The best shows in Denver this weekend

SAT | ARTOPIA at SOCO CLUBS | 2/22/14 Artopia is always a blast, and this year’s lineup includes a cornucopia of producers and bands handpicked from the local scene, including Shady Elders, Confluence, FaceMan, Colfax Speed Queen, the Outfit, the Royal, Pruitt, Mikey Thunder, Decadon, Lotus Drops, Pan Astral and…

Photos: Chocolate and Beer pairing at Wit’s End

Wit’s End Brewery celebrated Valentine’s Day this by pairing the holiday’s most iconic food, chocolate, with one of Denver’s big loves: craft beer. Our photographer Danielle Lirette was at the Chocolate and Beer pairing to capture this sweet, sweet event. See also: Beer dinners, beer festivals and a visit from…

Photos: Nerd Prom with Bop Skizzum

For the act’s last show, local fixture Bop Skizzum decided to go all out at the Nerd Prom. Great music, thick-rimmed glasses and bow-ties filled the Gothic Theatre for the band’s farewell show, and Ken Hamblin was there to catch the action. Keep reading for a peek at the prom…..

The best concerts in Denver this week

TUES | MANOWAR at OGDEN THEATRE | 2/18/14 Manowar is powered by lyrics crowned in fantasy-flamed swords, armor, and everything having to do with metal warfare clashing into Norse mythology. Eric Adams’s powerful vocals are steeped in wordy wizardry that really drives home the aggressive themes. “Man o’ War” was…

Photos: Masters of the Brewniverse was rowdy fun

The Wynkoop Brewing Company presented its inaugural Masters of the Brewniverse Beer Festival and Brewery Pageant on Thursday night at the Oriental Theater. Guests got to sample lots of beer from more than fourteen breweries while watching reps and brewers from each brewery compete on stage for the crowning title…

Photos: The forecast is chile at Chubby’s on West 38th

When Mayor Michael Hancock’s office announced that it would be sending green chile from the Original Chubby’s, as well as other local Mexican restaurants, to the mayor of Seattle to pay off a Super Bowl bet, we were concerned: Did the mayor mean the original Chubby’s, the restaurant on West…

Photos: Trader Joe’s finally opens in Denver

Lines formed hours before the doors opened this morning, but Denver has been waiting much longer for Trader Joe’s, the famous West Coast grocery store chain, to arrive in Denver. And today, three stories opened simultaneously in the metro area — one in Boulder, one in Greenwood Village, and one…

Morrissey at Ellie Caulkins Opera House May 17

After teasing Denver with a couple of dates that were eventually scrapped altogether due to health issues on his part, Morrissey is finally slated to make his way to the Mile High City for what will surely be a highly anticipated show at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House on Saturday,…

The best concerts in Denver this weekend

FRI & SAT | DEVOTCHKA at MERCURY CAFE | 2/14-2/15 DeVotchKa is for lovers. So is Valentine’s Day. An absolutely ideal pairing, the two have been making beautiful music together for years, and the former is celebrating the latter with a three-day run, the second night of which is slated…

Photos: Lola reveals its new look after a fast facelift

Lola has been open for a decade — three years in its original home on South Pearl Street (which is now becoming Tavern Platt Park), and almost seven in LoHi, where it was one of the first new restaurants to venture into what’s now one of the hottest dining destinations…

What we’re all listening to right now

Music is life — or at least it is for us. When we’re not writing about it, we’re thinking about it, talking about it or listening to it. These are the things that were in heavy rotation for us this week. What are you listening to? What should we be…

Come to #Artopia14 this Saturday

Every year, Westword gathers our favorite painters, sculptors, performers, musicians and more from around Denver for Artopia, a celebration of all that’s good in Denver’s art world. This year, the celebration is taking over five venues along Broadway. See also: Artopia 2013…