Denver’s five best comedy venues

While it’s true that a venue can make or break the show regardless of the talent on stage, this is doubly true with comedy. Location, comfort level, atmosphere, drink prices and, yes, quality of performers all play a large role in whether a comedy fan will Google your location when…

Photos: Truth or Dare: A Play Date with Kidrobot at Next Gallery

Truth or Dare: A Play Date with Kidrobot, an eye-catching and puckishly irreverent exhibition, continues through April 14 at Next Gallery. Curated by local artists as well as Veronica and Dan Ma, Truth or Dare gleefully eschews the false dichotomy between fine art and toys while celebrating the ingenuity of…

Horndribbles’ Lucas Richards on hipsters, kid’s toys and the Denver arts community

Lucas Richards, creator of the Horndribbles, a line of plush toys based on his monster designs, is ready to take his project to the next level. Where before, the Horndribbles were labor-intensive and functioned like uniquely soft sculptures, Richards hopes to introduce his labor of love to a new generation.

Westword caught up with Richards in the days leading up to the “Return of the Horndribbles” Children’s museum exhibit, where Richards and his partner Devon Braun of Explorer’s Playground will debut a story book and a line of Horndribbles manufactured for sale as toys.

Five Internet first-date horror stories, batteries included

The days of Internet dating being the domain of basement dwellers, antisocial misanthropes, virgins and folks who are unlucky in the looks department (mix and match any and all of these) are effectively over, and today it seems like everyone is meeting and dating — and venting about meeting and…

Natasha Leggero on Sarah Silverman, Russell Brand and poorly dressed comics

A bitter pill wrapped in a sweet cherry coating, comic Natasha Leggero is a double threat of intoxicating charm and tabloid cruelty. With her Audrey Hepburn style and merciless observational humor, she’s known to raise the I-can’t-believe-she-just-said-that bar during her regular appearances on Chelsea Lately, while still maintaining an authenticity…

Metro goes beyond the Month of Photography with two new exhibits

It seems like every place in the city’s art world has gotten into Month of Photography this year. And Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Center for Visual Art has gone beyond, mounting two exhibits — plus a chaser — on the theme. The first show, Semblance, was organized by Metro…

A field guide to the five worst types of hecklers

At some point during their comedy careers, every standup has to deal with a heckler. A truly annoying heckler can derail even experienced comedians as well as make audiences uncomfortable. While most hecklers think they’re being funny and can be shamed into silence with a pithy rejoinder from a talented comic, there are a few heckler sub-species that simply refuse to shut up, regardless of the comedian’s reaction.

Five things Prince Harry should do in Denver

God save the Queen and her adorable, stilted royal wave; Prince Charles gets a few brownie points for sorta making an honest woman outta Camilla; poor Prince William got his mother’s pretty face but his father’s rapid receding hairline, and Princess Kate has a baby bump that the Brits are…

Scary monsters and sideshow freaks in Daniel Crosier’s Showdevils

There are precious few opportunities in life to assist a human puzzle piece and his comely, sword-swallowing sidekick defeat a mutant goldfish. When such an opportunity does arise, it’s best to seize it without concern for danger or reward. Luckily, in the case of Daniel Crosier’s Showdevils Kickstarter campaign, the…

The ten best comedy shows in April

As we inch our way toward the glory of summer comedy festivals, Denver has already begun heating up with a variety of shows featuring whip-smart young comics and world-wise icons of days past. We’ve got a DIY music and comedy festival (with a bouncy castle!), two feature players from Chelsea…

Best New Public Art: Our picks for the past decade

Westword’s 2013 Best of Denver issue hit the streets yesterday.This year’s prize for Best New Public Art? “Bridge,” by Stephen Shachtman, a work located near Fort Logan in southwest Denver. How does this choice fit with our picks of the last ten years? Some pieces are still controversial, years later;…

Stanley Film Festival kickoff party (and volunteer bait) tonight

Be afraid. Be very afraid. The inaugural Stanley Film Festival, which will run May 2 through May 5 this year in Estes Park, is holding an open house for fright-film fans and potential volunteers tonight. The four-day Stanley Film Festival, which will celebrate the best in independent horror cinema, will…