Best Denver Pep Squad 2017 | Fed Rez | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Best Denver Pep Squad

Fed Rez

With all the transplants moving to town, there's a growing desire to preserve what it means to be from the metro area. Fed Rez is a rowdy hip-hop act that grew up in Bear Valley and pridefully reps the Northside, where the crew's decades-old family-owned print shop is still thriving amid encroaching development. Proud to be from this once-unknown cowtown, the Feddy promised that "It's all good, 'cuz our hood has got your back" in its 2016 Mile High City anthem "Danver." Fed Rez will always be there for fellow Queen City OGs, repping Denver's once uncool and unassuming corners and 'hoods, from Athmar Park to Green Valley Ranch.

fedrez.com

Best Political Band

Allout Helter

As Americans clamor for political action through art, Allout Helter remains ahead of the curve. The punkish, melodic hardcore band had been around for a while before linking up with lead singer Ross Hostage, who brought a frenetic energy and civics-lesson-minded slant to the band's lyrics. This year the group joined forces with fellow anti-fascist musicians for Punk Against Trump, a protest show that also raised money for the ACLU and Planned Parenthood. Find members of Allout Helter on stage and in the streets, raising fists for the working people and engaging fans in the political process, all while creating catchy rallying cries to inspire a more informed crowd.0x2029

allouthelter.bandcamp.com

Best Women's Hip-Hop Event

Queenz of Hip Hop

Every spring, female dancers, emcees, graffiti artists and DJs from around the country converge in Denver for the annual Queenz of Hip Hop Jam. The event showcases talented female hip-hop artists and encourages young women to pursue their craft in a genre traditionally dominated by men. Among the activities at each year's Jam are the much-anticipated dance battles, which pit contestants against one another in various categories such as "1v1 footwork," "2v2 b-girls" and a "Bonnie and Clyde" battle that matches male and female duos against each other.

queenzofhiphp.com

Best Punk Band to Stick It to Trump

Cheap Perfume

When the feminist punk band Cheap Perfume wrote the song "Trump Roast" prior to last year's election, the group didn't know how relevant it would become. "Dear Don, we've got blood coming out of our wherever," sang Stephanie Byrne and "Jane No," the band's two frontwomen. The track ends with them telling the now-president to "eat a dick and die." That sentiment certainly resonated with the crowd at the Punk Against Trump concert at the Summit Music Hall this year. The band, which also includes David "Hot Dave" Grimm and Geoff Brent, came together in 2015; its members hail from Colorado Springs and Denver. Since the inauguration, Cheap Perfume has continued to speak out about number 45, including railing against his controversial immigration orders. So don't expect Cheap Perfume to lie low: In January, "Jane No" vowed to turn her "disappointment and fear into action."

Best Dance Club

Beta

When Beta opened on Memorial Day 2008 with a show by superstar DJ Danny Tenaglia, it was clear that the mammoth club was destined to be a huge player in Denver's dance scene. Not only has Beta since established itself as the best dance club in town, but the venue was voted one of the 25 Greatest Dance Clubs of All Time by Billboard in 2015, and in 2013 Rolling Stone put it at the top of its Best Dance Clubs in America list. The club's booming Funktion-One system is supreme, and Beta regularly brings in top-notch world-class talent like Paul Oakenfold, Richie Hawtin and Benny Benassi.

Readers' Choice: Beta

Best Karaoke Bar

Voicebox Karaoke

Karaoke has a cult following in Denver, yet before last year there were no venues dedicated solely to the activity, like you'd find all over Tokyo and Seattle's International District. Our karaoke prayers were answered when Voicebox, a swanky club and restaurant with private karaoke rooms for rent by the hour, took over a trendy corner in RiNo last June. The place has blown up in popularity ever since. It has an amazing selection of songs, and you have more time to sing with your friends without all the anxiety that comes with getting in front of a rowdy crowd of karaoke regulars. Voicebox charges about $6 an hour for individuals or $50 an hour for groups (prices go up during peak times).

Readers' Choice: Armida's

Best Latin Club

La Rumba

Courtesy of La Rumba

Since opening two decades ago, La Rumba has been the hottest place in town for salsa dancing: Saturday salsa nights bring live bands to the masses, and some of the city's best salsa DJs spin on Thursdays. Latin Fridays, which include bachata, merengue, reggaetón and more, are another great night to get your dance on. La Rumba also hosts dance classes and occasionally brings in internationally known Latin acts like Joan Soriano and Julieta Venegas.

Best New Club

The Black Box

@JVPhotography11

The building at 314 East 13th Avenue has housed several different venues over the past decade, including Bender's Tavern and Quixote's True Blue, but the place didn't truly start rocking the deep bass until Sub.mission's Nicole Cacciavillano took it over and opened in the fall of 2016 as the Black Box. While the dual-room club, which sports a powerful, state-of-the-art Basscouch sound system, brings in a number of local and national dubstep acts on a regular basis, a variety of EDM artists perform in both rooms throughout the week.

Readers' Choice: The Black Box

Best Rock Club

Larimer Lounge

Jeff Davis

Long before RiNo became the buzzing neighborhood that it is today, the Larimer Lounge was pretty much the only place in the area bringing the rock. And although the neighborhood has exploded in popularity in recent years, the fifteen-year-old club continues to book a steady stream of national acts, some of which (Arcade Fire and Band of Horses, for starters) have gone on to play Red Rocks and other much bigger venues. Although the emphasis at the Larimer is on rock acts — like Reverend Horton Heat, who recently did a five-night stand there — it's also a great place to see a wide-ranging assortment of bands most nights of the week.

Readers' Choice: hi-dive

Best Blues Club

Ziggies

Hailed as Colorado's oldest blues bar, Ziggies has been part of Denver's blues community for more than half a century. On most nights, you'll find stellar talent performing at the venue, whether it's the local or national seasoned veterans who play Thursdays through Saturdays, or up-and-coming players honing their chops at the four different jam sessions that run the other days of the week. There are a handful of places in town that cater to blues acts, but Ziggies should be first on your list.

Readers' Choice: El Chapultepec

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