IN MOTION

Julia Chigamba brings Zimbabwe to Boulder

BY JEZY J. GRAY

That’s why she linked up with local musician and former restaurateur Shawn Camden, then-owner of Sancho’s Authentic Mexican Restaurant, to provide regular hot meals for unhoused people each week at the Boulder Bandshell.

“It just hit me: Why does it take a holiday for poor people to get a hot meal? And so in my mind, I created a program … but I had a zero clue how I was gonna make that happen,” she says. “I’d seen Shawn on Facebook volunteering [serving tacos] at the shelter … and I said, ‘That’s really incredible. Would you consider helping me?’”

Camden’s answer was a resounding yes — and now, years later, the pair are upping the ante with the launch of what they hope will become an annual live music fundraiser called Forward Palooza. The March 10 event at the Roots Music Project will feature Camden’s fun-forward fusion band Los Cheesies alongside local R&B outfit The Saints and Mexican-born, Denverbased troupe Grupo Huitzlopochtli Danza. All proceeds from the concert will benefit Feet Forward and its mission to support people experiencing homelessness.

“A fundraiser should be fun; it shouldn’t be boring. And this is a concert at a beautiful nonprofit venue, so people are gonna have a blast,” Camden says. “But I hope people [leave with] a sense of community, and a little bit more awareness of what’s going on around us.”

Whether concertgoers show up for the underlying mission or Los Cheesies’ freewheeling scramble of ska, reggae, blues and rock ‘n’ roll, Livovich and Camden hope the evening will be the first of many opportunities to enjoy good music and good company while supporting an important local cause.

“We are driven by hope, and we are driven by lived experience. And we are making an incredible impact with the homeless community in Boulder,” Livovich says. “So come out [to the fundraiser] and have a good time, and maybe meet some neighbors you’ve never met before.”

ON THE BILL: Forward Palooza with Los Cheesies, The Saints and Grupo Huitzlopochtli Danza. 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 10, Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl St., Suite V3A, Boulder. $30

When Julia Chigamba takes the stage at Boulder’s eTown Hall next week, she’ll bring generations of experience with her. The founder and director of the Chinyakare Ensemble — a California-based collective of musicians, performers and teachers of Zimbabwean music and dance — comes from a long line of influential artists dedicated to preserving and sharing cultural traditions of the Shona people.

“There was no choice [but] to be into this music and traditional dance,” she says. “My mom, my dad, my grandparents — they grew up playing music and holding ceremonies for communities and families, and for ourselves too. … It was food and drink and blankets for us in our family. It’s who we are.”

In addition to that deeply rooted connection to the culture of her ancestors, Chigamba performed with the National Dance Company of Zimbabwe before moving to the United States in 1999. In the decades since, she has regaled audiences across the world with the traditional dance and music of Zimbabwe and Southern Africa — including a visit to Boulder 15 years ago for a residency at Kutandara Studios, founded in 1999 by local Zimbabwean music champions Amy and Randy McIntosh.

“This concert in some ways is a homecoming for Julia,” says Kutandara Executive Director Amy McIntosh. “It’s a chance [for her] to reunite with the Boulder community and bring that flavor of traditional drumming and dance to the work we already do here.”

For the married team behind the long-running studio, the benefits of that work go beyond the simple musicality of an artform that has taken root here in Boulder through studios like Kutandara and learning institutions like Naropa University. Built on a collection of percussive instruments like mbira, ngoma, marimbas and chipendani, the music also brings people together — no small detail as the world continues to reemerge from a cocoon of quarantine and social distancing.

“One fun thing about the music of Zimbabwe is that many people can play xylophone-like instruments [simultaneously],” Randy McIntosh says. “And so it’s a rigorous workout, but it’s also social and can give you spiritual meaning all at the same time.”

When it comes to sharing that meaning with others, Chigamba’s latest stint in Boulder included three days of leading classes in traditional Zimbabwean dance for all experience levels at The Spark and Streetside Dance Studios. But the main event takes place during a special upcoming performance benefiting Kutandara’s Moon & Stars Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to fostering connection through group percussion.

“I want [the audience] to experience the power of community, when people work together and rise together,” Chigamba says. “This music is powerful and it brings people together. Maybe it can influence them to be part of it. In that way, the music grows like a spider web.”

ON THE FLOOR: Kutandara Winter Concert feat. Julia Chigamba: Dance with the Moon 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 15, eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce St., Boulder. $30

DOS HOMBRES SIGNING WITH BRYAN CRANSTON AND AARON PAUL

10 a.m.-noon. Friday, March 10, Hazel’s Beverage World, 1955 28th St., Boulder. Free

Walter White and Jesse Pinkman transfixed TV audiences for half a decade by selling unmistakable blue shards of crystal meth. The actors behind the iconic pair, Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul, opted for a more legal venture, founding Dos Hombres Mezcal together in 2019. Get down to Hazel’s Friday to get your bottle of Dos Hombres signed by the duo — hazmat suits optional.

LUCKY LYONS 5K AND 10K

9 a.m. Saturday, March 11, Bohn Park, 199 Second Ave., Lyons. $45

St. Patrick’s Day can be tough on the body. What better way to justify the copious consumption of corned beef and Irish stouts than by doing a 5K or 10K just a few days prior? Throw on your green gear, running shoes, and sign up now for this St. Patty’s-themed set of races on the beautiful trails of Lyons.

SMOKUS POCUS: A 420 MAGIC SHOW

7 p.m. Saturday, March 11, Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $30

Ben Zabin, the cannabis world’s Penn and Teller, will take Boulder on a “journey of dank debauchery” this Saturday during his Smokus Pokus show at Dairy Arts Center. Weed plants will appear out of nowhere, lighters will come to life, and other tricks will surely make you ask yourself, “Did that really happen, or am I just high?”

Apr S Street Festival

11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday, March 12, Pearl Street’s West End (Ninth to 11th streets), Boulder. Free

This first-of-its-kind wintertime street festival, taking place in the bustling west end of Boulder’s beating heart, will feature a slew of music, picnic-style dining, games, retail specials from local storefronts, and (of course) hot cocoa. If that’s not enough, Trident Booksellers, Ozo Coffee and Wonder will all be providing complimentary warm drinks to festival-goers.

BOULDER COUNTY 4-H FAMILY CARNIVAL

11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, March 11, Boulder County Fairgrounds, 9595 Nelson Road, Longmont. Free.

Head to the Boulder County Fairgrounds for a family-friendly, all-day event featuring 25 booths of carnival-style games, food, drink and a silent auction supporting local programming for BoCo youth. Assemble the fam and head to Longmont this Saturday for a festival that melds education and entertainment for a good cause.

Backcountry Film Festival

4-9:30 p.m. Saturday, March 11, Backdoor Theater, 750 Colorado 72, Nederland. $15

Join Wild Bear Nature Center at the Backdoor Theater for a night of film and youth engagement with nature and snow scientists. The event features two screenings, a silent auction and food from Kaleidoscope Kitchen food truck. Reserve your ticket now and take advantage of this opportunity to experience arts and handson learning from professionals.

Harlem Globetrotters At 1st Bank Center

2 p.m. Saturday, March 11, 1st Bank Center, 11450 Broomfield Lane, Broomfield. Tickets start at $20

For nearly a century, the Harlem Globetrotters have combined athleticism, comedy, skill and live performance for millions of giddy showgoers. Take the family down to 1st Bank Center this weekend for a can’t-miss exhibition of high-flying dunks, loop-de-loop passes, half-court shots, hilarious antics and plenty of crowd participation.

WORLD’S SHORTEST ST. PATRICK’S DAY PARADE

Noon. Sunday, March 12, Odd Fellow’s Lodge, #9, 1543 Pearl St., Boulder. Free

Boulder’s annual block-long St. Patrick’s Day celebration is back again. The fun takes place between Pearl and Spruce streets, complete with Irish dancing, hula dancers, live music and the famous Lawn Chair Brigade (a roster of paraders who use their foldable chairs for percussion). Take the family downtown for this short and sweet Sunday event.

ON STAGE:

It’s your last chance to catch Deathtrap, the longest-running comedy-thriller in Broadway history, at the Louisville Center for the Arts. The latest production from Coal Creek Theater of Louisville follows a creatively stifled playwright who receives a promising script from a student at the university where he teaches. Is his protégé’s play good enough to kill for? Drop by closing weekend to find out for yourself.

ON THE SHELF:

Hot off her third NCAA title at CU-Boulder, runner Kara Goucher received an invite to join Nike’s topsecret distance team. She soon ran into a toxic culture, detailed in her new book The Longest Race: Inside the Secret World of Abuse, Doping, and Deception on Nike’s Elite Running Team. Join Goucher for a speak-and-sign event, along with co-author Mary Pilon

SHELLEY READ: GO AS A RIVER

6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 9, Boulder Bookstore, 1107 Pearl St., Boulder. $5

ON VIEW:

Dazzling and diverse works by contemporary Native artists take center stage in Duality, the ongoing exhibition at the Longmont Museum curated by artist and activist Gregg Deal (Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe). This exhibition featuring local and nationally renowned visual artists of various tribal affiliations runs through May 14. See listing for details.

JOYSOME Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. Through March 31. Free

DEATHTRAP Louisville Center for the Arts, 801 Grant Ave. Through March 11. $28

LAUGHS IN SPANISH Singleton Theatre, 1400 Curtis St., Denver. Through March 12. $35

HOTTER THAN EGYPT Kilstrom Theatre, Speer Boulevard and Arapahoe Street, Denver. Through March 12. $25

UNDONE: THE LADY M PROJECT. The Savoy Denver, 2700 Arapahoe St. Through March 26. $12

TONI STONE Aurora Fox Arts Center, 900 E. Colfax Ave., Aurora. March 10-April 2. $28

THE FOREIGNER Jesters Dinner Theatre, 224 Main St., Longmont. Weekends through April 2. $22

FRAME LITERARY SALON: MAIREAD CASE, RICHARD FROUDE, H.P. ARMSTRONG & JONA FINE 7 p.m. Friday, March 10, East Window Gallery, 4550 Broadway, Suite C-3B2, Boulder. Free

DAVID E. HOFFMAN: GIVE ME LIBERTY 2 p.m. Saturday, March 11, Tattered Cover, 2526 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. Free

LIVING POETS SOCIETY POETRY BOOK CLUB: THE LUNATIC BY CHARLES SIMIC

5 p.m. Tuesday, March 14, virtual (free). Zoom link: bit.ly/ LivingPoetsBoulder

REBECCA MAKKAI: I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU

6 p.m. Tuesday, March 14, Tattered Cover, 2526 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. Free

SCOTT GRAHAM AND KATHLEEN DONNELLY: SAGUARO SANCTION AND CHASING JUSTICE 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 15, Boulder Bookstore, 1107 Pearl St., Boulder. $5

KARA GOUCHER WITH MARY PILON: THE LONGEST RACE

6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 16, First Congregational Church, 1128 Pine St., Boulder. $5

CHAUTAUQUA: 125 YEARS AT THE HEART OF BOULDER Museum of Boulder, 2205 Broadway. Through April 2. $10

BLACK FUTURES IN ART: WE’RE NOT JUST HISTORY. Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. Through April 7. Free

TONY UMILE: A RETROSPECTIVE Firehouse Art Center (Main Gallery), 667 4th Ave., Longmont. Through April 9. Free

DUALITY: CONTEMPORARY WORKS BY INDIGENOUS ARTISTS. Longmont Museum, 400 Quail Road. Through May 14. $8

JERRIE HURD: BEYOND THE MALE GAZE BMoCA at Macky, 1595 Pleasant Street, Boulder. Through May 26. $2

HER BRUSH: JAPANESE WOMEN ARTISTS FROM THE FONG-JOHNSTONE COLLECTION Denver Art Museum, 100 W. 14th Ave. Parkway. Through May 13. $15 (Colorado residents)

EXPLORATIONS OF RESILIENCE AND RESISTANCE / OUR BACKS HOLD OUR STORIES East Window Gallery, 4550 Broadway, Suite C-3B2, Boulder. Through June 28. By appointment only. Free

LIVE MUSIC ON THE BILL:

Few bands are woven into the fabric of Boulder quite like The Samples

The reggae-influenced rock group formed on The Hill in 1987, sharpening their sound in CU frat-house living rooms before performing their first show at the late Tulagi’s, just two doors down from The Fox Theatre Head over to The Velvet Elk Lounge this Saturday for an intimate show featuring support from Highway 50 See listing below for details.

THURSDAY, MARCH 9

HIRIE WITH KBONG & JOHNNY COSMIC, VANA LIYA 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $25

SPROUL LUNSFORD DUO 9 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free

DAN WANDER 5 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free

THE CROOKED RUGS WITH TONGUEBYTE AND CACTUS CAT. 8 p.m. Aggie Theatre, 204 S College Ave., Fort Collins. $18

CLEM SNIDE WITH ROGER GREEN 9 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $20

STEVE AOKI, 4B B2B JST JR, REGARD, BOK NERO 7 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $48

FRIDAY, MARCH 10

DJ NELLY AND SANTA ANA RODEA WITH THE DIRTY TURKEYS 9 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $18

CLOONEE FEAT. AMICI, RPSM B2B RYNE, MERKII GOGIMAL 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $30

SUN JR 9 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $12

CHARLIE WHITE. 6 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free

INNER WAVE WITH JORDANA AND JUNIOR MESA 8 p.m. Aggie Theatre, 204 S College Ave., Fort Collins. $18

RIZ LA VIE WITH JOHAN LENOX AND GABE JAMES 9 p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $20

TWIDDLE 8 p.m. Ogden Theater, 935 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $53

LOS CHEESIES, THE SAINTS AND GRUPO HUITZLOPOCHTLI DANZA. 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 10, Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl St., Suite V3A, Boulder. $30 Story on pg. 21.

SATURDAY, MARCH 11

TAKE ME TO THE RIVER FEAT. GEORGE PORTER JR. AND JON CLEARY 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $29

CODEX NATURA WITH POTIONS, CHMURA AND DON JAMAL 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $30

THE SAMPLES WITH HIGHWAY 50 9 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $32

Live Music

CARMINE FRANCIS WITH KING BEE AND MOON ATOMIZER 7:30 p.m. Mercury Cafe, 2199 California St., Denver. $20. Story on pg. 17.

STONHALL 6 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free

BOULDER SYMPHONY: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE MUSIC! Grace Commons Church, 1820 15th St., Boulder. $18

RENAISSANCE / RENAIDDANCE: A BEYONCE DANCE PARTY 8 p.m. Aggie Theatre, 204 S College Ave., Fort Collins. $18

DOWN TIME, THE MANANAS, BARBARA 9 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $18

WOOLI WITH WILLIAM BLACK, MUERTE, EMORFIK, SHANK

AARON 7:30 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 7 p.m. 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $48

KING TUFF WITH TCHOTCHKE AND THE SAVAGE BLUSH 9 p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $23

DONNY BENÉT. 8 p.m. Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway, Englewood. $28

SUNDAY,

March 12

ELISE TROUW. 7:30 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $20

FLOGGING MOLLY WITH ANTIFLAG AND SKINNY LISTER. 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $49.50

DJ GOODIE 7 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free

PAUL SHUPACK 4 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free

CODY SISTER WITH ALEXA WILDISH AND ANNA MAY 4 p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $14

SHOW ME THE BODY WITH JESUS PIECE 8 p.m. Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway, Englewood. $30

MONDAY, MARCH 13

RETT MADISON WITH LOU ROY 8 p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $18

TUESDAY, MARCH 14

THE BETHS WITH SIDNEY GISH. 7 p.m. Summit Denver, 1902 Blake St. $20. Story on pg. 16.

CU JAM SOCIETY 7 p.m. University Memorial Center (UMC) - The Connection, 1669 Euclid Ave., Boulder. Free

DEAF CLUB. 8 p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $15

FACE: ALL-VOCAL ROCK 7:30 p.m. Nissi’s, 1455 Coal Creek Dr., Unit T, Lafayette. $30

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 15

ANI DIFRANCO WITH PIETA BROWN. 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $30

THE REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND WITH COUSIN CURTISS 9 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $18

PAT GREEN WITH JD CLAYTON AND THE WENDY WOO BAND 8 p.m. Aggie Theatre, 204 S College Ave., Fort Collins. $50

KUTANDARA WINTER CONCERT FEAT. JULIA CHIGAMBA: DANCE WITH THE MOON. 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 15, eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce St., Boulder. $30 Story on pg. 21.

ZAN FISKUM WITH LAUREN

FRIHAUF 8 p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $14

A HUMAN NAMED DAVID. 6 p.m. Rosalee’s Pizzeria, 461 Main St., Longmont. Free

THOM LAFOND WITH FRUTA BRUTAL 8 p.m. Chautauqua Community House, 301 Morning Glory Dr., Boulder. $20

PAOLO NUTINI 8 p.m. Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway, Englewood. $35

Want more Boulder County events? Check out the complete listings online by scanning this QR code.

When money talks, who speaks the truth? That’s one of the guiding questions behind All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, the Oscar-nominated documentary by Laura Poitras. But the driving force is Nan Goldin, a celebrated queer photographer and founding member of P.A.I.N. (Prescription Addiction Intervention Now).

Goldin’s work is featured in the permanent collection of some of the best museums and art galleries in the world. And, as luck would have it, she has her sights set on another familiar name found in those same hallowed halls, though it isn’t a name prescribed to a particular work of art or exhibit, but on the plaques and doors bidding welcome to the patrons.

That name, Sackler, probably sounds familiar to anyone reading the news. They are the family behind the pharmaceutical company Purdue Pharma, purveyors of OxyContin, which has led more than one media outlet to refer to them as “drug dealers.” Much of that is covered in The Beauty and the Bloodshed, including Raymond Sackler’s panache for philanthropy, specifically in donations to museums and galleries.

To Goldin, all those millions donated while the Sacklers raked in billions smacks of artwashing. Frankly, there’s little defense for the Sacklers offered in All the Beauty and the Bloodshed — including two stoic members of the family who appear in a Zoom court hearing.

That’s probably because Goldin is on the right side of history. She’s been here before. In the 1980s and ’90s, Goldin watched friends and colleagues die en masse due to the AIDS crisis while a government looked on with indifference when not too busy condemning the dead.

Goldin proves to be the perfect guide through these two chapters of American life. Her story begins in the