Nicole Johnson was already a seasoned four-wheeler and champion rock-crawler, so perhaps it wasn’t surprising that after a chance meeting with a monster-truck legend — Dennis Anderson, creator and driver of “Grave Digger” — the Las Vegas native wound up in the driver’s seat of “Scooby Doo,” a 10,000 pound,…
Is it time for “Mustang” to turn its back on Denver? Next Monday, Denver’s most loved — and loathed — piece of public art will mark its fifth birthday. And according to Denver policy, after a piece has been in place for five years, the city will consider requests that…
After staring at the Judgmental Denver map for a good twenty minutes late last Thursday night, I decided to write some thoughts on the neighborhood(s) I call home, and salute the map’s then-unknown creator — who then contacted me. And a few days ago, I called Trent Gillaspie, a technology…
#95 Mona Lucero For two decades, Mona Lucero has been making her mark on the Denver fashion scene with innovative design and a constant stream of new work. A former independent shop owner — her store closed in late 2012 after a ten-year run — the Westword MasterMind puts just…
Blithe Spirit, now showing at the Arvada Center, doesn’t mean anything. It’s not a critique of upper-class society or an evocative exploration of the border between the living and the dead — despite all the ghostly goings-on. Even though Noel Coward wrote the play in 1941 when bombs were dropping…
What do Miami Herald columnists do when they’re bored? They write books, of course, and not necessarily ones that reflect their journalistic oeuvres. Like Carl Hiaasen before him, Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist Dave Barry chooses to spin comic thrillers with plenty of Florida color. But given Barry’s proclivity for being funny,…
As Tod Davies describes it, she’s “been a kazillion things” over the years. From work as a film producer (of Revengers Tragedy and Three Businessmen) to a screenwriter (Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas) to her current role as publisher of the independent press Exterminating Angel, Davies has been involved…
I didn’t have particularly soaring aspirations as a child. I wanted to be a fashion designer or a hair stylist — it was the ’80s, and those careers seemed very glamorous at the time. But I couldn’t draw for shit and when I graduated high school at seventeen, my mom…
As ubiquitous as the bagel, the traditional Jewish folk song “Hava Nagila” is a piece of music that seamlessly crosses cultures. But where did it come from? Hava Nagila, the movie, will provide the answers when the documentary opens the 17th Annual Denver Jewish Film Festival this Wednesday, February 6…
Update: Congratulations to mroth9, j.leaneagh, nicage1125, e.sage2 and kylanl31. You’ve all won tickets to Whiteout! Please check your email for details on how to claim them. Original post: The Whiteout Fashion Show is Westword’s newest signature event, and it’s a big one. On February 7, we’ll take over the McNichols…
#96 Brandi Shigley A relentlessly positive and hardworking jack-of-all-trades, Brandi Shigley has become synonymous with Denver fashion. The local couture guru, musician and small business owner was part of the first class of Westword MasterMinds in 2005, and she recently reactivated her handbag design business as well. Those are just…
The entire world is embarrassed for Manti Te’o right now. The Notre Dame linebacker thought he had a girlfriend, then thought she died of leukemia, and anyone who heard his sad story really bad for Te’o — until word got out that his beloved girlfriend was actually an emotionally disturbed…
Everyone loves a contest, and it’s no different in the world of comedy. The Comedy Works’ Funny Final Four, which has four teams compete for top honors over a period of weeks, is a case in point: It’s so popular it keeps coming back, year after year. See also: -…
Bree Davies lives in what’s called “Little Mexico” according to the Judgmental Denver map, but she thinks the area known as “Loose Chihuahuas” should extend all the way up into her part of the city. And she’d also like to add “Giant Pit Bulls In Dirt Yards With Tiny Fences”…
Not everyone was interested in the Super Bowl yesterday. Asgeir Baldursson, a Colorado College student, “didn’t really care to watch the game, ” he told us. But he did sport a fun rock-and-roll look when he met up with friends at the Denver Pavilions. Continue reading to find out his…
Westword photographer Christopher Morgan stopped by the second First Friday art walk of 2013 and brought back these scenes of the art, the food, the music and the people. Continue reading for a few highlights, and visit our full slide show for more. See also: – Slide show: First Friday…
If we referred to “the weekend’s most exciting sports event,” we couldn’t blame you for assuming we meant the Super Bowl. But we’ve got another entry in that category: the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls’ 2013 season opener. On Saturday, the Doom Daisies took on the Red Ridin’ Hoods at the Fillmore…
How did you spend what might have been the strangest Super Bowl in history? Those of you who are strict fans of the Ravens or the 49ers probably spent it glued to a TV — maybe even one that belongs to a local sports bar, like these two that fed…
My disdain for American football knows no bounds, and I don’t believe in wasting my Sundays watching testosterone-addled meatheads run up and down a field with the hopes of placing a ball. In honor of yesterday’s Super Bowl game — as well as all the attendant hoopla — I created…
One of the key goals of the Denver Jewish Film Festival is to get people outside of the Jewish faith engaged. “For us, getting the word out to the Jewish community is easy; getting the word out to the larger community is more challenging,” says Roberta Bloom, director of the…
Ben Kronberg could be the most successful comic to come out of the Denver comedy scene recently. Crafting Mitch Hedberg- style micro-jokes, delivered with a creepy dead-pan stare, Kronberg has developed a style all his own that’s gaining some national recognition. After showcasing on Comedy Central’s Live at Gotham series,…
#97: Deb Henriksen Deb Henriksen founded her clothing company, Equillibrium, more than a dozen years ago and from the start, she’s focused on creating wearable, sustainable pieces. Her background in environmental consulting combined with a love for snow and skate activities drives her operations with a distinct force that made…
