Fan Appetite For Live, In The Flesh Performances Have Valley Venues, Events Big And Small Quickly Reemerging
by Glen Richardson
When Denver and the state said goodbye to capacity limits and distancing requirements last month, artists, industry professionals, and anxious fans quickly started turning the page. The decision — the most momentous yet since the pandemic hit — has live gigs returning to outdoor/indoor culture and music venues large and small. Moreover, theatre and concert dates that were canceled in 2020 are being flipped to 2021.
There are, of course, still parameters: Indoor events of more than 500 people still must get approval. Outdoor seated and ticketed events in spaces 30,000-sq.-ft. or greater must also get approval to increase their capacity.
The biggest pay off as live performances commence again is to see the joy actors and musicians feel getting back in theatres and concert halls. It’s equally exciting to see the audience reaction as they finally get to attend and witness live shows again. After a year-plus of shutdowns, the opening-up of capacity limits contains seeds of optimism for a bright summer of entertainment. Setbacks, of course, are still possible. Even if everything goes well, it will likely be next year before the live experience gets fully back to normal.
Here’s what’s been announced in the early days since capacity limits and distancing requirements were nixed by the city and state officials:
Theatre
Creek’s Act Is Back: After 500 days without a live performance, Cherry Creek Theatre is reopening with Tenderly Aug. 6-29. Susie Snodgrass is shown in photo welcoming patrons to the last live show in Jan.-Feb. 2020.
Cherry Creek Theatre — After more than 500 days without a live performance, Cherry Creek Theatre is reopening in the 400-seat Elaine Wolf Theatre in the JCC Community Center. Tenderly, the Rosemary Clooney musical, is the company’s 11th season opener Aug. 6-29. Told through her signature songs, the two-person musical takes audiences beyond the public persona limelight with an intimate look at her personal life from the Appalachian roots to Hollywood stardom. Cherry Creek Theatre’s previously announced titles, Steel Magnolias and Jest a Second run in the Wolf Oct. 1-24 and Oct. 29-Nov. 21. Information: 303-316-6360.
Buell Theatre — When Covid hit last year the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) canceled or postponed all of its theatrical productions, including locally produced and touring Broadway shows. Prior to the latest announcement, DCPA had disclosed the resumption of indoor, in-person productions starting with Disney’s The Lion King, Dec. 2-Jan. 2. The Tony winning show is known as much for its music and moving story as it is for its artful costumes, puppetry and choreography. Hamilton is set to follow The Lion King Feb. 22-March 27, 2022. My Fair Lady, 1776, Mean Girls, and Ain’t Too Proud initially announced for this fall were postponed until 2022. With restrictions being lifted in other major cities, it is conceivable, but doubtful, that one or more shows could be brought back this fall. Information: 720-865-4220.
Arvada Center — As lights come up and the curtain rises again, the Arvada Center is opening the 2021 season with I Do! I Do!, Sept. 10-Oct. 10. The two-person musical is a touching story that follows the sweet and sour moments of 50 years of love and marriage. Information: 720-898-7200.
Outdoor Concerts
Live Concerts Return: Swallow Hill Music is bringing the Shady Grove Picnic Series back to Four Mile Historic Park on Thursday evenings June 3 through Aug. 26, 6:30 p.m. Hal Aqua & The Lost Tribe kick off the series on June 3.5
Shady Grove Picnic Series — Shuttered last summer, Swallow Hill Music has announced it is bringing the Shady Grove Picnic Series back to Four Mile Historic Park on Thursday evenings starting June 3 and ongoing through Aug. 26, 6:30 p.m. Hal Aqua & The Lost Tribe kick off the series on June 3, followed by Dakota Blonde on June 10. Cary Morin & Ghost Dog entertain on June 17, followed by Extra Gold June 24. Information: 303-777-1003.
DCPA Galleria & Sculpture Park — A series of open-air, outdoor cabaret concerts are coming to the Galleria and Sculpture Park beginning with an Evening of Jazz with Sheryl McCallum June 5 at 3 p.m. and again at 5:30 p.m. The Colorado Symphony follows with a series of outdoor chamber music concerts under the glass in the complex, June 17-20, 6 p.m. Information: 720-865-4220.
Music In The Gardens: Evenings al Fresco is returning to the Denver Botanic Gardens on select Mon.-Wed. June 7-Aug. 4, 4:30-8:30 p.m. Attendees can stroll the grounds during the event. Photo: Scott Dressel-Martin
Denver Botanic Gardens — The Garden’s Summer Concert Series was canceled earlier this year. Produced in partnership with Swallow Hill Music, some shows may possibly return. Swallow Hill and York Street, however, are bringing back Evenings al Fresco on select Mon.-Weds. from June 7 to Aug. 4, 4:30-8:30 p.m. The season opens with Matt Skellenger and his jazz group. Information: 720-865-3500.
City Park Jazz — The nine free Sunday concerts at Denver’s City Park Pavilion are returning June 13-Aug. 8, 6-8 p.m. except the Brass Band Extravaganza June 20, 5-8 p.m. Highlight event is a Denver Jazz Heritage Celebration featuring the El Chapultepec All Stars, July 25. The event is also celebrating the life of Denver jazz legend Freddy Rodriguez Sr. who died of Covid. His son, Freddy Jr., will play at the show.
Jive In The Park: The nine day free Jazz in City Park concerts return June 13-Aug. 8. Highpoint is the Denver Jazz Heritage Celebration featuring the El Chapultepec All Stars (pictured) on July 25.
Red Rocks Amphitheatre — The storied U.S. venue sat empty most of last year, but is likely to lead Denver’s live music comeback with rapid additions of shows. It had already opened to 2,500 people per show in March. Top upcoming shows include Big Head Todd & the Monsters June 12-13 and Chicago on June 17. Two Days of Reggae on the Rocks returns Aug. 21-22. Information: 720-865-2494;
Levitt Pavilion — The Ruby Hill Park venue kicked off the season in May announcing 10 free concerts through Sept. 18. With capacity lifted, however, look for the site to add paid concerts as early as July 4. Information: 303-578-0488.
Indoor Concerts
She’s Got Rhythm: Heidi Schmidt sings with the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra performing at the Lakewood Culture Center June 6. Photo: Elijah Patchen
Swallow Hill Music — Swallow Hill has announced it is launching eight concerts in Daniels Hall. Performances begin with Tony Trischka on Sept. 10, Carrie Newcomer Sept. 11, followed by the Sons of the Pioneers on Sept. 25. Announcement of added shows likely will come quickly. Information: 303-777-1003.
Mission Ballroom — Like other indoor venues, the Ballroom has been booking events for months. But expect capacity crowds in the 4,000 seat building on July 4 when Zeds Dead has been booked, followed by Primus on stage July 30. Information: 720-577-6884.
Lakewood Culture Center — Look for in-person crowds of blues-jazz lovers to fill the theatre as the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra is booked to perform the best of Count Basie and other renowned jazz artists June 6, 2 p.m. Information: 303-987-7845.
Arapaho Philharmonic — Proof there’s light at the end of the tunnel for live performances, the Philharmonic plays American Masters Old & New at the First Church of the Nazarene on E. Hampden Ave. June 11, 7:30 p.m. The evening of music pairs Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring Suite with works by modern composers. Information: 303-781-1802.
“Rather than turning the page, it’s much easier to just throw the book away.” — Anthony Liccione
by Luke Schmaltz
Sometimes, the greener grass on the other side of the fence is attainable — as long as you’re willing to go 199 miles south (three hours and three minutes by car) to get there. Trinidad, Colorado, is a former mining town with three-or-so centuries of history, a patchwork topography of dilapidation and new development and a lot of potential.
As Denver’s metropolitan growing pains metastasize into cosmopolitan cancers, a few longtime advocates and sworn spouses of the Mile High City are doing the unthinkable — they are eyeing new climes in hopes for a fresh beginning. Once upon a not-too-distant past, Denver was the best kept secret of the Mountain West region. Soon, however, it became a blaring advertisement, then an oversaturated trend, and is now a hyper-capitalized, ultra-modern, less-remarkable version of its former self.
While recent transplants are none the wiser, longtime residents pine for the old times. The days of one-of-a-kind, mom-and-pop joints and relatively safe neighborhoods where you could find a spot to park your car in front of your affordably-priced place to live.
While Trinidad has been patiently waiting like a distressed maiden on the side of the freeway, its rescue had to occur in stronger gestures than just well-meaning sentiments. Those have finally arrived in the strongest form of statement possible: commerce. Movers and shakers not only from Denver but surrounding areas are pouring their assets and creative juices alike into redeveloping a once-thriving metropolis in the effort to contribute to a newly-emerging urban economy.
The Broadway Cabal
Jim Norris and Matt Meygasi of Mutiny Information Cafe are set to open a second location in Trinidad, Colorado.
Jim Norris and Matt Meygasi, co-owners of Mutiny Information Cafe, often look out of their shop’s front window across Broadway at their music venue neighbors, The Hi-Dive. The latter is owned by Curt Wallach and Suzanne Magnuson and has seen South Broadway fluctuate from a booming stretch of business development to its current state of shuttered, Covid-19-induced squalor. The latest commonality between the two teams is not that they share property in an embattled district of Denver, but that they are expanding operations into the untapped and exponentially promising town of Trinidad.
Norris and Meygasi will soon be opening a second location of the locally beloved and internationally infamous Mutiny Information Cafe. Meanwhile, Wallach and Magnuson will be opening a second bar/ music venue in the currently fallow Trinidad Lounge. Wallach and Magnuson have partnered with Denver trailblazer Kayvan Khalatbari as 50/50 owners of the bar and adjacent retail space. Mutiny Information Cafe will be their first tenants.
These migrating enterprises are a testament to the scrappy, independent, forward-thinking character of many Denver DIY businesses, which are disappearing at an alarming rate due to Covid-19 restrictions and the hyper-capitalization that is synonymous with gentrification. In addition to running unique businesses vital to the personality of South Broadway, the proprietors of Mutiny and Hi-Dive possess healthy doses of hope and the desire to work hard to create a better future.
Thus far, the town of Trinidad at large is welcoming new businesses with open arms. Mayor Phil Rico explains, “We are trying to improve our economy and become more diversified. People who want to move down here and open businesses — they are welcome to it. New businesses will boost our local economy and hopefully give residents who are already here some other options that may not be available right now.”
New Beginnings
Kayvan Khalatbari is a Denver business innovator who is expanding his progressive ideas to an untapped market.
Kayvan Khalatbari is a well-known Denver figure in many circles, primarily those of business, art and politics. The former mayoral candidate continues to blaze an entrepreneurial trail across the city, providing jobs, opportunities and outreach. His various ventures include (or have included) a beloved chain of dine-in/takeout joints known as Sexy Pizza, a cannabis dispensary, a consulting business, the widely-revered Sexpot Comedy collective, and more. After years of grassroots community building that was relentlessly countered by an unchecked, city-wide thirst for corporatization, Khalatbari’s gaze began to scan the landscape in search of more fertile grounds for his enterprises.
When asked about the primary drivers that swayed him to expand into Trinidad, Khalatbari explains, “I have trouble sleeping and breathing in Denver, the traffic, and frankly — the number and the type of people that have moved to Denver recently. It’s a lot of folks who seem really excited about the party aspect of Denver while not offering anything to the community, not offering back anything of substance.”
As a front-seat witness to gentrification, Khalatbari pulls no punches. “I’ve seen a lot of things I really enjoyed about Denver fall by the wayside [such as ] music venues, restaurants, and friends moving away. When I’m in Denver, even before the pandemic, I largely just stayed at home and had friends over. There’s nothing unique about it anymore. It’s pretty much in line with other major cities in terms of the types of places it has to hang out in and the types of people you’ll encounter. That’s what’s unique about Trinidad. I think, in a lot of ways, it’s more diverse than Denver.”
Khalatbari clarifies that he is in no way dismissing the city that has been so good to him and is quick to recognize Denver’s enduring merits. “I don’t want to make it sound like I despise Denver. I still love Denver; it has given me everything professionally that I could have ever asked for. I still live there most of the time, my girls still go to school there, I still have businesses there … but it’s just run its course and as I get older it makes sense for me to plant roots in a place that’s a little more long term, you know, for my mentality and my sanity.”
Moving forward, Khalatbari has purchased several properties in Trinidad that require varying degrees of remodeling, repair and TLC. Among these are The First Baptist Church, a large retail space in the downtown area, the Trinidad Lounge, an historic train depot, and a residential property. The local community is tight-knit and includes families and business interests that have been established in the area for generations.
Natural wariness of strangers aside, Khalatbari explains that the reception of himself and other outsiders looking to contribute to Trinidad’s development and revitalization has been overwhelmingly positive. “In the eight months I’ve been here, I’ve had conversations with probably half the city council, and I’ve met with tons of people across the city and for the most part everyone has been very supportive. I’ve been overwhelmed with the people in this town supporting wherever they can, wanting to collaborate, wanting to do good things, to feel the energy — it’s pretty palpable around here I’d say.”
Khalatbari underscores the importance of working with the Trinidad community and other outside investors so that, moving forward, the city as a whole can avoid becoming just another hyper-capitalized, unattainable swath of Colorado gentrification. “There’s a genuine fear of this becoming another inaccessible place in Colorado. One of the reasons I moved here is to see this town that has so much potential, but hasn’t had the investments, come to life while avoiding that sort of an outcome. I work a lot with worker cooperatives and employee-owned businesses. It is capitalism, sure, but it’s the shared economy capitalism. My pizzerias are employee-owned, and I would love to see that kind of model take hold in a place like this.
Wally’s World
Trinidad, Colorado is a city of 9,000 people, most of whom are ready to embrace redevelopment.
Wally Wallace is the Economic Development Director for the City of Trinidad. What the city planners may not have known when they hired him is that he’s also got a creative streak that makes him a seriously valuable asset to the city’s future. A comedian and a musician, among other pursuits, Wallace’s excitement about the city is infectious. He has a litany of proposed events queued up for consideration including Spaghetti and Western festival (an homage to the city’s Italian population), comedy events, themed bicycle rides and a weed-picking enthusiasts’ initiative to rid the town of goat heads.
He mentions Fisher’s Peak State Park — the recently-opened massive open space project that is now the second largest state park in Colorado. “They are projecting that this could potentially bring in up to $15 million into this community per year,” Wallace explains. “We are working on an interstate trail system where people will be able to hike and bike back and forth between Colorado and New Mexico.”
Wallace is responsible for introducing Khalatbari to Trinidad and explains how another Denver innovator — Dana Craw-ford — is making waves locally as well. Crawford is famous for the renowned and highly successful remodeling of Larimer Square and Union Station in Denver. She is currently spearheading the $18M remodel of the Fox Theater in Trinidad, which is a near-exact small-scale replica of NYC’s Carnegie Hall.
Send In The Skilled Tradespeople
The Downtown Trinidad Development Group welcomes Denver businesses and skilled tradespeople alike.
Meanwhile, across town, Karl Gabrielson, the director of the Downtown Trinidad Development Group is looking at the big picture. Similar to Mayor Rico, Khalatbari, and Wallace, he acknowledges the concern that updating the city might erase its small-town feel. “We are a long way from there,” he explains. “We are still in the early stages of redevelopment, but the conversation has begun.” He explains. “Trinidad has been boom and bust over and over again and we need to look at long-term sustainability — to develop a business environment that can level out those ups and downs.”
Between an investment group from NOLA planning to build a boutique hotel and Phil Long Ford Dealership owner Jay Cimino sinking millions into the revitalization effort, it has also become apparent that Trinidad needs housing and tradespeople in order to sustain the effort and provide for new arrivals. By and large, Gabrielson is optimistic, saying “Overall, it’s a great time to experience Trinidad. It’s been overlooked for a long, long time.”
“The number one rule of thieves is that nothing is too small to steal.” – Jimmy Breslin
by Luke Schmaltz
A large number of Denver residents are sitting on top of a hidden treasure and they don’t even know it.
Below the interior cabs of all modern cars, along the vehicle’s undercarriage parallel to the driveshaft, sits the exhaust system in a series of pipes, gaskets and couplings. Within this assembly, for all cars made after 1975, is a catalytic converter — a filter which transforms harmful exhaust compounds (hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxide and carbon monoxide) into inert gases.
This piece of automotive technology contains semi-precious metals which are crucial to the catalyzing process. These include palladium, rhodium and platinum — rare metals that are sought after and valued on par with gold. It is no secret to enterprising thieves that these components can fetch between $150 and $300 per unit from scrap yards and chop shops — and sometimes even more.
Amid the economic hardship of the past year, the risk-to-reward ratio of catalytic converter theft is attractive enough for someone with a few tools and nothing to lose to take action. Anyone with enough nerve and a bit of know-how can simply crawl beneath a car in the middle of the night and start hacking away. Vulnerable cars are everywhere — parked
Theft On The Rise: Catalytic converter theft is up 1600% in the Denver area from 2019.
on the street, in parking garages, strip malls and driveways. As jobs disappear, pandemic relief runs out, and perhaps a bad case of cabin-fever boredom takes hold — car part pirates set out to find their livelihood amid a vast urban landscape abundant with low-hanging fruit.
The number of thefts across Denver is on the rise like the temperature gauge on an overheating vehicle. In 2019, a total of just 15 were reported, while in 2020, the cases jumped up to a staggering 257. Meanwhile, 2021 is on par to leave that number in the dust, as 108 cases of stolen catalytic converters were reported by the end of January.
The Winners
Junkyard: Catalytic converters make a quick stop at a place like this so the precious metals therein can be removed.v
Experienced thieves who know where to slither and hack can get away with half a dozen or more converters per night. Doorbell cameras have captured these heists taking place with alarming speed — some in under two minutes. Once these are sold to a scrap yard or fenced to a black-market processing facility, the thief makes a few bucks and the next guy (the fence) digs into the devices, harvests the precious metals therein and sells them to a dealer. While laws are in place that supposedly forbid scrap metal dealers and junkyards from accepting stolen goods, there is by no means a task force monitoring these markets. If thieves are bold enough to break the law in plain sight, what’s to stop them from continuing to do so until the valued goods find their way back into the supply chain?
Next in the catalytic converter economic stimulus line are the auto repair shops. As this is becoming a routine procedure, the parts can be replaced with a fair degree of quickness and ease. Yet, parts and labor cost money and even if the mechanic is an honest one, they’ll be billing each client anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 per job.
The Losers
The victim’s experience is invariably the same. A vehicle owner gets in their car, turns the ignition key to start the engine and is jolted upwards by a roaring blast of exhaust from beneath. In previous years, the individual may have thought it was just a temperamental automotive glitch that would work itself out. More recently, however, a person in this scenario quickly comes to the harrowing realization that part of their car has been stolen right out from underneath them.
After a sputtering, cantankerous trip to the mechanic, they are hit with a repair bill that most likely places yet another degree of economic strain on an already dire situation. While folks with comprehensive insurance coverage can send the bill to their carrier, a great many drivers out there do not have such coverage because they are trying to save money, and when they bought their insurance, rampant car part theft was probably not yet on their radar.
The Also-rans
Catalytic Converter: If you want to keep your catalytic converter, knowing how to weld is a valuable skill.
The associated fallout of these thefts is the additional burden that is placed on the Denver Police Department. While there is little or nothing that responding officers can do to recover the stolen part, there is considerable strain in terms of the man hours it takes to follow up on every case, to fill out paperwork and to listen to the victims tell their stories.
Enough Is Enough
Across the Mile High City, people are becoming increasingly aware that they could very well be the next victim in line to have their catalytic converters stolen. The obvious solution is to park your car in a garage, lock it up for the night and the problem is solved. The problem with that, is that the vast majority of car owners, especially in neighborhoods near the city center, do not enjoy such luxuries.
High profile vehicles like SUVs, Hummers and 4×4 trucks are the easiest targets, as they do not need to be jacked up off the ground in order for the thieves to access the converter. A smart driver on a shoestring budget can opt to park their Prius between a Ford F-250 and a Land Rover and hope their neighbors bear the brunt of the thievery instead of them.
Proactive citizens can sit up all night and guard their cars with a flashlight and a baseball bat. Yet, most people enjoy their sleep and do not wish to confront criminals in the pale moonlight. Thankfully, this scourge of theft has necessitated a suite of new inventions designed to keep your catalytic converter attached to your car’s exhaust system and out of the hands of criminals. In yet another economically beneficial outcome of the rise in theft, these devices range anywhere from $125 to $700 or more apiece, plus installation if you’re not handy with tools. These products are carving out a market niche for themselves under names such as The Cat Clamp, Cat Security, Cat Strap and more.
Cat Strap: This alarm-style device features contact and motion sensors. The strap is tethered along the length of the exhaust system (which includes the catalytic converter) by a series of metal clamps and rings. The sensor is then wired to the battery and the alarm receiver is mounted beneath the hood. Contact with the exhausts system or significant motion beneath the car in the vicinity of the catalytic converter will set it off. Thief activity beneath your car sets off the alarm, which then deters the perpetrator. Professional installation is recommended.
Cat Security: This device is strictly hardware, and acts as a type of shield between your catalytic converter and the ground. The product is essentially sheet metal which is pre-fabricated to fit the undercarriage of specific models of cars. The shield is then bolted into place with a combination of security rivets, bolts and self-tapping screws. The protective barrier is immediately obvious to and should convince most thieves to think again. Professional installation is optional.
Cat Clamp: Another hardware-based product, this invention uses braided, heavily-rated steel cables and heavy-duty steel clamps and adaptor plates which, once mounted and installed, surround your catalytic converter in a metal cage. The various product sizes can accommodate everything from regular sized cars to large, heavy duty diesel trucks. Hardware and cable run the length of the exhaust system and present an immediate visual deterrent to thieves — as it is obvious the catalytic converter is not coming off without a whole lot of effort and noise. Professional installation recommended.
Extreme Measures
A similar approach is to have the catalytic converter welded to your car’s frame, which would make it much harder and far more time consuming to steal. Another method is to have your car alarm system recalibrated to detect the subtle humming of a reciprocating saw or the light tog of a ratchet wrench. Other folks are engraving their car’s VIN number to the housing on the converter, which to an average thief might be a deterrent, but to an enterprising criminal — it might be an invitation to pursue identity theft.
The other options are to string barbed wire around your car every night and risk getting cited for littering or reckless endangerment. You could train rattlesnakes to coil up in the undercarriage at night and take a swipe at anything that crawls under the car. Or you could just sell the damn thing and get a bike — along with an arsenal of four or five heavy duty U-locks.
“It’s not vaccines that save lives, it’s vaccinations.” — Stephanie Wasserman, Executive Director, Immunize Colorado
by Luke Schmaltz
The strategy for combating the spread of Covid-19 and thus, reducing the subsequent fallout of loss and tragedy is fairly simple: inoculate the population. While this equation reads well on paper, implementing it across the Mile High region has a distinct set of challenges.
From a practical standpoint, it would seem that the biggest obstructions to vaccine distribution would be the tiered system of rollout phases (eligibility based on vulnerability) and the availability of enough doses for each demographic. While this is certainly the case, vaccine task force officials — including government appointed teams and private sector organizations — are facing formidable yet invisible hurdles anchored in misinformation and inter-generational mistrust of the medical system at large.
A Clearly Laid-Out Plan
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has a systematic vaccination rollout plan.
The Office of Colorado Governor Jared Polis, in conjunction with the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE), have established a series of phases to be implemented in a systematic, step-by-step fashion.
Phase One begins with high-risk individuals and healthcare workers (1A), people age 70+, moderate risk healthcare workers and first responders (1B.1), citizens aged 65-69, pre-K-12 educators, cold care workers and continuity of state government officials (1B.2), people aged 16-64 with two or more comorbidities and frontline workers (1B.3).
Phase Two includes Coloradans 60-64, people with high-risk conditions and continuity of operation workers in state and local government.
Phase Three, at last, includes anyone and everyone in the general population ages 16-59.
Governor Polis has gone so far as to speculate, as stated in a recent article by The Denver Post, that he expects folks to be returning to their beloved restaurants, nightclubs and bars by May, in a gradual transition of systematically loosening restrictions and returning everyday personal freedoms.
At the time of this writing, rollout of phase 1B.2 is underway and just about everyone involved in education including teachers, substitutes, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, janitors, and other support staff will be able to access the vaccine as will select members of the executive and judicial branches of government. These folks do not present an accessibility concern for vaccinators, but the other demographic this phase accommodates, folks age 65-69, is where things are set to get tricky.
The Front Lines Of Trying Times
Immunize Colorado is a nonprofit organization working in cooperation with CDPHE to get vaccines into arms across all Denver communities.
Stephanie Wasserman is the Executive Director of Immunize Colorado and has been out in the field and on the front lines since before the Covid-19 vaccine arrived. On a daily basis, she combats the social side effects of the pandemic. “My organization became gravely concerned because of the disproportionate impact Covid-19 has had on communities of color both in Colorado and nationally,” she begins. “We are not doing too bad in terms of getting shots into arms, but we are not meeting our equity goals. Also,” she continues, “there is significant hesitancy that exists in some communities due to the historic mistrust of the medical system.” Wasserman also cites “predatory behavior” as another driver of vaccine hesitancy, stating, “We have a very active anti-vaccine movement here in Colorado and they have recently targeted communities of color with disinformation.”
Clearly, this phenomenon reveals age-old fears that are easily agitated by misinformation. These negative (mostly online) messages tend to magnify the historical underservice of communities of color by the medical establishment and redirect that mistrust towards the vaccine rollout. Wasserman and her colleagues are undaunted and are fighting back via the recent launch of the Colorado Vaccine Equity Task Force (https://www.coloradovaccineequithe vaccines and y.org/). This site and its Spanish-translated partner site (https://www. equidadvacunacolorado.org/) are combatting the online misinformation with facts about the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has had while broadcasting endorsements from trusted, professional voices from communities of color as ambassadors for the vaccine. “The group comprises 35 members hailing from all walks of life,” Wasserman explains, “and all with one common trait — they identify as a person of color from an underserved community.” These include faith leaders, retirees, doctors, nurses, educators and one man who volunteered for one of the early Moderna clinical trials.
The Colorado Vaccine Equity Task Force is determined to vaccinate citizens in underserved communities.
In essence, the Task Force is mounting what is turning out to be a grassroots reeducation campaign to assuage fears, to combat misinformation and to ultimately get people from underserved communities vaccinated in order to stop the disease. “It has been super successful so far,” says Wasserman, “We’ve done policy and communication work, advocacy, outreach and engagement. It is really about getting into communities as much as possible, starting constructive conversations and allowing trusted community members to speak to their neighbors about the merits of the vaccine. “For example,” she begins, “We have two retired nurses on the Task Force who are very active and well known in their parish in the Montbello neighborhood. They held a pop-up clinic at their church and because it was hosted by them, hundreds of people signed up to be vaccinated and all supplies were gone in two hours.”
A Factually-Informed Outlook
Colorado State Representative Yadira Caraveo is also a Pediatrician with a medically-informed understanding of vaccines.
State Representative Yadira Caraveo, in addition to her role as an elected official, is also a pediatrician and a member of the aforementioned Colorado Vaccine Equity Task Force. Her primary roles are those of a coordinator and an administrator in the effort to achieve distribution equity of the vaccine. Regarding the timeline for getting the prescribed 70+% of the population vaccinated, Caraveo is hesitant to make an exact prediction. “I think the timeline has been changing as the realities on the federal level trickle down to the state level in addition to the lack of planning from the previous administration,” she explains. “Still, I think it is realistic and hopeful that we could get everyone who wants a vaccination taken care of by late summer, early fall.”
Optimism aside, Caraveo’s role in the Task Force has given her an informed perspective about vaccine hesitancy. “I think a lot of the uncertainty about this particular vaccine comes from the perceived speed with which it came out,” she begins. “People are out there saying ‘well, it can’t possibly be safe — it has only been 10 months since the pandemic started.’ But the important thing to remember is that science is ongoing and is built on decades of research and development. The research for these vaccines was built upon the research that was done for the MERS and SARS vaccines as well as mRNA that has been studied since the 1950s. It is a fact that scientists are continually working on things that they anticipate may be needed at some point — which is why this came out so quickly.”
Caraveo continues with a vaccine advocacy home-run hit, “As doctors, we’ve been talking for decades about how people don’t understand the need for vaccines because they haven’t seen a lot of the illnesses we vaccinate against now. Most people alive today have never seen someone with polio or tetanus because of the vaccines. This is the first instance in a century where we have developed a vaccine for something that people can see every single day — people who are getting sick and dying of COVID-19. The effects of the vaccine, or any vaccine for that matter are very minimal compared to what the illness does. The chances of anything happening [negatively] with the vaccine are one in a million as opposed to the chances of something bad happening should you get COVID-19.”
Caraveo ends with one last stark, unarguable, scientific gem of truth, “This is a perfect example of why vaccine hesitancy has grown over the last century and why it shouldn’t have grown. Now we can see, in real time, the effect of a vaccine versus the effect of an illness.”
If love conquers all, can it overcome the coronavirus as Valentine’s Day 2021 approaches? The pandemic hit last year just weeks following Valentine’s day, making this year’s celebrating somewhat of a dilemma. Hopeless romantics, love is what people breathe here, so they are approaching the day with cautious optimism hoping tender hearts won’t be broken.
Notwithstanding vaccination availability plus reopening of dine-in service and easing of other restrictions, there is still uncertainty that the end is in sight. The number and variety of choices have noticeably narrowed.
As February 14 looms, Denver is ranked the nation’s 14th best city to celebrate Valentine’s Day. The Chronicle, acting as Cupid-in-Chief, identifies how to live life and celebrate love in this uncertain year:
Candy Man Can
Sweet Attraction: Candy from top shops will please your sweetheart’s palette. Stargazer Fine Chocolates’ chocolatier creates truffles, chocolate bars, nut & fruit filled bark to love.
Enstrom Candies, 201 University Blvd., 303-322-1005. For four generations the Enstrom family of Grand Junction has crafted their Almond Toffee by hand. The perfect gift of taste to delight your connoisseur lover.
Hammond’s Candy Factory, 5735 Washington St., 888-226-3999. A Denver fine candy manufacturer for nearly 100 years. Known for their art candy, candy canes, chocolate bars, hard candy, lollipops and kosher candy.
Lolli & Pops on lower level of the Cherry Creek Shopping Center, 303-390-5701. Store with large selection of gourmet candy, chocolate treats, and gifts. Choose from Belgian chocolate, caramels, truffles, and more.
Stargazer Fine Chocolates in the Colorado Plaza, 700 Colorado Blvd., 303-394-4000. Chocolatier at family-owned shop creates sweets to delight your eyes, please your palette. Choose from truffles, chocolate bars, nut and f
Recipe For Love: Dining out has always been a recipe for love. Mizuna on E. 7th Ave. is featuring a nine-course Valentine meal Feb. 13 & 14 with dine-in or outdoor seating.
ruit filled bark.
Culinary Crush
Carmine’s On Penn, 92 S. Pennsylvania St., 303-777-6643. Family-style Italian eatery known for its hefty portions is serving a Valentine’s “share a special dinner.” Popular eatery is in an unpretentious stucco setting.
Coohill’s, 1400 Wewatta St., 303-623-5700. Chef Tom Coohill is opening his French-influenced eatery adjacent to the Pepsi Center with a Creekside patio for a special Valentine’s Weekend, Feb. 12, 13 and 14th.
Mizuna, 225 E. 7th Ave., 303-832-5778. Frank Bonanno’s flagship restaurant is celebrating V Day with a nine-course meal with dine-in and outdoor seating, Feb. 13 & 14. Rooted in French cooking, first course is Roses and Champagne.
Tamayo, 1400 Larimer St., 720-946-1433. Modern Mexican eatery in Larimer Square is offering a three-course menu for both dine-in and to-go from Feb. 12 through 14. Dine-in dinner includes complimentary champagne toast.
The Lockwood, 1450 Glenarm Pl., 720-269-3246. Rustic yet modern eatery in the Crowne Plaza downtown is offering a “special paired menu” for Valentine’s Day. Regular menu is also available at eatery serving New American fare.
Additional V Day Choices: Restaurant listings are as of mid-January. Since city-state recently initiated dine-in service subsequent announcements are likely from eateries.
Flower Power
Bloom, 300 University Boulevard, 720-941-2862. An independent flower boutique offering contemporary to traditional designs. Stunning cutting-edge arrangements feature a combination of traditional European and modern styles.
Bouquets, 321 17th St. 303-333-5500. Long admired for his floral artistry, BJ Dyer has relocated in the iconic Brown Palace Hotel. His beautiful arrangements make unique gifts for your Valentine, or for an upcoming weddings.
Flower Power, 2027 E. Virginia Ave., 303-777-6266. Specializing in European floral design, the Wash Park floral boutique’s handcrafted arrangements use fresh, seasonal flowers.
Newberry Brothers Florist, 5301 Leetsdale Dr., 303-322-0443. Floral shop creates bouquets to inspire, celebrate and bring people together. Imaginative flowers and plants that make a wonderful gift for that special someone.
Perfect Petal, 3600 W. 32nd Ave. & 1850 Wazee St. Whether you’re a traditionalist who wants to present your partner with roses or an out-of-the-box thinker choosing an elegant orchid arrangement, you can find it at Perfect Petal’s two locations.
Entertaining Love
Celestial Chaos, Exdo Event Center,
Snoopy Sensation: Snoopy and Charlie Brown’s romantic blunders have stolen the hearts of romantics for decades. The TV special A Charlie Brown Valentine has aired for 40 years.
Feb. 4-28. In a time of challenge and separation, this four ring theatrical circus creates artistry that is magical, offering audiences connection, inspiration and hope.
Inspired by Greek mythology, show is filled with aerial dance, acrobatics and juggling, plus cyr wheel performances and Chinese pole dance. Production tells the story of three gods of balance who think they can do a better job than the creators of Earth. Spectators will enjoy contemporary dance, theater, plus live music.
Production combines the talents and expertise of theatrical circus artists with the artistry and creativity of the immersive and visual arts. Celestial Chaos features more than 100 circus performers, actors and musicians. Information: Rainbowmilitia ariel.com.
Stevie Nicks Concert Screening, Wings Over The Rockies Air & Space Museum Feb. 5, shows 6 and 10 p.m. Recorded over two nights during her sold-out 24 Karat Gold Tour, the film fea
Romantic Tune-up: Celebrate with your sweetie during the Stevie Nicks Concert Screening at Wings Over The Rockies, Feb. 5. Film features her sold-out 24 Karat Gold Tour.
tures a set-list of fan favorites and rare gems.
Considered one of the most important female voices in rock music, Nicks has had six Top Ten albums, eight Grammy nominations and is the first woman to be twice inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — with Fleetwood Mac in 1998 and as a solo artist in 2019.
The film highlights Stevie’s intuitive and intimate storytelling abilities, captivating audiences with personal stories behind some of the most famous songs in music history. Event is a fundraiser for Wings Over The Rockies Air & Space Museum and The Lowry Foundation. Information: 303-360-5360.
Lovey-Dovey Doings
Cooking With Cupid @ Cook Street, 43 W. 9th Ave., 303-308-9300. Join Chefs at Cook Street School of Culinary Arts for luxe celebration with your special someone, Feb. 11, 12 & 13, 6-9:30 p.m., Feb. 14, 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
D Bar Denver, 494 E. 19th Ave., 303-861-4710. The D stands for drinks, dining and desserts. Perfect date night spot on Valentine’s Day or any day with your lover and friends to enjoy comfort food and award-winning desserts.
Horse & Carriage Ride, along the 16th St. Mall, 720-470-9383. Enjoy a romantic evening snuggled in an Irish Rose Cinderella carriage drawn by draft horses. Choose from Mini to Grand Rides to see city sights and lights.
Valentines Bazaar, 4970 E. Colfax Ave., 720-535-8284. Love Bazaar with eight local vendors and music. Shop, listen to music during weekend extravaganza at GVM Studios, Feb. 6 & 7, noon-6 p.m.
“Against the assault of laughter, nothing can stand.” – Mark Twain
by Luke Schmaltz
Perhaps the lowest blow Covid-19 has thrust into the guts of live entertainment is the crippling assault on the art form that thrives within kissing distance of society’s face.
Live comedy shows are casualties of circumstance, as there is too great a price to pay when large crowds of people gather in compact spaces and let loose with the explicit purpose of opening up and laughing out loud.
Comedy Works (Landmark location) is a Denver institution and a live comedy mecca; currently shuttered by Covid-19.
The essence of effective live comedy is the proximity of the artist to the audience. It’s an intimate affair, wherein spectators willingly subject themselves to carefully crafted webs of cunning that twist their wits into coils of suspense and then snap the tension with an unexpected conclusion. The result: uncontrollable laughter.
Social distancing and the complete shutdown of indoor venues has put a detrimental damper on this dynamic, placing comedy venues, promoters, managers, booking agents and the essential engine upon which the industry runs — the comedians — in peril. Currently, the world that hawks hilarity is stagnating, yet the resilient nature of the art form pushes on like a river smothered by a landslide — looking for other ways to reach its destination. And, while some do not deem laughter as an “essential” industry, those who create it think otherwise, and are reacting to 2020 in various ways.
An Unfortunate Setup
Comedy Works is widely regarded as one of the finest institutions in the live comedy business, but their business is currently paralyzed. Longtime owner/operator Wende Curtis explains: “Our downtown club closed on March 15 and has never been able to re-open. We were unable to get 50% or even 100 people in to maintain the social distancing requirements. Our south location reopened in late July but was closed again with the recent mandates.”
With no options for operating in an outdoor space, they are looking to the powers that be for assistance. “We are hoping government officials see the impact on live entertainment venues, restaurants and all businesses impacted and will appropriately accommodate us in the stimulus package,” Curtis explains.
Curtis, a universally respected comedy promoting legend, is critical of the government’s role thus far: “These venues and businesses should not have to bear the burden of this pandemic. The government should have stepped up and helped these businesses sooner. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was meant to suffice for eight weeks. It’s been nine months. Without small businesses, we [live comedy] will be a couple of ugly big box companies. A truly sad state.”
Promise Of The Real
Despite the detriments of 2020, comic Christie Buchele is still hopeful — hanging onto the idea that venues, and more importantly comedy fans, will hang on too. The relative newcomer to the jokester trade has quickly blazed a trail to the forefront of the new faces set, earning a reputation for being hardworking and fiercely funny. Staying busy during 2020 hasn’t been easy, she describes performing live after the shutdown: “My first show was a zoom show for a producer in Austin, the first week of April. I didn’t do a live show until Mid-May. We did the show in the parking lot of a brewery with tables spread out and comics all wearing masks when they were off stage. The crowd size was maybe a little smaller than average but it’s hard to tell with everyone spread out.”
Denver comic Christie Buchele is doing everything she can to keep her chops up during indoor venue shutdown.
The experience of performing under these conditions makes Buchele pine for the good old days of clubs full of patrons packed in sardine-tight. “Before COVID-19 an outdoor show felt like a real pain in the ass. Keeping attention was tough, keeping up your energy and dealing with any distractions was terrible. I do think that audience members are just so happy to have something to do that now when they go to an outdoor show, they are much more attentive and excited. And they realize we are rusty but just so excited to do comedy again.”
Buchele urges comedy fans to stay tuned and support independent venues by subscribing to streaming content and buying tickets for future shows. Of all these, she laments the temporary loss of Denver’s finest room the most: “Of all the venues in Denver, I miss Comedy Works Downtown. It’s the best place in the world to do comedy and I hate not being able to go down there every week and see everyone and have the best time onstage. I never thought I would go this long without stepping foot in that building. I imagine I will cry happy tears the first time I get back up there.”
The Show Must Go On
Ben Kronberg is a Denver comedy stalwart, having begun his performance tenure in the early 2000s with no end in sight. His straight-out-of-left-field-blink-and-you’ll-miss-it style is inimitable and unmistakable. Kronberg’s comedy blurs the line between traditional set-up / punchline joke telling and abstract mentalist conjecture, which seems to have seeped into his perception of linear events in general. When asked to compare his comedic experience post and prior to the shutdown, he says: “I have what you could call a memory blend with shows now. After doing comedy for over 15 years, all the shows seem to blend together and fade together. I have been running shows at The Denver Comedy Lounge for about a year so it [last indoor show] was one of those to be uncertain.”
Ben Kronberg has been performing in Denver and beyond for 15 years and is keeping things light.
Once social distancing regulations were in place, Kronberg adapted and kept forging forth. “We kept doing shows however we could, moving to the alley behind the lounge and trying to comply with all of the regulations. When you go to a strip club you want to be close to the performer, and comedy is no different so it gave a cold medicine vibe to the whole thing with the laughter vaporizing because of being outside. We could fit maybe 30-ish people in this situation. People who came out were receptive, but this muted version of a comedy show could be felt by all. But it was better than nothing.”
Kronberg sees virtual shows as a band-aid over an axe wound type of remedy but participates nonetheless — if only for something to do. “The most fun I had [virtually] was probably doing a zoom talent show. Most [attendees] were performers and a few pervy, lonely audience members. It was better than nothing but not a proper substitute for the real thing. Kind of like a homemade fleshlight.”
Troy Baxley is a Mile High comedy legend and may or may not see stage time again.
Give ’Em Hell
Of all the unsung heroes in the Denver comedy scene, Troy Baxley is at the top of the list, having begun performing in the 1980s and since played just about every comedy stage in North America. He ran one of the first open mics in Denver at the Lions Lair on East Colfax and, of late, has taken to mentoring an onslaught of young comics determined to get on the fast track to funny.
Baxley sees the current shutdown as a great equalizer, serving to weed out what he calls “water cooler comics” while testing the endurance and mettle of those who are truly in it for the long haul. “The thing is,” he begins, “most are crumbling under the weight because there’s no end in sight. If you’re a hacky comic, the allure of doing the same two-minute set falls away, and since you aren’t disciplined to be constantly developing new material your skills get rusty fast. With open mic nights gone [for now] you can’t just go tell a couple zingers one night and then go to work the next day announcing yourself as a comedian.”
Unfortunately, Baxley was recently diagnosed with onset Parkinson’s disease, perhaps hindering his ability to perform once clubs are open again. Yet, Baxley shrugs off the shutdown like he’s shutting down a heckler. “I can tell by a heckler’s tone how long they have before I get the room to turn on them. I can tell by Covid-19 that, eventually, things will bounce back and once we all work the rust off, we’ll be cracking wise better than ever.”
When Denver and the state said goodbye to capacity limits and distancing requirements last month, artists, industry professionals, and anxious fans quickly started turning the page. The decision — the most momentous yet since the pandemic hit — has live gigs returning to outdoor/indoor culture and music venues large and small. Moreover, theatre and concert dates that were canceled in 2020 are being flipped to 2021.
