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…

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…

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…

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,…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

Defective Jeans

When I moved to Colorado, I took a job as a server at Gunther Toody’s. I lasted one week. Why such a short-lived serving career, you ask? The answer to that question is two-fold. Reason one: Three days into my training, I was tested on the menu. One of the…

Santa the Bigoted Jerk: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

You know Dasher, and Dancer, and Prancer, and Vixen, right? And Comet, and Cupid, and Donner, and Blitzen? And of course you recall the most famous reindeer of all: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Rudolph was invented by Montgomery Ward ad men, but immortalized by Rankin-Bass in 1964. It’s a beloved…

More of the Same: Project Runway Recap

In anticipation of tomorrow night’s new episode of Project Runway (looks like there will be drama, drama, drama!), here’s a quick recap of last week’s antics: In a challenge that Heidi Klum described as “thwee designers reinterpreting thwee outdated looks,” teams set out to make over the poodle skirt, overalls,…

I Have a Bad Feeling About This: The Star Wars Holiday Special

It’s become something of legend, of course, even if YouTube has stolen some of its mystery these days. Only a few years ago, all you could find of the Star Wars Holiday Special were bootleg tapes traded at comic-book and sci-fi collections, sold like contraband spice. (This transaction was even…

Banned IKEA Commercial

Too bad we don’t have an IKEA in this town, because I can’t tell you how often this happens to friends of mine with kids. — Sean Cronin…