Arts & Culture

Set in the white, lower-class, upstate New York dead end of Mohawk Valley, Donal Mosher and Michael Palmieri’s October Country follows four generations of Moshers from one October 31st to the next, and, in between days of the dead, the spooks linger. Halloween itself is a Mosher obsession, a leveler…

The bison is an American symbol; we use its image on flags, coins and logos, particularly here in the West, where certain institutions of higher learning even use the bison as a mascot. Bison were also a major source of meat for Native Americans and a menace for railroads, farmers…

The 1985 cult film The Legend of Billie Jean is the story of a small-town girl (Helen Slater) who runs into a world of trouble when her unwavering belief that what’s “fair is fair” puts her in conflict with a variety of powerful men. One the surface, it’s a simple…

Lucidity Suitcase International came to Buntport Theater last October with Microworld(s) Part #1, the tale of a Serbian intellectual named Milo and his best friend, a rubber duckie named Fumio, who wrestled with the demolition of his capsule-pod apartment building in Tokyo. “In Part #1, Milo was wondering whether he…

Nothing makes us sit up and take notice like nakedness. But Denver-based fine-art photographer Greg Friedler had something more sublime than titillation in mind with his ambitious, experimental Stripped series. Since 2007, Friedler has hauled his cameras, his commitment and his unique vision around the globe to create indelible images…

It’s hard to imagine a time when Mexican food was exotic. But when Ramon and Carolina Gonzalez opened the Casa Mayan restaurant in the Auraria neighborhood in the 1950s, many Denverites got their first taste of tamales, tacos and burritos. Casa Mayan also became the heart of the predominantly Hispanic…

Most people won’t get a chance to kiss the Blarney Stone this St. Patrick’s Day (and during flu season, who’d want to?), but thanks to Olinger Crown Hill, you can take part in some other great Irish traditions. Tonight’s free community event features music by local Celtic fiddler and singer…

There’s a giant Las Vegas-style buffet at City Park today, but humans aren’t invited to eat. No, the vittles are for Mimi and Dolly, the Denver Zoo’s two Asian elephants. The zoo will fete the ladies starting at 11:30 a.m. in honor of National Elephant Day with an artistic buffet…

Pakistan-born, American-raised rock musician Salman Ahmad has sold more than thirty million records, played a Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, been named a Goodwill Ambassador to the U.N. and counts Bono, Mick Jagger, Melissa Etheridge and Al Gore among his fans. He’s chronicled his unique experience in Rock and Roll Jihad:…

We’ve all heard of the Gold Rush, which put Colorado on the map and led to statehood. But soon after, there was also a “Clay Rush,” during which ceramic artists like Artus and Anna Van Briggle began to flock to the Rockies. And as the intervening century has revealed, they…

Loosely based on High Fidelity, a 1989 documentary (not to be confused with the comedy of the same name) about the Guarneri Quartet, Curious Theatre’s production of OPUS provides a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the personal and professional lives of a world-famous quartet on the eve of a White House performance…

The glory days of jazz occurred long before the digital age was a twinkle in some engineer’s eye, which means that many of the best jazz recordings aren’t available in any other format than vintage vinyl. That’s why Dazzle started Vinyl Mondays, to highlight great music that might otherwise be…

“It takes a special breed to volunteer to eat as many oysters as you can in thirty seconds,” notes Adam Reed, general manager at Denver’s Jax Fish House. Which is why Reed encourages people to come and watch the annual Oyster-Eating Contest, the culmination of Jax’s Oyster Week featuring teams…

Writers and Wyoming natives Mark Spragg and Laura Bell have been friends for years. “We feel like our work has a lot in common, and because we’re such good friends, we really can support each other and each other’s work,” Bell says. The two will appear together tonight for the…

It’s not surprising that visitors to Body Worlds — which runs today through August 15 at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science — take away lessons as varied as the human population: The exhibit, which consists of plastinated human bodies and organs, offers viewers an unusual look at bodies,…

Pat McCullough, the man behind Celtic Events, first heard Great Big Sea at Red Rocks, when the musical group opened for another act. “When you hear the band play Newfoundland accordion music and sea chanteys, you initially scratch your head,” admits McCullough. “But in order to pull it off, you…

Loveland Ski Area’s perfect storm of wind, weather and wicked elevation (13,010 feet at the summit) means you might be in store for the best day of your life or the worst, sometimes within the span of a single day. “We’re a large area, with almost 16,000 acres of skiing…