The eleven best shows in Denver this weekend

Summer was underway. It was. But just in case you were waiting to roll down the windows and put away your sweaters, the Ink Monstr pool party series kicks off on Sunday. There are shows for those of us no interested in thigh exposure as well — Reckless Kelly is…

The ten rules of the mosh pit

By Jack Spencer In my years attending punk and metal shows, often as the only one with a pen and pad in the middle, I’ve noticed that there are a few unwritten rules when participating in a mosh pit. The seemingly amorphous fits of aggression that explode from the center…

Kobe An Shabu Shabu could start swishing this month

It’s been a long haul, but you soon may hear that swish-swish coming from Kobe An Shabu Shabu, the Japanese restaurant that’s transforming the LoHi building at 3400 Osage Street that once held Little Pepina’s. The deal was announced more than a year ago, and although Kobe An didn’t hit…

Photos: The art and people of Fantasia at Rhinoceropolis

Arts commune Rhinoceropolis turned into a wonderland of video, performance, music and art landscapes over the weekend for the two-day Fantasia festival. Fifty years ago they called this sort of thing a “happening,” and photographer Brandon Marshall was there to catch all that happened. Here’s a taste; if you like…

Stop by the Office after a hard day at the office

Restaurant-hungry east Denver is about to get another option: The Office, which Hugh Evans is creating in the 5,000 square foot space that used to house the Denver Rodeo Nightclub. And with any luck, the sports bar/eatery/music venue will start pouring by the start of the World Cup. See also:…

The 14 best concerts in Denver this week: June 9 to June 12

It’s the kind of week where we’ve got fourteen recommendations below and we’ll be spending this introduction talking about the ones we had to leave off: Tech N9ne is in town again/still in town, playing in Colorado Springs. Greater Than Collective’s Social Club at Lannie’s Clocktower has its June installment…

Photos: First Friday on Santa Fe Drive

June means more sunshine, better weather and evening throngs in the streets on First Friday, especially in Denver’s Art District on Santa Fe, where the whole stretch becomes a living art installation — and everyone’s a part of it. Photographer Danielle Lirette was there to document the district-wide street party;…

Name this drink and win two tickets to Do at the Zoo

Come up with the best name for this year’s Do at the Zoo’s specialty drink, and you could win two tickets to the June 19 party, a 25th anniversary celebration featuring food from more than sixty restaurants, live music and a menagerie of cocktails. We’ll drink to that — and…

The twelve best concerts in Denver this weekend

It’s a good one, folks: KS 107.5 FM’s Summer Jam brings hip-hop royalty to Englewood tonight, and most of the people there will probably be capping off their weekends with The Fray at Red Rocks on Sunday. There’s more: Dragondeer, subject of this week’s Backbeat feature, will release its long-awaited…

First Look: Nuggs Ice Cream Parlor

The brothers behind the homegrown Brothers Barbecue chain apparently have a sweet tooth, because they’ve just opened Nuggs Ice Cream Parlor in the South Park Hill neighborhood, at 5135 East Colfax Avenue. The shop features a rotating list of homemade ice cream (the current lineup is posted on the Nuggs…

The ten best summer music festivals in Colorado

A Colorado summer can be short, but there are plenty of ways to make it sweet, especially if you pack it with as many festivals, road trips and patios as possible. We’ve picked out ten music festivals sure to give you the flavor of the state’s musical offerings — everything…

Photos: The new Space Gallery’s grand opening exhibition

Michael Paglia visits Space Gallery in this week’s review, taking in its new architect-designed building on Santa Fe Drive. The opening show fittingly entitled Space Gallery Grand Opening showcases work from every artist associated with Space, including painters and printmakers. Continue reading for photos from Space. See also: Tobias Fike’s…

Maestro Dobel Tequila tasting at Black Crow tonight

Black Crow, the outdoor extension of the Rio Grande in Lodo, is hosting a Maestro Dobel Tequila tasting event from 6 to 8 p.m. tonight — and there are still a few $15 tickets left. Tequila isn’t the only thing you’ll be able to taste; there will also be an…

Westword‘s second annual Comics issue: Meet the winners

For our second annual Comics issue and contest, we asked cartoonists (and would-be cartoonists) to send us comics depicting life in Colorado. The winning entries tackled a variety of subjects, from overcrowding to the nightlife of Colorado’s casino mountain towns. Here, we present the cream of the crop. Having trouble…

Cecil’s Cantina now open in southwest Denver

Jody Johnson has been in the bar business for more than three decades. After owning the Toby Jug in southeast Denver for seven years, he moved to Sedalia and ran the Sedalia Grill for 22 years — but got tired of the winters down there. “Then a friend of a…