Boulder Weekly 06.15.2023

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13 THEATER: The ‘Queen of R&B’ gets her due in the world premiere of ‘Miss Rhythm: The Legend of Ruth Brown’ BY TONI TRESCA

14 COMEDY: Boulder Comedy Festival returns for another year of local laughs BY LAUREN HILL

26 NIBBLES: Boulder County’s roomiest, most family-friendly farmers market is actually in Longmont BY JOHN LEHNDORFF

Image courtesy Dressy Bessy

COMMENTARY

JUNE 15, 2023

Volume 30, Number 43

PUBLISHER: Fran Zankowski

EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Caitlin Rockett

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR: Jezy J. Gray

GENERAL ASSIGNMENT REPORTER: Will Matuska

FOOD EDITOR: John Lehndorff

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Will Brendza, Rob Brezsny, Michael J. Casey, Anthony Gallucci, Lauren Hill, Ari LeVaux, Adam Perry, Dan Savage, Toni Tresca, Gregory Wakeman

SALES AND MARKETING

MARKET DEVELOPMENT MANAGER: Kellie Robinson

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Matthew Fischer

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Chris Allred

SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER: Carter Ferryman

MRS. BOULDER WEEKLY: Mari Nevar

PRODUCTION

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Erik Wogen

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Mark Goodman

CIRCULATION MANAGER: Cal Winn

CIRCULATION TEAM: Sue Butcher, Ken Rott, Chris Bauer

BUSINESS OFFICE

BOOKKEEPER: Emily Weinberg

FOUNDER/CEO: Stewart Sallo

BLACK IN BOULDER

Juneteenth: past, present and future

BY ANTHONY GALLUCCI

How do we know who we are without knowing where we come from? It is imperative that we not start our AfricanAmerican story with the acknowledgement of a belated celebration of freedom from bondage in Texas (aka Juneteenth, 1865), but to instead begin with a Black-centered narrative of the liberated AfricanAmerican women. This Juneteenth, let us all pause for a moment to honor them.

Within a quarter-decade of Boulder’s founding in 1871 — six years after the first Juneteenth celebration — came the city’s first Black women. The early African-American

women pioneers to Boulder were politically engaged, skilled mothers and hard-working residents who had migrated with their recent freedoms from the Eastern states.

Unfortunately, they were often discriminated against by some of their white community members who had the emotional and mental disorders known today as racism and sexism. Due in part to the intersectional racism and sexism disorder which plagued some non-BIPOC people at the time, Black women experienced many unnecessary challenges to their ability to find security and sustainable housing, employment and basic sustenance in Boulder.

It was not until the Great AfricanAmerican Migration of the 1950s and ’60s that the Black population of Boulder would increase, giving the white community another opportunity to embrace our excellence. At that time, African-American families like the Georgia Avery household created the Boulder NAACP chapter, which, along with other efforts in the region, began to create an atmosphere in the 1970s and ’80s in which Black women Boulderites were empowered to advocate for racial and gender rights. Two of the many exceptional Black women that lived in Boulder at the time were Wilma Webb, who served as the first

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African-American woman elected to the Colorado State Legislature (19801993), and Alice Faye Duncan, an author, advocate and educator who is an active member of the American Library Association, the National Education Association and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.

Into the 21st century, AfricanAmerican women have made significant contributions to Boulder in areas such as politics, education, business, advocacy and the arts. A few of the many who are manifesting beauty in the Boulder metro area today are:

Ann Cooper, a prominent real estate broker, community stakeholder and Black elder who has lived in the city since the mid-1980s;

Junie Joseph, an attorney who served on the Boulder City Council (2019-2023) and is currently serving as a legislator in the Colorado House of Representatives for the 10th District;

Yvette Rollins, the founder of YJR Management and Events, an influencer, community advocate and organizer;

Regina Smith, who worked to liberate Naropa University as the vice president of Mission, Culture, and Inclusive Community and through Black Womanist Futurism;

Katrina Miller, owner of Blackat Video Productions and co-director of the film This is NOT Who We Are, which provided a necessary critique of Boulder’s racist history, behaviors and current political policies;

Kyesha Lowery, a mentor and

LETTERS WHERE’S DEAR WHOLE FOODS DADDY?

Where’s the Whole Foods Daddy column? Finally a snarky, cutting-edge satiric column — and poof — it’s gone!??

As a paid subscriber, I told my friends about this hilarious column and they all got the paper today (Thursday) and... no column!

Please bring her back!!!

— Peggy Pannke-Smith/Boulder

advocate raising her family in Boulder for the past decade. She has worked with children and adults to assist in overcoming substance use disorders with various agencies in Boulder County.

The participation and voices of these Black women, and many more, are indicative of the health of our Black community in Boulder.

“The role of Black women in Boulder, like in any community, can vary, and encompass a wide range of roles and contributions,” says Kyesha Lowery, whose children grew up in the Boulder Valley School District. “It is important to recognize that Black women’s experiences are diverse, and their roles can be shaped by factors such as individual interests, educational attainment, socioeconomic status and community involvement.”

Black women in Boulder can, Lowery says, “enlarge the local economy and community by bringing their knowledge and abilities to bear in their specialized sectors. They might participate in community-building projects, social-justice campaigns and grassroots organizations that promote equity, inclusion and constructive change. They may serve as mentors, instructors or administrators as they help mold and direct the next generation.”

Lowery pointed to a number of organizations and initiatives that support Black women

in their personal and professional endeavors: the Boulder County chapter of the NAACP, The CU Black Women’s Alliance, The Safehouse for Progressive Alliance (SPAN), Whole Connection and Mental Health Partners.

“The future of Black womanness is comprehensive,” Lowery says. “Increased representation and leadership are important facets, as well as intersectional and holistic approaches to help Black women facing unique and complex challenges of life in Boulder. More expression of culture and appreciation of Black contributions will highlight the variety of Black womanness and foster inclusion. Another facet of the future of Black womanness in Boulder is to build a system where Black women can collaborate and create safe spaces for Black women to be welcome, engage and thrive, specifically beginning around adolescence. Within these safe spaces the importance of celebrating culture should be the primary goal.”

The future is full of optimism.

The Boulder community is blessed

to receive the gifts of Black women living here and from this day forward is called upon to immediately see and treat African-American women with the utmost respect. The mothers of this iteration of body, and to all bodies before us, deserve nothing less.

“The future of Black womanhood will be shaped by continual collaborations with Boulder’s Black community and investments in our Black future from the community at large,” Lowery says. “We are here, proud, and not going away because we know that our Black families deserve to exist, maintain, succeed and help grow this beautiful community.”

Anthony Gallucci is a dad, author, activist and professor. He is currently teaching at Naropa University and finishing his doctoral work in psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies researching masculinity from an Afrocentric epistemological lens.

This opinion does not necessarily reflect the views of Boulder Weekly.

Editor’s note: We’re running Dear Whole Foods Daddy once a month — stay tuned for future hilarity! Also, Boulder Weekly is a free publication, but donations help us keep the stories coming. Donate at: boulderweekly.com/donate

FLOW STATE

Colorado River Basin experts on problems and solutions to Western water woes

BY WILL MATUSKA

There isn’t a roadmap for the Colorado River crisis.

Lake Mead and Powell reservoirs, vaults of Western water, are historically low. There’s more demand and less to go around, leaving the West at a crossroads.

The dry reality of the Colorado River contrasts the wet spring in Boulder County, which has created a lush landscape and high creek flow.

While the winter’s healthy snowpack is flooding streets around the county, it’s also predicted to help raise Powell 70 feet by the fall. But a warming climate will make the river’s annual flow increasingly inconsistent.

At the end of May, all seven Colorado River Basin states agreed on a deal proposed by the three lower basin states (Arizona, California and Nevada) to conserve at least 3 million acre-feet (maf) of water by the end of 2026 (News, “Now you know,” May 25, 2023).

While some people are pleased any kind of deal was reached, many, like Fort Mojave Tribe member Nora McDowell, call for more work to be done.

“You guys pretty much screwed up,” McDowell said to a group of Colorado River Basin representatives when asking herself what the river would say if it could speak.

McDowell was one of dozens of Colorado River Basin stakeholders — from water policy experts and tribal nations to farmers and agents from the state and federal government — who gathered at CU Boulder’s 43rd annual Colorado Law Conference on Natural Resources.

Set against the backdrop of law and policy, the two-day conference focused on the Basin’s biggest issues

and what’s to come, including how to make more permanent cuts and what steps the Bureau of Reclamation, the federal agency tasked with divvying up the river’s water for more than 40 million people, will take to make those cuts happen.

Here are three takeaways from the conference.

When the Colorado River Compact, one of the fundamental agreements used to manage the river, was signed in 1922, it assumed annual river flow would average 16.4 maf per year — allocating 7.5 maf to both the Upper and Lower Basins, and 1.5 maf to Mexico (under a 1944 treaty). But average flows from 1906 to 2022 were actually 14.6 maf per year, and have gone down to 12.1 maf since 2000.

The Bureau of Reclamation predicts demand on consumptive use of the Colorado River to range between 18.1 maf and 20.4 maf by 2060.

The change in flow is also attributed to the influence climate change has on a landscape sensitive to warming.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the river’s average flow drops nearly 10% with each additional degree Celsius of warming.

Cities in Boulder County aren’t immune — many rely on the Colorado River for at least 20% of their water, largely based on junior water rights.

Scientists project these conditions to continue.

TRIBES NEED DECISIONMAKING POWER

There are 30 federally recognized tribes that maintain water rights to the river. Many are either still fighting to see those rights recognized, lack infrastructure to use their full allotments, or both.

MORE INSTABILITY TO COME

Brad Udall, a water and climate researcher at Colorado State University, set the tone by opening the conference with a clear message: Enjoy this spring’s excessive runoff — it’s going to be less common in the future.

Lakes Powell and Meade were 25% full in April and have been declining since 1999.

These numbers are a consequence of less supply, more demand and the impacts of climate change, which are all projected to increasingly affect the river moving forward.

Dwayne Secakuku is a member of the Hopi Tribe in northeastern Arizona. He says they have limited water rights but are trying to utilize treaties and the tribe’s history on the land as a way to establish more entitlement.

“The United States’ failure to recognize those documents and treat us as being indigenous to those areas — that’s something we are trying to figure out,” he says.

Tribal representatives were front and center at the conference, starting with an opening session featuring McDowell’s critique of our current and historical relationship with the river. Later that day, a 13-person panel of tribal leaders focused on the evolving role tribes play in determining the river’s future.

Tribal members reiterated that their involvement can’t end by sitting at the negotiation table — many called for more decision-making power in rivermanagement negotiations. Exactly what that looks like or how it happens remains unclear.

A MURKY PATH FORWARD

Experts used the relief from a fruitful spring runoff to focus on fundamental problems and long-term solutions in how we manage the dwindling river.

Mark Squillace, a law professor at CU Boulder, offered a few “controversial” ideas to lower agriculture’s water use (80% of water consumed within the Basin in a typical year), including voluntary programs that would incentivize crop switching, rotational fallowing and variations of deficit irrigation.

“What people need to understand is that the shortages we’re seeing on the Colorado River are part of what is most likely a permanent problem, that is we are using Colorado River water unsustainably,” Squillace says. “And we have to figure out a way to cut back on consumption, not just for one year or a three-year period, but permanently.”

But that’s easier said than done. Crop switching isn’t easy for farmers, and water reductions result in less production — potentially putting less in the pockets of farmers and altering the nation’s food supply.

Pat O’Toole, president of the Family Farm Alliance, told conference participants “things have changed in a fundamental way” for farmers because of the volatility of climate change.

Other proposed solutions include managing Mead and Powell as one system, apportioning water based on percentages and re-shaping society’s view of water use, from commodity to social compact in the public interest.

The Bureau of Reclamation is reviewing the May 22 proposed agreement between all seven states in the Basin and will finalize a plan by the end of 2023. In the meantime, Camille Calimlim Touton, commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, announced the start of a multi-year process to establish additional wateruse cuts on the river post-2026.

TO THE MOVIE MOVIE RACE

This year, the Downtown Boulder Triple Crown Race Series (West End Mile, East End Mile and the Pearl Street Mile) is back and better than ever. Run (jog, skip or walk) a mile then stick around for a movie under the stars! Check out the webpage for more information!

WEST END MILE | JUNE 22 | 5 PM

(Followed by a FREE outdoor screening of Top Gun Maverick at dusk)

EAST END MILE | JULY 13 | 5 PM

(Followed by a FREE outdoor Local Short Film Festival and Filmmaker Q & A at dusk)

PEARL STREET MILE | AUGUST 5 | 5 PM

(Come back on August 10 for a FREE outdoor screening of Inside Out at dusk)

NOW YOU KNOW

This week’s news in Boulder County and beyond

BY WILL MATUSKA

FOOD PANTRIES GET RELIEF

More than $4 million in emergency funding from the state’s Food Pantry Assistance Grant (FGAP) will be distributed to 245 organizations statewide, including nine in Boulder County, to support purchasing and distribution.

The influx of cash comes amid rising food insecurity in Boulder County as food banks and pantries see a record number of visitors (News, “A delicate time,” May 11, 2023). High food prices, increased cost of living and the end of pandemic-era social support programs have all contributed to growing food shortages.

Some food banks are expanding hours and shifting spending from personal care items to food in response.

Longmont Food Rescue (LFR) received a grant from FPAG. The organization typically connects community members with food donations or excess food. With the additional support, LFR can prioritize distributing high-quality proteins that are most requested and hardest to find.

Naomi Curland, executive director of LFR, says as emergency benefits end and people struggle with basic needs like paying rent and childcare, “having supplemental funds to help people who might no longer be getting SNAP benefits they were relying on is so important.”

NEW STUDY ON AIR POLLUTION FROM OIL AND GAS

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is looking for public input as it develops a new general permit for oil and gas facilities.

“As we look to protect the air we breathe here in Colorado, in particular in overly burdened communities, this is one of the tools that we’re developing to make sure we’re doing that,” says Michael Ogletree, director of the Air Pollution Control Division.

The permit will be informed by a sixmonth dispersion modeling study, currently in its early stages, that will measure ambient air quality and analyze how pollutants from different sources are dispersed.

The Air Pollution Control Division is hosting a public meeting on June 21 to help guide that study, and is accepting written feedback through June 30.

Both the study and general permit will apply to “upstream” facilities that treat and store oil and gas, which are considered “minor” air pollution sources by the state. The state estimates there are more than 10,000 of these facilities in Colorado.

The new permit would be a second, more comprehensive option to cover all pieces of equipment at these facilities, typically engines, heaters and flares,

with one permitting action rather than the current multiple permitting structure.

Sergio Guerra, the division’s deputy director for stationary sources, says the process should take about a year, but it’s too early to finalize an exact date. There will be more opportunities for public input after the study is completed.

Ogletree says the feedback process is an effort to incorporate more proactive outreach in the early stages of rulemaking processes.

“This is some of the trust building we’re working on,” he says, “while also doing the work that we do day-to-day around protecting Coloradans from poor air pollution.”

MARSHALL FIRE CAUSE

After 18 months of investigation, the Boulder County Sheriff’s Office on June 8 identified two points of origin for the Marshall Fire.

Using burn patterns, video footage and satellite imagery, investigators found two fires merged on Dec. 30, 2021. One started on a residential property (5325 Eldorado Springs Drive) owned by the Tweleve Tribes religious cultre, where a week-old legal burn reignited from high winds. The second fire came from arcing power lines, operated by Xcel Energy, south of the Marshall Mesa Trailhead.

The Marshall Fire was the most destructive fire in Colorado’s history, destroying 1,084 homes and damaging another 149.

The sheriff’s office said its “extremely thorough” investigation was assisted

by the district attorney, U.S. Forest Service, Colorado Department of Mining and Reclamation Services, Colorado Bureau of Investigation and several local fire departments and other experts.

No criminal charges will be filed, but if new information comes to light, the sheriff and district attorney’s offices will review it.

FED DOLLARS FOR FIRE RELIEF

The town of Superior is receiving nearly $400,000 in federal funding to repair damages sustained in the Marshall Fire.

Funding from both the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act will help restore stormwater infrastructure.

“This significant federal investment in Superior’s stormwater infrastructure will bolster preparedness in the case of future disasters and improve overall infrastructure in our community,” Rep. Joe Neguse, who helped champion the two sources of funding, said in a statement to Boulder Weekly. “We will continue to fight for a healthy, thriving and more resilient Colorado.”

Brannon Richards, public works utilities director for Superior, says the fire damaged stormwater catch basins and ponds, vegetative buffers and vegetative stabilization.

“This infrastructure is critical to protecting neighborhoods, homes and the environment from stormwater run-off and pollutants that can enter our stormwater system,” Richards said in an email.

THE BOTTOM OF OUR HEART, WE WANT TO THANK OUR COMMUNITY FOR SUPPORTING LOCAL BUSINESSES!

FAMILY CIRCUS

Denver power-pop act Dressy Bessy on punk-rock parenting

BY ADAM PERRY

In the fall of 1995, Tammy Ealom only knew two chords — open E and open A. She met a guy named John Hill, guitarist for the Denver indiepop institution The Apples in Stereo, and he gave her a Hagstrom Electra for her birthday, just before leaving for an Apples tour with Oklahoma alternative psych-rock outfit The Flaming Lips.

“I taught her bar chords and left her with my four track [recorder],” Hill says. “And that was all she wrote.”

By the time Hill got back, Ealom had written roughly 10 songs, and the celebrated power-pop band Dressy Bessy was born. Within a few years, Hill was playing guitar in the group — and falling in love with frontperson Ealom, now his wife, to the soundtrack of their favorite songs.

“When we first started dating, we were listening to a lot of ’60s stuff, like bubblegum pop,” Hill says. “Coincidentally, we were both just starting to get into that — The Monkees and The Hollies, and of course The Beatles and The Kinks and all that sort of stuff, but we had the Nuggets [Original Artyfacts from the First Psychedelic Era, 1965–1968] box set. That’s kind of where we

were coming from, but I come from more hard rock — AC/DC and punk rock, Buzzcocks, Talking Heads, that kind of stuff.”

Ealom’s musical path eventually led to the ’90s college rock of bands like Pavement, Liz Phair and R.E.M., cutting through pop alleyways of Prince, Michael Jackson and Egyptian Lover along the way. “We’re just a mix of everything,” she says. “We’re kinda hard-rocking sometimes, but it’s groovy too. Groovy and dance-y.”

More than eight albums and 25-plus years later, the husband-wife duo behind Dressy Bessy have plenty to hang their hats on. That includes working with famed DIY labels like Elephant 6, Kindercore, Yep Roc and more — playing countless shows all over the world; contributing music to various TV shows and movies; and performing on major late-night talk shows, like Late Night with Conan O’Brien

BUILDING A LEGACY

Along Dressy Bessy’s journey to stages across the globe, the pair have also stayed busy as parents, and now grandparents. Fittingly, Dressy Bessy

will play the fifth-annual Punk Is Dad benefit concert at Oskar Blues in Denver on Saturday, June 17.

The show continues a tradition of raising money for the Dorian De Long Arts and Music Scholarship — named after a local punk-loving father, Thornton High School teacher and activist who died in 2015 — awarded to graduating Colorado high-school students who intend to pursue advanced education in the arts.

Looking back on how the couple balanced musical and family life during their daughter’s younger years, Hill says he and Ealom were so busy making records and playing shows, just trying to survive, that they didn’t stop to think how the whole DIY punk life might be teaching them parenting lessons.

“We just kind of took it as it came,” he says. “We were taking it one day at a time, and we’re still kind of living that way too. When you have a regular job, you just go to your job 40 hours a week, and you know what you’re gonna make. We didn’t have that. From tour to tour, one tour you might come home with $1,000 each, and the

next tour you might have to pay $500. We had a certain amount of success, and still do, but we weren’t Aerosmith, you know?”

Ealom also says that doing short tours, coming back home repeatedly instead of getting stretched too thin on the road, helped the couple stay sane — and have something like a normal family life for their daughter, who was a key inspiration.

“It gave me [the] drive to [think], ‘Oh, OK, there’s a way I can, like, build a legacy and have a chunk of something for her later after I’m gone,’” she says. “And I’ve done that, basically.”

ON THE

Punk Is Dad 5 with Fast Eddy, Dressy Bessy and Jaguar Stevens.

7 p.m. Saturday, June 17, The Black Buzzard at Oskar Blues, 1624 Market St., Denver. $20

BILL:

Front Range indie-pop band

Dressy Bessy has been a fixture in Colorado and beyond for more than 25 years.

Photo courtesy the artist.

The ‘Queen of R&B’ gets her due in the world premiere of ‘Miss Rhythm: The Legend of Ruth Brown’

BY TONI TRESCA

Even if you don’t recognize Ruth Brown’s name, chances are you know her voice. Dubbed the “Queen of R&B,” the legendary singer incorporated popmusic styling into traditional rhythm and blues music across numerous chart-topping singles like “Mama, He Treats Your Daughter Mean,” “Teardrops from My Eyes” and “5-1015 Hours.”

Although Brown died in 2006, her music lives on in the world premiere of Miss Rhythm: The Legend of Ruth Brown at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts (DCPA) through Oct. 15. The cabaret show uses songs from Brown’s illustrious catalogue to trace her quick rise to fame from modest beginnings in Portsmouth, Virginia. Based on the 1996 book Miss Rhythm: The Autobiography of Ruth Brown, Rhythm and Blues Legend, by Brown and Andrew Yule, the show was co-created by local artists Sheryl McCallum, who stars as Brown, and music director David Nehls.

Even for audience members unfamiliar with the specifics of Brown’s life, the script ensures that you under-

stand at least the SparkNotes version. Although the majority of the evening is spent blasting through 17 songs from her deep discography, the musician’s history is loosely recounted between songs in a series of brief monologues delivered by McCallum, interactions with the five-piece live jazz band and video clips of the reallife Brown sharing details from her past.

Directed by Kenny Moten and staged in the DCPA’s cozy nightclubstyle Garner Galleria Theatre, Miss Rhythm has the atmosphere of a live concert. Unlike other biographical jukebox musicals that focus on bringing the artists’ stories to life on stage, this experience is primarily a vehicle for Brown’s toe-tapping tunes and McCallum’s transfixing talent.

Instead of trying to perfect an impersonation of the musician, the creative team made the wise choice to have McCallum’s portrayal of the title role function as a meta-theatrical embodiment of Brown. This decision allows McCallum to interact with the audience and demonstrate her skills as a dynamic storyteller. Each tale is interwoven with a thoughtfully curated

song, allowing her to delve even further into the character.

Moten skillfully stages these musical moments against the dreamy scenic design of Lisa M. Orzolek, who transforms the Garner Galleria into a swanky swing-band setup. The show’s balanced technical elements are completed by the luscious lighting from Charles R. MacLeod, sound design by Max Silverman, subtle costuming by Meghan Anderson Doyle and projections by El Armstrong.

Whether you’re a die-hard fan of Brown or a curious newcomer, Miss Rhythm’s 75-minute runtime provides a succinct showcase of the artist’s “Body and Soul” through the music that made her famous. The must-see show is a long-overdue tribute to Brown’s iconic music that lingers long after the curtain falls.

ON STAGE: Miss Rhythm: The Legend of Ruth Brown by Sheryl McCallum and David Nehls. Various times through Oct. 15, The Garner Galleria Theatre, 1101 13th St., Denver. $46

‘BODY AND SOUL’

Sheryl McCallum in Miss Rhythm: The Legend of Ruth Brown. Photos by McLeod Creative.

COMIC RELIEF

Boulder Comedy Festival returns for another year of local laughs

BY LAUREN HILL

When Boulder Comedy Festival began in 2021, a year after the pandemic derailed its planned debut, the city was ready to laugh. So ready, in fact, that festival founder and comedian Zoe Rogers couldn’t even finish thanking the audience for coming before she was cut off by a shouted chorus in response: “No — thank you!”

Now Boulder Comedy Festival is back for its third year, reflecting the strength of the emerging Front Range comedy scene. With new comedy clubs and brewery-based open mic nights cropping up from Fort Collins to

Colorado Springs, it’s a much different environment for local stand-ups than it was just a few years ago.

But don’t expect the upcoming five-day event, taking place June 21 through 25 and featuring nearly 50 comedians from Boulder and across the country at locations like the Dairy Arts Center and BOCO Cider, to look like every other comedy showcase in the region.

“[I want to] put to bed that ridiculous idea that a comic looks like one partic-

ular person,” Rogers says. “Because they don’t. That belongs to everyone.”

Rogers’ desire to expand her community’s perception of comedy stemmed from her frustration with bookers who never seemed to have

WHAT’S SO FUNNY ABOUT BOULDER?

Four BCF comedians on the lighter side of the People’s Republic

ZOE ROGERS

“[Comics] will come in and say, ‘Can I say this?’ ‘Can I say that?’ And I say, ‘Absolutely. But you can’t make any jokes about not liking dogs.’ I had my cat get eaten by a coyote. I had mentioned that on stage and people were, like, very pro-coyote. It was a very strange moment: ‘I’m trying to read you — are you pro-coyote? Are you anti-cat? Like, do you understand? The coyote ate the cat, right?’ And the crowd was like, ‘Oh, they’re beautiful animals.’ Also, they do a lot of supportive heckling, which I think is really funny. Typically in L.A. and New York, when somebody heckles you, it’s, ‘Ugh, shut up!’ But here, it’s always like, ‘Yes, yes. Live your truth! Step into your power!’”

“The biggest contributor to my storytelling of Boulder is the white privilege [here]. It is, ‘Get out of my way; I’m doing what I’m doing; you do not have enough money in your pocket to be in my lane.’ And it’s just like, ‘Wow, OK, well, good day to you, too, sir.’”

enough women on shows. Then, she moved from Los Angeles to Boulder, where white people make up nearly 90% of the population, and felt the lack of diversity in more ways than one.

“I wouldn’t want to sit through a

Boulder Comedy Festival founder and comedian Zoe Rogers performs at BOCO Cider. Photo by Jeff Stonic.

RICKY RAMOS

show that didn’t represent me at all, so I imagine everybody feels that way,” Rogers says. “So, let’s make sure everybody feels represented.”

By starting Boulder Comedy Festival, Rogers decided to spark the change she wanted to see in the culture of comedy. To that end, Denverraised comic Shanel Hughes says the unguarded self-expression required for stand-up is the perfect vessel to deliver a new set of perspectives to a willing audience.

“As comedians, that’s what we bring — a lot of observations, perspectives and points of view, just to [make you] think, or relate to somebody who doesn’t look like you,” says Hughes, who has two sets scheduled during this year’s festival. “I think sometimes that’s an eye-opening experience within comedy. Sometimes as humans we think we’re so different, but we’re really similar.”

‘COMEDY IS FOR EVERYONE’

But for a message to land, it needs an audience ready to accept it. Rogers believes Boulder is that audience, with ears ready to hear and voices to laugh along with the range of comics she’s curated for this year’s comedy blowout.

“They’re open to it because they are very open, crunchy, progressive people,” Rogers says. “No one here is unaware of the lack of diversity. So they’re happy to do things to sort of make things better.”

Rogers has always been an advocate for diversity in comedy and a supporter of her friends in the scene. One of these friends is Austin-based comedian Chris Bryant, performing two sets this year at the Dairy, who is fresh off the release of their new comedy special Gender Reveal Party. Bryant says the special, much of which discusses the comic’s relationship to their gender identity and neurodivergency, has

been algorithmically censored online after internet trolls reported it for bogus charges ranging from impersonating a politician to promoting mail-order brides.

“I shouldn’t be, but I’m used to trolls on the internet,” Bryant says. “What I’m not used to is completely being silenced.”

Rogers saw Bryant’s comedy being muffled by online hate and suggested they come to Boulder to advertise their special, knowing it would be met with the love she feels it deserves.

“At first, [Bryant] was like, ‘I’m so sorry, this is bringing weird energy to your festival,’ and I said, ‘I love your album; I think you should bring it, and I think you should sell it,’” Rogers says. “So that’s sort of what we’re about … not letting people get censored.”

Rogers says she’s felt tons of support from her community in keeping the festival afloat, but support is a two-

way street. Just ask Longmont-based comedian Ricky Ramos, who jumped to help Rogers with the festival when it started. His material is gritty — Ramos, who tells his story through comedy, spent much of his life in gangs and in and out of the prison system — and he was always struck by her unwavering support.

“She’s a comic’s comic. She’s there to support her people,” Ramos says. “Comedy is subjective, but comedy is for everyone, [and] the diversity she brings to the table allows me to be comfortable in any kind of space she showcases.”

ON THE BILL: Boulder Comedy Festival. Various locations and times, June 21-25. Details and tickets at bouldercomedyfestival.com

JOHN NOVOSAD

“There’s a law that you cannot graze your llama on public land in Boulder. I’m like, ‘How did that become a law?’ My joke is, ‘I had a heart-to-heart talk with my llama, because I couldn’t afford to feed him anymore. So I was like, ‘Hey, you’re free.’

There’s another law that you cannot ‘own’ a dog in Boulder. You’re the ‘guardian’ of the dog. And again, I think that’s a really nice thought. But I’m pretty sure my dog isn’t worried about that. When he comes up to me and looks at me, he’s not thinking, ‘Does this guy own me, or is he my guardian?’ So, you know, that kind of stuff I think is a little bit silly.”

SHANEL HUGHES

“I joke about Boulder a lot. I’m like, ‘Boulder, you’re so rich. Why won’t you come to our shows and laugh?’ I love seeing rich people laugh. They laugh with their mouth wide open. You can see their molars; I don’t even have molars. Like, let me see... Boulder gets a little stiff. They definitely get stiff on race jokes and things of that nature. Comedians of color poke a lot of fun, and we talk about race relations, because it’s our reality. I think that’s the funniest thing about Boulder. I’ll do a cute little joke to get you in, and then I start talking my shit, and they’re like, ‘Hey, you’re funny, and you’re smart,’ you know? So even if they’re not laughing, they’re listening. And I think that’s just as important.”

EVENTS

15-18

THE SECRET GARDEN

1:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Thurs.-Sun., June 15-18, The Nomad Playhouse, 1410 Quince Ave., Boulder. $20

Award-winning playwright Marsha Norman and composer Lucy Simon captivated audiences with their musical stage adaptation of Frances Hodgson Burnett’s classic novel, The Secret Garden. Tara Performing Arts High School brings the work to life, right here in Boulder, for a series of six shows throughout the weekend. 16

SUMMER CARNIVAL: FAMILY FUNDRAISER 2023

5:30-7:30 p.m. Friday, June 16, WOW! Children’s Museum, 110 N. Harrison Ave., Lafayette. $10

Round up the family for a night of food and fun at WOW! Children’s Museum. This event, benefitting the Play For All Initiative, features free games, a silent auction, hot dogs, a popcorn bar, cotton candy and even a pie throw.

16

GIRLS SKATE NIGHT

6:30-9 p.m. Friday, June 16, Square State Skate, 5757 Arapahoe Ave., Unit B1, Boulder. $10

Once a month, Square State Skate opens their indoor park for girls, women and nonbinary skaters to shred their complex during Girls Skate Night. “All wheels and abilities are welcome” during this 16+ event hosted by Skate With Us Boulder.

17-19

JUNETEENTH COMMUNITY CELEBRATION

Sat.-Mon., June 17-19, Various locations. Free

NAACP and ECAACE are back for their third annual Juneteenth celebration at locations throughout Boulder County. Festivities kick off at Roosevelt Park in Longmont for an afternoon-long outdoor community bash, plus youth workshops with acclaimed author Nyasha Williams and more. Commemorate the end of slavery with a weekend of events emphasizing “culture, freedom and brave beginnings.” Details at bit.ly/JuneteenthBoCo

16

CATFISH NIGHT AT STEARNS LAKE

7:30-11 p.m. Friday, June 16, Carolyn Holmberg

Preserve at Rock Creek Farm - Stearns Lake Trailhead, 2190 S. 104th St., Broomfield. Free

Head to the Stearns Lake Trailhead in Broomfield for this special night-fishing event at Carolyn Holmberg Preserve at Rock Creek Farm. The evening is limited to shore fishing only, and anglers over the age of 16 must have a current Colorado fishing license.

17

LEFTAPALOOZA

11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, June 17, Left Hand Brewing, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont. $20

Left Hand Brewing opens up its beautiful outdoor space each year for an ultimate battle of cover bands, and this year the lineup is chock-full of can’t-miss tributes. Message in a Bottle (The Police), Linger (The Cranberries), Sweater Destroyer (Weezer) and more — along with TEN (Pearl Jam), the 2022 Leftapalooza winner — will be ripping covers of their respective bands’ classic catalogs all day.

17

FAROW MONTHLY COCKTAIL CLASS: ALL ABOUT GIN

3-4 p.m. Saturday, June 17, Farow, 7916 Niwot Road, Niwot. $70

No cocktail screams summertime quite like the gin and tonic. Become an expert of this seasonal staple at Farow’s monthly cocktail class, in addition to lessons on other quintessential gin cocktails like the martini, the negroni and more, along with a class on the history and production of the botanical liquor. 17

1940S BALL

4 p.m. Saturday, June 17, Boulder Airport, 3393 Airport Road, Boulder. $90

Teleport back to the 1940s at Boulder’s themed annual ball. Suspenders, ball gowns, vintage automobiles and music from the era are just some of what to expect at the transformed Boulder Airport. Plus a 1940s drive-in movie theater, bestdressed contest, scavenger hunt spanning the entire complex, and of course, lots of dancing.

17

DAVE WILLIARD’S 50TH BIRTHDAY: A BOULDER SHELTER FUNDRAISER

8 p.m. Saturday, June 17, Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St., Boulder. Free

Boulder Shelter’s ongoing mission is to create solutions for homelessness through “unrelenting empathy and collaboration.” Support their work with a night of live music at the historic Boulder Theater, featuring Jesse Garland, Brian McRae, Chris Malley, Tyler Adams and Paul McDaniel.

EVENTS

20

HISTORIC THIRD AVENUE

WALKING TOUR 10 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 20, Longmont Museum, 400 Quail Road, Longmont. $12

Stroll down Third Avenue in downtown Longmont with the city’s history curator Erik Mason June 20 for tales of tragedy and murder among rows of historic homes built by its wealthiest early citizens. Register at longmontcolorado.gov

21

CULTURAL ORGANIZATIONS SUMMIT: ADVOCATING FOR THE ARTS

Noon-1:30 p.m. Wednesday, June 21, Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl, Suite V3A, Boulder. Free

Roots Music Project hosts a discussion on coalition-building in the Colorado arts sphere with panelists Meredith Badler, deputy director at the Colorado Business Committee for the Arts, and Megan Wagner, lobbyist at Brandeberry McKenna Public Affairs. Learn best practices for advocating for the arts at the local and state level at this free event moderated by Boulder Arts Commissioner Caroline Kert. 21

ON-TAP TALKS: HOW BREWING MADE BOULDER

6 p.m. Wednesday, June 21, Museum of Boulder, 2205 Broadway. $10

Want to learn about the history of your favorite local breweries and their role in our community? Join Michael J. Casey, Boulder Weekly film critic and author of Boulder County Beer, for a crafty discussion at the Museum of Boulder — presented as part of the museum’s ongoing Beer Here!: Brewing the New West exhibition, on display through Sept. 3.

WE’RE HIRING!

Want to join a talented team of journalists in telling local stories that matter?

Boulder Weekly is seeking a general assignment reporter to cover local politics, the environment, culture and more. Email Caitlin Rockett at crockett@boulderweekly.com with a resume and 3-5 writing clips. Deadline for applications is July 10

ON THE BILL

Celebrated singer-songwriter David Bazan brings his trailblazing emo-slowcore project Pedro the Lion to the Front Range on Wednesday, June 21. The Seattlebased artist has revived the Pedro moniker for a pair of new albums in recent years, but he’ll be performing the stone-cold classics It’s Hard to Find a Friend (1998) and Control (2002) in full during this one-night performance with Erik Walters at Englewood’s Gothic Theatre See listing for details

THURSDAY, JUNE 15

MARY CHAPIN CARPENTER WITH EMILY BARKER 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. $55

FANCY: QUEENS OF COUNTRY PARTY 9 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $25

LAURIE & LORRIE Noon. Festival Plaza, 311 S. Public Road, Lafayette. Free

PETER STONE. 5 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free

BARBARA PARIS WITH MARK SIMON

7 p.m. R Gallery + Wine Bar, 2027 Broadway, Boulder. Free

WHISKEY MYERS WITH THE RECORD COMPANY AND BRENT COBB

6:30 p.m. Red Rocks, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison. $50

LEGS. THE BAND WITH THE EPHINJIS AND GILA TEEN 9 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $15

LOVELYTHEBAND WITH BEACH WEATHER AND AVA MAYBEE

7:30 p.m. Ogden Theatre, 935 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $29

FRIDAY, JUNE 16

FELONIUS SMITH TRIO 11:30 a.m. Bohn Park, 199 Second St., Lyons. Free

BAD DOG 6 p.m. Main Stage Brewing Company, 450 Main St., Lyons

MATTHEW HECHT 6 p.m. Trident Cafe, 940 Pearl St., Boulder. Free

THE 89S WITH BRAD BYRD

8 p.m. The Times Collaborative, 338 Main St., Longmont. $18

ILLENIUM. 8 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $65

DIRTY HEADS WITH STICK FIGURE, ATMOSPHERE, DENM, THE GROUCH AND MIKE LOVE 4:20 p.m. Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, 6350 Greenwood Plaza Blvd., Greenwood Village. $50

UMPHREY’S MCGEE WITH MOE 6:30 p.m. Red Rocks, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison. $55 BURY MIA WITH SUITABLE MISS, WASTEBASKET AND LOSERS CLUB. 8 p.m. Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $20

JON STORK WITH DARCY NELSON AND RITARITA 8 p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $10

SATURDAY, JUNE 17

TOWN MOUNTAIN 7 p.m. eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce St., Boulder. $25

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

MICHELLE DEYOUNG 7 p.m. First United Methodist Church, 1421 Spruce St., Boulder. Free

LIVE MUSIC

JACOB LARSON TRIO 7 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $20

PUNK IS DAD 5 WITH FAST EDDY, DRESSY BESSY AND JAGUAR STEVENS 7 p.m. Saturday, June 17, The Black Buzzard at Oskar Blues, 1624 Market St., Denver. $20 Story on p. 11

EELS WITH AUSTIN ANTOINE 9 p.m. Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway, Englewood. $42

T-PAIN WITH TOBI LOU 8 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $45

UMPHREY’S MCGEE WITH MOE

6:30 p.m. Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison.

$55

LOUISE POST (OF VERUCA SALT) WITH BUCKETS AND BLEAK MYSTIQUE 8 p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $22

RICKSHAW BILLIE’S BURGER PATROL WITH CRYPTIC WITCH, NATIVITY IN BLACK AND SHEPHERD DOORS

8 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver.

$18

SUMMER CONCERT SERIES: THE 5280S BAND. 12:30 p.m. Superior Commons Amphitheater, 2130 Creek View Way, Superior. Free

SUNDAY, JUNE 18

THE BLACK OPRY REVUE. 7 p.m. eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce St., Boulder.

$30

THE DREADED LARAMIE 4 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free

ANNIE DIRUSSO WITH HANNAH COLE 8 p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $20

STONE DISCIPLE WITH WOLF LINGO, BARSTOOL MESSIAH AND PROBES. 4 p.m. Lost Lake, 3602 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $12

DON TOLIVER 6:30 p.m. Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 N. Clarkson St., Denver. $70

RIVAL SONS WITH THE BLACK ANGELS AND STARCRAWLER

7 p.m. Ogden Theatre, 935 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $38

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

MONDAY, JUNE 19

GRANDSON WITH K.FLAY AND JACK KAYS 8 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $34

MEADOW MUSIC WITH JEFF AND PAIGE 5:30 p.m. Chautauqua Park, 900 Baseline Road and Ninth Street, Boulder. Free

TEMPLES WITH POST ANIMAL

8 p.m. Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $25

LOGIC WITH JUICY J. 6:30 p.m. Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 N. Clarkson St., Denver. $70

TUESDAY, JUNE 20

MARC COHN AND SHAWN COLVIN

7:30 p.m Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. $40

OLIVER TREE WITH TAI VERDES, UPSAHL AND LITTLE RICKY ZR3.

7 p.m. Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison. $65

LYN LAPID WITH STEPHANIE POETRI

8 p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $20

PALACE WITH HUMAN BARBIE.

8 p.m. Ogden Theatre, 935 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $73

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21

PEDRO THE LION WITH ERIK WALTERS 8 p.m. Gothic Theatre, 3263 S Broadway, Englewood. $25 BW Pick of the Week

DJ GOODIE 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 22, Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free

MELISSA ETHERIDGE 8 p.m. Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $250

ELF POWER WITH THE TAMMY SHINE 8 p.m. Lost Lake, 3602 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $15

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

FUNNY OR TRY

Colorado-raised comedian gets a foot in the door on new Apple TV+ series ‘Platonic’

BY GREGORY WAKEMAN

Vinny Thomas was only 15 years old when he first decided to give comedy a try. He was a high schooler at the Denver School of the Arts, where his studies as a visual arts major drove most of his interests in oil painting and animals — but that was all about to change.

“I hadn’t done any kind of performing before I joined the improv team there,” Thomas says. “But it was fun to just jump into something new.”

Thomas’ decision to jump has certainly paid off. Over the last few years, the 27-year-old has amassed a devoted following on Twitter and TikTok, delighting his more than 280,000 combined followers with his sharp and surreal brand of humor. He’s also been recognized by the likes of Vanity Fair, The Hollywood Reporter, and Vulture as one of the most promising comedians in the country.

But Thomas’ talents are bigger than a smartphone screen; this summer marks the Colorado-raised comedian’s first foray into television acting. He’s starting off at the top, too — starring opposite Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne in the critically lauded Apple TV+ comedy series Platonic

The 10-episode first season revolves around two former best friends, Will (Rogen) and Sylvia (Byrne), who decide to reunite after years apart. But the recently divorced Will and still-married Sylvia, who also has three kids, soon start to cause chaos for each other, which leads his friends and her husband to wonder if they should actually be hanging out as much as they do. Thomas plays the bizarre bartender Omar, who works alongside Will as he navigates this new dynamic in his life.

“It was an incredible experience,” Thomas says of his time on the set of Platonic. “There was something so great about working with people at the top of the industry. These are people

I’ve seen growing up. Just standing in a room with them was weird and surreal.”

Thomas says the esteemed ensemble for Platonic — which also includes Luke Macfarlane, Carla Gallo, Tre Hale and Andrew Lopez — were so “grounded and down to Earth” that he never actually felt nervous about meeting or even working with them. Thomas was helped by the fact that he’d set himself one goal during production, which he not only met, but then went on to repeatedly achieve.

“My goal was to make Seth break a little when improvising. That was the spirit of the show,” he says. “Our director, Nicholas Stoller, would come up with so much funny stuff and we’d keep on adding moments. It was such great, fun, collaborative work.”

‘YES, AND… ’

Thomas reaching such impressive heights in the world of comedy is all the more remarkable considering he almost quit after his first appearance with the Denver School of Arts’ improv team. In fact, it was only some “goading” from a

math teacher that convinced Thomas to persevere.

“He saw me do improv for the first time. He came over and said, ‘You were ferocious!’ That’s a term that’s never been used to describe me since then. But I carried that with me,” he says. “There was just an instant gratification to improv that I loved. I knew I could do it.”

Thomas soon became so obsessed with comedy that he put his initial dream profession of becoming a curator of ornithology at a zoo to the side, and focused on perfecting his comedic skills.

“I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to write or act,” he says. “I just wanted to use this creative muscle and build a career out of it.”

In addition to his work with his high school improv team, Thomas also trained and performed at the Bovine Metropolis Theater and Rise Comedy in Denver. But once he finished college, Thomas decided to leave the Front Range for the comedy mecca of Chicago.

“There was such a romanticism about Chicago and Chicago comedy,” Thomas says. “It just felt like the logical next step for me if I wanted to make a career out of comedy.”

That romanticism was especially at The Second City — a famed improv comedy enterprise whose alumni include Bill Murray, Tina Fey, Amy Poehler, Stephen Colbert, Chris Farley and John Candy, to name a few — where Thomas continued his training.

Now based in Los Angeles, Thomas has been a regular guest writer on the NPR radio panel show Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me!, while working on his own comedy in the meantime. He has also been busy auditioning, which is what landed him a part in Bros, the 2022 romantic comedy starring Billy Eichner and Macfarlane, which was directed by Stoller.

Thomas’ scene was ultimately cut out of Bros, a common heartache for many emerging actors. But Stoller remembered just how impressed he was by the young comedian, which is what ultimately helped Thomas secure his recurring role in Platonic. Now the former Denverite is hopeful that this is the first step on what will ultimately become a long and fruitful Hollywood career.

“I learned a lot on this [show],” he says. “But I’m still learning things and I just want to keep on making good, funny and interesting stuff. That’s the goal.”

Vinny Thomas has been hailed as one of the most promising comedians in the country.

Photo courtesy the artist.

Seth Rogen and Rose Byrne star in the comedy series Platonic, streaming now on Apple TV+.

YOU LIKE TO PLAY A GAME?’

Fun with genre and race in ‘The Blackening’

BY MICHAEL J. CASEY

They were friends in college, but it’s been 10 years since the whole group got together. Poor choices and hurt feelings came between them. But that was then, and this is now. And now they’re all getting together in a cabin in the woods to celebrate Juneteenth with a lot of booze, pills and Spades. It’s the perfect setting for something to go horribly wrong.

“I did not expect ‘murderous psychopath in blackface’ was going to be the answer when I asked, ‘Who’s all gonna be there?’” a very exasperated and terrified Dewayne (Dewayne Perkins) says after things really start to go off the rails.

Dewayne is Lisa’s gay best friend. That sounds reductive, but one of the pleasures of The Blackening is how the movie reduces its characters into types, toys with those types, flips them and then falls back on them. It’s a barbed wire of a good time. There’s King (Melvin Gregg), a reformed gangster who married a white girl; Allison (Grace Byers), an activist who struggles with her biracial parentage; party girl Shanika (X Mayo); serial philanderer Nnamdi (Sinqua Walls); and Lisa (Antoinette Robertson), Nnamdi’s ex, Dewayne’s bestie and the center around which the group revolves.

There are two others, Morgan (Yvonne Orji) and Shawn (Jay Pharoah), but they don’t make it out of the first reel. They’re the first to discover the cabin’s sinister game room, complete with an unusual board game featuring a racist caricature that’s just a little too sentient.

The game revolves around Black history and pop culture trivia with Sawlike consequences. It’s what reveals the true nature of the cabin to the group. It’s also one of those contraptions that’s so intricate you wonder how the villain pulls it off. Not that it matters: Logic and puzzle boxes are not the heart of The Blackening; comedy and commentary are.

Based on Perkin’s 2018 viral short, the movie, written by Tracy Oliver and Perkins and directed by Tim Story, is a horror satire where all the characters are aware of the conventional traps of the genre. At one point, Allison suggests that the best way to survive is for the group to split up, to which the rest replies with groans and incredulity. They’ve seen this movie before and know how it turns out.

The Blackening has a lot of fun with these moments, particularly the movie’s running gag of who is Blacker than

whom, culminating in what one character calls a high-stakes “Black Sophie’s Choice.” Good jokes are never far from reach here.

There are a lot of insights and aspects of The Blackening that might feel hostile or incendiary in another context, but here, that tension dissipates with every zinger in the script — which makes the tension created by the horror scenario all the more enjoyable. Even as the movie’s villain gives the protracted James Bond-esque speech of his origin and plan, you still wonder who will make it out of this situation alive.

In that regard, The Blackening is like any other horror movie. But where those other movies end with the heroes walking away triumphant (if not emotionally scarred from what they saw and survived), The Blackening ends with a reminder that when a Black person survives hell and high water, they walk back into a world wondering if anyone is going to believe their story.

ON

HELP WANTED

ELECTRNCS ENGR

Rocky Mountain Institute has an oppty for an Associate. Deliver consltng & philanthropy-guided projects in the areas of mobility transformation, electrification & digitization. $85,690.00/yr to $101,035.00/yr. May wrk from our HQ office in Boulder, CO or reside anywhere in the US & wrk remotely from home. May wrk at other US locatns not prsntly known. Email resume w/Ref# BOUSMO to recruiting@rmi.org. Must be legally auth to work in the US w/o spnsrshp. EOE

HELP WANTED

Workday, Inc. is accepting resumes for the following positions at various levels in Boulder, CO:

Manager, Quality Assurance Engineering (20637.1988) - Apply extensive technical and leadership skills to achieve high-quality standards in product, test methodologies and processes. Salary: $125,802 - $180,000 per year, 40 hours per week.

Sr Product Security Engineer (20637.647) - Deploy and administer enterprise-grade security tools. Salary: $162,240 – $216,000. 40 hours per week.

Quality Assurance / Automation Engineer (P3) (20637.2177)Debugs software products through the use of systemic tests to develop, apply, and maintain quality standards for company products. Salary: $84,677 - $165,100. 40 hours per week.

Workday pay ranges vary based on work location and recruiters can share more during the hiring process. As a part of the total compensation package, this role may be eligible for the Workday Bonus Plan or a rolespecific commission/bonus, as well as annual refresh stock grants. Each candidate’s compensation offer will be based on multiple factors including, but not limited to, geography, experience, skills, future potential and internal pay parity. For more information regarding Workday’s comprehensive benefits, please go to workday.com/en-us/company/careers/ life-at-workday.html

Interested applicants submit resumes by mail to: J. Thurston at Workday, Inc., Attn: Human Resources/ Immigration, 6110 Stoneridge Mall Road, Pleasanton, CA 94588. Must reference job title and job code.

‘WOULD

From left: Melvin Gregg, Grace Byers, Antoinette Robertson, Sinqua Walls, Jermaine Fowler, Dewayne Perkins and Xochitl Mayo in The Blackening Photo courtesy Lionsgate.

ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): Aries-born Vincent van Gogh’s painting Potato Eaters shows five people in a dark room barely illuminated by lamplight. Seated around a small table, they use their hands to eat food they have grown themselves. Vincent wanted to convey the idea that they “dug the earth with the very hands they put into their bowls.” I don’t expect you to do anything quite so spectacularly earthy in the coming weeks, Aries, but I would love to see you get very up close and personal with nature. I’d also love to see you learn more about where the fundamental things in your life originate. Bonus points if you seek adventures to bolster your foundations and commune with your roots.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Renowned Mexican artist Diego Rivera emerged from his mother’s womb in 1886. But some observers suggest that Rivera’s soul was born in 1920: a pivotal time when he found his true calling as an artist. During a visit to Italy, as he gazed at the murals of 15th-century mural painters, “he found the inspiration for a new and revolutionary public art capable of furthering the ideals of the ongoing revolution in his native land.” (In the words of art historian Linda Downs.) I will be extra dramatic and speculate that you may have a comparable experience in the coming months, dear Taurus: a rebirth of your soul that awakens vigorous visions of what your future life can be.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): Among her many jobs, my triple Gemini friend Alicia has worked as a deep-sea rescue diver, an environmental activist, a singer in a band, a dog food taster, an art teacher for kids, and a volunteer at a sleep lab researching the nature of dreams. Do I wonder if she would be wise to commit herself to one occupation? Not really. I respect her decision to honor her ever-shifting passions. But if there will ever come a time when she will experiment with a bit more stability and constancy, it may come during the next 11 months. You Geminis are scheduled to engage in deep ruminations about the undiscovered potentials of regularity, perseverance, and commitment.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): As religious sects go, the Shakers are the most benign. Since their origin in the 18th century, they have had as many women as men in leadership roles. They practice pacifism, disavow consumerism, and don’t try to impose their principles on others. Their worship services feature dancing as well as singing. I’m not suggesting you become a Shaker, Cancerian, but I do hope that in the coming months, you will place a premium on associating with noble groups whose high ideals are closely aligned with your own. It’s time to build and nurture your best possible network.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): For years, Mario A. Zacchini worked at a circus as a “human cannonball.” On thousands of occasions, he was shot out of a cannon at 90 miles per hour. “Flying isn’t the hard part,” he testified. “Landing in the net is.” His work might sound dangerous, but he lived to age 87. Let’s make Mario your role model for a while, Leo. I hope he will inspire you to be both adventurous and safe, daring but prudent. I trust you will seek exhilarating fun even as you insist on getting soft landings.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): One of my favorite astrology teachers, Stephen Arroyo, notes, “Most people have a strong opinion about astrology, usually quite extreme, even though 95% have never studied it whatsoever.” Of course, astrology is not the only subject about which people spout superficial ideas based on scant research. Viral epidemiology is another example. Anyway, Virgo, I am asking you to work hard to avoid this behavior during the rest of 2023. Of all the zodiac signs, you have the greatest potential to express thoughtful ideas based on actual evidence. Be a role model for the rest of us! Show us what it means to have articulate, well-informed opinions.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): Meditation teacher Cheri Huber wrote a book called Be the Person You Want to Find. This would be an excellent title for your life story during the next ten months. I hope you will soon ruminate on how to carry out such a quest. Here are two suggestions. 1. Make a list of qualities you yearn to experience in a dear ally and brainstorm about how to cultivate those qualities in yourself. 2. Name three high-integrity people you admire. Meditate on how you could be more like them in ways that are aligned with your life goals.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): Now is a good time to take stock of how you have fared in the Dating and Mating Games through the years. Why? Because you are entering a new chapter of your personal Love Story. The next two years will bring rich opportunities to outgrow stale relationship patterns and derive rich benefits from novel lessons in intimacy. An excellent way to prepare is to meditate on the history of your togetherness. PS: The term “fate bait” refers to an influence that draws you toward the next turning point of your necessary destiny. Be alert for fate bait.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): Sagittarius actor Samuel Jackson loves the color purple. He insists on it being featured in his films, and he often wears purple outfits. In Black Snake Moan, he plays a purple Gibson guitar. In the animated movie, Turbo, he voices the role of a purple racing snail. In his Star Wars appearances, he wields a purple light saber. Now I am endorsing his obsession for your use. Why?

First, it’s an excellent time to home in on exactly what you want and ask for exactly what you want. Second, now is a favorable phase to emphasize purple in your own adventures. Astrologers say purple is your ruling color. It stimulates your natural affinity for abundance, expansiveness, and openness.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): People who understand the creative process say it’s often wise to stay mum about your in-progress work. You may diminish the potency of your projects if you blab about them while they’re still underway. I don’t think that’s true for all creative efforts. For example, if we collaborate with partners on an artistic project or business venture, we must communicate well with them. However, I do suspect the transformative efforts you are currently involved in will benefit from at least some secrecy for now. Cultivate the privacy necessary to usher your masterpiece to further ripeness.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): Musician Frank Zappa (1940–1993) was a freaky rebel, iconoclastic weirdo, and virtuoso experimenter. Everything normal and ordinary was boring to him. He aspired to transcend all categories. And yet he refrained from taking psychedelic drugs and urged his fans to do the same. He said, “We repudiate any substances, vehicles, or procedures which might reduce the body, mind, or spirit of an individual to a state of subawareness or insensitivity.” Zappa might have added that some substances temporarily have a pleasing effect but ultimately diminish the life force. In my estimation, Aquarius, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to re-evaluate your relationship with influences that weaken the vitality of your body, mind, or spirit. It will also be a favorable period to seek new modes of lasting liberation.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): If you are at a festival or fair where you could win a lot of money by smashing watermelons with your head, I hope you won’t do it. Same if you imagine you could impress a potential lover by eating 25 eggs in three minutes: Please don’t. Likewise, I beg you not to let yourself be manipulated or abused by anyone for any reason. These days, it’s crucial not to believe you can succeed by doing things that would hurt or demean or diminish you. For the foreseeable future, you will be wise to show what you do best and express your highest values. That’s the most effective way to get what you want.

SAVAGE LOVE

BY DAN SAVAGE

Q: Is it good to see your ex naked?

A: Well, it depends. If you’re on good terms with your ex and seeing your ex naked (looking at old pictures, swapping new ones, having breakup/FWB sex) doesn’t keep emotional wounds incurred during the relationship open and bleeding (making it harder for you and/or your ex to heal and move on) and seeing your ex naked doesn’t bother your current — if you have a current — then seeing your ex naked can be great.

Q: I have genital herpes, but I’m asymptotic. Panic or NBD?

A: Herpes is not a big deal for most people with herpes — most people with HSV1 or HSV2 are likewise asymptotic — so, don’t panic. I’ve done a few episodes of the Lovecast on herpes with Dr. Ina Park, a professor at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine and Medical Consultant at the Centers for Disease Control Division of STD Prevention. Dr. Park discussed the stigma vs. the reality, disclosure vs. non-disclosure, treatment options and more.

Q: Does performing kegels with a cock or dildo in a male’s anus strengthen the sphincter?

A: In all honesty, I don’t know — but that’s never stopped me from telling a guy I’m fucking that doing kegels is a good idea.

Q: Do you prefer boxers, briefs, or boxer briefs on men?

A: I’m an ABT guy myself — anything but thongs.

Q: How does one deal with emotional discomfort during sex?

A: Well, it depends. Before I go any further, a lot of “sexperts” will tell you

to stop at the first sign of emotional discomfort… but unlike a lot of “sexperts,” I’ve actually had sex. And this may come as a surprise to some of my readers… I actually have some sexual hang-ups. (Places I don’t like to be touched, things I don’t like to do, words I don’t like to be called, etc.). And if I called off sex whenever I experienced mild-to-middling emotional discomfort, I would’ve missed out on a lot of sex (and a few relationships) that turned out to be pretty good or even great. So, instead of ending things at the first sign of mild emotional discomfort, try saying things instead — try communicating in the moment —and if the person you’re with quickly corrects course and your discomfort passes, you’ll most likely be glad you didn’t call it off. If your emotional distress is severe, obviously call off the sex.

Q: I’m a cis gay man that really enjoys his sex toys, however, when I try to bottom for other men, I find that experience super itchy and uncomfortable. This doesn’t happen when I use toys and I have no idea why. Is this some kind of anal vaginismus?

A: “Itching can be due to an allergic reaction, an STI, or lack of lubrication,” said Dr. Carlton Thomas, a gastroenterologist and gay health expert. “Sometimes the hair on genitals can create an itchy sensation depending on its length. In this case, I wonder if our person is using condoms and might be allergic to the latex.”

Follow Dr. Thomas on Instagram and TikTok @doctorcarlton.

SIBLING RIVALRY

Boulder County’s roomiest, most family-friendly farmers market is actually in Longmont

BY JOHN LEHNDORFF

Standing at his booth handing out tasty samples, a vendor at the Longmont Farmers Market leans forward and confides conspiratorially:

“Actually, Longmont is a better market experience than Boulder,” he says. “Here, everything’s easier for the vendors and the shoppers. There’s much more room, so you can breathe. People seem a little nicer.”

The farmer didn’t want to be identified because he also happily sells at the Boulder Farmers Market. Perhaps he was also ambivalent about the “secret” being discovered.

Despite being only 15 minutes or so from Boulder, the long-running Longmont Farmers Market is an afterthought for most local shoppers. Ask folks and they assume since both markets are operated by the same organization, Longmont is just the Boulder market’s less-hip sibling.

“Longmont is very different from Boulder,” says Ann Mattson, manager of the Longmont Farmers Market. “This is a classic community market where people bring families, kids, friends and

visiting relatives. A lot of them spend a few hours here and have a picnic.”

Early on a recent Saturday in Longmont, bread and pastry lovers lined up at Styria Bakery, XLVII’s Bakery, Hinman Pie and Izzio Artisan Bakery.

These baked goodies were made to pair with local cheeses from Moon Hill Dairy (which makes a fine camembert), new-kid-at-the-market Westcliffe Cheese Co. (goat chevre and feta, hot cheese curds), Five Freedoms Dairy and, occasionally, Colorado Farmhouse Cheese.

“Longmont serves a different population. This [location] is more accessible for seniors and those with disabilities,” Mattson says. On any given Saturday, about 75 vendors are selling everything from wool and mushrooms to tempeh, corn chips and granola. Many of the stands are unique to the Longmont event, including a rotation of guest vendors.

As in Boulder, the Longmont market is a local grower-focused enterprise. Hence, you won’t find any pineapples here.

The site at the Boulder County Fairgrounds was built to host the Longmont Farmers Market. Two shopping walkways intersect at a main crossroads that features shade, seating, live music and, naturally, hula hooping near the food court.

The spacious layout means that this market never seems claustrophobic, even when abuzz with families.

“The advantage here is you really get to talk to the farmers about what they grow and how to serve it,” Mattson says. “The growers come for the community as much as the shoppers.”

Arriving at the Longmont Farmers Market early on a sunny Saturday morning, it’s obvious this is a separate reality. First, a huge parking lot right next to the vendors is a big convenience factor for the vast majority of locals who shop using their cars. (Yes, the location is friendly to bikers, pedestrians and mass transit, too.)

The expanding grower roster includes familiar names like Off Beet, Aspen Moon, Black Cat and Miller farms as well as Longmontonly sellers like Honeyacre’s greenhouse, and Kelly Jean’s Microgreens.

One familiar face in Longmont is Karim Amirfathi, owner of Altan Alma Farm who formerly operated Cafe Rumi on North Broadway in Boulder. His original farm in Louisville was burned in the Marshall Fire, but he now grows at a rented field. He offers an unusual array of therapeutic herb plants and products, including Szechuan button, a sense-dazzling edible flower. He also grows ashwagandha and gotu kola plants. An expert arborist, Amirfathi sells ready-to-plant trees he grafted.

Longmont also showcases a lot of locally raised eggs and meats from Rough & Ready Farm, Platteville’s Blue Sky Farm and Boulder Better Wagyu, which sells fat-marbled ribeye steaks. Discover the joy of artisan beef jerky sticks at Boulder Beef. The vendor lineup changes through the season as the state’s fruit crop comes in and the biggies — corn, tomatoes and melons —

are ripe in the hot summer fields. One wing of the Longmont Farmers Market is a full food court with unique offerings from Baba & Pops Pierogi, Rev’s Ribs, La Esmeralda, Momo House and more. Adult beverages are available nearby from Longmont’s St. Vrain Cidery and Abbott & Wallace Distilling.

Is the Longmont Market better than its Boulder sister? Call it a case of farmers market sibling rivalry but it really depends on how you like your local farm-focused shopping experience: urban or slightly more rural.

“The first time that people from Boulder shop at this market they always say: ‘I didn’t know this was here. This is different!’” Mattson says.

TASTE OF THE WEEK:

OMG BREAKFAST WRAPS

One compelling reason to visit the Longmont Farmers Market is the opportunity to sample the spectacular fare at Rising Tiger, chef Devin Keopraphay’s AsianAmerican catering booth. It’s hard not to gush about his scallion pancake breakfast wraps. He fills savory rice flour crepes with eggs, meat or smoked tofu and cheese with a smear of chili-garlic crisp. The booth also dishes a rare sweet treat: warm, fish-shaped taiyaki rice waffles stuffed with creamy custard filling. It’s perfect paired with a cup from Longmont-roasted Fair Isle Coffee.

Credit: John Lehndorff

Credit: John Lehndorff

NIBBLES

LONGMONT FOOD NEWS: DOWN ON THE FARM

● Journey Culinary (706 Kimbark St.), the Longmont cultural cooking school, offers a Persian Tea Experience July 22 with chef Bahar Godhousi

● Ollin Farms (8627 N. 95th St., #7718, Longmont) hosts a series of farm dinners including July 29 (Whistling Boar Catering), Aug. 19 (Magic Food Bus) and Oct. 7 (La Vita Bella).

● Longmont Food Rescue provides free fresh produce — no questions ever asked — every second Sunday of the month at noon in the parking lot of the Longmont YMCA (950 Lashley St).

● While the French-accented bistro inside Longmont’s Cheese Importers Warehouse (103 Main St.) hasn’t reopened since the pandemic, the epic culinary destination is now hosting food trucks from Hurry 4 Curry to Wheels on Fire Pizza almost every day in its backyard patio.

● Longmont-based Peggy Markel’s Culinary Adventures has received a rare accolade as a recommended “experience maker” from Condé Nast Traveler. The magazine notes: “Though the market for culinary travel has certainly grown since the early years, no one has been able to match the depth and dimension of [Markel’s] programs. She has now expanded to India, Morocco, Spain, Portugal, Scotland and new destinations in Italy.”

NIBBLES INDEX: WE HEART TACOS

Mexican cuisine is the most popular fare in Colorado, averaging 198,792 searches per month, according to an analysis of recent Google search data.

WORDS

CHEW

“Rhubarb and strawberries [are] two tastes and textures that meld together into the sort of subtle transcendental oneness that we once fantasized would be our experience when we finally found the ideal mate.”

— John Thorne

John Lehndorff hosts Radio Nibbles weekly on KGNU. Listen to podcasts at: bit.ly/RadioNibbles

Best Mexican Restaurant in Niwot

A taste of modern Japan in the heart of Boulder

Whether the sun is shining or snow is falling, our little corner of Pearl Street is the perfect place to soak up winter in beautiful Boulder! Feast alongside the jellyfish, sink into a lounge or take a seat at one of our lively bars.

Prefer the great outdoors? Our fireside patios are the coziest place to savor those mild winter days. When your own couch is calling, all of your favorites are available for curbside pickup too. No matter how you choose to dine don’t miss our ever-evolving specials, delicious seasonal cocktails, and latest rare whiskey!

THE DANDELION CHALLENGE

Blanch and freeze. Dry the leaves and roots. Add flowers to a jar of pickled cucumbers for some quick pickled buds. They will close up but get chewy and tangy. Add leaves to sardine salad. Make dandelion-infused oil, dandelion wine, dandelion barbecue, curry, potato salad, smoothies, olives and cheese in a rolled up leaf — a tapestry of daring dandelion tapas.

Here are some do-it-yourself dandelion recipes, one for every day of the week.

boiling water for a minute, then dress with a sauce made of minced garlic, sesame oil, cider vinegar, chile powder, a pinch of sugar and fish sauce or anchovy paste and salt to taste.

THURSDAY: ROASTED ROOTS

Imake a point to eat a dandelion every day.

The whole plant is edible, from the sunny top to the deep taproot, and all the stem, stalk and leaf in between — and there are ways to eat it that won’t contort your face with bitterness. It’s one of the most all-around healthy foods you can eat, rich in vitamins, fiber and many other nutrients.

The flowers, fried in butter, oil or bacon grease, taste like extra floral artichokes. The buds have a meaty chewiness and slight sweetness, with a taste that’s a lot like a dandelion flower smells.

The hollow flower stalks make great cocktail straws, bitters included. The roots can be roasted until chewy, crunchy or browned.

Native to northern Europe, dandelions specialize in colonizing disturbed areas, which humans specialize in creating. They have followed humans and their disturbances around the world, colonizing every continent except Antarctica. And while often labeled as weeds, they don’t hang out where they don’t belong.

In this little old-growth forest patch near my house, where most of the plants and animals living there or passing through are native species and the ecosystem is roughly intact, there are no dandelions, except alongside the one trail through the grove. And you don’t want to eat those.

The best dandelion habitat is unsprayed, overgrown lawn, which is about as disturbed as a piece of land can get. Whether it’s the root, leaf, stalk or flower you seek, harvest them as cleanly as possible, bringing as little dirt home as possible.

In winter it will be more challenging to eat dandelions daily. It will involve more tea, and roots if you can jump on them before the plant flowers. That stuff needs to be gathered now, in these days of summertime. Eat them fresh, and stock some up for later.

SUNDAY: FRIED FLOWERS

In a cast iron or omelet pan, fry flowers with the yellow sides in butter, oil or bacon grease with garlic, salt, pepper and whatever else you can think of.

MONDAY: RAW LEAVES WITH GRAPEFRUIT

Wash, dry and chop a bunch of raw leaves. Add onion and minced or mashed garlic. Dress with olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt or copious amounts of feta — or both. Toss with grapefruit.

TUESDAY: RADIKIA — THE FAMOUS GREEK DANDELION DISH

Blanch leaves in salted boiling water for about 60 seconds. Transfer immediately to cold water to chill. Then drain, squeeze and chop the dandelion. Dress with lemon juice, salt and olive oil.

WEDNESDAY: NAMUL

This is a Korean style of preparing dandelions. Blanch leaves in salted

Excavate the root as gently as you can, loosening it as deeply as possible, ideally before it has flowered, after which the root can get woody. Scrub it clean and chop it, then roast slowly at 275 degrees until dark brown. Serve with salt, honey, chocolate or as a coffee-like tea.

FRIDAY: STALKING BITTER

BUBBLES

Go into the yard and pick the longest dandelion flower stalks you can. Pop off the flowers. Mix with gin and juice or tonic. Insert straw. Serve.

SATURDAY: RAMEN

Tampopo means dandelion in Japanese. It’s also the name of a hapless maker of mediocre ramen in the masterful Japanese comedy of the same name from 1985. The heroes attempt to teach her how to make ramen but can’t. Drama and hilarity ensue. I only found out about it when I searched for dandelion ramen, to see if I invented it. But no. I am not the first person to add dandelion to a high-end ramen, like Nongshim or Sapporo Ichiban brands, with an egg cracked toward the end. Use any part of the plant, including leaves, even roots. As long as it’s clean, add it to the pot.

Rich in vitamins and fiber, it’s time to stop dismissing this ‘weed’

BY ARI LEVAUX

‘THE BIGGEST WEEK’

Psychedelic Science Conference 2023 comes to Colorado’s capital

BY WILL BRENDZA

The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) is one of the foremost organizations working to develop medical, legal and cultural contexts for people using psychedelics and marijuana. It funds more research on the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics than almost any other nonprofit.

And this month, from June 19 to 23, MAPS is coming to Denver to host a historic gathering of the global psychedelic community: the fourth Psychedelic Science Conference. MAPS is calling it “the biggest week in the psychedelic renaissance.” There will be speakers, workshops and a lot of time to mingle with some of the biggest names in the world of psychedelic science, culture and community. (And this event is far from annual. So if it sparks your interest, you should register sooner rather than later.)

The first psychedelic conference was in 2010 at the Holiday Inn Hotel in San Jose, California, co-hosted by MAPS, the Heffter Research Institute, the Beckley Foundation, and the Council on Spiritual Practices. Some 800 attendees showed up from

around the world to take accredited courses for physicians, psychiatrists, psychologists, nurses and social workers.

Then there was the second Psychedelic Science Conference in 2013, which drew around 2,000 attendees. And the third, in 2017, drew 3,000.

Interest in this sphere of research and exploration is clearly growing. And while COVID may have extended the break between the 2017 Psychedelic Science Conference and this year’s event in Denver, it couldn’t stop the momentum behind this movement. This year’s conference at the Colorado Convention Center is anticipating well over 10,000 attendees.

And it is a veritable who’s-who of the psychedelic world.

Michael Pollan, author of How to Change Your Mind and founder of the Berkeley Center for Science of Psychedelics, will be there, along with renowned mycologist Paul Stamets, NFL quarterback and psychedelic proponent Aaron Rodgers, Columbia University professor of psychology

Carl Hart and many other recognizable names.

More than 300 speakers will present at the conference on the convention center’s seven stages. They range in backgrounds from professors and researchers to authors, activists, artists, law enforcement, therapists, Olympic athletes, lawyers, journalists, educators and more.

The event’s statement on diversity notes that “this population skews white and male due to reasons rooted

arship program to include more women and people of color.

The conference is also hosting two days of intensive workshops that offer accreditation, educational and community-building opportunities. They will be facilitated by many of the leading experts in the clinical, academic, business and cultural fields, addressing the topics of psychedelic progress and potential from different angles. Many of these workshops, however, are already sold out.

There are even after-parties featuring DJs like Bonobo, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith and Boreta, plus artists like The Flaming Lips and others.

There are three different tiers of access for different prices: The Community Pass for the general public ($805), the Practitioner Pass for health, medicine and science practitioners ($1,095), and the Business Pass for entrepreneurs ($1,795). Each pass includes different levels of access and benefits.

in systemic and institutional bias in our society at large, academia and the psychedelic community, including historic and ongoing gender, racial and ethnic discrimination.”

Organizers are committed to discussing this lack of diversity at the conference, and are offering a schol-

The Psychedelic Science Conference 2023 will be more than twelve times the size of the first conference held in 2010. A new psychedelic era is blossoming. Oregon and Colorado have decriminalized all natural psychedelic substances. And on municipal levels, psychedelics have been decriminalized in Oakland and Santa Cruz, California, Washington D.C., Somerville, Northampton and Cambridge, Massachusetts, and in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The cracks are beginning to show in prohibition.