one. To begin with, there's dinner, complete with a Shirley Temple and a kids' menu. Then there's the jovial, funny actor who introduces the show and will mention your child's name if you've booked a birthday bash. Finally, there's the colorful show itself, with all those exuberant comics, singers and dancers. And if the kids begin nodding off during this year's offering, Beauty and the Beast, they'll certainly bolt up, wide awake, at the chance to meet Beauty, the Beast, or perhaps the singing Candlestick at the end of the night.

Readers' Choice: Denver Center for the Performing Arts

"No Guts, No Story" is the maxim of Curious Theatre Company artistic director Chip Walton, repeated so often that audiences tend to chant the words with him when he opens a show. Walton has staged work by minority playwrights, satiric Englishmen and profoundly feminist women, upsetting plays and hilarious evenings. But though politics is almost always part of the event, these offerings are never simplistic or didactic. They may address an issue you've heard discussed a thousand times, but you'll come away with a deeper understanding of that issue, or an intriguing new take. This is exactly the kind of mid-sized, highly professional and visionary theater that elevates the Denver scene.

The offerings booked into the Garner Galleria Theatre by the Denver Center for the Performing Arts won't stress your brain or require profound, breathless attention. But if you want an evening of funny, crazed satire, tuneful song medleys or wonderfully silly skits, this intimate venue is the place to be. Corral some friends, dress as you please, order drinks from the friendly circulating waitstaff, and enjoy a good belly laugh. Or three.

Off-Center's Charlie Miller likes to explore the boundaries of theater. What happens if you do site-specific work? Throw out the conventional stage and the fourth wall? Create immersive pieces in which audience members become part of the action? Three years ago, he staged Sweet & Lucky in a RiNo warehouse; last year it was The Wild Party at the Hangar at Stanley Marketplace. These entertainments were a lot of fun and gave theater a new dimension, but they were also lush and hugely expensive to stage. Then came Bite-Size, five ten-minute plays by local authors in separate areas of BookBar, staged for a relatively bite-sized cost. This year Miller has a new Off-Center project, with an entirely different concept. If regular theater strikes you as too conventional or formal, prepare to be thrown off-center.

While most escape-room companies tend to cater to one type of player, and few deliver an experience that appeals to almost everyone, Puzzah is the exception to the rule. Novices will appreciate Puzzah's adaptive clue system that quickly learns their puzzle-solving pace and delivers automated clues to keep them on track. Experienced players will delight in Puzzah's unique and challenging puzzles, as well as the potential to unlock bonus puzzles if they progress through the game quickly. And since every booking is private at Puzzah, no one ever has to worry about playing with strangers. It's no puzzle why Puzzah is growing, with a third spot opening soon in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Readers' Choice: Denver Escape Room

All of the games at both Q the Live Escape Experience locations have a spooky slant and incorporate live acting in a way that will make you feel like you're in a fright flick. Horror fans will be particularly pleased by "The Conjuror" in Loveland, which runs for seventy minutes and includes a short theatrical performance before the game begins. Area Q, also in Loveland, is less intense, but offers ample opportunity to engage with the security guard who makes his rounds every ten minutes — a truly immersive escape-room experience you won't find anywhere else.

Looking for a fun night out for the family? Golden Puzzle Room is the answer. This venue caters to all ages, not just those over twelve, at relatively family-friendly prices. While "First Mission" is designed for children between six and twelve, the whole family can be put to work solving the mysteries of either of the spacious, well-lit escape rooms, and advanced puzzlers can even request their games be set up for maximum difficulty. There's a party room that you can book for snacking and socializing between games, with a screen where you can watch the other half of your group struggle to escape.

Comedians and crowd members alike should toughen up before venturing into the roasty waters of Thick Skin, a gauntlet of burns, belly laughs and bad tattoos. Essentially the bullying older brother of the weekly New Talent Nights at Comedy Works, this show invites club-approved comics and aspiring locals to compete for the attentions of a restive audience and a cash prize. Co-hosted by Mike Stanley and a rotating coterie of Comedy Works pros, the evening abounds with comedic mayhem and culminates with the shame showdown of the bad tattoo contest. No matter which comedians' names get drawn from the "fuck it bucket," Thick Skin is a homegrown success story for the venerated comedy club.

Longtime Denver comedy fans no longer have to content themselves with fond memories, for the Grawlix three have come home to the Bug Theatre. A highlight in the halcyon days before the standup trio of Ben Roy, Andrew Orvedahl and Adam Cayton-Holland headed west for production of their TruTV series, Those Who Can't, each Grawlix show promised top-notch lineups and a fresh batch of material from each host. But now the Grawlix has renewed its dedication to the scene with presentations of up-and-coming local comics along with late-night and Comedy Central-accredited headliners. While fatherhood, busy touring schedules,and waging an enthusiastic social-media campaign for a fourth season of Those Who Can't keep the boys busy these days, at one show each month, it'll feel just like the good old days.

Producing a Sunday comedy show is an uphill battle — particularly during Broncos season — and yet the Boulder Comedy Show at the Bohemian Biergarten has proved an unlikely and enduring success. Established in 2013 by prodigal comedian Brent Gill (who currently resides in Los Angeles), the night evolved from a well-meaning experiment into a Flatirons phenomenon, where crowds eventually grew large enough to necessitate a second round of performances. While Geoff Tice typically handles hosting duties these days, the show's tradition of fine homegrown openers and television-anointed headliners continues. Guffaw the night away between mouthfuls of schnitzel and pilsner at one of Colorado comedy's best bets for laughs.

Readers' Choice: Chain Reaction Brewing

Watching comedy at an open-mic night is a lot like thrift-store shopping: You may have to wade through some sad garbage, but the unexpected treasures you'll find somehow make the entire experience worthwhile. Curious giggle thrifters need look no further than the subterranean venue beneath LoDo's Oskar Blues Grill & Brew, home of the Black Buzzard open mic every Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. Hosted by Comedy Works regular Janae Burris, the show is a gathering place for Denver comedians of all experience levels, as well as a buffoon buffet for the audience. Wash your giggles down with craft beer and Cajun-inspired cuisine while continuing your search for the jokes you didn't know you wanted.

Readers' Choice: Freak Train at the Bug Theatre

When it came time to open 10 Mile Music Hall in downtown Frisco, owners Todd Altschuler and Keegan Casey, who ran the Barkley Ballroom in Frisco for more than five years, didn't waste any time booking the joint with big acts like Leftover Salmon, which played the 750-capacity venue for its grand opening last Halloween. Since then, the venue has established itself as one of the finest in the state as it hosts a variety of local and national acts, mostly playing bluegrass, electronica and funk. And while 10 Mile is farther than that from the Mile High City, the venue hopes to bring in Denver audiences looking to add live music to their mountain adventures.

Readers' Choice: Temple Nightclub

When Cold Crush closed in late 2017, RiNo lost one of its great hip-hop spots. But it didn't take long for owner Brian Mathenge to start another project. He teamed up with Curtis Club owner Scott Bagus to turn that space into a new restaurant/nightlife concept called Rock Steady. The spot, named after the original New York breakdancing crew, opened last summer. While not a reincarnation of Cold Crush, Rock Steady retains some of the place's vibe with its weekly and monthly DJ nights.

Readers' Choice: Yeah Baby

What would Denver do without the Seventh Circle Music Collective? This space is the epitome of the DIY ethos, a community-driven venue that relies on fans and bands alike to book, run and attend shows. Seventh Circle has invited hundreds of performers to its gritty, well-worn west Denver stage, entertaining and inspiring fervent all-ages crowds for more than half a decade. Just this year, Seventh Circle launched a membership program — so even punks with day jobs who don't get out to shows can throw a few bucks the venue's way and support a space that's keeping underground music alive in this town.

Readers' Choice: Upstairs Circus

If you're looking for queer, Gladys: The Nosy Neighbor delivers. Most nights, there's a good mix of genders at the bar, which bills itself as a hub for trans and non-binary people. Early in the evening, the joint is usually quiet enough for you to grab a drink with a date or a friend. But Gladys truly shines after 10 p.m., when the shows begin. The venue hosts acts unlike those you'll see on Denver's more traditional drag stages: Performers bring a nuanced, complex vision of gender to shows like the Thursday night Mx. Weirdo competition, when kings, queens and folks in between take on politics, pop-culture phenomena, personal tragedy and pure weirdness. If you want seats near the stage for any show, be sure to reserve a table, as the small place fills up quickly.

Readers' Choice: Tracks

While it can be fun to sing in front of a bunch of strangers, it's also a blast to share a mic with friends in a private karaoke suite — like one of the ten rooms at Voicebox. After opening two spots in Portland, Voicebox launched its RiNo location in 2016 with a full bar and restaurant. Individual rates run from $7 to $11 an hour, and group rates are $60 to $90 an hour. If that sounds a bit pricey, you're getting what you're paying for: a super-hip karaoke spot with state-of-the-art sound, video equipment and a playlist of more than 20,000 songs.

Readers' Choice: Voicebox

Like much of Denver, Tennyson Street has transformed so quickly that it's virtually unrecognizable to old-timers. But somehow, amid the cranes, bulldozers and boxy luxury living, sits the historic Oriental Theater. This temple of culture opened in 1927 as a movie house and did well for a few decades before closing up shop in the '80s. It was reopened as a live-music venue in 2005 and has only grown in popularity, hosting international musicians, big-name comedians and plenty of locally focused events, fundraisers and other gatherings. With a position on both the state and national registers of historic places, the Oriental has avoided the stain of gentrification while being one of the last independently booked large venues in the city.

Polished and hip, Mutiny Information Cafe is not. And thank goodness for that, because its anything-goes vibe is part of what makes the space so attractive to young crust punks, low-key poets, old-school hip-hop heads and electro-freaks alike. Hidden in the back of this coffee shop/bookstore/pinball hall/comic and vinyl shop is a floor stage, a place for new musicians and old friends to hang out, see live performances and get inspired. Nobody's checking IDs at the door and no alcohol is served, reiterating the crucial point that at Mutiny Information Cafe, all-ages is always the rule and anyone can be a part of art as it happens, whether they're old enough to drink or not.

Readers' Choice: Red Rocks Amphitheatre

As many longtime establishments along the South Broadway corridor are pushed out by rising rents, the hi-dive has held on, a beacon of hope for all of Denver's jean-jacket constituency. The hi-dive's rock-music roots were firmly planted more than fifteen years ago, and since 2012, musicians and longtime patrons Joshua Terry, Matty Clark and Curtis Wallach have owned and run the venue, never letting the bar lose its local musicians' clubhouse undertones. South Broadway's perceived hipness has always preceded its actual vibe, thanks in part to the hi-dive's true-blue coolness. As the city's dive bars have closed in droves, a select few aged into place. The hi-dive should be known as one of the great "bars that existed before Denver was cool," and we hope it stays forever.

In Levitt Pavilion, we get two of Denver's greatest assets in one: a beautiful public park and a music venue. The nonprofit-operated outdoor stage is nestled in southwest Denver's Ruby Hill Park, a lovely, accessible green space offering access by car, bus, bike or foot. Fifty free concerts a year means that Levitt is economically approachable, too, giving audiences a chance to check out local, national and international musicians that fill the venue's summer calendar. Bring a blanket and your own picnic, or purchase food from the local food trucks that set up shop during concerts. Enjoy beverages from Levitt's own concession stand and you'll put money right back into the programming that makes this outdoor amphitheater a welcome, all-ages addition to an already bustling live-music scene.

Readers' Choice: Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Back in the 1980s, the Buffalo Rose earned its reputation by bringing in hard-rock and hair-metal bands, a tradition that continued for nearly three decades at the legendary downtown Golden music club and bar. The venue is housed in a group of five buildings, some of which date back to the 1800s, and in 2017, new owner Chris Cone, who bought the Rose in 2016, closed it for renovations and gave it a major facelift, installing new sound and lighting systems, HVAC, bathrooms and more. These days the Buffalo Rose brings in a variety of acts, including local tribute bands, national blues artists and — as a nod to the old days — hard-rock acts like Winger.

Nothing in town matches the spaceship-themed venue that is Temple Nightclub, which opened in 2017 in the former City Hall space. Approximately 50,000 lightbulbs grace the futuristic club, from floor to ceiling. The Funktion-One sound system guarantees phenomenal acoustics for beats from some of the best DJs and EDM producers in the world, among them Borgore, Duke Dumont and Pegboard Nerds. While the main room at Temple can be a lot of fun, the smaller room, LVL, offers a great place to chill to house and bass from local DJs on Wednesdays and weekends.

Readers' Choice: The Black Box

Not all club-goers want to get gussied up and shell out big bucks for hoity-toity bottle service and maddening crowds. Many electronic-music aficionados prefer to party in a more intimate space, where the drinks won't break the bank and the music caters to the underground. Since Sub.mission's Nicole Cacciavillano opened the Black Box in 2016, the club has grown, bringing in some of the best local and national talent from the fringes of dance music, blasting songs through a booming Basscouch system. The club is open at least four nights a week, and there's usually music happening in each of its two rooms. For those who want to create their own EDM experience, the Black Box Studio offers classes in music production, sound design and live visuals.

Readers' Choice: Tracks

Fans of all types of Latin musical styles have been heading to La Rumba since the late '90s to dance and enjoy Spanish-language music from Denver and around the world. The venue is known for its dance classes, where you can get various levels of instruction in salsa and bachata before hitting the dance floor. Regular dance nights are Thursday through Sunday — but for concerts and special events, La Rumba is known to bring in some of the biggest names in the state as well as from Latin America. For world-class entertainment in an intimate venue, La Rumba is the place to be.

Readers' Choice: La Rumba

Walk into Dazzle most nights of the week and you're apt catch a mix of Mile High jazz greats and world-renowned artists. Two years ago, the venue moved from its longtime home at 930 Lincoln Street to a much bigger space, in the Baur's building on Curtis Street downtown, where the club has upped its bookings by bringing in crowd-pleasing acts like the Bad Plus and taking chances on more fringe international artists like Jakob Bro and Nik Bärtsch. Along with live music, Dazzle serves up high-end comfort food and sells vintage and contemporary records at reasonable prices.

Readers' Choice: Nocturne

Denver has plenty of venues that book the occasional blues act, but Lincoln's Roadhouse shines a bright light on the genre, whether it's hosting some of the area's best players, like Austin Young or Johnny O., or the occasional national act. The joint can get rowdy and the tiny dance floor jam-packed on the weekends, but if you like your blues with a side of some of the best Cajun grub around, Lincoln's is the spot.

Readers' Choice: El Chapultepec

Following the success of urban eateries Root Down and Linger, restaurateur Justin Cucci went on to open Ophelia's Electric Soapbox, dubbed a "gastro-brothel" in a nod to the building's history as a house of ill repute and peep-show parlor. These days, the super-hip spot, decked out in boudoir-style decor, serves a varied dinner menu that includes burgers, sliders, flatbreads, skillets and small plates. Downstairs, the music venue has gradually ramped up the quality of its bookings, bringing in such national acts as the Dandy Warhols, Son Volt and the North Mississippi Allstars while hosting local acts and wildly popular dance parties.

Since AEG talent buyer Scott Campbell, owner of the Larimer Lounge and Lost Lake Lounge, took over Globe Hall two years ago, the venue, dive bar and barbecue joint has steadily brought in a dazzling assortment of national acts that might normally be found playing bigger stages. Recent shows at the 250-person venue include Gang of Four and Helio Sequence; both had played the Gothic Theatre on previous stops in town. This no-frills intimate club is great for seeing bigger acts up close and catching lesser-known bands on the rise.

Readers' Choice: hi-dive

Celebrating its twentieth anniversary as a concert space under the Fillmore name, Live Nation's mid-sized Colfax Avenue auditorium — once a skating rink and an electric-car factory — received a stunning upgrade. The Fillmore's wide-open space was graced with three new elevated tiers of seating, creating vastly improved sightlines to the stage. Upgrades to the sound system deliver bright acoustics to every seat in the house, and added doors have created a smoother entrance and exit for the crowds. The most crucial improvement — which came after years of complaints about endless lines — is the addition of more restrooms, so concert-goers can spend less time doing the pee-pee dance and more time enjoying the show.

It's difficult to explain what makes the photo booth at the hi-dive so wondrous. It's sort of magical, in that it consistently spits out better photos of your face than you imagined anyone could take. It's a very straightforward, no-bullshit photographic endeavor: two strips, full color, no dumb frames to choose from. Plus it's intimate in a clown-car sort of way, spitting distance from the bar, and allows just enough time between shots for maximum spontaneous creativity. There's little you can't do in front of that camera's lens: Abandoned strips around the venue demonstrate patrons' love of getting a bit naked, pulling faces and — of course — making out inside. Say cheese.

The idea behind Head Room Sessions is simple: Local musicians perform live within an intimate gallery space, and the set is filmed. But these mini-concerts documenting the best of the local music scene are so much more, providing participating musicians with a video and audio recording of their work, professional photographs and a write-up — all components needed to pitch their work to booking agents. Curator Elle Naef is also set on bringing together Denver's many music scenes so that artists can meet, mingle, and maybe one day collaborate.

Theresa Mercado doesn't take horror movies lightly. The slasher-film guru has programmed the Scream Screen series for more than a decade, delighting and horrifying audiences along the way. But her cultural expertise goes beyond film, as Mercado brings Denver's best experimental musicians in for pre-show, mood-enhancing sets at the Sie FilmCenter. Acts like Blood Loss, Echo Beds, City Hunter and DJ Sara Splatter have set the tone for events like the Scream Screen Scream-A-Thon, when Mercado played all four Scream films back to back, or the weeks-long Birthday "Slash-ebration" series honoring Tobe Hooper, director and producer of such classics as Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Poltergeist, The Funhouse and more.

Some of the best venues pop up in unlikely places, and BarFly, at the Alamo Drafthouse Sloan's Lake, continues to be a nice surprise on West Colfax. The bar has built a fine reputation in a short time, creating a space for local musicians to play to both all-ages and 21-plus crowds. In addition, BarFly hosts live comedy, drag-queen bingo and a vaudeville-esque revival show, and it's the home stage for the Black Actors Guild's famed monthly "Show Ya Teef" improv showcase. The best part? The programming is free, complemented by a cordial bar staff, and the spot offers plenty of seating that includes ridiculously comfortable couches.

Hosted by local singer-songwriter and musician Anthony Ruptak every Tuesday night, the Syntax Songwriter's Open Mic is both impressive and approachable — no small feat for a popular event at one of Denver's premier independent venues. The event allows musicians of all stripes to perform, backed by some of the sharpest sound engineers in town. Put yourself out there or join others in the supportive Syntax crowd while some of Denver's brightest musicians — both old and new — try out new material and take big risks.

Readers' Choice: Freak Train at the Bug Theatre

The folks at Swallow Hill Music, which celebrates its fortieth anniversary this year, cannot get enough of the ukulele. For the past decade, they've hosted Denver Ukefest, a three-day festival showcasing all things uke, including workshops, master classes and performances from some of the country's top players. While the annual shindig is a top-notch gathering of uke players, Swallow Hill's music program celebrates the instrument year-round, with classes and workshops that teach everything from basic chords to improvisation. On the third and fifth Saturdays of every month, Swallow Hill also hosts Denver Uke Community, a gathering open to all levels of players.

Wildwood Guitars in downtown Louisville is relatively small, particularly compared to a big-box retailer like Guitar Center. While there's a decent selection of guitars, amps and effects in the main shop, a good portion of the store's stock is in its warehouse next door. The shop boasts the world's largest inventory of Fender Custom Shop handcrafted guitars, including ones made specifically for the store, like the Dealer Select Wildwood "10." Peruse the website to see the dozens of new, used and vintage guitars Wildwood carries before going into the store to try them out.

The last time Tom Waits played Denver was twenty years ago, and the last time he toured was more than a decade ago. The chances of the man actually performing here again seem pretty slim. But fans can see the Waits tribute band Lost Dog Ensemble on a regular basis around Denver. Lost Dog frontman Dave Dinsmore gets pretty damned close to the gravel and grit of Waits's signature vocals while channeling the legend's mannerisms, and the rest of the band does justice to Waits's vast catalogue, particularly songs from Rain Dogs, Mule Variations and Bone Machine.

facebook.com/lostdogensemble

As a musician, sound engineer and talent buyer, Randall Frazier has always been about taking local venues to the next level. Over the past few years the booker ha s elevated the profile of Ophelia's Electric Soapbox, filling the venue's calendar with hip-hop, jazz, rock and some of the most experimental sounds you'll find at any bar in LoDo. But Frazier is also part of the reason that concerts at Ophelia's sound so good: He not only set up the sound system before the venue opened, but he currently runs the soundboard alongside fellow engineer Elisa Canali.

By now, the Brothers of Brass — a group of musicians from across the country who've found a home in Denver — have been making beautiful noise for several years, becoming a staple of the Mile High City experience. Led by the booming tuba of Khalil Simon, this traveling horn and percussion party weaves together the music of everyone from Beethoven to Aaliyah to Gary Glitter. Get caught up in their wandering soirée in the heart of LoDo as a Rockies game lets out, dance along to their mesmerizing music on the steps of the Denver Performing Arts Complex or see them live at Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom. The Brothers' signature Southern sound has permeated central Denver and found a way to charm crowds on stages and in the streets.

thebrothersofbrass.com

Melz Staccz wants to be known as the top female rapper in Colorado, and she's actually one of the best rappers in the state — which is a real accomplishment for a recent transplant from Chicago who's only been making music for a few years. While she's based in Colorado Springs and has built a following there, she's started making waves up and down the Front Range, including in Denver. With an eye toward collaboration and a mix of turnt-up dance hits and introspective songs, Staccz is winning fans across the hip-hop spectrum.

facebook.com/staccztoocold

Standing out in this area's crowded rock scene is a tough thing to do. But in just a couple of years, Oxeye Daisy has won over a glut of fans and is poised to be Denver's next breakout act, if the young rockers were to ever hit the road. Led by Lela Roy, whose wild vocal range is put to use on the band's self-titled 2018 debut, Oxeye Daisy writes and plays fun, danceable pop that covers the emotional spectrum. The band, which has been performing at small venues throughout town, recently dropped a stunning cover of the Cranberries "Dreams" with fellow rockers Tyto Alba. We can't wait to see what's next.

oxeyedaisymusic.com

Rapper Ray Reed has had about as much success as a Denver musician can have without breaking out of the Mile High market: He's headlined the Bluebird, dropped albums, played the big local festivals and developed an outstanding image, sound and fan base. So after hitting the ceiling, he decided to combine his clout with that of other artists, including Gmally, Keem Veggies, Mojo Goon, Eband$ and Tha Ape. The result: Finesse Gang, nine artists who work to promote each others' shows, perform together and generally build up the local rap scene. They even run a fashion line. Denver might have great musicians, but Reed's building a music movement.

rayreedmusic.com

With bands like Allout Helter and Cheap Perfume fighting bigots of all stripes through their lyrics, it would be easy to think Colorado's anti-fascist music scene is synonymous with punk. But this year, a new voice joined the ranks decrying hatred and violence. Lolita Castañeda's debut single, "Toda Mi Gente," is an optimistic, bilingual pop banger that addresses pressing social issues such as police violence, gun safety and the rise of the racist right. While the song tackles hard topics, it's also joyful. Castañeda, who got her start as a vocalist with the hip-hop group 2MX2, has taken her time releasing solo material, and the wait has been worth it.

soundcloud.com.lolitacastaneda

Kalyn Heffernan is tireless. She's performed inside prisons, on Native American reservations and in community centers, rapping about gentrification, police brutality and disability rights. As if that weren't enough, the MC is now running in a heated mayoral race and forcing politicians to talk about many of the issues she's spent years writing songs about. She's foul-mouthed, tough as nails and, most of all, a champion of up-and-coming musicians, including those she mentors at the music education nonprofit Youth on Record. Heffernan and her band, Wheelchair Sports Camp, represent the best of Denver's music scene: They're creative, optimistic, boldly original, and they engage with their community.

wheelchairsportscamp.co

There are a number of groups in town run by do-gooders in the music industry funding everything from education initiatives to nonprofits. One of the latest on the scene, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats' Marigold Project, spent 2018 organizing benefit concerts for everything from gun-safety groups to refugees to people experiencing homelessness. Headed up through 7S Management by Kari Nott, a veteran of Willie Nelson's Farm Aid, Rateliff's foundation also provided funding last year to 25 nonprofits and community groups, from the Harm Reduction Action Center to the Black Mesa Water Coalition. Thanks to the Night Sweats' advocacy work, Denver has a reputation for having a good music scene in more ways than one.

the-marigold-project.org

Denver's always running from its cowtown roots — and that's too bad. An urban island in an ocean of farmland, mountains and small towns, this city could be a country-music capital like Nashville or Austin. That's why hi-dive co-owner Curtis Wallach, who plays in Hang Rounders, decided to jump-start the local country scene with a new music promotion company, Queen City Country & Western, which shines a little light on Denver's country bands. The company, modeled after Grouphug records, already represents six acts, including Casey James Prestwood & the Burning Angels, Jennifer Jane Niceley and Extra Gold, with plans to add more.

qccandw.bandcamp.com