by Mark Smiley | Aug 23, 2024 | General Featured
by Mark Smiley
Megan McNeil, who reported for the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle before moving to Arizona, has written her first book.
The beautifully written and illustrated “The Silver Lining” is available at Amazon.
Megan McNeil is a former reporter for this publication and since leaving the newspaper, moved to Tucson, Arizona, and became a television reporter for Channel 13 News in Tucson. She left the station in 2022 to pursue her dream of writing books. McNeil graduated with a BA in Electronic Media and a Political Science minor from San Marcos Texas State and shortly thereafter, began her career with the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle. She has fond memories of the start to her career at this publication.
McNeil joined the Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle staff in October 2015 and wrote articles until her 2017 departure including a piece on Tiny Houses in Denver which in 2015, were just starting to become prevalent. “I used to write these horrible stories as a child, but I that’s where my passion for writing started,” said McNeil. “In college it developed into journalistic writing as I became more aware of the world around me.”
McNeil has now written a children’s book for ages 5-10 which came out in May 2024. This 34-page paperback book is beautifully illustrated by Venus Angelica and tells the story about a little cloud with a big decision to make. Which cloud will it be? The cloud sets out on a fun-filled journey across the skies, meeting cloudy characters along the way. Get to know what makes each cloud unique and how to spot them in the sky. Will the little cloud find out what it is meant to be? And what lesson will it learn along the way?
In this “whatever you are be a good one” story, colorful illustrations, and a heartwarming tale make learning fun. This scientific children’s book about clouds is great for kids 5-10 and guided reading for younger children. A pronunciation guide helps young readers with cloud names.
The Silver Lining retails for $12 on Amazon and can be purchased at https://a.co/d/07xuWjIT.
by Valley Gadfly | Jul 18, 2024 | General Featured
by Glen Richardson
Bassist Baier: Frank Baier and his wife Christine host the neighborhood music series on their front lawn, where his band Groove Machine entertains.
Singing With Soul: New singer-soloist at this year’s summer lawn singalongs is Biff Gore, dubbed “The Ambassador of Soul” by LA pop rock band Maroon 5.
As sure as the sun rises and sets, summer graces us with its warm embraces, bringing with it delightful lawn singalongs. None is more charming, nor more quintessentially local, than the sunset serenades of Cory- Merrill neighborhood bassist Frank Baier and his band Groove Machine.
Gems on the lawn providing spirited musical entertainment with a good beat, lots of feeling, plus easy listening singalong lyrics. Like George Gershwin’s Summertime composition for Porgy and Bess, the music has a rhythmical hook and instrumental beat that embodies “Good Vibrations.” Tunes as rhythmic as the Beach Boys’ pop and rock songs, with an edge and a synthesized beat with electric guitar riffs. Neighbors, friends, walkers, bicyclists, music fans, and their dogs flock to the neighborhood to listen-dance to the jam sessions that in recent years have progressively become a ball and blast. They stand, sit on chairs, or stretch out on lawns at homes adjacent, across the street, or nearby to enjoy the sunset concerts.
A top musician, Baier has worked on Broadway shows including Grease, and Jesus Christ Superstar. He has performed with such musical talent as Brook Benton, Hall & Oates, and the Bee Gee’s. He’s also played with the Minneapolis and St Louis Philharmonics, and New York’s finest society orchestras. Each summer Baier and his wife Christine treat the neighborhood to the summer music series on their front lawn.
Top Talent
Lawn Keynoter: Groove Machine’s keyboardist Tim Greenhouse adds depth and color to lawn singalong sunset serenade in the Cory-Merrill neighborhood.
Keyboards add depth and texture to a band’s sound, and Tim Greenhouse is one of Colorado’s best. Sometimes flashy, his work allows the band to add extra layers while often adding some edge. Moreover, he gives the band the opportunity to vary the sound and atmosphere of a song.
Artistic Greenhouse is a Denverite who has played with such stars as Bob Hope. Furthermore, he has participated in Switzerland’s prestigious annual Montreux Jazz Festival that annual draws nearly 250,000 spectators. He has also played with celebrated Colorado-based entertainers Hazel Miller and Lannie Garrett.
Adding captivating sounds and emotional expression to every concert is longtime Groove Machine percussionist Doug Bainbridge. A top musician, he helps maintain the rhythm and adds vibrancy to the music. Bainbridge spent several years playing around the Pacific Rim. He worked for a half-dozen years as a drummer-percussionist on South Korea television before returning to the U.S.
New as singer-soloist at this year’s summer lawn singalongs is Biff Gore, a powerful soul-singer with down home guitar styling. Dubbed “The Ambassador of Soul” by LA pop rock band Maroon 5, the soloist-guitarist adds a feeling of connection that engages the lawn crowd. While providing entertainment and joy to listeners, his performances create bonding, lower stress, improve the mood, while also adding emotion.
Lawn Lineup: Neighbors, friends, walkers, and music fans line up along the sidewalk to enjoy a diverse genre of music at a lawn event that has become a ball and blast.
His rich vocals landed him a spot on the sixth season of NBC’s talent show The Voice, in the spring of 2014. His grueling blues sound moved him to the top eight. During his time on The Voice, Gore realized his desire to share his musical gifts with people, so he returned to Denver. Worship Pastor at the Highline Community Church, he has “The Biff Gore Radio Show” on KLTT-670 AM, where soul meets sound in a symphony of inspirational stories, music, and wisdom.
Harmony & Bonding
The music is rhythmic, warm, lyrical, and melodious. But it’s about more than the music. It’s about moments between people. Families and friends getting together who haven’t seen each other in a year, and picking up a conversation like they’d just seen each other yesterday. It’s about kids enjoying the music with mom and pop. There’s a family feel that you rarely experience.
Concerts are not just an evening of pleasure, but a true immersion into the heart of our communities. From the toe-tapping rhythms of the band, the lawn singalongs are a true sensory feast that beckons both young and old to revel in the joys of summer.
Family-friendly, offering diverse genres of music, they are a great way to enjoy being outside in the evening when temperatures cool off. Sometimes soft, smooth, and gentle, other times rich, loud, and wild, they signal everyone to chill out, and take it day by day. Giving people a sense of freedom, an escape to “let loose” through the means of music. It boosts everyone’s moods and dispositions.
by Mark Smiley | Jun 20, 2024 | General Featured
by Mark Smiley
Kade Ruotolo defends his title against fellow American Mikey Musumeci in ONE 160 at Ball Arena on September 6, 2024.
ONE Championship is the world’s largest martial arts organization, ranking among the world’s top five sports properties for viewership with a cumulative reach of over 400 million fans, according to Nielsen. ONE produces and distributes events across more than 190 countries, featuring martial artists and World Champions from over 80 nations and all styles of martial arts including MMA, Muay Thai, kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and more. ONE can be viewed on many of the largest global free-to-air and digital broadcasters, including Prime Video, Sky Sports, and many others.
Cherry Creek Valley residents can see these athletes compete at Ball Arena on September 6, 2024. ONE 168 will feature many contests in an atmosphere compared to a rock concert.
“We were here [1stBank Center] last May for our first event in the U.S.,” said Rich Franklin, ONE Vice President. “We had such a great event with a sold out crowd and a great reception from the fans, that we decided to return and do two events in the U.S. Denver and Atlanta.”
Franklin became the UFC Middleweight World Champion in 2005 and was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. He became ONE Vice President in 2014, supporting key strategic initiatives for the company.
Some of the key matchups on September 6 include: Mikey Musumeci vs. Kade Ruotolo, and Liam Harrison vs. Seksan. Added to Fight Card, Joining Stamp vs. Xiong Jing Nan, and Jonathan Haggerty vs. Superlek. “I’m excited for this one [Haggerty vs. Superlek],” said Franklin. “Superlek is called the kicking machine. And Jonathan Haggerty is known for his elbows. He can close distance with an elbow like most people could with a long kicking leg. This is going to be a fun one to watch.”
In addition, two contests have been added to the stacked ONE 168 fight card. First, two of the top pound-for-pound grapplers on the planet will collide when ONE Lightweight Submission Grappling World Champion Kade Ruotolo defends his title against fellow American Mikey Musumeci in a must-see matchup. “We do a really good job matching up our submission grappling matches,” said Franklin. “Typically they are really fast paced. I expect this one to be really exciting.”
As the reigning ONE Flyweight Submission Grappling World Champion, Musumeci is looking to become the first two-division submission grappling titleholder in ONE history.
In addition, striking icon Liam Harrison of the United Kingdom will face Thai fan favorite Seksan Or Kwanmuang in a 140-pound catchweight Muay Thai bout. “Seksan is legendary in Tailand,” said Franklin. “His name in Tai translates to the man who yields to no one.”
ONE 168: Denver will also feature ONE Women’s Atomweight MMA World Champion Stamp Fairtex, who will attempt to become a two-division titleholder when she challenges Xiong Jing Nan of China for the ONE Women’s Strawweight MMA World Title. And in a battle between two of the greatest strikers, reigning two-sport ONE World Champion Jonathan Haggerty of the United Kingdom will put his ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title on the line against current ONE Flyweight Kickboxing World Champion Superlek Kiatmoo9.
Stage Front VIP, the exclusive U.S. VIP experience partner of ONE, will continue to provide fans with access through immersive VIP experiences that include premier seating, premium hospitality offerings, athlete meet-and-greets, event collectibles, and more. You can sign up for more information on Stage Front’s VIP packages at stagefrontvip.com/one-denver.
Amazon Prime members can watch these matches live monthly and all 167 matches are archived for those who want to become more familiar with the sport. To learn more or to purchase tickets, visit www.onefc.com/events/one168.
by Mark Smiley | Apr 19, 2024 | General Featured
Tickets For The Wednesday Evening Concert Series In June And July Are On Sale Now
by Mark Smiley
3eatles: The 3eatles perform the music of The Beatles the way it was intended to be heard — live, raucous, high-energy rock n’ roll. They perform at Four Mile Historic Park on June 12 as part of the Swallow Hill Summer Concert Series.
Swallow Hill Music returns to Four Mile Historic Park this summer with a concert series featuring tribute acts celebrating some of music’s most beloved artists.
Whether it is the classic rock sounds of The Beatles and the Grateful Dead, pop classics from Judy Garland, or the unmistakable hip-hop of the Beastie Boys, this summer’s lineup of tribute artists has a little something for everyone.
Music lovers are encouraged to pack a picnic dinner and spread out on the lawn to take in a night of music and memory-making in a family-friendly environment. Outside food and non-alcoholic drinks and coolers will be allowed, but outside alcohol is not permitted. An onsite bar will be available.
For more than two decades, Swallow Hill has filled the summer evenings with music at Four Mile Historic Park. Get your friends together and join us!
The Wednesday night concerts begin at 6:30 p.m., with Four Mile Historic Park opening at 5:30 p.m. Four Mile Historic Park is located at 715 S Forest Street in Denver. Tickets are $20 general admission ($15 for Swallow Hill Members, $10 for kids 4-12, children 3 and under are free). Visit www.swallowhillmusic.org/four-mile for more information or to purchase tickets.
Get the full lineup and complete details below.
June 5 — Traveling Wilburys Revue – Tribute to Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, and more
June 12 — Starwood – Tribute to John Denver
June 19 — 3eatles – Tribute to The Beatles
June 26 — GET HAPPY! Celebrating 100 Years of Judy Garland
July 3 — Sabotage – Tribute to the Beastie Boys
July 10 — Sugar Britches – Tribute to John Prine
July 17 — Shakedown Street – Tribute to the Grateful Dead
Founded in 1979, Swallow Hill Music is a Denver-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to build community through music performance, education, and outreach. SHM is a music school and performance venue that also produces community events throughout the Denver metro region. It is an SCFD Tier II organization with a $5 million annual budget. SHM is a nationally revered hub for concerts, classes, and community events. It is also a recipient of both the Mayor’s and the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts, and an inductee of the Colorado Music Hall of Fame and Folk Alliance International’s Business Lifetime Achievement awards. For more information visit www.swallowhillmusic.org
by Mark Smiley | Mar 4, 2024 | General Featured
By Mark Smiley
Photo by Olivier Brajon
Since 2017, CRYSTAL has performed in front of more than 1.9 million people in over 135 cities worldwide, blending the art of skating with adrenaline-inducing acrobatics and aerial feats. In total, the show spans two and a half hours with an intermission.
“CRYSTAL really pushes the boundaries of possibility within the circus arts. The show highlights Cirque du Soleil’s creativity in a new way and encourages audiences to find the magic of the everyday,” says Robert Tannion, Artistic Director, CRYSTAL. “Every time you watch, there’s something new to see and experience. It’s a magical story that springs to life on the ice and we can’t wait to bring it to Denver for the first time.”
Created by Shana Carroll and Sebastien Soldevila, CRYSTAL takes audiences on a journey of self-discovery. Dive into a world of playful imagination with the show’s protagonist, Crystal, as she learns to see things differently and become whom she was always destined to be: herself.
“The show is about a girl named Crystal who has a breakthrough experience where she sees her life in a different way,” said Crystal Manich, Cirque Crystal’s Artistic Director. “Before she has this experience we see how she struggles to fit in both at home and at school. She is a bit of an outcast. The show is about her journey of self-discovery and finding her voice and becoming a creative force in her own life realizing that she has things to do in order to grow.”
The show features a mixture of acrobats and ice skaters which is rare. In fact, it is the 42nd cirque creation and the company’s very first acrobatic experience on ice. This show features seven traditional circus acts, including trapeze, hand-to-hand, Banquine, aerial straps, hand-to-trapeze, juggling, and hand balancing – all adapted to be performed on ice. CRYSTAL is the first Cirque du Soleil production that uses real snow – the team makes approximately 300 snowballs each week.
“The response has been really great because we have all of the elements of a perfect Cirque du Soleil show but the ice does add an extra element of awe,” said Manich. “You’ll see everything you would expect to see in a Cirque du Soleil show and some surprises because of the uniqueness of the show itself.”
This type is show presents challenges not seen with a typical Cirque du Soleil show. Every arena has different ice and some performers say certain ice may be too soft or too hard in a particular venue.
“What people should expect is to have a great time and to see some of the world’s best performers on the ice in a unique way coming together with these various disciplines,” said Manich. “I think this is a special show.”
CRYSTAL Performance Schedule at Ball Arena:
Wednesday, March 13, 2024 – 7 p.m.
Thursday, March 14, 2024 – 7 p.m.
Friday, March 15, 2024 – 7 p.m.
Saturday, March 16, 2024 – 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m., & 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, March 17, 2024 – 12 p.m.
Tickets for Crystal are now available online at www.cirquedusoleil.com/crystal.
Photos : Matt Baker & Olivier Brajon
by Jessica Hughes | Feb 19, 2024 | General Featured
by Jessica Hughes
Green Dot Coalition was awarded a grant of $10,000 through the RiNo Art District Social Impact Grants program.
2024 is shaping up to be a good year for the latest recipients of the RiNo Art District’s Social Impact Grants, which recently awarded an amount of $75,000 — the program’s largest amount to date.
While most people know the RiNo Art District for its extensive collection of mural art and the newest annual art festival, Denver Walls, the district also plays a big role in supporting its local artists, businesses, and community through the RiNo Business Improvement District (BID).
The Social Impact Grant program first became available to local organizations in Five Points, Globeville, Elyria-Swansea, and Cole in 2020 after the murder of George Floyd. “We wanted to do something more impactful and to allocate money to organizations doing the hard work in the community,” says Alye Sharp, Deputy Director for RiNo Art District.
Curecanti Spur, mural by Lindz and Lamb at CSU Spur Campus Denver, CO.
To date, the organization has awarded a total of $225,000. The RiNo BID has additionally committed to increasing funding for the Social Impact Grants program every year.
“There were so many incredible organizations nominated this year addressing everything from social justice and food scarcity, to homelessness and youth arts education,” said Sharp. “We are so appreciative of the review committee’s passion for identifying and advocating for these organizations and appreciate our BID’s commitment to directing RiNo’s collective resources towards this important work in our community.”
Among the recipients of this grant are CIRCLE, EGS + Partners, Green Dot, Mo Betta, The People’s Pickle, and Youth Empowerment Broadcasting Organization (YEBO Media), who will each receive $10,000 to support community members in the five historic neighborhoods. Birdseed Collective will receive $15,000 to support their mission of educating and empowering disadvantaged and under-resourced individuals throughout the Denver area through food delivery, environmental equity work, youth-focused projects and events, art accessibility, work with immigrant communities, and more.
Green Dot Coalition is an equity-focused placemaking organization working to translate community vision into green spaces, practices, and policies.
With the goal of placing equity at the center of grant-making decisions, recipients are nominated by a diverse committee of local community members, this year led by Denver City Council District 9 Councilman Darrell Watson.
“RiNo’s Social Impact Grants allow us to amplify and celebrate the extraordinary work taking place every day in our District to address some of our most pressing social issues,” said Councilman Watson. “These grants are an investment in a city that works for everyone, and I’m excited to see how the selected organizations leverage their funds in service of their neighborhoods and their communities.”
Sharp also emphasized that they wanted this grant program to be an easy process for everyone to apply. “It was important that this money be unrestricted. Being able to directly write a check for the recipients is super important.”
Founded by the local artists Tracy Weil and Jill Hadley-Hooper, the RiNo Art District, a 501(c)(6) nonprofit arts organization, was created to help foster a thriving, welcoming, and creative community of artists, residents, and businesses.
As the area’s growth has surged over the years, so did the art district. “Big shifts happened in 2014 when the community came together and wanted to retain some of that creative control of how the district improved,” says Sharp.
Today, the district overlays five historical neighborhoods: Globeville, Elyria, Swansea, Five Points, and Cole. Over the last decade, RiNo Art District has helped form both a Business Improvement District (BID) and General Improvement District (GID) and a community arts educational nonprofit (Keep RiNo Wild) to support the local community.
“It’s a collaborative community of small businesses including galleries and studios, plus an incredible amount of public art,” says Sharp. “There are quite a few working artists in the district with studio space and galleries. It is a place that art is being made every day.”
“We extend our deep gratitude to the RiNo Art District for their generous support to EGS & Partners,” said Sandra Ruiz Parrilla, CEO of EGS & Partners. “This fund will not only strengthen our mission to improve our neighborhoods and offer vital mental health art therapy programs, but will also allow us to grow and get even closer to the community, effectively engaging residents in Elyria-Swansea and Globeville neighborhoods. Together, we will move forward toward promoting environmental and social justice, promoting health, and building a stronger, healthier community. Thank you for being a valued partner in our shared mission!”
To learn more, visit the RiNo Art District at rinoartistrict.org.
Photos provided by: RiNo Art District
