Arts & Culture

Mastery of a traditional instrument beyond all expectations isn’t a new concept; Béla Fleck’s been shredding up the banjo for years, and Chris Thile reaches for mandolin stratosphere every chance he gets. But the ukulele? Hawaiian whiz kid Jake Shimabukuro — who’s been called “the new Jimi Hendrix” — proves…

Russian investigator Arkady Renko has hunted for many mysterious figures since appearing in the 1982 novel Gorky Park, but none as elusive as the title character in his latest adventure, Stalin’s Ghost. In the beginning, author Martin Cruz Smith plays reports about subway riders spotting the long-dead dictator for black…

Upon completing a work of fiction, readers are typically rewarded with one of two feelings of accomplishment: The “I’m-so-much-more-educated-and-better-off-for-having-read-that-highly-literate-piece-of-prose” kind of accomplishment, or the “I-just-devoured-that-book-faster-than-a-stoner-could-eat-a-bag-of-Peanut Butter Chex Mix” kind. Both elicit a justifiable amount of pride within readers, because, let’s face it, reading books makes us feel good about ourselves…

Today kicks off the 27th annual Fat Tire Bike Week in Crested Butte. From now through June 30, this celebration of all things mountain bike will take over the town. Cycling enthusiasts of all experience levels will find something to love, from guided tours of the local trails to a…

Remember the days when your mom would come home from the store with a big pail of sidewalk chalk and you’d spend the afternoon on the driveway drawing pictures of circle-headed cats and playing hopscotch? Some people never really let go of that bucket of chalk. Find them in Larimer…

Over the course of his homebrewing career, a friend of mine has suffered setbacks such as having to dump eight batches in a row — beer he’d already bottled — because undesired yeast lurking somewhere in his copper cooling system left the suds tasting like Band-Aids. Undaunted, he’s forged ahead,…

In his first book, Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, John Perkins told the story of a high-paid consultant who strong-armed world leaders into creating policies favorable to the U.S. government and corporations — “the corporatocracy.” It was a true story, alarming in its sordid detail, and it was all…

Truth be told, San Francisco’s Summer of Love was a lot less about love and a lot more about community giving way to a fair amount of drug-driven chaos. But it also galvanized kids across the nation with its pure, daisy-in-your-rifle sort of magnetism, and a whole generation bloomed and…

At this weekend’s Dog Daze in Belmar, participants can test their skills on a wheelchair obstacle course — which should give them some small idea of what it’s like to lose the mobility we tend to take for granted. And that’s appropriate, since all proceeds from Dog Daze benefit Canine…

Denver’s PrideFest kicks off its weekend celebration of community, heritage and family today at Civic Center Park. Because our PrideFest is widely considered one of the country’s top ten Pride events (more than 210,000 people attended last year), you can expect teeming hordes of revelers. And the entertainment — including…

Isn’t it funny how adults need a good excuse for going to the zoo? Usually, we take advantage of children — they’re the most reliable pretext — but lots of groups just wait until it’s time for another Do at the Zoo to spy on naked polar bears and swim…