Mayor Hickenlooper gets advice from a bunch of punks

There's nothing better after a long day of governing than getting your punk-rock on, dad! And that's precisely what Denver mayor John Hickenlooper did on Tuesday night, when he introduced one of his favorite groups, the seminal Los Angeles punk band X, during the first performance of a two-night run...

By Michael Roberts

April 16, 2009

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There's nothing better after a long day of governing than getting your punk-rock on, dad! And that's precisely what Denver mayor John Hickenlooper did on Tuesday night, when he introduced one of his favorite groups, the seminal Los Angeles punk band X, during the first performance of a two-night run at the Bluebird Theater. According to an INDenver Times report, the mayor briefly deserted his perch on the steps to the right of the stage during the song "We're Desperate," which features the line, "My whole fucking life is a wreck" -- maybe because of the stir caused by a trailer for a proposed 'Hick' Town series by his cousin, George Hickenlooper, that featured him and an aide dropping F-bombs. But no profanities could prevent him from inviting John Doe, Exene and their cohorts to lunch yesterday, where they dined on take-out from Spicy Basil and shot the... stuff. Eyeball more shots of their get-together after the jump.

Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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