Open Wide

Believe it or not, our dusty little burg’s been flourishing here on the plains for 150 years now, all the while supporting the rise of new buildings and laying more than a few to rest. Accordingly, “150 Years of Denver Architecture” is the theme of this year’s Doors Open Denver…

Vegging Out

Meat-eaters might feel as though they have no reason to attend the first-ever Denver Veg Fest & Health Expo, but they couldn’t be more wrong. If you enjoy fish or chicken or even the occasional taste of — gasp! — beef, you’ll still find something worth chewing on at the…

Up in the Air

It’s the nature of aerial dance to be different in the first place, but Nancy Smith of Boulder’s Frequent Flyers Productions has never had a problem letting her freak flag fly — through the air, literally — during her twenty years of off-the-floor choreographing. So her latest flight of fancy,…

JACK Flash

The down-home charm and rustic spirit of the work of the artist known simply as JACK speaks for itself. His portraits of musicians — mostly older, rootsy artists such as Willie Nelson, Little Richard and Etta James — and his signature stick flags are easily understood by everyone, which is…

Nick Lowe

During the ’70s, when he went from being a mainstay in England’s rough-and-tumble pub-rock scene to a notable part of the new-wave movement, Nick Lowe was known as “Basher.” These days, of course, bashing isn’t at the top of his agenda. At My Age, his most recent platter, is a…

Talking Shop

In a gift economy, you contribute out of the goodness of your heart, and in return you get, maybe, a usable dose of positive karma or perhaps a returned favor. It’s a recycling of kindness that makes sense among folks who have the discipline to make it work. Folks like…

Renewed Carr

Because of his regular beat, not to mention his hosting duties on the public-affairs program Your Show, 9News political reporter Adam Schrager meets and interviews candidates and public officials on a near-daily basis. But when it came time to write a book about a politician he truly admired, he chose…

Look of the Day – Sean’s Converse Sneakers

Though Converse sneakers are certainly an obligatory staple in the modern day hipster’s uniform, they have been around since the early 20th century and boast a rich and interesting history. According to Wikipedia, the Converse sneaker was born in 1908 when would-be founder, Marquis M. Converse, “fell down a flight…

Look of the Day – The Gay Boyfriend

Ah… the “Gay Boyfriend.” Where would the modern woman be without her favorite accessory? Take, for example, Grace’s Will (may they rest in peace.). Or Wilhelmina’s Marc. Or, of course, Carrie’s Stanford (That movie comes out in 63 days, by the way. I’m totally taking that day off). I, myself,…

Now Showing

George Carlson. Put together by curator Ann Daley, who has shaped and defined the Western collection at the Denver Art Museum, George Carlson: Heart of the West deals with the career of an accomplished neo-traditional artist who looks to the century-old Impressionist style for inspiration. The Carlson exhibit includes nearly…

Now Playing

The Baseball Show. Evil, malaprop-prone Vincent Vascombe, owner of the Beloit Bulldogs, is determined to hold on to his star player, Bill “The Bomber” Dawson. But Dawson — aided by his smart, competent fiancée, Helen — has plans for the majors, and there’s a talent scout hanging around. So Vascombe…

Run Fatboy Run

As John Simon once said of Jeanne Moreau — cast in a virginal role — making Simon Pegg a fat guy is like casting Lassie as a vegetarian. Take Chris Elliott, subtract Don Knotts: the remainder is Pegg, the British actor-screenwriter who barely registered as an appetizer for Shaun of…

Stop-Loss

Considering that the war in Iraq has proven to be Washington’s shot-by-shot remake of Vietnam, it’s only natural that Hollywood has followed suit, giving us a series of Iraq-themed films that can be set neatly alongside their Vietnam-era counterparts. Just as the initial wave of angry anti-Vietnam documentaries (In the…

21

Ben Mezrich’s 2002 bestseller Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six M.I.T. Students Who Took Vegas for Millions was a smart narrative about…well, you saw the subtitle, right? Mezrich more or less recounted a fantastic tale spun by an old acquaintance from Boston, an M.I.T. grad named Kevin…

Married Life

Do we need another look back at the rotten heart of the ’50s nuclear family? Ira Sachs thinks we do, and as one who can’t get enough of sweaty melodramas about rotting families, I’m with him in principle. Mind you, Sachs’s noticeably childless new movie is less about families than…

Building Blocks

For local artist Duane Hess, there’s really no better way to introduce a kid to the wonders of art than through the medium of LEGO. “It instills creativity and problem solving in kids. It helps them step through the logical thinking that they need later in life to solve their…

Early Start

In my misspent youth, I subscribed to the theory that Wednesday, by virtue of being the halfway point to the weekend, was a day to party. The logic may have been spurious, but it did make the week fly by. In that spirit, tonight’s Monolith Madness pre-party is coming to…

Stress Reliever

Andrea Leigh believes the treatments offered at A New Spirit Wellness Center & Spa, which she owns and manages, can help alleviate the minor tension and strain most of us suffer. But she also likes a challenge, which is why she’s currently staging a contest to find Denver’s Most Stressed-Out…

Lights Out

This past New Year’s Eve, the wind in my neighborhood was so bad that it downed a power line, and the entire area was thrown into darkness for a couple of hours. And though that might sound like the beginning of a “My Worst New Year’s Eve Ever” essay-contest entry,…

High Voltage

CDs, MP3s and satellite radio may have replaced the turntables, vinyl records and radios of decades past, but the stylish vintage appeal and warm sound quality of those old mediums is not forgotten. Today, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., you can relive the past at the Vintage Voltage Expo…

In the Picture

If you’ve ever wanted to walk in an icon’s shoes, a new show at Spark Gallery is certain to have your number. Myselfportraits: ode to icons and other absurdities, a series of self-staged and posed photographs featuring artist and Spark member Sally Stockhold as historical and fictional women of note,…

Belle Stars

I’m a country girl at heart. Don’t get me wrong: I like the city, and I particularly like all the cultural events and great music you can only experience while living close to a large metropolitan area. But the noise, the pollution, the hipsters — I can only take those…