John Oliver takes over hosting duties of The Daily Show

“Let’s all just acknowledge for a moment that: This. Is. Weird,” John Oliver said last night, opening his first round of hosting The Daily Show for the summer. While Jon Stewart will be away for the next twelve weeks directing his debut film, Rosewater, the most celebrated comic to come…

Taking pride in Pride: Here’s what it means to be an ally

Settling in to write about my feelings on this year’s Denver PrideFest, I was interrupted by a text message from my friend David, a grown man I lovingly refer to as Liza, my “gay husband.” His texts, like his real life persona, are always worth my undivided attention: He thinks…

Tracy Morgan on drugs, Richard Pryor and the stigma of TV comedy

While he may be world-famous and seven years sober, the streets of Bed-Stuy Brooklyn still ring in the voice of Tracy Morgan. Coming from a childhood of poverty and crack-dealing, Morgan built a respectable career in standup, performing on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam before reaching TV mega-stardom on Saturday Night…

Ten ways to get wet this summer

Sure, Colorado is landlocked — but that doesn’t mean you have to spend your summer high and dry in the sweltering, 90-plus degree heat. We don’t have an ocean, but there are rivers, reservoirs, pools, water parks and many more places where you can immerse yourself this summer. So dig…

100 Colorado Creatives: Kate Petley

#63: Kate Petley Kate Petley’s lush and color-dominated resin panels contradict as they encapsulate gesture and motion in elegantly formal terms; she creates equally sophisticated sculptural and installation works that have garnered recognition across the West. An NEA Rockefeller Foundation grant winner, Petley is a full-time artist whose work can…

Pay phones finally evicted from Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall

They can’t fit in your pocket and they are not considered “smart,” which is why pay phones no longer have a home on Boulder’s Pearl Street Mall. Is this just another sign of the changing times? The phones disappeared when new information kiosks came in, according to Boulder Downtown and…

Shanti Medina on her seventh annual Women’s Summer Solstice

Shanti Medina dreamed up the first Women’s Summer Solstice journey while having tea with another female yoga therapist. “We were talking about how the yoga business in general doesn’t really support a lot of collaboration,” she remembers. “It was very, ‘I have my class, you have your class.’ So we…

3 things to do for free in Denver this week, June 10-13

It’s magic! This week, you can experience magical entertainments without having to open your wallet. The free fun includes everything from a screening of Christopher Nolan’s magician movie The Prestige to getting a peek inside the Governor’s Residence to a free outdoor concert. Share other free events in our comments…

Grease revs up Monday Movie Madness tonight at Infinity Park

No movie musical says summer better than Grease, which makes it a perfect choice to open the season at Infinity Park’s Monday Movie Madness summer series of free family movies. See also: – Grease and ennui: My date last night – Repertory Cinema Wishlist: Robert Altman’s Nashville -Repertory Cinema Wishlist:…

Ten places to ride your bike this summer

The wheels are always turning in Denver, which just won the REI Cycling Town Showdown as the country’s bike-friendliest city. Denver not only has great places to ride your bike, it also has great places to ride your bike to. Here are ten of our favorites for this summer. See…

Third TEDx Mile High ticket deadline is today

The final ticket deadline for TEDx Mile High is today. This is the third annual Denver-centric version of TED, which has been touting “Ideas Worth Spreading” since the non-profit organization started bringing the best and brightest minds of the world together back in 1984. See also: – Obama’s 2012 DNC…

10 things to do for $10 in Denver this weekend (8 free!), June 7-9

Summertime, and the living is easy: sit under the stars and watch Steven Spielberg’s E.T., attend a few art shows, catch a production of Hairspray. There’s lots to do in Denver this fun-packed weekend — and many of the best possibiities are free. For more entertainment opportunities, visit the Westword…

Video: Meet the people of Denver Comic Con

Denver Comic Con took over the streets of Denver near the Colorado Convention Center last weekend during three days of celebrities, events, panels and displays. We’re still reeling from it all — and you might be too. While you plan the early stages of next year’s costume, check out our…

Five offbeat things to do this summer with kids under the age of five

Summer’s a great time to spend quality time with the kiddos. But by the time it officially starts, you’re already tired of the typical hangouts — the Denver Zoo, the Children’s Museum. That’s when it’s time to break out of the ordinary: Here’s are five off-the-beaten-path activities, each particularly well-suited…