The South Bronx is to Italy as North Federal is to Mexico as South Boston is to Eire. As a hub of the Irish diaspora in America, it’s no wonder Boston lays claim to not only the most renowned Irish-American musical groups, but also one of the most authentically Irish,…
What would happen if you took an elite bluegrass mandolinist — who also happens to be an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, playing the violin in jazz groups and a range of instruments with several new-age ensembles — and put him on stage with the only person in the world who can play…
If you thought that all music from Peru sounds like that Paul Simon song with the flutey pan pipes, think again. Away from the heights of the Andes, Peru also boasts an African heritage brought to its coast by a diaspora of slaves from every region of the dark continent…
When director Ian Gerber decided to put on Say Goodnight, Gracie under the auspices of the Theater Company of Lafayette, he thought of playwright Ralph Pape’s look at twenty-somethings during the nation’s Bicentennial as a period piece. But while assembling the ongoing production, he realized that many of its themes…
It was a long-awaited banner day in Aurora’s history when the Fox Theater opened on October 30, 1946. Admission was 55 cents, which bought not only a picture show run on the best sound and projection equipment, but also access to a modern oasis, with climate engineering and germicidal lamps…
With the hurling and Gaelic football seasons approaching, members of the Denver Gaels GAA Club think there’s time for one last bash before the St. Patrick’s Day Parade. And, laddie, it’s going to be a good one. Today, starting at 3:30 p.m., the Gaels invite all comers to join their…
From a young age, Adolfo Perez Esquivel was taught to respect nature and the world around him; as an artist, his large-scale murals and sculptures grace parks and museums throughout Europe and Latin America. During the military coup that rattled Argentina for seven years, beginning in 1976, Esquivel bravely chose…
Since feeling the first teases of spring, I’ve been trying to prepare myself to get back into my warm-weather routine of jogging outside. I’ve always been the kind of girl who exercises in old, gray sweatpants and T-shirts from my high-school tennis days, so most of that prep work is…
Get inside the heads of some unusual characters tonight at A Singular Perspective, the 2008 season premiere of Colorado Homegrown Tales. Each episode of the series, which is now in its fifth season, is arranged around a theme and showcases the works of local authors in readings by local actors…
It might seem a wee bit early to start celebrating St. Patrick’s Day, but there’s a good reason that the Spirit of Ireland music and dance program is taking place tonight, says Sarah Landry, president of the Foundation for Celtic Arts and Studies. “A lot of things go on St…
Take cover, easily-offended citizens: Lisa Lampanelli is in town! This voluptuous old blonde may dress like a 1950s housewife, but her gutsy standup routine has catapulted her to comedian celebrity status. She’s a regular on the dais of Comedy Central Roasts and on Howard Stern’s radio show. She heckles like…
Even if the mountains aren’t your thing, you’ve just got to love Leadville. Here’s one good reason: The highest incorporated city in North America (elevation: 10,152′) has been holding ski-joring competitions since 1949. Clearly a contender for the world’s weirdest sport, ski-joring involves a horse and rider or a dog…
Compiled just in time for last fall’s thirtieth festival, Take 30: The First Three Decades of the Denver International Film Festival — a collection of DIFF anecdotes and memories with photographs by Larry Laszlo — conjures images both old and new between its covers in an ultimate labor of love…
You might suppose that environmental artist Lita Albuquerque, who’s slung giant blue orbs across the barren landscape of the North and South poles to create “Stellar Axis,” a kind of earth-sky star map on ice, has a bit of a Zeus complex. But, in fact, the project comprised the very…
If you’ve always wanted to rub shoulders with the movers and shakers of New York City — or tell a New Yorker cartoonist about one of your hilarious ideas — then head for the high country, because Beaver Creek’s signature funny event, Humor on the Slopes, is back for another…
Just when you thought it was safe to go back into town, the Denver Art Museum’s Untitled #18 (.gov) rehashes the DNC fervor. If you’re still riding that wave of political excitement, then make your way to the museum today at 6 p.m. for a slate of hands-on activities. This…
I’ve been doing this cultural beat for a long time now, and I’ve come to realize that things don’t last. Artists are disorganized and sometimes flaky, propelled by great ideas and held back by chancy finances. But those that do usually survive because someone, or in some cases, a whole…
“My advice: Stay away from black holes,” says Dr. Phil Plait, aka the Bad Astronomer. While this may seem like a fairly sound piece of sci-fi wisdom that’s more suited for The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy than Earth, even Arthur Dent never experienced anything that sucked him hopelessly in,…
I don’t know about you, but this is the time of year when I turn into a crab and crawl into a boot and refuse to come out until it’s at least 72 degrees outside daily. I can no longer bear the brown, white and gray landscape or the fierce…
It’s a safe bet that all ambient, instrumental rock after the turn of the century will inevitably be compared to Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Sigur Rós. Even compelling acts such as This Will Destroy You will be subjected to such lazy comparisons. In this case, the association isn’t completely…
Baseball is back, at least in the sunnier climes of Arizona and Florida, where spring training is under way (the Rockies take on the Chicago White Sox this very day!). So pull yourselves together: It’s time to wipe away last fall’s tears and re-engage. For many of the hard-core fans,…
The documentary Pete Seeger: The Power of Song focuses on a much-misunderstood American-music figure. Many rockers once saw Seeger as an uptight purist who threatened to pull the plug on Bob Dylan’s electrified set at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival — an anecdote still disputed forty-plus years later. (Seeger has…
