Boulder Weekly 06.20.2024

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JUNE 20, 2024

Volume 31, Number 44

COVER: Boulder locals Cedar Wright and Matt Segal climbing the Great Getu Arch in China. Credit: Keith Ladzinski

PUBLISHER: Francis J. Zankowski

EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Shay Castle

ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR: Jezy J. Gray

REPORTERS: Kaylee Harter, Will Matuska

FOOD EDITOR: John Lehndorff

INTERN: John Kowalksi

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Will Brendza, Rob Brezsny, Michael J. Casey, Stan Garnett, Dan Savage, Lindsay Temple

SALES AND MARKETING

MARKET DEVELOPMENT MANAGER: Kellie Robinson

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ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Chris Allred, Holden Hauke

SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER: Carter Ferryman

MRS. BOULDER WEEKLY: Mari Nevar

PRODUCTION

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Erik Wogen

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Mark Goodman

GRAPHIC DESIGNER: Chris Sawyer

CIRCULATION

CIRCULATION MANAGER: Cal Winn

CIRCULATION TEAM: Sue Butcher, Ken Rott, Chris Bauer

BUSINESS OFFICE

BOOKKEEPER/ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Austen Lopp

FOUNDER / CEO: Stewart Sallo

As Boulder County’s only independently owned newspaper, Boulder Weekly is dedicated to illuminating truth, advancing justice and protecting the First Amendment through ethical, no-holdsbarred journalism and thought-provoking opinion writing. Free every Thursday since 1993, the Weekly also offers the county’s most comprehensive arts and entertainment coverage. Read the print version, or visit boulderweekly.com. Boulder Weekly does not accept unsolicited editorial submissions. If you’re interested in writing for the paper, please send queries to: editorial@boulderweekly.com. Any materials sent to Boulder Weekly become the property of the newspaper.

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CITIZENS FOR TRUE CIVIC USE

Boulder residents championing a civic space for all — not just those who can afford it

BY STAN GARNETT

Ihave agreed to provide legal counsel to the group called Protect Boulder Civic Space (PBCS) and proudly added my name to their coalition. Like the other members of this group, I believe Downtown Boulder is for everyone. But when we raised concerns about the St Julien’s proposed nearly 60,000-square-foot expansion, the group was painted as “Millionaires for vacant concrete pads” in an opin-

ion piece by Brian Keegan (May 20).

This portrayal is not only inaccurate, it completely dismisses legitimate community concerns from a growing chorus of Boulder residents. Our cause? Certainly not preserving a vacant slab, but fostering a thoughtful, inclusive dialogue to shape a development that meets the commercial interest of the St Julien (the pad’s owner) as well as the civic use intent this space was meant for.

The Boulder Civic Pad should be preserved and developed in a way that benefits the public, not merely serving the private profit of the St Julien.

Let’s be clear: PBCS has never advocated for leaving the pad empty. However, a ballroom and 39 extended-stay hotel rooms don’t meet any possible definition of “civic use.” We’ve even offered an alternate idea on our website, protectbouldercivicspace.com, to begin the conversation. Painting this group as simple NIMBYs is, at best, disingenuous.

Our issue is with the current St Julien proposal — a nearly 60,000-square-foot, five-story, 55-foot-tall structure with no setback. Describing this structure as monolithic is not hyperbole: It’s factual.

OPINION

Our issue is not just about respecting the neighbors’ views, but following the city’s design guidelines to “encourage thoughtful, welldesigned development projects that are sensitive to the existing character of the area.”

While perhaps not common knowledge among many in Boulder, this parcel was set aside for community-oriented purposes when the construction of St Julien began nearly 25 years ago. In 2018, the city reaffirmed that the final project should host “nonprofit and community civic uses.” Now, it’s slated to become a private event center and extended-stay hotel. This was to be a space for public good, and we want to ensure that vision comes to fruition.

Through open discussion, we can arrive at a design that respects Boulder’s character, addresses practical concerns and truly serves the community while also respecting the St Julien’s commercial interests. Over the years, many initiatives — ranging from a children’s museum, an art coalition and even an ice rink — did not come to fruition.

Nevertheless, we still believe this space should be developed in a way that remains accessible to the public, not just to St Julien ballroom and extended stay hotel guests.

Did my clients seek out communication and legal counsel? They did, because they’re serious about this issue and feel strongly about making sure this space serves the community as a whole. Having a website or seeking legal advice shouldn’t invalidate grassroots passion for a solution that works for the St Julien while also honoring the civic intent and enhancing our downtown space.

Reaching the right conclusion will require genuine dialogue, not rushed approvals or dismissals of community input as mere obstructionism. We found it interesting that Mr. Keegan commented only on the current makeup of our organization rather than on the very real issues we’ve brought forward.

Described as “an astroturf group for wealthy condo owners next door,” the residents, in fact, are not the only members of the coalition. The make-up of the coalition is constantly changing as new people add their names to the list through our various outreach efforts. We actually don’t know much more about most coalition members than their names and email addresses. Some people signed on for personal reasons while others represent an interest they have in a business or commercial building nearby.

The St Julien expansion project isn’t a battle between millionaires and progress. It’s a crucial moment for all of Boulder to define what we want on the last piece of civic space in downtown Boulder with views of the Flatirons. Everyone — whether you own or rent, live downtown, in Martin Acres or in Gunbarrel — deserves a seat at the table.

We do agree with Mr. Keegan’s statement, “I encourage the planning board and city council to act expediently on proposals to develop the Civic Use Pad into more productive uses for all Boulder residents.” We go further and encourage Mr. Keegan and anyone else to join our coalition and participate in this important dialogue.

Downtown is a tapestry of diverse businesses, cultural amenities, dining and entertainment and public spaces that reflect our values. The decisions we make now will be with us for decades. Let’s come together, listen to one another and collaboratively design a project that truly embodies Boulder’s unique spirit. Downtown truly is for everyone.

Lifelong Boulder resident Stan Garnett has been a trial lawyer for more than 42 years and served two terms as the district attorney for Colorado’s 20th Judicial District in Boulder. He represents Protect Boulder Civic Space.

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

Marisol

Champion efforts to increase school funding so we can raise teacher pay and improve the physical conditions of our schools

Oppose book bans and efforts to transfer tax dollars away from public schools

Support CDE’s school improvement efforts so that all kids have access to a great quality school, especially kids who have been overlooked and left behind

by Marisol for All Colorado Kids

STORMS, TREES AND THE WORLD IN BETWEEN

Photographer and filmmaker Keith Ladzinski on finding inspiration closer to home

BY WILL MATUSKA

One of the grittiest expeditions of Keith Ladzinski’s life was his first assignment for National Geographic

In 2012, he journeyed to Antarctica on a team of four to find and climb untouched spires in the desolate Queen Maud Land region. Between plummeting temperatures, nearly losing his sail on a kite ski and slim-tono chances of being rescued in the event of an accident, he says that trip had a fair amount of unpleasantness.

“This was a genuine icey desert hell,” he says.

Despite the ungodly conditions, Ladzinski, who grew up in Colorado Springs and now calls Boulder home, looks back on the 50-day trip fondly as more than just a career kickstart.

“One of the best parts about [expeditions], aside from the pictures I’m taking, is you learn a lot about yourself and what you’re capable of — and what you aren’t capable of as well.”

Ladzinski has made a career out of pressure cooker scenarios like this.

Over the last two decades, he’s traveled to the farthest reaches of the seven continents documenting natural history, climate change and extreme sports that have culminated in multiple Emmy nominations and frequent contributions to national publications and brands like National Geographic, The New York Times, Red Bull and The North Face.

The impact of his work goes beyond reflections of his own capabilities while hanging from a 2,000-foot Antarctic cliff with a camera on his hip. He’s as motivated as ever to make stunning pictures and films with the goal of sharing new perspectives and sparking community conversation for global audiences. Some of his most recent work — and inspiration — he’s found right in Boulder’s backyard.

Keith Ladzinski: “A small research boat cutting across a 600-square-mile algae bloom in Lake Erie, Ohio. These blooms occur each year in the summer months when lake water temperatures increase, fueled by excess phosphate and nitrate in the water from decades of fertilizer used in large-scale agriculture. These non-water soluble elements are stuck here, with no current solution in sight. This photograph became a viral sensation on national news, bringing more awareness to the issue, but one that still remains unsolved.” Photographed for National Geographic, 2019.

‘THE HOLY GRAIL’

Ladzinski discovered his intrepid spirit in Colorado. Even before he owned a camera, family trips to the mountains west of Colorado Springs instilled an early admiration of the outdoors.

At the same time, he was also gravitating toward extreme sports as a sponsored skateboarder and through other hobbies like mountain biking and climbing. So when he nabbed a camera from a local pawn shop for a few hundred bucks, he started bringing it along wherever those activities took him.

While mastering his skills wielding a camera in his free time, opportunity arose in his early 20s after he was let

go from the “golden handcuffs” of a steady programming gig.

“Coding was a lot of fun, but it was never the thing I loved. It was still a means to an end,” he says. “Whereas photography was the Holy Grail for me.”

With a couple months of severance providing runway support, he remembers deciding between finding a new job or taking the leap.

“I chose the risk-it-all path.”

KENTUCKY JOE

Ladzinski’s commitment to his craft slowly began to pay off as he picked up steady climbing assignments in the early 2000s, combining tech-

niques he learned on skateboarding projects — like off-camera lighting — with landscape photography that requires patience, location and timing.

During a presentation for National Geographic, Ladzinski described how some of those early days were spent somewhat frivolously in the Nevada desert with a crew of climbing dirtbags. Strapped for cash, some of them stayed for free at an apartment building owned by a squirrel hunter and gun slinger nicknamed Kentucky Joe. Although Ladzinski was there on assignment, when the weather wasn’t good for climbing he took the chance to get creative.

“We went out to the desert, where there’s all this junk and garbage, and we started shooting these silly portraits,” he told the crowd.

For example, take one mocking photo of a shirtless climber on his back benching a pair of dirty tires on the ends of a rusty cylindrical tube, surrounded by a few equally unclothed onlookers. Dramatic snowcapped mountains fill the background.

“We were just laughing while taking these pictures,” he said.

That same kind of resourcefulness, outside-the-box thinking and relationships he built hanging around in the desert translated into more serious freelance work.

“I started getting great offers and opportunities to travel the world and, man, it just sort of took over my life.”

OUT YOUR DOOR

Two decades into his career, Ladzinski isn’t as keen to travel hundreds of days a year on assignment anymore — his young family is enough to keep him home.

“There’s nothing more magnetic than being with him,” says Ladzinski of his son, who already shares his affinity for wild animals and places. The two partner up to go on “Boulder safaris” and other nature-based excursions like finding a nest of owls and traveling to the Sandhill Crane Festival in Monte Vista.

“Getting to do these things with him, where he gets to see a little bit of my life and I get to re-experience things through his eyes, is one of the coolest things,” he says.

“While working on a paleontology assignment in the Sahara Desert of Niger, Africa, our dig site was visited by two nomadic Tuaregs in search of water. It was as if I had stepped into another time, standing among half-excavated dinosaur bones while two men with a camel had appeared like a mirage in the 120 degree heat. We filled their bottles, exchanged a few hand gestures of ‘thank you’ and ‘you’re welcome,’ then watched as they walked off into the great Airaze Plain.”

Photographed for National Geographic, 2022.

That’s inspired Ladzinski to take a longer look at traditional subjects with a fresh mindset, even in his Boulder front yard, like earlier this spring when he photographed a pink-blossomed cherry tree in his front yard using multiple in-camera exposures to create a dizzying celestial spiral effect.

In an ongoing project, Ladzinski is gearing up for another round of storm chasing in the heart of the country. He says that process has reconnected him with people who live and think differently than him — something that’s needed in today’s polarized world.

“We’re such a divided country right now,” he says. “And I think a lot of it is because we just simply don’t go to places where the other people live and listen to them.”

To that end, Ladzinski continues to stoke a perhaps innate human curiosity to know ourselves and each other — one photo at a time.

Ladzinski gives traditional subjects his own twist. Earlier this year, he used multiple in-camera exposures to create a dizzying celestial spiral effect on the pink-blossomed cherry tree in his front yard. Credit: Keith Ladzinski

“When it comes to extreme weather, Texas is no stranger to the harsh elements of mother nature. While storm chasing along the Mexico border of Southwest Texas, we crossed paths with this incredible tornado here, firing lightning down while twisting across the parched landscape below.” Photographed for Canon, 2023.

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GOING DARK

Charter school backers pour big money into state board of education race

BY SHAY CASTLE

So-called “dark money” has entered the Colorado primary, with more than $1.3 million being funneled to local candidates from groups with undisclosed donors.

The bulk of spending has gone to support Marisol Rodriguez, a candidate for a seat on the state school board; District 2 encompasses Boulder County. Rodriguez, an education consultant and mother of two school-aged children, is running against Kathy Gebhardt, a member of the Boulder Valley school board as well as state and national associations of school board directors.

‘NO ONE IS BUYING ME’

As of June 17, a group calling themselves Progressives for Students and Teachers has spent $972,012 on phone calls, web and newspaper ads and direct mailers in support of Rodriguez and opposing Gebhardt, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Colorado Secretary of State.

Progressives is an independent expenditure committee (IEC), which operates essentially like a federal super-PAC (political action committee). These groups can accept an unlimited amount of money from corporations and other organizations that do not have to disclose the source of their funds.

One of Progressives’ registered agents is Kyle DeBeer, vice president of civic affairs for the Colorado League of Charter Schools. The organization’s stated mission is to “shape public policy and opinion that favors charter school quality, growth, funding equity and facilities access.”

Charter schools are independent of the established state school system but do receive government funding. Critics argue that they take away students and funding from public schools

while not being subject to the same regulations and standards.

DeBeer and Noah Stout, Progressives’ other registered agent, did not respond to requests for comment. The IEC has spent more than $107,000 to oppose Gebhardt using direct mailers, according to state records.

Colorado Labor Action, a political group seeking to elect pro-union candidates, spent $42,632 on a mailer attacking Rodriguez and highlighting the IEC spending supporting her.

In two interviews with Boulder Weekly, Rodriguez defended her candidacy and labeled the recent attention to her campaign as “an orchestrated attack” from supporters of “establishment candidate” Gebhardt. Rodriguez says she was not recruited by anyone connected with the Progressives’ IEC or the Colorado League of Charter Schools.

“I’m not fighting for charter schools, so no one is buying me in this election,” Rodriguez says. “I’m not charter for charter’s sake; I didn’t choose a charter school for my own children.”

KNOWN AND UNKNOWN

Other candidates have received IEC money as well. Colorado Working Families Party, a chapter of the national progressive political party, spent $35,305 to support Junie Joseph’s re-election to House District 10 and Jovita Schiffer’s bid for Senate District 18, split evenly between the two candidates. Two other groups have spent a combined $243,095 since May to back Schiffer’s opponent, Judy Amabile.

One group is called Better Schools for a Stronger Colorado, which is tied to Stand for Children, a nonprofit advocating for “education equity and racial justice.” Its registered agents, Ryan Brown and Kara Dahl, both

NEWS

work for the organization. Neither Brown nor Dahl responded to requests for comment.

Aside from its TRACER profile, no information was available about A Whole Lot of People for Change, the second group supporting Amabile’s campaign. The group’s stated mission is “to support pragmatic candidates …

2024 PRIMARY CAMPAIGN FINANCE

Races with outside spending as of June 17

State Board of Education, District 2: $1,118,294*

- Kathy Gebhardt: $70,720

- Marisol Lynda Rodgriquez: $32,930

*Figure includes $1,014,644 in IEC spending

SD18: $515,896*

- Judy Amabile: $203,727.92

- Jovita Schiffer: $30,301.48

*Figure includes $281,867 in IEC spending

HD10: $183,970*

- Junie Joseph: $102,725

- Tina Mueh: $63,593

- William B. DeOreo: $0

*Figure includes $17,652.40 in IEC spending

Source: TRACER

that believe in rebuilding Colorado’s middle class and strengthening our local economy.”

A Whole Lot of People’s registered agent, Stephanie Smith, did not respond to requests for comment.

IECs spend in support or opposition of candidates but cannot coordinate with them. Amabile says she was not aware of the groups supporting her until being contacted by Boulder Weekly

“I’m new to this, because I haven’t had a real primary” challenge, Amabile says. “I was like, ‘Who is running these digital ads?’”

CHARTER POWER

In Colorado, local public school districts must authorize new charter

schools, but the state board of education can overrule these decisions. That may explain the interest of procharter groups in the race.

Rodriguez characterizes her views on charter schools as “pretty similar” to Gebhardt.

Gebhardt told Boulder Weekly she supports and has secured funding for charter schools. She was part of the BVSD board that declined to review an application for a proposed charter school, but says that was because at the time, they “didn’t comply with the Colorado anti-discrimination act” which includes things like protections for LGBTQ+ students.

The state board later denied that school’s appeal of BVSD’s decision.

Rodriguez says she would also deny a charter school if it did not meet state standards. She feels it’s important for the state board to have ultimate authority over charters to fend off conservative attempts to influence what students are taught.

“We have MAGA [and] Moms for Liberty infiltrating our school boards,” she says. “Our local school boards are the front line, I think, of our culture wars.”

Kaylee Harter contributed to this reporting.

Kathy Gebhardt.

Marisol Rodriguez.

REELIN’ IN THE YEARS

The King of Telluride looks back on a half-century of Colorado’s most famous music festival

BY JOHN LEHNDORFF

Sam Bush has a crystal-clear memory of the first time he stepped onto a small ramshackle stage in 1975 at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival.

“I looked out at the mountains and thought: ‘This must be what it’s like to play in Switzerland,’” Bush told Boulder Weekly from his Nashville home decorated with memorabilia from the festival.

Soon his “long-haired, East Coast hippie bluegrass band” known as New Grass Revival started picking. The reaction from the small crowd was huge.

“I don’t know if the audience was ready for us or if we had finally found our audience, but it was mutual love,” Bush says. “We were all in on something nobody else had discovered yet: this meeting of all kinds of music.”

Five decades later, the annual bluegrass blowout has become a bucketlist destination for music fans and the template for many successful American stringed music festivals.

Up to 48,000 attendees will be on hand June 20-23 for the sold-out 51st Telluride Bluegrass Festival.

Presented by Lyons-based Planet Bluegrass, the lineup features Charley Crockett, Sierra Hull and Boulder County’s own Elephant Revival, alongside Sierra Ferrell, Lyle Lovett, Tommy Emmanuel and a festival-opening set by Billy Strings and Chris Thile.

Bush will play sets with the Telluride House Band on June 20 and the Sam Bush Band on June 22, plus guest jams with various acts.

Can’t make it to the sold-out Telluride Bluegrass Festival? Tune into the livestream at koto.org.

“It blows my mind that after 50 years they would still hire me,” he says.

O BLUEGRASS, WHERE ART THOU?

Bush is a member of a unique superstar group which has only performed once annually for several decades. The blandly named Telluride House Band features friends who are masters in multiple genres: banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck, guitarist Bryan Sutton, fiddler Stuart Duncan, classical bass star Edgar Meyer and dobro giant Jerry Douglas.

“For all the progressive music we play, our common ground is bluegrass,” Bush says. “We try to just relax and have fun with bluegrass tunes as well as original tunes. It only happens at Telluride.”

T Bone Burnett will also be at this year’s gathering to create a documentary series about the state of modern bluegrass. The Grammy- and Oscarwinning producer famously curated the music for Joel and Ethan Coen’s 2000 film, O Brother, Where art Thou?

Burnett’s cameras will be filming during the Telluride House Band set, but Bush says there is another factor that always gives the set a unique edge.

“As we stand on stage, we look out at the audience, and most of the musicians are sitting there listening to us,” Bush says. “It is a little intimidating knowing that Sierra Hull and Chris Thile are watching me and will know which notes I’m missing.”

While much has stayed the same, it’s hard to deny that some big things have changed. In the early years of the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, most attendees were in their 20s. “Now, I’m playing for grandkids of the people

that first came to hear us,” Bush says.

The mandolin virtuoso expects his highly anticipated anniversary set with the Sam Bush Band will be challenging for reasons that have little to do with the performance itself.

“I hope I can get through this one without bawling like a baby,” he says. “Because it’s going to be pretty emotional.”

JAMMING THROUGH HISTORY

Decades ago, Bush was dubbed “The King of Telluride” for his maestro-like presence during proceedings. He also earned the title by frequently joining a wide range of musicians onstage, from Lyle Lovett and Leon Russell to John Hartford and Molly Tuttle.

Bush says one particular jam stands out above the rest. The year was 1979, and he was joining guitarists Norman Blake and Dan Crary as the “fourth wheel” in a session with bluegrass legend Doc Watson. “We were like the kids getting to play along with our hero,” he says. “I can’t tell you what it was like to get the endorsement of a master like Doc.”

Decades later, a legion of artists view Bush as a role model. That’s especially true for the genre’s progressive musicians fusing bluegrass, rock and songwriting into what is now known as “jamgrass.”

“As the festival has been rolling along, I would be invited to play with the new Colorado bands,” he says. “I played with the young Leftover Salmon, then the young String Cheese Incident, Yonder Mountain String Band and, later, the Infamous Stringdusters and Greensky Bluegrass.”

As Bush carries on this tradition of bridging eras of bluegrass history, he says he continues to feel invigorated by connecting with a younger cohort.

“When we’re onstage, we’re contemporaries and I feel like I’m the same age as whoever I’m playing with,” he says. “I know my hands are aging, and I can’t play as fast or play things I used to. But I still feel confident enough to play with them.”

For Bush, it’s all a matter of carrying on the Telluride tradition.

“The generation before me in bluegrass was much more competitive. Those of us that came along in the early ’70s felt a camaraderie and welcomed new players,” Bush says. “It’s the same way Doc Watson made us feel years ago.”

ON THE BILL: Telluride Bluegrass Festival. June 20-23, Telluride Town Park, 500 E. Colorado Ave. Sold out.

“I hope I can get through this one without bawling like a baby,” mandolin legend Sam Bush says of the 51st annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Courtesy: Planet Bluegrass

LAUGHTER AND LIBERATION

Four local Boulder Comedy Festival performers on where the funny comes from

BY LINDSAY TEMPLE

Zoe Rogers was growing tired of Front Range stand-up shows dominated by white men — and the same white men at that. The seasoned comedian from Los Angeles had connected with lots of talented comics from a variety of backgrounds in Colorado, but she wasn’t seeing them appropriately represented in the scene.

Rogers decided to take matters into her own hands. After hosting monthly comedy nights at the Dairy Arts Center, she asked if the venue would host a special showcase to highlight more people of color, women and LGBTQ people. They told her she could have the whole weekend. Just like that, the Boulder Comedy Festival

was born.

“I was like, ‘OK, what are the tools I have? Who will work with me?’” she remembers thinking. “I know these really funny people, and if I could bring these things together, maybe I could affect change in some small way to move the needle in the right direction.”

Nearly half a decade later, Rogers’ stand-up fest returns to Boulder County for its fourth year of laughs. Ahead of the ongoing four-day showcase spread across venues like the Dairy, BOCO Cider and Finkel & Garf, Boulder Weekly caught up with four local performers to get a sense of where their comedy comes from.

HANNAH JONES

How does laughter lead to liberation? Just ask Hannah Jones, a Denverbased comic known for her forward, unfiltered jokes on sex and relationships.

Jones is one of 18 women — representing nearly half of the bill — who will take the stage during this year’s Boulder Comedy Festival. Born and raised in a restrictive, misogynist church in Fayetteville, North Carolina, the origins of her career in raunchy comedy stem from an unexpected source.

“My mom had to raise us in the confines of a limiting marriage. She didn’t have a lot of say over a lot of aspects of her life,” Jones says. “What was important to her, when she was raising my sister and me, was that we had the skills to communicate and argue our ideas. She put us in the speech and debate club and wound up running it because she felt so passionately about us having those skills.

“It turned me into this outspoken, brash, bold, young woman,” she continues. “The community’s response to that was very negative, and I hated that. But the older I get, the more I credit her with giving me a very radical personality. That kind of predisposed me to radical gender politics.”

REN Q DAWE

Showing up authentically is often all it takes to connect with someone who, on the surface, seems totally different from you.

“Sometimes I’m the only trans person some people have met,” says Ren Q Dawe, a comedian, writer and transgender rights activist. “It’s pretty cool to me to think that some good ol’ boy might walk into a show, not being [an ally], and then he walks out of that show with a different perspective.”

Dawe is organizing a comedy tour called Here to Pee, in which the comedian will perform in every state that has passed transphobic bathroom legislation. The traveling redstate showcase is an extension of the artist’s belief that laughter can connect people across the artificial chasms that divide us.

Hannah Jones

Ren Q Dawe

BK Sharad

Miriam Moreno

Courtesy: Boulder Comedy Festival

Boulder Comedy Festival founder Zoe Rogers hopes the event’s focus on diversity and inclusion helps “move the needle in the right direction.” Credit: Matt Misisco

COMEDY

“It takes a lot of education and effort to try to change someone’s mind,” Dawe says. “But if we can learn to laugh together for 10 minutes, then suddenly it’s a little bit easier to be on the same team.”

BK SHARAD

While more diversity on comedy stages is a welcome change here on the Front Range, Boulder comedian BK Sharad says audiences sometimes don’t know how to react to jokes dealing with race.

When efforts toward inclusion become overcomplicated with complex jargon and books upon books on how to not be racist, the people at the center are often neglected in favor of the mirage of virtue, which makes connecting on a basic human level that much harder.

“When I’m telling a story about being Brown, I’m saying, ‘Hey, this is what happened to me, and it’s funny. It’s funny that this happened.’ And we all can laugh,” Sharad says. “Then we don’t have to be sad, and we can also take the wall down.

“Most of us are very similar,” he continues. “We have the same feelings, and the same chemicals in our brains. I think it’s very divisive to put on kid gloves and talk about me like I’m a concept and not a guy.”

MIRIAM MORENO

Like most comedians taking the stage at the 2024 Boulder Comedy Festival, Miriam Moreno wants to spark community and connection through jokes. If we can laugh together, we can heal together — and if we’re all healed and healthy, maybe we can show up better for each other.

Healing is a crucial part of the comic experience for Moreno, who will perform at the final event of the festival at the Dairy on June 26. An immigrant from Mexico who uses comedy to deal with traumatic experiences like the tragic death of her father, Moreno says laughing is an important step on the path to empowerment.

“It has freed me from carrying around a lot of trauma. Because once you can make a joke about something, it helps you get over it,” she says. “When you laugh at your pain, you take your power back.”

ON THE BILL: Boulder Comedy Festival. Various times and locations, June 19-23. Full lineup and schedule at bouldercomedy festival.com

Presented in partnership with Rocky Mountain Equality (formerly Out Boulder County), the fourth annual Boulder Comedy Festival runs through June 23. Courtesy: Zoe Rogers

SHOT OF LOVE

Glen Powell is your new low-key, easy-going ‘Hit Man’

BY MICHAEL J. CASEY

You wouldn’t see Gary Johnson coming a mile away. He looks a lot like a classic dweeb with those glasses and terrible haircut — never mind that it’s Glen Powell with his chiseled physique and disarming smile under all of that. Gary likes cats, keeps to himself and is a good college philosophy professor, even if his class doesn’t seem engaged. It might be a stretch to call Gary neurodivergent, but there’s a way he stands just outside the action as an analyst and not a participant that might make you wonder. That and the whole hit man thing.

But Gary’s not a hit man; he just plays one in real life. That’s how he meets the girl of his dreams, Madison (Adria Arjona), and realizes that the true Gary inside isn’t Gary at all. It’s Ron.

You see, Gary moonlights as a technician for the New Orleans Police Department in their undercover department. When the team’s plant, Jasper (Austin Amelio), is placed on administrative leave, Gary gets called up to the show. All he has to do is meet the clients who want to hire a hit man, pretend to be that hit man and get the clients to incriminate themselves. And you know what? Gary is really good at pretending.

With a script by Powell and director Richard Linklater, Hit Man is about a lot of things — identity, behavior, morality, criminality, passion, etc. — all without pretension. You’ll probably describe Hit Man as a romantic comedy when someone asks what kind of movie it is, but they may wonder if your ha-ha meter is slightly twisted when you recount the plot.

Here’s that plot: Gary is so effective as a fake hit man that he becomes NOPD’s go-to plant. Gary takes pride in his work, studies the clients in great detail and presents as the contract killer they need. For one client, it’s a tatted-up anarchist. For another, it’s an unnerving, quiet-talking psychopath who looks like he stepped out of Silence of the Lambs. For Madison, it’s the good-bad man, dangerous but chivalrous. His name is Ron, and it doesn’t hurt that he looks a lot like Glen Powell.

But therein lies Hit Man’s ultimate flaw: Madison is more a plot device than a full-fledged character. She’s the reason Ron exists — she hires him to rub out her abusive spouse — and she’s the reason Ron unlocks something within Gary. Ron also unlocks something within Madison, but Hit Man isn’t as interested in exploring that part of the equation.

Arjona gives a good performance, simultaneously seductive and vulnerable, but it’s a supporting performance in a narrative that calls for a true duet.

But none of this, even the scenes where Gary teaches philosophy, are served with sturm und drang Linklater is the king of easy-going cool — slightly detached but always inquisitive. Hit Man blows by like a warm summer breeze with plenty of smiles and just as many chuckles. It’s only afterward that you realize how much is going on.

Adria Arjona (left) and Glen Powell in Hit Man Courtesy: Netflix

’90S TEEN MOVIE NIGHT: 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU

5:30-7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 20, Louisville Public Library, 951 Spruce St., Louisville. Free

Know a teen who loves the late ’90s? They won’t want to miss this interactive screening of 10 Things I Hate About You, an essential rom-com starring Heath Ledger and Julia Stiles, presented by Louisville Public Library. Treats and props will be provided. Registration required: bit.ly/10ThingsBW

20-23

BOULDER COMEDY FESTIVAL

June 20-23, various locations, Boulder. $25-$30 (18+)

Bust a gut with more than 30 local and touring comedians during the fourth annual Boulder Comedy Festival. With an emphasis on diversity and inclusion, this comedic lineup features nationally renowned jokesters alongside a bevy of homegrown talent at the Dairy Arts Center, BOCO Cider and Finkel & Garf. Story on p. 17.

21

WHOLISTIC FAIR

9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, June 21, The Riverside, 1724 Broadway, Boulder. $5

Feeling spiritually disconnected? Start your journey toward “positivity, healing and connection” at this community fair dedicated to holistic care and wellness. Explore yoga, micro-dosing, BioSoul Integration and more during the all-day event. Registration required: bit.ly/WholisticBW

21

SUMMER SOLSTICE CELEBRATION AT HAYSTACK FARMS

5-8 p.m. Friday, June 21, Haystack Farms, 5676 Niwot Road, Longmont. Free ($25 Donation Suggested)

Celebrate the longest day of the year with yard games, food vendors and live music during this community bash at Haystack Farms. You’ll also learn about the vision and science behind this “agricultural learning space” that was once a defunct 1960s golf course.

21

WALTER ORR ROBERTS DISTINGUISHED LECTURE

5-8 p.m. Friday, June 21, NCAR Mesa Laboratory, 1850 Table Mesa Drive, Boulder. Free

Interested in the health of our planet? Join distinguished lecturer Reginald Blake of the New York City College of Technology as he discusses the effects of urban climate change, alongside NCAR scientists Maria Molina, Cenlin He and Wenfu Tang. Registration required: bit.ly/ClimateTalkBW

22

THE POKÉ BALL: A RAVE EXPERIENCE

10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, June 22, Bounce Empire, 1380 S. Public Road, Lafayette. $34-$40

Power up your inner Pokémon at this rave at Bounce Empire, the world’s largest inflatable amusement park. Dress up as your favorite pocket monster as you vibe with other fanatics to DJ sets from M?STIC, WEEBTRASH, THEY INVADE, MANADA and more.

EVENTS

22

ROCK AND REUSE BOULDER

11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, June 22, Materials Reuse Facility at Resource Central, 6400 Arapahoe Road, Boulder. Free

Recycling never sounded so good. Get down to the vibrant sounds of the Talisman Quartet and John Shepherd during this conservation-themed summer concert series hosted by Resource Central featuring local food trucks, art demos, giveaways and more.

22

LOUISVILLE WALKING TOUR

9-10 a.m. Saturday, June 22, Louisville Historical Museum 1001 Main St. Free

Discover the vibrant history of Louisville’s La Farge Avenue on this hour-long walking tour. Learn the stories of families who settled here in the 1800s and 1900s, all while taking a pleasant stroll through a historic East County neighborhood. Registration required: bit.ly/LouisvilleHistoryBW

23

LGBTQ+ FAMILY CLAY CLASS

1:30-3 p.m. Sunday, June 23, The New Local, 713 Pearl St., Boulder. Free (donations accepted)

Queer ceramicist and “art fairy” Lynette Errante invites the whole family for an affirming day of creativity and connection. Grab your partner, little ones or chosen family to create and decorate a matching set of bowls or mugs during this donation-based workshop.

23

NEDERLAND FARMERS MARKET

10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, June 23, 80 E. Second St., Nederland. Free

Enjoy farm-fresh goodness like grassfed beef, pasture-raised lamb, freshly harvested produce and more — everything you need to create the perfect locally sourced meal.

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

23

DIASPORA: ROOFTOP DANCE

5:30-9 p.m. Sunday, June 23, Rosetta Hall, 1109 Walnut St., Boulder. Free ($10 suggested donation)

Dance the night away to the sounds of the Afro-Latin diaspora during this rooftop party at Rosetta Hall. Festivities include a 30-minute salsa lesson followed by an evening of Afrobeat and Latin tunes spun by DJ Musa Starseed, all the while enjoying stunning views of Boulder’s Flatirons. Registration required: bit.ly/ DiasporaBW

26

WALK AND BIKE TO WORK DAY

6:30-9 a.m. Wednesday, June 26, various locations in Boulder County. Free

Switch gears on June 26 by getting to work on two wheels or two feet. Join an estimated 7,000 fellow cyclists and pedestrians during this annual event featuring breakfast stations throughout Boulder County. Check out the map: bit.ly/WalkAndBikeBW

THURSDAY, JUNE 20

NAPOLEON SIMPLEX. 6 p.m. Bricks on Main, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free

TONY CRANK AND NATURE’S EDGE. 6 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free

THE LAST AMERICAN TRIO. 6:30 p.m. 300 Suns Brewing, 335 1st Ave., Unit C, Longmont. Free

SUN JR. WITH AUGUSTUS. 8 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl St., Suite V3A, Boulder. $20

TOMMY EMMANUEL. 7:30 p.m.

Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. $50

MANY MOUNTAINS. 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free

THE NEW MASTERSOUNDS. 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $30

RACE ST. RIDERS. 9 p.m. Southern Sun Pub, 627 S. Broadway, Boulder. Free

FRIDAY, JUNE 21

SARAH BANKER. 11 a.m. OZO Coffee Company, 1015 Pearl St., Boulder. Free

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

CLASSIC CHEAT CODE WITH JELLYFISH FARM. 6 p.m. Bounce Empire, 1380 S. Public Road, Lafayette. $29

PAPAMO & THE VIPERS. 6 p.m. Left Hand Brewing, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont. Free

RUGBURN WITH VIRGIL VIRGIL. 6 p.m. Trident Booksellers & Cafe, 940 Pearl St., Boulder. Free

JONI AND THE CHACHIS. 6 p.m. Bricks on Main, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free

THE CUSTOM SHOP. 6 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142

Pratt St., Longmont. Free

STURTZ. 6:30 p.m. Gold Hill Inn, 401 Main St., Boulder. Free

DOMINIQUE EADE WITH KEITH WATERS. 7 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $20

REBIRTH BRASS BAND WITH GROWN ASS MAN BAND. 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $37

SPITTING IMAGE. 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $15

JEREMY MOHNEY BAND. 9 p.m. Mountain Sun Pub, 1535 Pearl St., Boulder. Free

SATURDAY,

JUNE 22

ROCK & REUSE SUMMER CONCERT SERIES. 11 a.m. Resource Central, 6400 Arapahoe Road, Boulder. Free

NIWOT JAZZ FESTIVAL. 3 p.m. Cottonwood Square, 7960 Niwot Road, Niwot. Free

ON THE RISE CONCERT SERIES. 4 p.m. The Hill, 1235 Pennsylvania Ave., Boulder. Free

RAVIN’WOLF. 6 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free

LAST MEN ON EARTH. 6 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. $20

STRANGEBYRDS. 6 p.m. Trident Booksellers & Cafe, 940 Pearl St., Boulder. Free

DJ DRAKE. 7 p.m. Bricks on Main, 471 St., Longmont. Free

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

MATT AND TROY. 7 p.m. Longs Peak Pub, 600 Longs Peak Ave., Longmont. Free

THE RUNAWAY GROOMS WITH RIVER SPELL. 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $19

GROOVES. 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $18

LIVE MUSIC

ON THE BILL

Returning to the Front Range after last summer’s Red Rocks show with her band Big Thief, celebrated singer-songwriter Adrianne Lenker shares her singular style of yearning folk-rock at Mission Ballroom on June 26. Hailed as one of the most important songwriters of her generation, the prolific 32-year-old phenom comes to Colorado in support of her critically lauded new solo album Bright Future, out now via 4AD Records.

BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY. 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $25

SUNDAY, JUNE 23

JOHN BREWSTER. 5:30 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free

VALERIE JUNE WITH LARRY & JOE.

7 p.m. eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce St., Boulder. $33

SWPUNKETRY. 7 p.m. Block 1750, 1750 30th St., Boulder. Free

CHRIS KOZA. 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free

MONDAY, JUNE 24

MEADOW MUSIC. 5:30 p.m. Chautauqua Park, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. Free

VERY IMPORTANT BEER

CONCERT WITH MEMBERS OF FOREIGNER. 6 p.m. Left Hand Brewing, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont. $20

TUESDAY, JUNE 25

UNDERGROUND SPRINGHOUSE. 8 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl St., Suite V3A, Boulder. $15

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26

BANDS ON THE BRICKS: HAZEL MILLER & THE COLLECTIVE. 5:30 p.m. 1300 Block of Pearl, Boulder. Free

MONTHLY SONGWRITER

SHOWCASE. 6 p.m. Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $15

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

101ST ARMY HOT SEVEN JAZZ

BAND. 6:30 p.m. Willow Farm Park, 901 S. Fordham St., Longmont. Free

TIM WENDEL WITH ANDRES ORCO. 7 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $20

ADRIANNE LENKER WITH STACI FOSTER. 7 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $50 BW PICK OF THE WEEK

DIRTY TURKEYS. 9 p.m. Southern Sun Pub, 627 S. Broadway, Boulder. Free

Boulder Weekly Market

ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): I love being logical and reasonable! The scientific method is one of my favorite ways to understand how the world works. I am a big fan of trying to ascertain the objective facts about any situation I am in. I also love being intuitive and open to mystical perceptions. I don’t trust every one of my feelings as an infallible source of truth, but I rely on them a lot to guide my decisions. And I also believe that it’s sometimes impossible to figure out the objective facts. In the coming weeks, Aries, I suggest you give more weight than usual to the second set of perspectives I described. Don’t be crazily illogical, but proceed as if logic alone won’t provide the insights you need most.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): In their book Your Symphony of Selves, Jordan Gruber and James Fadiman propose a refreshing theory about human nature. They say that each of us is a community of multiple selves. It’s perfectly natural and healthy for us to be an amalgam of various voices, each with distinctive needs and forms of expression. We should celebrate our multifaceted identity and honor the richness it affords us. According to my analysis of astrological omens, the coming weeks will be an excellent time for you to exult in your own symphony of selves and make it a central feature of your self-understanding.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): In the second half of 2012 and the first half of 2013, you launched a journey that will finally culminate soon. What a long, strange and interesting trip it has been! The innovations you activated during that time have mostly ripened, though not entirely. The hopes that arose in you have brought mixed results, but the predominant themes have been entertaining lessons and soulful success. I hope you will give yourself a congratulatory gift, dear Gemini. I hope you will luxuriate in a ritual celebration to commemorate your epic journey. The process hasn’t been perfect, but even the imperfections have been magical additions to your life story.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): I suspect you may have metaphorical resemblances to a lightning rod in the coming weeks. Just in case I’m right, I urge you not to stroll across open fields during thunderstorms. On the other hand, I recommend that you be fully available to receive bolts of inspiration and insight. Put yourself in the presence of fascinating events, intriguing people and stirring art. Make yourself ready and eager for the marvelous.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): “It’s hard to get lost if you don’t know where you’re going,” said experimental filmmaker Jim Jarmusch. He’s implying that there’s potential value in getting lost. Unexpected discoveries might arrive that contribute to the creative process. But that will only happen if you first have a clear vision of where you’re headed. Jarmusch’s movies benefit from this approach. They’re fun for me to watch because he knows exactly what he wants to create but is also willing to get lost and wander around in search of serendipitous inspirations. This is the approach I recommend for you in the coming weeks, dear Leo.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): Does any person or institution own a part of you? Has anyone stolen some of your power? Does anyone insist that only they can give you what you need? If there are people who fit those descriptions, Virgo, the coming weeks will be an excellent time to fix the problems. According to my understanding of life’s rhythms, you can summon the ingenuity and strength to reclaim what rightfully belongs to you. You can recover any sovereignty and authority you may have surrendered or lost.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): In ancient Greek myth, Sisyphus was a forlorn character punished by the gods. He was required to push a boulder from the bottom to the top of a hill. But each time he

neared the peak, the big rock — which had been enchanted by the crabby god Zeus — slipped away and rolled back down the hill. The story says that Sisyphus had to do this for all eternity. If there have been even minor similarities between you and him, Libra, that will change in the coming months. I predict you will finally succeed — Is this your fifth attempt? — in finishing a task or project that has, up until now, been frustrating.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): Is it possible to reap spiritual epiphanies while having sex? Can intense physical pleasure be a meditation that provokes enlightened awareness? Can joy and bliss bring learning experiences as valuable as teachings that arise from suffering? Here are my answers to those three questions, Scorpio, especially for you during the next four weeks: Yes, yes and yes. My astrological ruminations tell me that you are primed to harvest divine favors as you quest for delight.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): Your animal magnetism and charisma could be wildly potent in the coming weeks. I’m worried that as a result, you may be susceptible to narcissistic feelings of entitlement. You will be extra attractive, maybe even irresistible! But now that you have received my little warning, I hope you will avoid that fate. Instead, you will harness your personal charm to spread blessings everywhere you go. You will activate a generosity of spirit in yourself that awakens and inspires others. Do not underestimate the electrifying energy pouring out of you, Sagittarius. Vow to make it a healing medicine and not a chaotic disruptor.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): I’ve had thousands of crucial teachers. There would be no such thing as me without their life-changing influences. Among that vast array have been 28 teachers whose wisdom has been especially riveting. I feel gratitude for them every day. And among those 28 have been five geniuses who taught me so much so fast in a short period of time that I am still integrating their lessons. One of those is Capricorn storyteller and mythologist Michael Meade. I offer you these thoughts because I suspect you are close to getting a major download from a guide who can be for you what Meade has been for me. At the very least, you will engage with an educational source akin to my top 28.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): In one of my previous lifetimes, I was a bricoleur — a collector and seller of junk who reused the castaway stuff in new ways. That’s one reason why, during my current destiny, I am a passionate advocate for recycling, renewal and redemption, both in the literal and metaphorical senses. I am tuned in to splendor that might be hidden within decay, treasures that are embedded in trash and bliss that can be retrieved from pain. So I’m excited about your prospects in the coming weeks, Aquarius. If you so desire, you can specialize in my specialties.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): Some people imagine that being creative means having nonstop spontaneous fun. They think it’s primarily exuberant, adventurous and liberating. As a person who prizes imaginative artistry, I can testify that this description is accurate some of the time. More often, the creative process involves meticulous organization and discipline, periods of trial-and-error experimentation and plenty of doubt and uncertainty. It’s hard work that requires persistence and faith. Having said that, Pisces, I am happy to say you are now in a phase when the freewheeling aspects of creativity will be extra available. You’re more likely than usual to enjoy spontaneous fun while dreaming up novel ideas and fresh approaches. Channel this energy into an art form or simply into the way you live your life.

SAVAGE LOVE

BY DAN SAVAGE

Q: What do you call a sibling’s child who uses they/them pronouns? Merriam-Webster is musing about nibling, which feels weird but might be the answer.

A: If “nibling” weirds you out perhaps due to its homophone (“nibbling: to bite gently; to eat or chew in small bits”) — you could go with the gender neutral expression my aunts and uncles used when referring to me and my siblings and our dozens of cousins: “that little shit/those little shits/you little shits.”

Q: Please share these pronouns with your readers, listeners and followers: She/He/Shay; Her/Him/ Shem; Hers/His/Shems; Herself/ Himself/Shemself. My thought is that these gender-free pronouns could be used rather than using plural pronouns. They could ultimately replace gendered pronouns for everyone. Thank you for sharing these genderfree pronouns with the world!

A: Shou’re welcome?

P.S. The supply of gender-free/ gender-neutral pronoun options is outstripping demand: we’ve already got ve/ver/verself, xe/xem/xemself, per/per/perself, fae/faer/faerself, ze/ zir/zirself, to say nothing of neoproouns that are impossible to conjugate (or take seriously), and only “they/them” is in wide use. And people who prefer gender-neutral pronouns seem to have settled on they/ them/themself not despite its association with a plural meaning, but because of it. (“I contain multitudes, bitches!”) Anyway, tossing your idea

out there, per your request.

P.S.S. “Your” is a pronoun that can mean just one person or a group of people — so, wrapping our heads around singular and plural meanings of “they” doesn’t seem like an impossible task.

Q: I’m with someone who cannot take even the slightest bit of criticism. If I say, “I’d like if you consult my schedule first,” or, “Can you do that more slowly” — or faster, or to the left, or whatever it might be — he melts down and acts like he’s a total failure, everything is over, etc. I try to be incredibly gentle with anything I say, but he’s so sensitive we can’t really talk about anything at all. And of course, if I were to say that to him, he’d have a breakdown. How do I walk around these landmines?

A: A partner who can’t take gentle criticism without having a self-lacerating meltdown may be less terrifying than a partner who flies into a rage at the slightest criticism, but in both cases the goal (conscious or subconscious) is the same: to reduce their partners to nervous wrecks. Meltdowners and ragers alike want their partners walking on eggshells at all times in a desperate and futile effort to avoid setting them off.

You can stay with a pathetic meltdown type on the condition they get 1. professional help and 2. a grip. But those more dangerous and damaging ragers won’t seek help until they’ve been dumped for the hundredth time.

Q: How to tell older GenX straight men to take more pleasure in eating pussy?

A: GenX was all about oral sex, from all rainbow parties (that didn’t happen) to all the mutual oral sex (that did and still does) — so, I don’t think the problem is GenX men in general, but the specific GenX men you’ve been fucking.

• Provide opportunities for artists to enrich and advance their careers

• Continue to build the NoBo Art District as an artistic and business destination

• Provide the community with events, education opportunities and creative outlets

EAT

a taste of modern Japan in the heart of beautiful Boulder

DRINK

an unmatched selection of rare whiskey, sake, and craft cocktails

ENJOY

the scenery on one of our 3 fireside patios, a feast alongside the jellyfish, or a front row seat at a lively bar

Courtesy: FXP

and stopped. I will try again. Soon.”

PAOLO NEVILLE

Ex-chef at Brasserie Ten Ten

“It doesn’t trigger me at all. It just seems normal. Perhaps I’ve just learned to glide through stressful situations. I do still cuss a lot; it makes me feel better.”

SANDY INGBER

Former chef, part owner of Grand Central Oyster Bar in NYC

YES, CHEF?

‘The Bear’ exposes the agony and the ecstasy of restaurant life, kitchen survivors say

BY JOHN LEHNDORFF

The terror comes in the form of a faceless, coked-up chef who screams in my face. Failure is imminent. I’m hopelessly behind on my chopping in the hyper-bright, loud kitchen chaos. The cold sweat breaks only when I shake awake and realize I’m not bleeding, blistered or broken, and nobody is threatening my manhood.

This Pearl Street horror still haunts me decades after my Boulder restaurant cooking career. Maybe that’s why I avoided watching The Bear until stumbling across the first season of the celebrated FX series.

My first encounter with The Bear was a nightmare experienced by award-winning chef Carmen “Carmy” Berzatto, played by Jeremy Allen White. The Chicago-set series follows his tumultuous kitchen, family and personal life. I’d never seen restaurant kitchen life so perfectly portrayed on screen with such an exceptional eye for detail.

I flinched. I had flashbacks. I switched to ESPN. It made me want to escape to the walk-in fridge and inhale the nitrous from a can of whipped cream. I kept watching because it reminded me of some truly ecstatic kitchen moments in the pressure cooker.

All 10 episodes of The Bear Season 3 will start streaming June 27 on Hulu and Disney+. I won’t binge, but I will cringe through more episodes.

I asked friends who are chefs or worked in restaurants whether their buttons had been pushed, too. Here are their responses:

CAMERON MENGEL

Former Steuben’s sous chef

“It triggered me, and I had to step away and remind myself I don’t cook anymore. I was yelling at the TV in front of my astonished wife.”

SAL DEVINCENZO

Owner, Boulder Tech Support

“Loved the scene when the wall falls down. My dad owned restaurants in N.J. My uncles, cousins and brothers ran the kitchen. I worked the floor as a waiter. End of the night, you were lucky to get out alive.”

JESSICA EMICH

Co-owner of now-shuttered Shine Restaurant + Potion Bar

“I keep thinking I’m ready to watch The Bear, and then I start it and I’m not ready. Three times I’ve started

“I love The Bear. I found it very realistic in ways maybe only a chef would understand. My favorite episode was the Christmas feast. Laughed so hard.”

RICHARD SCHNEIDER

Owner, Raquelitas Tortillas

“When I first started watching it, it was not relaxing. As I watched it more, many parts made me laugh, and I have to admit they made me cry, too. I thoroughly enjoyed it.”

BOB SCHERNER

James Beard Award nominee, Escoffier School Chef Educator, former chef of Flagstaff House and 221 South Oak Bistro

“Having worked for (Chicago restaurateur) Charlie Trotter, the episode where Richie was training was probably the most accurate I’ve seen. It conjures up some significant PTSD, but I couldn’t look away.”

KAY CORNELIUS

Sales director, Niman Ranch

“The Bear is one of my all-time favorites for portraying the real emotion and how it gets processed in restaurants. It’s the opposite of watching Yellowstone and thinking ranch life is like that.”

DANIEL SORRELLS

Chef and co-owner, The Organic Dish (now closed)

“I was a chef at a CU sorority. Apathy and indifference described my cus-

tomers, and that first episode with the gamers brought that feeling back.”

DOUG CASKEY

Former director, Colorado Wine Industry Development Board

“I could not stop watching, much like having to slow down to gawk at a traffic accident or needing one more shot beyond a comfortable buzz.”

ANDY SCHNEIDKRAUT

Owner, Dunraven Inn near Estes Park (now closed)

“The first season captured the claustrophobic intimacy and the potential for impending disaster, the incendiary danger, the perilous song and dance in the tight quarters of a barely functioning overheated kitchen with the caustic friction of abrasive personalities rubbing against each other, rising in a disharmonic uneasy crescendo.”

THE BEAR SUMMER READING LIST

Details matter and eagle-eyed viewers of The Bear have noted the volumes on chef Carmy’s bookshelf. You can find the whole list online, but many favorite classics are included. Dive into these page-turners this summer, and by September your food savvy will be seriously upgraded.

• The Tummy Trilogy: American Fried; Alice, Let’s Eat; Third Helping by Calvin Trillin

• On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee

• The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan

• Flour Water Salt Yeast: The Fundamentals of Artisan Bread and Pizza by Ken Forkish

• Black Smoke: African Americans and the United States of Barbecue by Adrian Miller, a Denver author

TASTE OF THE WEEK: FILLING A PHILLY NEED

A good cheeseburger is a fine meal, but for sheer yummy comfort, nothing beats a cheesesteak hot off the grill. When that craving struck recently, the destination had to be Angelo’s Subs, 3325 28th St., Boulder. Festooned with Philadelphia street signs, college names, sports teams and pictures of fictional boxing legend Rocky, Angelo’s offers the traditional roster of cheesesteaks, chicken parmigiana sandwiches and hoagies (not subs). My seven-inch cheesesteak hoagie was a hot squishy mouthful of steak, American cheese and grilled onions with lettuce, tomato, pickles and mayo on a chewy bun. Cheez Whiz was an option, and sides include fries seasoned with Old Bay.

LOCAL FOOD NEWS: BEARD WINNERS

Kelly Whitaker, Erika Whitaker and the Boulder-based Id Est hospitality group won Best Restaurateur honors at the 2024 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards. The group operates BASTA and Dry Storage in Boulder, and The Wolf’s Tailor and BRUTØ in Denver.

Cafe Fritz is serving coffee drinks and baked goods at 7502 Hygiene Road, former home of Crane Hollow Cafe.

Lew Miller, founder of the Iowa BBQ Society, teaches a backyard grilling and smoking workshop June 22 at Louisville’s 7th Generation Farm: 7thgenerationfarm.com

WORDS TO CHEW ON: SPEAKING KITCHENESE

“I wanted to write in Kitchenese, the secret language of cooks, instantly recognizable to anyone who has ever dunked french fries for a summer job or suffered under the despotic rule of a tyrannical chef or boobish owner.” — From Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain

John Lehndorff has cooked at the Greenbriar Inn, Potter’s, Café Circolo, Alpha Phi Sorority and other Boulder eateries. Comments: nibbles@boulderweekly.com

Angelo’s Deli cheesesteak hoagie. Credit: John Lehndorff

WEED BETWEEN THE LINES

DOWNWARD TRAJECTORY

Youth cannabis use continues to decline, Healthy Kids Survey data shows

BY WILL BRENDZA

Adolescent cannabis use has decreased for the ninth consecutive year, according to the most recent survey from Healthy Kids Colorado, an initiative of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to gauge the health and well-being of young people. But the youth who do imbibe are increasingly turning to stronger products, a trend that has sparked action from parents and health care providers.

The survey data released June 13 shows that the percentage of high school students who use cannabis has dropped 7% since 2013.

“We are extremely pleased to see the rate of current cannabis use among Colorado high school students continues to decline and remains lower than the national average,” Chuck Smith, board president of cannabis industry group Colorado Leads, said in a statement about the survey results.

In 2019, the survey reported a 69% increase in THC vaping among high school students over two years. Half of the students who reported marijuana use that year had been using concentrated cannabis. Healthy Kids data

indicates use of cannabis concentrates among high schoolers reached a high of 49.2% in 2021.

“For the sake of profit, the marijuana industry has recruited the youth of Colorado to be unwitting participants in a large-scale natural experiment,”

The Drug Free America Foundation Incorporated (DFAFI) wrote in an article on the 2019 Healthy Kids Survey’s findings. “The industry assured us that adequate safeguards would be in place to ensure that legal marijuana would stay out of the hands of our youth. Clearly that has not been the case.”

DFAFI and other groups rallied around the fear that adolescents were getting access to shatter, hash and wax from medical marijuana patients

who were illegally diverting them. Groups of concerned parents organized and worked with lawmakers to address that perceived problem through Colorado House Bill 1317, “Regulating Marijuana Concentrates.”

That bill became law in 2021 and put severe restrictions on how much cannabis concentrate a medical marijuana patient could purchase. It also implemented “maximum THC potency” and dosage form recommendations (Weed Between the Lines, “Concentrated Regulation,” July 1, 2021).

“The reality is that it’s too easy for Colorado’s youth to access highpotency marijuana when they shouldn’t be able to,” House Speaker Alec Garnett, one of HB1317’s sponsors, said at the bill’s signing. “We don’t have the full picture of how these products impact the developing brain.”

A group of parents have asked Boulder’s Cannabis Licensing Advisory Board to ban the sale of concentrates and other high-potency products in the city, Boulder Reporting Lab reported in early June, although it’s unclear if the group has the authority to do so. Parents, educators and health care providers say the higher THC content is negatively impacting teens’ mental health.

According to the 2023 Healthy Kids Colorado survey, 8% of youth used THC concentrates, hash oil or waxes in the past month. That figure has not changed since 2021.

Still, CDPHE’s 2021 survey found that the under-18 demographic was

35% less likely to use cannabis than ever before. And the most recent results from 2023 show that 12.8% of high schoolers had used cannabis in the past 30 days, the lowest number since reporting began in 2013.

The results from this survey back up other research showing that legalizing recreational cannabis does not increase youth use. A recent study from Washington State University showed that lifetime and recent cannabis use has declined among adolescents and teens. Another study from the University of Massachusetts indicated that adolescents were no more likely to use cannabis after it had been recreationally legalized. And yet another study from 2022 funded by National Institute on Drug Abuse showed that cannabis legalization was not associated with teen use.

The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) backed those findings up with its own twopage paper on the topic. Released in April, it concluded that “after legalization, there was no evidence of an increase in marijuana use” among teens.

“Significantly fewer high school students report cannabis is easy to get today compared to the years preceding legal adult sales, which suggests our system is working as intended with regard to preventing youth access,” said Colorado Leads’ Smith in his statement. “Colorado continues to be proof that regulating cannabis works.”

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