The Nine Best Shows in Colorado This Weekend

Friday, February 27 Itchy-O $10/$15 8:00 p.m. Gothic TheatreIt is impossible to ignore Itchy-O. At full capacity, the band comprises 32 members, all dressed in matching costumes, all masked, delivering truly alien vocals and playing marching-band instruments along with guitars, basses, taiko drums and electronics attached to portable amplifiers. There…

DJ Cavem Going Green at Local Food Summit

The Mile High Business Alliance is hosting the third annual Local Food Summit March 2 and 3 at Johnson & Wales University. More than fifty area organizations have signed on to participate in the event, which will provide an opportunity for farmers, chefs, distributors, government officials, landowners, food advocates and…

Podcast: Winners, Awkward Moments, and Losers from the 2015 Oscars

There was an awkward moment between Fifty Shades of Grey star Dakota Johnson and her mom, Melanie Griffith, on the red carpet before the Oscars on Sunday. But the world got to see Johnson’s impressive talent for pretending uncomfortable situations don’t seem to bother her (see also: Fifty Shades of…

Opening Chef Lance Barto Let Go From Brazen

When Gretchen Kurtz reviewed Brazen in January, she was wowed by the  West Highland eatery’s chef counter and the “unpretentious, seasonally inspired” dishes of chef Lance Barto. Not only did we include Brazen in our list of the Fifteen Best New Restaurants in Denver for 2014, but the restaurant also…

Stoic & Genuine, Linger Extend Restaurant Week Deal to Lunch

Restaurants participating in Denver Restaurant Week just made it through the first weekend of the ten-day stretch of $30 deals that kicked off on Friday. And even with the blast of winter weather, some spots received more reservation requests than they could handle. Since it wouldn’t be practical to add…

Reader: Mercantile Dining & Provision Blows Me Away

Alex Seidel worked on his concept for Mercantile Dining & Provision for three years before he finally opening the combination restaurant/market/bar in the renovated Union Station in September. Gretchen Kurtz just reviewed Mercantile, and says it’s a definite winner. Seidel’s new place is three times as big as Fruition, the…

Piece, Love & Chocolate Hit by Cease-and-Desist Order

Sarah Amorese fell in love with chocolate when she lived in Amsterdam. “My boss used to bring Belgian chocolates back to the office,” she told us. “And my husband — boyfriend at the time — and I did a lot of business trips through Europe. We used to visit every…

Hot Dog!: A Second Helping of Westword Food & Drink, February 16-20

OPENING THIS WEEK* Avery Brewing Company Restaurant and Tap Room, 4910 Nautilus Court, Boulder Balageru Restaurant & Bar, 5707 East Colfax Avenue Gathering Grounds Cafe & Board Games, 8923 East Union Avenue, Greenwood Village Goldspot Brewing (Saturday), 4970 Lowell Boulevard NOLA Voodoo Tavern and Perks, 2231 Bruce Randolph Avenue Organic Sandwich…

No Happy Ending for David Warmack’s Scheme to Review Massage Parlors

Not every Schmuck of the Week is a moron, as David Warmack demonstrates. According to federal investigators, Warmack came up with a clever scheme to “review” massage parlors on a now-defunct website dubbed SoWet.com — and his payments allegedly included cash as well as “services” from the women who worked…

The Ten Best Concerts in Denver This Weekend

We’re celebrating all that makes Denver’s art scene this weekend with Artopia. Other great shows this weekend include the second night of the Dirty Few’s release show at the hi-dive, Motion City Soundtrack at the Gothic and more.  The rest of our picks follow.  Nicholas Payton Trio When: Thu., Feb. 19…

Artopia 2015: Andrew Brislin Explains His Video “Paintings”

Artopia, Westword’s annual celebration of art, culture and fashion, returns to City Hall on February 21. In addition to plenty of visual artists and the Whiteout fashion show, the event will feature some highlights from Colorado’s music scene — this year, over a dozen groups and artists will perform on four stages. Tickets…

Artopia Designer Deedee Vicory on the Magic of Vintage

Artopia, Westword’s celebration of the arts, will return to City Hall on Saturday, February 21. In addition to cutting-edge art and live music (and yes, food and drinks), the evening’s events will include Whiteout, our annual fashion show that’s returned to the mix. Watch the video above to see what…

Reader: Denver Restaurant Week Isn’t the Time to Try a Restaurant

The annual eating orgy that is Denver Restaurant Week starts tomorrow, with hundreds of area restaurants will be offering special, $30 dinner deals through March 1. Reservations are going fast, but don’t count on this reader to grab one: Says Alexa:  Who cares? Most restaurants don’t even use their own…

DJ J’Adore on Artopia and Why We’re Lucky to Be in Denver

Artopia, Westword’s annual celebration of art, culture and fashion, returns to City Hall on February 21. In addition to plenty of visual artists and the Whiteout fashion show, the event will feature some highlights from Colorado’s music scene — this year, over a dozen groups and artists will perform on four stages…

Photos: Playing It Cool at Loveland’s Fire and Ice Festival

Loveland residents headed into the Sweetheart City’s streets this past weekend to celebrate Valentine’s Day with a blast of winter fun at the Fire and Ice Festival, an outdoor hoedown with ice sculptors, a heavy-duty snow-vehicle show, carriage rides, live music, marshmallow roasting and, to top it all off, a…