The best concerts to see in Denver this weekend

STRING CHEESE INCIDENT at 1STBANK CENTER | 12/28-12/29, 12/31 String Cheese Incident will be presenting its twentieth-anniversary celebration with various openers during its New Year’s run at 1STBANK Center. The group has Bootsy Collins joining forces on Saturday, December 28, confetti rockers Flaming Lips on Sunday, December 29, and the…

Make some geek resolutions for the coming year

Local blogs stimulate geeky list-making and — potentially — the desire for streetcars. Need some items to add to your to-do list in 2014? Westword’s arts-and-culture geek extraordinaire, Cory Casciato, has some ideas for you. Denver Urbanism looks at how Philadelphia’s streetcars might (or might not) be used to influence…

First Look: Soko Sushi and Sake Bar now open downtown

. Restaurants are hurrying to get in the swim before the end of the year — and that includes Soko Sushi and Sake Bar, now open at 1600 Champa Street. That building is a real culinary melting pot — Cafe Berlin served authentic German food here before shutting down this…

Year in Review: The 2013 Hall of Shame, part one

Every year, we bring you the best examples of the worst behavior we can find from the past 365 days of news stories. And from secessionists to bigoted bakers to Tom Martino and Mother Nature, there was plenty of shame and shmuckery to go around in the 2013 Hall of…

Win tickets to see Brother Ali at the Fox Theatre

Brother Ali is slated to close at the year in Boulder with a two-night stand at the Fox Theatre that kicks off on Monday, December 30, and culminates with a New Year’s Eve performance on Tuesday, December 31. We’ve got tickets to the show on Monday, and would love for…

First Look: Service Bar now pouring next to Lower 48

Service Bar opened this past weekend, a real Christmas gift to diners heading to the brand-new Lower 48 Kitchen, residents of 2020 Lawrence Street and neighbors in downtown, Curtis Park and the Ballpark neighborhood. Here’s Danielle Lirette’s first look at the new space. See also: Lower 48 opens in Ballpark…

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…

True stories from a year we’d like to recall

There are good years and there are bad years — the ones you wish you could have back for a do-over, could simply recall. And 2013 certainly had its share of events that we wish had never happened, from the entire Colorado Rockies season to the weather: the drought that…

The best concerts in Denver this week

YONDER MOUNTAIN STRING BAND at BOULDER THEATER | 12/27/13 Yonder Mountain String Band is a fast-paced act that manages to blow your mind with its excellent technicality while toying with your emotions with heartfelt lyrics. Together the four members work in musical harmony, with animated lead singer and mandolin player…

The best EDM in Denver this weekend

SAT | PURITY RING (DJ SET) at CASSELMAN’S | 12/21/13 A Canadian duo made up of Corin Roddick and Megan James, Purity Ring has made a name for itself with syncopated rhythms and dreamy, pop-oriented soundscapes. James, who designs and stitches the clothes that the pair wear on stage, lays…

The best concerts in Denver this weekend

FRI | ONEREPUBLIC’S DENVER ACOUSTIC CHRISTMAS at OGDEN | 12/20 Over the last few years OneRepublic has made its acoustic Christmas shows an annual event that helps local charities. This year’s show, which also features Gungor, is a benefit for Colorado flood relief. VIP ticket includes ticket to the show,…

Twelve best Thai restaurants in Denver

With the temperatures dropping, Thai food — with all its fresh flavors and heat — is sounding very appetizing. Thai Monkey Club, which Gretchen Kurtz just reviewed, is just one of the exciting new spots that’s joined a line of favorite standbys. Spice junkies often quabble over the spots with…