In 1998, Douglas Adams published a sweet, funny essay called “Riding the Rays,” about an excursion to Hayman Island to try a kind of underwater jet-ski device called a Sub Bug because it afforded an opportunity to swim with manta rays. And manta rays are cool. He wrote of his…
“Sex films sell, and other stuff doesn’t . . . or at least not nearly as well,” says film preservationist Joe Rubin. Rubin, 24 years old, is one of the creators working Skinaflix, a VOD-style streaming video service he calls “the Netflix of porn.” At Vinegar Syndrome, a separate DVD/Blu-Ray–centric…
“In a time when women are breaking the glass ceiling, we need to really ascend to true equality,” says Nancy Hart, explaining the impetus for the founding of the Venus Goes Down collective. Recently, the group was looking for a way to embrace the integration of the masculine and the…
Denver is home to more than 3,000 refugees from Burma, a fact local nonprofit Project Worthmore shines a light on every single day. The organization was started in 2011 by Frank and Carolyn Anello in response to the underserved population’s lack of basic necessities upon arriving in Colorado. Providing food,…
A Charlie Chaplin triple feature, a creepy film about a circus man with no arms, and a conversation with the head of the Moving Image Section of the Library of Congress are only a few highlights of this year’s Denver Silent Film Festival. The series kicks off with a celebration…
Don’t let the name fool you: Animeland Wasabi isn’t just about Japan’s finest pop-culture export. “Anime is the base component,” explains Gregory Richardson of the convention, which opens at noon today. “The staples of the anime con are here, from the maid cafe to our video room.” But there’s much…
How a gamelan orchestra — a traditional Indonesian ensemble of metallophones, drums, gongs and flute — even ended up forming 25 years ago in Colorado is just part of the story of Gamelan Tunas Mekar, which remarkably hit its silver anniversary last fall. Ensemble member Dane Terry, who’s been there…
Always wanted to walk the red carpet and be brave enough to get a critique from the fashion police? Now’s your chance. For its first-ever fundraiser, Off-Center @ the Jones is throwing the Gayest Oscar Party Ever tonight at Hamburger Mary’s, complete with a “rainbow carpet” entrance and commentary from…
Throughout his extensive career, theoretical physicist and New York Times best-selling author Michio Kaku has brought physics into the mainstream. From his TV specials to his bestsellers — Physics of the Impossible and Physics of the Future — Kaku explains string field theory (which he helped develop) and other advances…
Hollywood movies often depict Jewish culture, but they haven’t been as thorough with regard to the religion itself, says Kathryn Bernheimer, programmer for the Boulder Jewish Film Festival and author of The 50 Greatest Jewish Movies: A Critic’s Ranking of the Very Best. There are few Orthodox Jewish directors and…
Jessica McWhirt first encountered Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues not in a theater production or on HBO, but in a mainstream bookstore. “I first saw the book on a shelf in Barnes & Noble when I was in high school, and at the time, I couldn’t even say the word…
Even a person who works in a contemporary-art museum — someone like Sarah Kate Baie, director of programming at the Museum of Contemporary Art Denver — needs help interpreting art sometimes. “I spend every day around this stuff,” says Baie, “and sometimes I walk into a new museum to see…
Melissa Harris-Perry, a leader in women studies, will be the distinguished speaker at an event hosted by the Institute for Women’s Studies and Services and the Rachel B. Noel Committee at Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Physical Education Event Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. tomorrow. The appearance was…
One of the biggest perks of living in Colorado is the state’s reputed 300 days of sunshine. Know what doesn’t love that? Your eyes. So Coden Eyewear, a startup company from locals Ben Martch, Gavin Beldt and Gian Lasher, is pushing a new line of sunglasses designed for the Colorado…
There’s something about the state flag that really brings out the creative side of Coloradans. In fact, it would be easy to assume that the C in the center of that design stands for Creative. And as a very last-second addition to Artopia, Westword’s annual celebration of everything from fine…
It was sad — Jay Leno’s 22 years hosting The Tonight Show ended with all the excitement of a guy farting at the mall. We all talked about his joke stealing and his talk-show stealing and how he’d played to the middle, threw away his talent. We were happy to…
LUPEC, aka Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails, tend to get tipsy together, though often in the name of charity. On Saturday night, the girls (and their dashing dates) dressed to the nines, tattoos and all, in vintage prom wear, corsages and big smiles for the Sweetheart Prom,…
Comedian TJ Miller has a commitment to comedic absurdity that has served him well throughout his career. From his roots in the Chicago improv scene, Miller emerged as one of the city’s most unique standups, remarkable for his madman charisma. In short order, Miller stole scenes and joined impressive ensemble casts in movies like Our Idiot Brother and Yogi Bear 3D. All the while, Miller’s hometown of Denver has remained close to his heart and channeled into song on Miller’s Extended Play E.P.from Comedy Central Records. It’s an exciting time for Miller, with Silicon Valley a new HBO series set to premiere on April 6th and a movie, Search Party, due this summer.
This week, Denver’s prodigal comic returns to his hometown for two nights of shows as a part of his No Cancellations tour. He’ll performing wednesday night at Boulder’s Fox Theatre. Doors open at 8:30pm for the 9:00pm show. General admission tickets are $20. On thursday, he’ll be at the Gothic Theatre. Doors open at 7:00pm for the 8:00pm show. Tickets are $20.50 in advance and $23 on the day of show.
Westword caught up with Miller for phone interview to discuss his tour, bringing absurdity to morning news shows, and why he always brings his best to Denver.
Thrift shop Vaux Vintage started as a nomadic venture, as owner Aly Barohn traveled the country with her vintage garments. She opened a brick-and-mortar location above the Weathervane Cafe last summer, but has decided to close it in order to go back on the road. And so the shop will…
So, you’ve got a kid, huh? Whether it’s your own rambunctious preschooler or the bratty nephew you’ve been charged with keeping alive for the next five hours, the most important thing is leaving your house where valuables are liable to be destroyed and seeking refuge on somebody else’s property. In…
A friend of mine recently posted a video on Instagram of downtown Denver with the caption “I’m going to want to remember this Denver.” While his ten-second panel of images was more of a humorous jab at things like the grossness of the 16th Street Mall, he also had some…
Whether it’s food, beer, pot or art, Denver is all about showcasing what the Mile High City has to offer. And residents of the Rocky Mountain Warehouse Lofts, at 18th and Wazee streets, take the mission of supporting local artists seriously. They’ve not only decorated the upper hallways with local…
