Boulder Weekly 07.11.2024

FRESH FARM FROM THE

A PERFECT STORM FOR FIRE INSURANCE

As the risk of deadly blazes increases, so does the cost to stay protected

BY DAVE MARSTON, WRITERS ON THE RANGE

Westerners have begun looking at their homes differently these days. Are those trees too close? Should I move all that firewood stacked up next to the deck?

In California, some fire insurers have lost so much money they’ve pulled out of the state. Fire insurance is becoming as expensive and unpredictable as the natural disasters that are driving up rates. In some places, increases are as much as 1,000% for houses and condos nestled close to trees.

In Colorado, Tiffany Lockwood said she was dropped twice by fire insurance carriers over the 10 years she’s lived in Evergreen. A former Florida resident, Lockwood, 59, only has one way out in case of a wildfire — and even then she’ll have little warning. “When I lived in Florida,” she said, “we knew four days ahead when a hurricane was coming. Here we get 40 minutes.”

JULY 11, 2024 Volume 31, Number 47

COVER: Cure Organic Farm’s roadside stand in Boulder. Credit: Will Matuska

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 Kowalski

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Rob Brezsny, Michael J. Casey, Justin Criado, Elyssa Ford, Ana Gavrilovska, Zoe Jennings, Dave Marston, Dan Savage, Rebecca Scofield, Toni Tresca, Sara Wilson

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

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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. 690 South Lashley Lane, Boulder, CO 80305 Phone: 303.494.5511, FAX: 303.494.2585 editorial@boulderweekly.com www.boulderweekly.com

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A smoke plume from the 2020 Calwood Fire, as seen from the Peak to Peak Highway. Credit: Malachi Brooks via Unsplash

Lockwood thinks insurance companies are running scared and giving impossible directives. One insurer asked her to remove all the shrubs and trees within 30 feet of the house. But the plan meant taking down a lot of her neighbor’s trees, too.

Evergreen’s attraction is that residents live amidst towering conifer trees. But red zones on fire maps are being expanded all over Colorado after several recent large forest fires and the wind-driven Marshall grassfire outside of Boulder in December 2021. It destroyed more than 1,000 suburban homes and was the state’s most expensive fire yet. Formerly “safe” places are now described as at-risk.

Jeff Geslin lives in high and dry La Plata County in southwestern Colorado, surrounded by 35 acres of piñon and juniper trees. He and his wife Lorna are used to remediation plans, he said, and when their insurance increases, “I just pay it, no questions asked.”

But they were shocked when their condo association governing their second home in Summit County lost its insurance policy.

“It might be because we’re close to Forest Service land,” Geslin said, “which must be more risk.” Geslin was assessed $6,772 extra for the new policy the homeowners association managed to find — an increase of 1,000%.

Colorado State Senator Dylan Roberts is working on legislation to insure larger structures. “I’ve gotten calls about insurance for the last year if not two years,” he said. “The singlefamily upset has quieted down, but the big thing I hear about is HOA and condo buildings.”

The state already has what is called the Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) Plan in place for smaller buildings when insurance companies refuse to underwrite traditional coverage. It’s backed by private insurers and administered by an appointed board of insurance professionals.

“We hope to insure no one,” said FAIR Plan board member Carole Walker. She’s the executive director of an insurance trade group covering New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming and Utah.

“This is insurance of last resort,”

she said, “as we don’t want to compete with private insurers. They’re struggling after 10 straight years of unprofitability in property insurance.”

The FAIR Plan board, which plans to sell policies late next year, hired industry veteran Kelly Campbell as executive director this May. It will offer bare-bones coverage with high deductibles and low maximum amounts. The plan would offer cover-

age of $5 million per commercial structure and $750,000 per house.

“Everything has escalated,” said Walker. “Colorado is in that perfect storm of catastrophes. The number of claims and the cost to pay those claims is at a record pace. Add in the escalating number of events like hail and wildfire, and it’s the hardest insurance market in a generation.”

Walker says Colorado established a

eldora

resiliency code board via state law in 2023, with a mandate of hardening structures with fire-resistant siding, metal roofs and landscaping. “We need confidence back in the marketplace,” she said about the board. “Ultimately, this is a life-safety issue because wildfire knows no boundaries.”

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

Eldora strives to deliver Colorado’s Front Range the most memorable outdoor adventures to locals and out-of-town visitors. Eldora Mountain Resort has 680 acres of lift-accessible terrain for skiing and snowboarding, including a Woodward Mountain Park experience, and a world class Nordic Center.

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As part of the resort leadership team reporting to the GM/President, the Director of Human Resources will direct and execute all human resources management functions and services for Eldora including employee relations, employee safety, performance management, employee engagement, recruiting, retaining, union and labor relations, developing and training staff and the implementation of programs & initiatives aligned with resort strategy and compliant with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Position selection emphasizes the highest level of internal and external guest service and works in unison with Executive Team to build staff engagement and culture.

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Benefits: This position is a year-round salaried and includes an outstanding benefit package. This position is eligible to enroll in company medical, dental, vision, flexible spending, HSA, life/disability options; season pass for employees, dependents and privileges at several other resorts. Several discount programs (i.e., food & beverage, retail/rental, tickets, etc.) also available.

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WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED

WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED

LLocally woman-owned and operated, Wild Birds Unlimited

ocally woman-owned and operated, Wild Birds Unlimited Specializes in bringing people and nature together through the hobby of backyard bird feeding. We offer a wide variety of nature-related products and expert, local advice. Our store stocks the highest quality items made in the the USA with

Specializes in bringing people and nature together through the hobby of backyard bird feeding. We offer a wide variety of nature-related products and expert, local advice. Our store stocks the highest quality items made in the the USA with emphasis on eco-friendly products and recycled plastics. We

emphasis on eco-friendly products and recycled plastics. We source our unique gifts from Fair Trade companies and local artisans. We also have gift cards and last-minute gift ideas. Stop in and let us explain our mission to Save the Songbirds one backyard at a time!

source our unique gifts from Fair Trade companies and local artisans. We also have gift cards and last-minute gift ideas. Stop in and let us explain our mission to Save the Songbirds one backyard at a time!

1520 S. Hover Street, Suite D

Longmont, CO

720-680-0551

www.wbu.com/longmont

THE PUBLIC SMOKE SHOP

TThe Public Smoke Shop, proudly serving the Longmont community for over six years!

he Public Smoke Shop, proudly serving the Longmont community for over six years!

The public smoke shop

We provide quality gown glass, tapestry’s accessories, hats and T-shirts. Products from Seedless, No Bad Ideas, Bio Zong, RoorLiquid, Water Pipes,

We provide quality gown glass, tapestry’s accessories, hats and T-shirts. Products from Seedless, No Bad Ideas, Bio Zong, Roor-Liquid, Water Pipes,

Hookah’s from Egypt (variety from around the world). Locally owned and operated, competitive pricing, friendly knowledgeable staff. Stop by, the music is playing and we are here to assist!

Hookah’s from Egypt (variety from around the world). Locally owned and operated, competitive pricing, friendly knowledgeable staff. Stop by, the music is playing and we are here to assist!

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341 Main Street, Longmont 303-827-3181

www.facebook.com/publicmon

BUSABA AUTHENIC THAI CUISINE

Busaba means “flower” in thai - life emerging from the elements growing toward the light and emanating its brilliant colors as a gift. Our Family has lovingly created this restaurant as our “busaba” and are offering it to you with flavorful food as our gift. At Busaba, we are committed to preserving the environment and strive to reduce waste. Our taste using fresh ingredients locally available.

e’re a family owned indoor flea market and antique store located in Longmont, Colorado. With over 90 dealers selling everything from hard wood lumber and tools, to glassware and handbags, we probably have exactly what you’re looking for! We were voted the best flea

Now Open: Downtown Boulder 1035 Pearl Street, #102 Hours: 11:30a-9:00p Daily Louisville Location: 133 McCaslin Blvd Unit H, Louisville

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market for the last 13 years and the best gift shop last year in the Times Call Readers’ Choice Awards. We appreciate the support of all of our customers, thank you!

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303-776-6605

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RHINESTONE COWBOYS

Colorado is home to the longest-running gay rodeo in the world

BY REBECCA SCOFIELD AND ELYSSA FORD THE CONVERSATION

The Colorado Gay Rodeo Association has held a gay rodeo every year since 1983, making it the longest-running event of its kind in history.

Their flagship event, the Rocky Mountain Regional Rodeo in Denver, is part of a circuit of rodeos that, at times, has stretched across the United States and into Canada.

Despite the cultural pushback these rodeos have faced, the legacy of the Denver rodeo continues as it celebrates its 41st anniversary on July 12-13. We researched the origins of this rodeo for our book, “Slapping Leather: Queer Cowfolx at the Gay Rodeo,” which also explores how gay rodeoers were at the forefront of combating discrimination and the AIDS crisis.

ROOTS IN RENO

Gay rodeo didn’t originate in the Rocky Mountains but instead was born in another mountain range further west — the Sierra Nevada. Businessman Phil Ragsdale held the first gay rodeo in 1976 in Reno, Nevada, as a fundraiser for local community organizations.

Soon known as the National Reno Gay Rodeo, the event expanded from the couple hundred spectators and participants who attended that first year to an annual event that sometimes attracted more than 10,000 people.

In 1981, John King opened Charlie’s Denver, a gay country western bar managed by Wayne Jakino. The venue provided a space for cowfolx — or queer ranchers, rodeoers and country western enthusiasts across the gender and sexuality spectrum — to gather and form a community. Friends who met at the bar traveled en masse to the 1982 Reno rodeo. In 1983, they held their own rodeo in Denver, calling it the Rocky Mountain Regional Rodeo.

The Denver rodeo was the first gay

rodeo to take place outside of Nevada, but it was soon joined by others, with four additional rodeos taking place in Oklahoma City, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Dallas by the end of 1986.

COLORADO’S LEADERSHIP

As Reno’s rodeo stumbled and eventually collapsed in 1984, Rocky Mountain Regional Rodeo members worked with groups in Texas, California and Arizona to form the International Gay Rodeo Association in 1985. Jakino took the reins as the organization’s first president.

Jakino’s emphasis on professionalism didn’t protect the International Gay Rodeo Association from anti-LGBTQ+ backlash.

The Colorado Gay Rodeo Association explained to its membership in a 1988 newsletter that the first year the group held the Denver rodeo, eight arenas turned them away because they were an LGBTQ+ organization — and that their current arena was barely on board with hosting them. The group called on its membership to prepare themselves for this kind of opposition and to come together in order to “be a constructive force in the well being of the gay community!”

Anti-LGBTQ+ hostility grew more heated in the 1980s as the AIDS epidemic spread across the country. Even as the Colorado Gay Rodeo Association fought to remain visible and present, its members were literally fighting for their lives. Two of the group’s founding members died of AIDS in 1986, and the organization directed its fundraising efforts toward helping with the HIV-AIDS crisis.

With the expansion of the Christian Right in the 1980s and ’90s, Colorado experienced intense campaigns to oppose “the militant homosexual attack on traditional values,” as the Colorado

for Family Values organization put it. This group urged voters to pass Amendment 2, which would prevent towns or cities from creating laws to protect LGBTQ+ people and void the ordinances already in place in cities like Aspen and Boulder. Funded by national conservative groups like Eagle Forum and Focus on the Family, conservatives successfully passed the amendment in late 1992. This prompted a nationwide response called Boycott Colorado. The boycott cost the state roughly $120 million in lost tourism. Boycott organizers hoped to deter other states from passing similar legislation, but the boycott also threatened queer-owed businesses in the state, including the rodeo.

While Amendment 2 was overturned by the Supreme Court in 1996 and never went into effect, Jakino and others were placed in the awkward position of having to ask their supporters to break boycotts to ensure their own economic survival.

In 1993, Jakino wrote to fellow rodeo associations: “We will not be driven out of Colorado or any other state and we pray that you will be there in even greater numbers as a message to Colorado and the nation — we will fight against discrimination and for our Equal Rights!”

GAY RODEO’S FUTURE

Since the late 1990s, the International Gay Rodeo Association’s story has turned from boom to bust, with more associations shuttering each year. By 2013, there were more defunct associations than active ones for the first time in International Gay Rodeo Association history, and in 2019 the organization held just 10 rodeos versus 22 in its prime. The COVID-19 pandemic was a crushing blow to a group already struggling for survival.

Yet there is hope for the future, as more recent years have seen 12 rodeos back on the circuit. The Colorado Gay Rodeo Association packed stands at its 40th anniversary rodeo in 2023, but it may have a bumpy ride ahead.

IF YOU GO: Rocky Mountain Regional Rodeo 41. July 12-14, National Western Complex, 1515 E. 47th Ave., Denver. $20 Tickets at cgrarodeo.com

Rebecca Scofield and Elyssa Ford are associate professors of history at the University of Idaho and Northwest Missouri State University, respectively. The Conversation is a nonprofit, independent news organization.

Courtesy: Colorado Gay Rodeo Association

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BOCO, BRIEFLY

Your local news at a glance

BY KAYLEE HARTER

CU’S NEW TITLE IX POLICY

CU Boulder is seeking feedback on a revised sexual misconduct policy to be implemented Aug. 1.

Changes to the policy come after the U.S Department of Education released new Title IX rules in May, requiring universities to update their policies and processes. Title IX, passed in 1972, provides protections against sex-based discrimination in educational settings.

The new rules strengthen and expand protections for LGBTQ+ students as well as pregnant and parenting students, clarifying that sex discrimination “includes discrimination based on sex stereotypes, sex characteristics, pregnancy or related conditions, sexual orientation and gender identity.”

They also require universities to promptly investigate allegations of sexual misconduct, a change from the 2020 Trump-era rules that got rid of a previous requirement to complete investigations within 60 days. Post-secondary schools are also no longer required to hold a live hearing

with cross-examination for sexual harassment complaints.

Review the new policy and provide feedback by July 12 at bit.ly/ TitleIXpolicyBW.

BOCO’S PLANS FOR NATURE-BASED URBAN PLANNING

The county is hoping to make its city planning greener by commissioning the creation of a guide for “eco-friendly designs to improve health and lower climate risks.”

The toolkit, which costs $50,000 and is funded by the county’s sustainability tax, will evaluate strategies like replacing lawns with native plants, creating rain gardens and green roofs, and converting paved areas to parks, grasslands and wetlands, according to a press release from the county.

“[Climate change’s] impacts are felt differently from place to place; what works for Lisbon might not work for Longmont — and frankly, what works in Longmont might not work ten miles

away in Lyons,” Dede Croissant, Boulder County climate and circularity specialist, said in the release. “What’s exciting is that this toolkit will take inspiration from best practices around the world to develop local naturebased solutions that address the unique challenges facing our high plains and alpine communities.”

The toolkit is being developed by Denver-based landscape architectural firm Superbloom and is scheduled to be published in the fall of this year.

IN OTHER NEWS…

• BoCo’s state primary results will be certified Thursday, July 11, though unofficial counts are in and not expected to change — view them at bit.ly/COPrimaryResultsBW. Less than a third of registered voters cast votes, according to Boulder County Elections. In-depth election data will be presented and the election finalized at the canvass board meeting July 11 at 2 p.m. RSVP to Vote@BoulderCounty.gov.

• Last month was the hottest June in Boulder since 2012, according to National Weather Service data recorded at NCAR Foothills Lab. The average high temperature was 87.6 degrees. In 2012, the average high was 91.2 degrees. It was the second-hottest June on record for the Front Range behind 2012, according to National Weather Service meteorologist Greg Heavener. Regional data is collected from Denver International Airport.

• CU Boulder’s new chancellor, Justin Schwartz, officially took the position Monday, July 1. Schwartz has a doctorate degree in nuclear engineering and most recently served as executive vice president and provost of Pennsylvania State University.

Looking for our weekly Gov’t Watch? Boulder City Council is on recess until July 25. Check out a preview of that meeting in last week’s Gov’t Watch: bit.ly/3Ldh82i

Featuring June 12 The Reminders

June 19 ZiMBiRA

June 26 Hazel Miller & The Collective

July 3 Foxfeather

July 10 The 5280’s Band

July 17 Mighty Mystic

July 24 Roka Hueka

July 31 The Long Run 6PM Opening Acts Perform.

NOT PLAYING FAVORITES

Indie-rock royalty Quasi return to the Front Range with a classic record in tow

BY ANA GAVRILOVSKA

When Portland indie-rock duo Quasi released their 2013 album Mole City, they thought it might be their last — but life has a way of asserting itself.

To wit: the terrible car accident drummer Janet Weiss experienced in 2019, which broke her collarbone and both her legs. This came on the heels of Weiss leaving Sleater-Kinney, the critically lauded punk institution where she made her name as one of rock’s most powerful percussionists. Her departure came as a shock to fans. Just a few months later, a different kind of shock took hold when the pandemic upended the world as we know it.

Together with vocalist, keyboardist and guitarist Sam Coomes, the Quasi bandmates (and former spouses) suddenly had a lot of time on their hands. They used it to work, practicing every day and eventually recording the dark yet joyful Breaking the Balls of History, released last year via the iconic Seattle alt-rock label Sub Pop. They had such a good time as an active band, it spurred them to hit the road again. But what would the hook be?

Weiss had enjoyed tours by other reunited legacy acts playing their classic albums in full, which seemed like a

good route to get her own beloved duo back on the road. Looking back on Quasi’s catalog, she and Coomes saw a clear fan favorite: 1998’s Featuring “Birds.”

“It’s when a lot of people our age got into Quasi,” Weiss, 58, told Boulder Weekly ahead of the band’s July 18 gig at the Marquis Theater in Denver,

where they’ll play the classic LP frontto-back alongside a smattering of other material from throughout their career. “We thought that’d be a good way to connect with people and bring some out of the woodwork that we haven’t seen in a while.”

On the heels of their first album in a decade, indie-rock stalwarts Quasi return to the Front Range for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Credit: John Clark

INTERLUDES AT ALTITUDE

Some of the songs from Featuring “Birds” have never been played live, but Weiss and Coomes are enjoying the process of reconnecting with different parts of themselves. With the addition of former bandmate Joanne Bolme on bass for this tour, the band can now play material that didn’t work live as a two-piece.

“It is a bit of an experiment, though,” Weiss says. “We’ve never done it, so it’ll be interesting to see how it feels.”

Quasi’s catalog is full of corkers, but there’s something special about Featuring “Birds.” The band’s third album is a brilliant expression of their ability to rough up electro-pop perfection with hard-hitting drums and cerebral yet catchy riffs, the darkness of the lyrics charmingly obscured by lovely vocal melodies.

The music speaks for itself, as evidenced by the album’s guileful title. Though it does refer to a song on the record (“Birds”), it’s not an essential one in Coomes’ view.

“It has no lyrics. It’s more of an interlude,” he says. “It was a way to make the title neutral while at the same time referring to the record. … If you name an album [something] like Heartbreak and Loss, before you even hear the music, you have an impression. It’s good to choose a title that is interesting but doesn’t necessarily put its finger on the scales of perception.”

“It’s like not playing favorites,” Weiss adds. “You see those records featuring the hit song. It’s turning that on its head.”

THE DREAM OF THE ’90S IS ALIVE IN DENVER

The band is overdue for a Denver show, as their most recent one was canceled by COVID. Over the years they’ve made several stops in the Mile High City, but when recalling

memories of Colorado tours, it’s the mid-90s that comes to Coomes’ mind.

“My bandmate Elliott’s mother lived in Denver, so we stayed there when we were on tour with Heatmiser,” the 60-year-old musician says. “We had a day off and we drove from Denver to Boulder to get coffee at Starbucks, because that was the only Starbucks in the state, probably.”

Elliott is, of course, the late singersongwriter, indie music icon and fellow Portlander Elliott Smith. In addition to Heatmiser, Coomes played on some of Smith’s albums and Quasi was often his backing band when touring his celebrated fourth studio album, XO. They opened many of the shows, with Smith sometimes joining the band during their sets. He’s also listed as one of the executive producers on Featuring “Birds” — alongside at least eight other people, which the band says was essentially an inside joke.

The Portland scene has earned its place in music history now, but then it was more or less a backwater. It was smaller than others and thus more concentrated, with everyone attending all the same shows and drawing inspiration from each other.

“That developmental stage of the music can be the most exciting, when you see someone doing something you’ve never seen anyone do,” Weiss says.

When it comes to Smith’s particular influence on the band, Coomes points to the Featuring “Birds” song “Please Do” as the most direct example.

“It’s an acoustic fingerpicking song. Would I have ever done that had I not been friends with Elliott? No,” he says. “I thought, ‘I want to do that, too’ … I can’t say that I love the song now, but at the time I had never done anything like that. After we did, I realized: better to just plug in the electric and crank it up.”

ON THE BILL: QuasiFeaturing “Birds” Tour 7 p.m. Thursday, July 18, Marquis Theater, 2009 Larimer St., Denver. $30+

Quasi performs their 1998 classic Featuring “Birds” at the Marquis Theater in Denver on July 18. Courtesy: Up Records / Sub Pop

METAL FOR MISANTHROPES

Pallbearer continues to do doom differently

BY JUSTIN CRIADO

Pallbearer brought doom metal back from the dead. The gloomy subgenre born from the lowand-slow riffs of Black Sabbath had become redundant and tired by the early 2000s, as dozens of bands were replicating ad nauseam those stoner and fantasy vibes introduced by Ozzy and co. 30 years earlier.

Seemingly everywhere you looked, you’d find a band with pot-smoking wizard imagery. Even so, doom remained a popular genre, but when the unknown quartet from Arkansas announced itself in the early 2010s with albums Sorrow and Extinction (2012) and the Billboard-charting Foundations of Burden (2014), the game changed.

Pallbearer’s melancholic brand of funeral doom dragged the subgenre into the 21st century. What lead vocalist and guitarist Brett Campbell, bassist Joseph D. Rowland, guitarist Devin Holt and drummer Mark Lierly do best is face life’s banalities and inherent struggle head on. It’s definitely not high-fantasy escapism or sweet leaf worship like much doom of the time.

more depressive than biblical, he adds: “Maybe heaven’s waiting, but we will never know from so far down.”

Sonically, Campbell describes Mind Burns Alive as a “wide-open-sounding record,” meaning there’s more space in the mix than the typical the-louder-thebetter approach.

‘WE’VE NEVER FUCKING HAD A SONG ABOUT A WIZARD’

Pallbearer has never fretted about shaking things up, which is what is most endearing to fans. But that tendency for change has also left some perplexed since the group got together in 2008, to the point that Campbell has come to expect some grumblings. The latest full-length is no different.

“I saw some comment online that said, ‘I miss when Pallbearer would sing about wizards,’” he recalls with a laugh. “We’ve never fucking had a song about a wizard. We haven’t had one single wizard song. We don’t write

metal band has the guts to include a cover of Billie Holiday’s “Gloomy Sunday” as one of its first three publicly released songs?

GROWING WILD

Of course, the four musicians behind Pallbearer have changed quite a bit since then, both personally and musically. But Campbell points out a throughline.

“The core idea is still the same as it ever was, which is just to push forward. Even when things look down, you have to keep pushing forward,” he says. “I had forgotten how unhinged that demo sounds. It is kind of crazy that it’s the same band. But we’ve always had progressive aspirations and this desire to push ourselves as hard as we can, looking for new sounds and approaches.”

“It’s quite the opposite,” Campbell says. “The subject matter of our music is typically concerned with the darker elements of human life and experience. I guess that’s doom-y. But it’s essential to what we are. It’s drawn from life — the things we felt we needed to talk about in our own lives or our own reflections on the world around us.”

Pallbearer’s latest offering, Mind Burns Alive released May 17, carries on this tradition.

“Maybe we could fly, but we never learned to grow our wings,” Campbell croons on the opening track “Where The Light Fades.” Then, in a lyrical turn

“It’s more atmosphere-focused than a lot of our previous stuff,” he explains. “Doom as a genre is known for being very sonically dense and thick and syrupy, which is rad. This is more open. There’s a lot of head room in the master. It’s not insanely loud. It’s not brickwalled. It’s got a lot of air in it. That’s intentional.”

Pallbearer loves prog, too, which is why Mind Burns Alive is more King Crimson than Black Sabbath. Hear it for yourself when the band plays at the Gothic Theatre on Saturday, July 13 alongside Inter Arma and The Keening.

about fantasy and never have. That’s not our thing.”

Even including metaphorical “fantastical imagery,” like the ethereal white reaper that appeared on those early album covers, is becoming a thing of the past for Pallbearer.

“We use that less and less as time goes on,” Campbell says. “The way we’re wired, we take the music very seriously and we want to have a real meaning behind it.”

Going back to the band’s first 2010 demo, Pallbearer always stood out from its peers. For example, what doom

Pallbearer might have led the doom revival of the 2010s, but the Little Rock outfit has never been beholden to anything other than themselves.

“We’ve been following the trajectory we set for ourselves. We don’t know what our next album is going to be, but we know it’ll be different than the last one, and that’s the way we’ve approached it from the very beginning,” Campbell says. “As time has gone on, people have come to expect that we’re going to do something different each time.”

It still all stems from Black Sabbath, but “the children of Sabbath have grown in a bunch of different directions,” he adds.

“It’s really hard to define what specifically it is,” Campbell says. “It probably means different things to different people.”

ON THE BILL: Pallbearer with Inter Arma and The Keening. 8 p.m. Saturday, July 13, Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway, Denver. $25

On the heels of their new album Mind Burns Alive, Arkansas doombringers Pallbearer return to Colorado for a show at the Gothic Theatre on July 13. Credit: Dan Almasy

COMPOSURE AND ERASURE

Saudi new media artist Nouf Aljowaysir explores cultural history and the limits of artificial intelligence

BY ZOE JENNINGS

From world takeover to full automation, fears around artificial intelligence could make the plot of a good science fiction novel.

Saudi-born new media artist Nouf Aljowaysir is adding a fresh anxiety to that list: the fear of cultural erasure.

Commenting on the limitations of AI accurately representing her culture, Aljowaysir’s ongoing exhibition SALAF (Ancestor) explores these questions at Boulder’s East Window gallery through July 27.

Aljowaysir’s first marketing job exposed her to AI in 2018, when she began using the emerging technology to generate images and videos for client branding.

“Nobody knew what AI was,” Aljowaysir says. “It wasn’t common among people to understand algorithms or terminology.”

Aljowaysir then accepted an artist residency in New York City with ThoughtWorks Arts, designed for artists working with AI. Aljowaysir based her thesis during the six-month residency on understanding her cultural identity using these new tools.

Aljowaysir moved to the United

States when she was 13. With her mother and other family remaining in Saudi Arabia, Aljowaysir hoped AI would supplement the cultural information her family and early life experiences gave her.

“I’ve traveled between countries my whole life,” Aljowaysir says. “I started studying where I come from.”

TRACING THE FAMILY TREE

Starting in the summer of 2020, Aljowaysir began tracing migrational patterns of her ancestors from Arabia to Mesopotamia. Aljowaysir interviewed her mother for the project, studied family photos and researched archival records.

Aljowaysir then plugged in family names, facts and places into Western AI systems.

“In order to test artificial intelligence, I have to collect a lot of data and visual imagery,” Aljowaysir says. “I saw a lot of stereotyping in the results — a lot of biases, a lot of generalizations, and not understanding what culture it’s looking at. … I was able to gain a better picture of who I am and where I come from [through] my mom’s story. I wasn’t able

to get that from AI — what I got instead was superficiality.”

Aljowaysir then erased the figures found in the results using an AI technique called U-2 Net to evoke the experience of erasure she found while researching. The SALAF project — also on display at the Palmer Gallery in London — emerged from these photos.

Aljowaysir especially struggled to find AI-generated archival images of women. The technology often failed to recognize them because of their veils; as a result, SALAF primarily highlights women. AI also failed to recognize faces of nomadic bedouin people and instead churned out inaccurate stereotypes of the Arab world.

ADVANCING THE NARRATIVE

Aljowaysir produced a 2022 film further detailing her experience with AI and her ancestral search: Ana Min Wein (Where Am I From)? Todd Edward Herman, founder and director of East Window, learned about the film through the Kadist Foundation’s social media channels. Based out of Paris, the foundation platforms contemporary artists who address contemporary social issues.

“The flaws [of AI] are less about science fiction and more about human error,” Herman says. “Outwardly the image, then to the relevance of cultural erasure, is certainly one of the things we want to explore with East Window — all the way down the line to the mechanics of what these networks are run by, which is the labor of people power. I thought it was a brilliant, clear thesis of Nouf’s, and the work was just amazing.”

With the problem of cultural erasure in mind, SALAF continues East Window’s mission to elevate the stories of marginalized communities.

“One of the things we do is make sure those narratives are not forgotten and in fact are advanced,” Herman says.

When Aljowaysir started SALAF, AI had not “blown up” to the level it has now. Many are questioning the technology’s runaway effect in recent years and whether we should blindly follow its lead.

“I don’t think there’s enough critical voices out there in the art world around AI,” Aljowaysir says. “As part of my research, I’m continuing the questions and thinking.”

Aljowaysir’s mother, who provided family stories to help Aljowaysir on her quest to find her cultural identity, is proud of her daughter’s work — even if she struggles to understand the tech-heavy AI side of the project, Aljowaysir says.

“Oral storytelling is such a powerful tool. Your grandmother passes things down to your mom. Your mom passes things down to you. I think that process is not really captured by AI. It doesn’t think that way. It categorizes the world through boxes or labels instead of poetic storytelling we have grown up with.”

ON VIEW: Nouf Aljowaysir

- SALAF (Ancestor) Through July 27, East Window, 4550 Broadway, Suite C-3B2, Boulder. Free

Nouf Aljowaysir visits Boulder’s East Window gallery for the opening of her exhibition SALAF (Ancestor) Courtesy: Todd Edward Herman

East Window art gallery displays AI new media art from Nouf Aljowaysir’s SALAF (Ancestor).

Courtesy: Todd Edward Herman

LIFE’S BUT A WALKING SHADOW

The timeless appeal of ‘Macbeth’

BY MICHAEL J. CASEY

Of all Shakespeare’s plays, few hold fascination with artists and audiences quite like The Tragedie of Macbeth Romeo and Juliet has the romance and Hamlet has the speech, but Macbeth — first published in 1623 — is filled with control, corruption and comeuppance. There’s the role of Lady Macbeth, one of the best the Bard ever penned, Macbeth’s “tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow” soliloquy, action, drama, even a little humor. What’s not to love?

For lovers of live theater, the Colorado Shakespeare Festival (CSF) is currently staging Macbeth through Aug. 11 with a lens on exposing the play’s misogyny (Catch a review of that and other CSF shows in next week’s paper).

When CSF last staged Macbeth in 2013, it was set in 1980s Afghanistan. Macbeth contains multitudes. There’s a malleability to the play that can and does fit any period, setting and artistic vision.

Scan the number of cinematic adaptations, and you’ll find Joel Coen’s The Tragedy of Macbeth from 2021, which centered on the middle-agedness of a couple searching for purpose in a childless void. Roman Polanski’s 1970 version used the violence of the play to exercise personal demons following the bloody murder of his wife, Sharon Tate, and his unborn child at the hands of Charles Manson followers.

Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa relocated the play from medieval Scotland to feudal Japan and merged it with traditional Noh Theater for his 1957 adaptation, Throne of Blood. A decade before him, Orson Welles

staged the play on the sets of Republic Pictures in Hollywood for the first of his three cinematic Shakespeare adaptations.

Restored in 2022 and recently released on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Welles’ Macbeth looks as crisp and clean as it must have when released in 1948. The black and white cinematography from John L. Russell shimmers, the sparse but abstract set from Welles and Dan O’Herlihy enchants, and the performances from Welles as the titular king, Jeanette Nolan as Lady Macbeth and O’Herlihy as Macduff are perfect for their wild eyes and unhinged readings. It’s hard not to see Welles’ Macbeth as the progenitor for so many modern versions of the Scottish play — be it the atmospheric quality of Kurosawa’s Throne, the employment of a low-budget production à la the Polanski version or the moody black and white photography of Coen’s Tragedy. When it comes to cinema, all roads lead back to Welles. But only posthumously. Welles’ career was floundering at the time, and he needed to prove to Hollywood

financiers that he could deliver a hit with little funds and a lot of creativity. So Welles turned to Herbert Yates of Republic Pictures — a B-movie studio known for singing cowboys — with the promise that he could shoot Macbeth on those same horse opera sets for next to nothing and in a couple dozen days. Yates wanted to bring critical acclaim to his studio and took the former wunderkind up on his offer.

And Welles delivered. Welles, a lifelong playwright devotee, believed Shakespeare belonged to everyone. His Macbeth illustrates this beautifully by anchoring the stage-bound setting within an abstract space, blending long takes, where actors constantly move in and out of close-ups, with cinematic flourishes impossible to visualize on the stage. It’s a wonder to watch, even though three-quarters of a century has passed.

But that damned spot would not come out. Too many in Hollywood already had their knives out for Welles. Macbeth flopped, and Republic took the picture, cut it from two hours to 85

minutes, re-recorded the audio to lose the Scottish brogue and re-released it in 1950. Surprise, surprise, Macbeth flopped again. If Welles’ days in Hollywood weren’t already numbered, they were now.

As Welles predicted, “They’ll love me when I’m dead,” and interest in anything Welles touched has soared since his death in 1985. Kino Lorber’s Blu-ray includes both the 1948 and the 1950 versions of Macbeth, two scholarly commentary tracks and a handful of interviews about the movie and the making of.

Watching Macbeth again, it’s hard not to see how much of an influence Welles’ staging and visualization have carried throughout the years — and how applicable Shakespeare’s play is to any era. It is both of a time and timeless. And will be “to the last syllable of recorded time.”

ON SCREEN: Macbeth is available from Kino Lorber wherever Blu-rays are sold.

Revisit Orson Welles’ 1948 adaptation of the Scottish play, available on Blu-ray, ahead of the Colorado Shakespeare Festival production, running now through Aug. 11. Courtesy: Republic Pictures

REMOTE CONTROL

One-woman show highlights the human cost of drone warfare

BY TONI TRESCA

“Ino longer love blue skies,” a 13-year-old Pakistani boy named Zubair told U.S. lawmakers during a congressional briefing in 2013. “In fact, I now prefer gray skies. The drones do not fly when the skies are gray.”

Zubair and his sister were injured in a U.S drone strike on North Waziristan that killed their 67-year-old grandmother a year prior. Since remote warfare began its rise to deadly prominence during the Obama administration, stories like theirs have become grim hallmarks of modern conflict.

This unsettling disconnect lies at the heart of George Brant’s Grounded, a one-woman play about the psychological toll drone warfare exacts on its operators. Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company (BETC) is set to revive this poignant production at the Dairy Arts Center this July, starring acclaimed local performer and Denver University theater professor Anne Penner.

“The idea that a pilot could check in at work in a bunker outside of Las Vegas, spend their workday killing people thousands of miles away, then drive home and make dinner for the kids, is an insanely good topic for a play,” says Mark Ragan, managing director of BETC.

Grounded tells the story of an Air Force pilot who is reassigned to drone operations following an unexpected pregnancy. From a bunker outside Las Vegas, she conducts bombing raids halfway across the world, grappling with the mental and emotional strain of remote warfare.

Penner first read the script backstage at the 2017 Colorado Shakespeare Festival.

“I immediately wanted to work on Grounded because, even on the page, it felt visceral and kinesthetic,” Penner says. “It is written in a poetic style and

jumps between disparate ideas. The pilot begins the play believing she knows right and wrong. She is one of the good guys, and her work is moral. Then, all of a sudden, the circumstances change, and she finds herself in a literal gray area, staring at a gray screen in a liminal space where she doesn’t know right from wrong.”

FIRST FLIGHT

Although Penner knew she wanted to play the character, she was hesitant to take on the project due to the time commitment. But with an abundance of availability in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Penner approached her long-time DU colleague and mentor, Rick Barbour, about collaborating. Barbour says he was “flattered” to be asked to work on the piece and quickly agreed.

The two spent a year working outdoors on Grounded, and Penner produced six performances at DU’s Newman Center in November 2021. Ragan happened to attend one of these shows while working as a critic for the outlet OnStage Colorado. “Penner’s 75-minute tour de force is spine-tingling, fierce and unblinking,” he raved in his review.

While Penner was proud of the work, “I didn’t feel done.” So, in 2023, she approached Ragan and Jessica Robblee, who had taken over BETC as managing and artistic directors last July, to remount the play. Ragan remembered Penner’s performance fondly and jumped at the chance to share Grounded with a larger audience.

“When I saw it during the pandemic, there were barely any people in the theater — everyone was still afraid to venture out of their homes,” Ragan says. “I thought it needed more exposure. The pandemic robbed Anne of

what could have been a far greater audience. Also, our BETC patrons are very cerebral; they are steeped in knowledge of current events and history and not scared away by tough subjects.”

LANDING AT THE DAIRY

As they prepare for opening night, Penner and Barbour are focused on fine-tuning the minimalist staging that captivated audiences in 2021. Barbour says the simplicity of featuring Penner and a single chair allows the emotional weight of the story to shine through.

“To do theater, all you need is an actor and someone watching,” Barbour says. “I’m not saying you shouldn’t have other technical elements, but you don’t need anything else. Going into this, I knew it was pretty much going to be Anne and a chair. We’ve found a strong, simple but elegant way to use the theater’s geometry to reveal what’s happening in the play.”

Several members of the original design team are returning for this production. Lighting designer Shannon McKinney and sound designer Jason Ducat will once again enhance the atmosphere, while Naila Martinez’s intricate floor painting will complement the simple scenic design.

“Anne is the main storytelling ingredient, but it is supported subtly by our design team,” Barbour says. “For me, the beauty of Grounded stems from

the same dynamics as any great play or tragedy: a single human being with all of their pluses, minuses, hypocrisies and strengths combined with a situation that tests them. This play, like any great work of literature, has a moral center that causes us to reflect on the situation and consider what we would do.”

As drone strikes continue to make headlines in conflicts ranging from Gaza to Ukraine, the decision to remount Grounded offers a timely commentary on the human cost of remote warfare.

“George Brant created this play by looking at a photograph, so it is not strictly biographical, but it is based on true military experiences,” Penner says. “The pilot is struggling to strike a balance between being there for her family and doing her extremely violent job. I am in a much lower-stakes situation, but I understand the feeling of trying to balance family and work. Her morals are tested but she comes out stronger for it, and I believe we have all had similar experiences — maybe not this literal, specific one at war, but it’s a very human experience.”

ON STAGE: Grounded July 11-21, the Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $17-$47

Acclaimed local performer and Denver University theater professor Anne Penner stars in Grounded at the Dairy Arts Center, July 11-21. Credit: Susannah McLeod

11

VINYL NIGHT IN THE TASTING ROOM

4-9 p.m. Thursday, July 11, Left Hand Brewing, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont. Price varies

Bring your own record to spin or grab from a collection brought by Recycled Records at Left Hand Brewing’s tasting room. While jamming to some grand tunes, drink the night away with a libation from the brewery’s extensive collection.

11

OPEN MEDITATION

7-8:30 p.m. Thursday, July 11, Boulder Shambhala Center, 1345 Spruce St. Free ($10 suggested donation)

Enliven your mind with the joy of meditation. Listen to poetry while being led by a senior teacher in a guided meditation session. Afterward, enjoy a presentation “on a topic inspired by the Buddhist, Shambhala or Arts & Culture, contemplative paths.”

11 – 14

BOULDER ENOFF

Various times. July 11-14, Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $15-$75

Grab some popcorn and settle in for four days of spectacular films celebrating the beauty of our natural world. This year the annual Boulder Environmental / Nature / Outdoors Film Festival features filmmakers like internationally renowned Jimmy Chin and speakers such as Nancy Smith of the Nature Conservancy. Read more about a sequel to the classic doc Chasing Ice, screening this year: bit.ly/ChasingTimeBW

11 – 17

COLORADO MUSIC FESTIVAL

Various times. July 5 to Aug. 4, Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. $18-$80

Get dressed up for a classical concert this summer beneath the Flatirons. Featuring the talent of the Colorado Music Festival Orchestra, this annual festival showcases world-class musicians playing iconic selections. Read more from BW about this year’s event at bit.ly/ColoradoMusicFestBW

12

SECOND CHANCE COMEDY

6:30-9 p.m. Friday, July 12, Dickens Opera House, 302 Main St., Longmont. $25-$35

This humorous event sheds a positive light on addiction recovery with nationally recognized comedian Ben Roy alongside Tara Check, Debbie Scheer, Von Sprecken and host Joe Huisman. Twenty percent of every ticket sold will be donated to Denver nonprofit treatment facility Sobriety House.

12

STAINED GLASS DATE NIGHT

6-7:30 p.m. Friday, July 12, Colorado Glass Works, 1500 Pearl St., Boulder. $175 (Price for 2)

Artsy partners rejoice. Stain some glass at this workshop aimed toward beginners, in which you’ll make a prechosen piece while relaxing in a glass studio. Materials are provided: just bring a date and your creativity. Registration required: bit.ly/ StainGlassDateNightBW

EVENTS

13

ROCKY MOUNTAIN GOAT YOGA

9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 13, Parkway Food Hall, 700 Ken Pratt Blvd. #200, Longmont. $25

Relax your mind with some meditative goat yoga. Enjoy the company of rescued Nigerian Dwarf Goats while partaking in an hour-long yoga session “loving the gift of these cute and innocent animals.” Registration required: bit.ly/GoatYogaBW

13

PRETTY IN PUNK

7-10:30 p.m. Saturday, July 13, Junkyard Social Club, 2525 Frontier Ave., Suite A, Boulder. $20

Feel alive as punk rock, drag and burlesque collide at this tour de force hosted by Paisley Peach featuring live music from Vegas Valley Drive, a five-piece soul punk band from Denver. Come cash-in-hand and ready to tip performers liberally. Tickets: bit.ly/PrettyinPunkBW

13

BOULDER SATURDAY FARMERS MARKET

8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, July 13, 13th Street next to Central Park, Boulder. Free

Get your tastebuds working as you wander the stands and stalls of the weekly Boulder Farmers Market. Look for your favorite and fresh summer produce or just sit and sip an icecold bevy while enjoying the music of local pianist Matthew Popkin.

14

FIESTA DE LA MÚSICA Y TOROS

5-9 p.m. Sunday, July 14, Corrida, 1023 Walnut St., Boulder. $125

Rejoice on the last night of San Fermín (a weeklong festival in Pamplona, Spain, celebrating the end of a deadly plague, best known for the running of the bulls) as you wine and dine in an authentic Spanish setting. Listen to the music of the Nico Martinez Band and watch Flamenco dancers while delighting in a selection of traditional foods and drinks. Registration required: bit.ly/ FiestaMúsicaTorosBW

15

OPEN MIC HOSTED BY DENNY DRISCOLL

5:30-8 p.m. Monday, July 15, Bootstrap Brewing, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free

Got talent? Bring your best to Bootstrap Brewing and wow the audience with your singing or musicianship. Receive a complimentary beer after your performance and enjoy the sounds of up-and-coming artists at this weekly open-mic.

18

REELS FOR MEALS

5-9:30 p.m. Thursday, July 18, eTown, 1535 Spruce St., Boulder. $25-$55

Film and food pair perfectly at this fundraiser special screening of The Taste of Things, an Academy Award nominee for Best International Film. Before the screening, taste a variety of foods from local Boulder County cooks and restaurants. Proceeds support Meals on Wheels Boulder. Registration required: bit.ly/ ReelsForMealsBW

HELP WANTED

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

Senior Software Developer Engineer (20637.739.8): Responsible for working on all aspects of Adaptive Planning SaaS web based application. Salary: $162,400 - $243,600 per year, 40 hour 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 role-specific 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

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

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

LIVE MUSIC

THURSDAY, JULY 11

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

KATE FARMER 6 p.m. Bricks on Main, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free

HARMONY & HEARTBEATS (FEATURING SARAH BANKER, DARCY NELSON AND SHAKINA MA) 6 p.m. Trident Cafe, 940 Pearl St., Boulder. Free

JT JONES WITH DAN FROELICH. 6 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free

MEGAN BURTT WITH CHRIS COZA

7 p.m. The Times Collaborative, 338 Main St., Longmont. $20

RITE OF SPRING AND GLUZMAN PLAYS PROKOFIEV 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. $30

ANDREW DUHON WITH JEREMY DION

8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $24

THE STRING CHEESE INCIDENT WITH GEORGE PORTER JR., IVAN NEVILLE AND PHUNKY FRIENDS, DUMPSTA HORNS AND TARRIONA “TANK” BALL (NIGHT 1) 7 p.m. Red Rocks Park Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison. $65

SATURDAY, JULY 13

REED FOEHL 5:30 p.m. Stone Cottage Studios, 3091 7th St., Boulder. $35

GROOVE HOLIDAY 6 p.m. Left Hand Brewing, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont. Free

5-FOOT BETTY 6 p.m. Bricks on Main, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free

UNAUTHORIZED ABSENCE. 6 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free

JEFFREY DALLEY. 6 p.m. Trident Cafe, 940 Pearl St., Boulder. Free

SUMMER BEDHEAD WITH WOMBAT, THE MONKEY MAN, TIRE SHOE AND CITRUS 8 p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $15

TRAMPLED BY TURTLES WITH JOSIAH AND THE BONNEVILLES. 7 p.m. Red Rocks Park Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison. $58

FRIDAY, JULY 12

THE ZIMMERMANS 6 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free

JUMPIN AT SHADOWS 6 p.m. Bricks on Main, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free

JACK CAMPBELL WITH THE HEAD MESS 6 p.m. Trident Cafe, 940 Pearl St., Boulder. Free

RADNEY FOSTER. 7 p.m. eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce St., Boulder. $25

COVENHOVEN WITH ANDREAS DEVALERA 8 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl St., Suite V3A, Boulder. $20

A TRIBUTE TO JOHN PRINE (FEATURING DEREK DAMES OHL WITH GUESTS). 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $21

THE PAMLICO SOUND 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $20

BOTTLEROCKET HURRICANE (NIGHT 1). 9 p.m. Mountain Sun Pub, 1535 Pearl St., Boulder. Free

DILES QUE NO ME MATEN WITH WAVE DECAY, FRAGRANT BLOSSOM AND DJ CAASIQUE 8 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $15

JACK YODER 6:30 p.m. 300 Suns Brewing, 335 1st Ave., Unit C, Longmont. Free

PRETTY IN PUNK: PRIDE MONTH CELEBRATION 7 p.m. Junkyard Social Club, 2525 Frontier Ave., Unit A, Boulder. $25

DEREK AND CO 7 p.m. Rayback Collective, 2775 Valmont Road, Boulder. Free

PETTY FOOLS: TOMMY PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS TRIBUTE 7 p.m. Dickens Opera House, 300 Main St., Longmont. $15

THUNDERBOOGIE 7 p.m. Downtown Louisville, 836 Main St. $10

BEN SPROUL 7 p.m. Longs Peak Pub, 600 Longs Peak Ave., Longmont. Free

SQUIRREL NUT ZIPPERS. 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. $30

MACKENZIE RAE AND BUCKSHOT MOON WITH GOOD MUSIC MEDICINE 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $19

ACEYALONE WITH SUISIDE CYNICATE, MIKE WIRD, INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, MAGNIFICENT WINGSPAN, BABAH FLY AND BENJAMIN’S VIBE 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $25

BOTTLEROCKET HURRICANE (NIGHT 2) 9 p.m. Mountain Sun Pub, 1535 Pearl St., Boulder. Free

THE STRING CHEESE INCIDENT (NIGHT 2) 7 p.m. Red Rocks Park Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison. $65

LIVE MUSIC

ON THE BILL

Since assembling in the windy city in 1997, Eric D. Johnson’s outfit, Fruit Bats, has held it down as a versatile institution of indie rock, traversing sounds from the likes of lo-fi, disco, folk and more. On Wednesday, July 17, Johnson and company will be joined by fellow Chicago group Valebol at the Fox Theatre for a night of musical bliss.

SUNDAY, JULY 14

EXIT STRATEGY 3 p.m. Bricks on Main, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free

ESPRESSO! 4 p.m. Brasserie Ten Ten, 1011 Walnut St., Boulder. Free

MORPHEUS DREAMING 4 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free

BRUCKNER BICENTENNIAL:

SYMPHONY NO. 4. 6:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. $30

LIONEL YOUNG DUO 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free

JOHN MCKAY DUO. 9 p.m. Longs Peak Pub, 600 Longs Peak Ave., Longmont. Free

BLAMESHELLS WITH BRAT HOUSE, GREY SKYGARDEN AND PAINTINGS OF DECAY 5 p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver $15

THE STRING CHEESE INCIDENT WITH SAM BUSH, JERRY DOUGLAS AND SIERRA HULL (NIGHT 3) 6 p.m. Red Rocks Park Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison. $65

MONDAY, JULY 15

BOULDER CONCERT BAND. 7 p.m. Salburg Park, 3045 19th St., Boulder. Free

TUESDAY, JULY 16

DAVE HONIG 6 p.m. Roadhouse Boulder Depot, 2366 Junction Place, Bulder. Free

SCHUBERT’S STRINGS WITH NIELSEN’S WINDS 7:30 p.m. Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. $30

GREG KOCH WITH THE KOCH MARSHALL TRIO AND CONNOR TERRONES. 8 p.m. Globe Hall, 4483 Logan St., Denver. $20

INFINITY SONG WITH MIRANDA FLING.

8 p.m. Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer St., Denver. $25

SAD SUMMER FESTIVAL (FEATURING MAYDAY PARADE, THE MAINE, THE WONDER YEARS, KNUCKLE PUCK AND MORE) 2 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $60

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17

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

MOORS & MCCUMBER. 6 p.m. Gold Hill Inn, 401 Main St., Boulder. $34

MAD DOG BLUES. 6 p.m. Rosalee’s Pizzeria, 361 Main St., Longmont. Free

ADAM BODINE. 7 p.m. Dry Land Distillers, 519 Main St., Longmont. Free

LIONEL YOUNG DUO 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free

FRUIT BATS. 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $27

BW PICK OF THE WEEK

BEAR HAT 9 p.m. Southern Sun Pub, 627 S. Broadway, Boulder. Free

LINDSEY STIRLING WITH WALK OFF THE EARTH AND AUDRIIX 6:30 p.m. Red Rocks Park Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison. $67

LUCKY DAYE WITH FANA HUES. 8 p.m. Ogden Theatre, 935 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $37

ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): I trust that your intuition has been guiding you to slow down and disappear from the frenzied, agitated bustle that everyone seems addicted to. I hope you have afforded yourself the luxury and privilege of exulting in the thrill of doing absolutely nothing. Have you been taking long breaks to gaze lovingly up at the sky and listen to music that moves you to tears? Have you been studying the children and animals in your life to learn more about how to thrive on nongoal-oriented fun? Have you given your imagination permission to fantasize with abandon about wild possibilities? Homework: Name three more ways to fuel your self-renewal.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Actor Carrie Fisher put a strong priority on being both amusing and amused. For her, almost everything that happened was tolerable, even welcome, as long as it was entertaining. She said, “If my life wasn’t funny, it would just be true, and that’s unacceptable.” I recommend you experiment with those principles, Taurus. Be resourceful as you make your life as humorously interesting as possible. If you do, life will conspire to assist you in being extra amused and amusing.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): As you charge into the upcoming period of self-reinvention, don’t abandon and forget about your past completely. Some of your old emotional baggage might prove useful and soulful. A few of your challenging memories may serve as robust motivators. On the other hand, it will be healthy to leave behind as much oppressive baggage and as many burdensome memories as possible. You are launching the next chapter of your life story! Travel as lightly as you can.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): Even though you and I were both born under the sign of Cancer the Crab, I have a taboo against advising you to be like me. I love my life, but I’m not so naïve or arrogant as to think that what has worked for me will also work for you. However, I will make a temporary exception to my policy. The astrological omens suggest you will flourish in the coming weeks by being at least somewhat like me. Therefore, I invite you to experiment with being kind and sensitive but also cheerfully irreverent and tenderly wild. Be on the lookout for marvels and miracles, but treasure critical thinking and rational analysis. Don’t take things too personally or too seriously, and regard the whole world as a holy gift. Be gratefully and humbly in awe as you tune into how beautiful and wonderful you are.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): Over 3,700 years ago, a craftsperson living in what’s now Israel fashioned a comb from an elephant’s tusk. It was a luxury item with two sides, one used to smooth hair tangles and the other to remove lice. On the handle of the ivory tool is an inscription: “May this tusk root out the lice of the hair and the beard.” This is the oldest known sentence ever written in Canaanite, a language that created the world’s first alphabet. In some ways, then, this comb is a precious object. It is unspeakably ancient evidence of a major human innovation. In another way, it’s mundane and prosaic. I’m nominating the comb to be a symbol for your story in the coming weeks: a blend of monumental and ordinary. Drama may emerge from the routine. Breakthroughs may happen in the midst of everyday matters.

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): Some astrologers assert that Virgos are modest, humble and reluctant to shine. But a Virgo New Yorker named Ashrita Furman provides contrary evidence. His main activity in life is to break records. He holds the Guinness world record for having broken the most Guinness world records. His first came in 1979, when he did 27,000 jumping jacks. Since then, he has set hundreds of records, including the fastest time running on stilts, the longest time juggling objects underwater and the most times jumping rope on a pogo stick. I propose to make him your spirit creature for the coming weeks. What acts of bold self-expression are you ready to make, Virgo? What records are you primed to break?

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): Libran author Diane Ackerman says, “We can’t enchant the world, which makes its own magic; but we can enchant ourselves by paying deep attention.” I’m telling you this, dear Libra, because you now have exceptional power to pay deep attention and behold far more than usual of the world’s magic. It’s the Season of Enchantment for you. I invite you to be daring and imaginative as you probe for the delightful amazements that are often hidden just below the surface of things. Imagine you have the superpower of X-ray vision.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): If I’m reading the astrological omens correctly, you are in the midst of major expansion. You are reaching further, opening wider and dreaming bigger. You are exploring frontiers, entertaining novel possibilities and daring to transcend your limitations and expectations. I am cheering you on as you grow beyond your previous boundaries. One bit of advice: Some people in your life may find it challenging to follow you freely into your new territory. They may be afraid you’re leaving them behind, or they may not be able to adjust as fast as you wish. I suggest you give them some slack. Allow them to take the time they need to get accustomed to your growth.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): Sagittarian actor Jeff Bridges has wise words for you to heed: “If you wait to get all the information you think you need before you act, you’ll never act because there’s an infinite amount of information out there.” I think this advice is especially apropos for you right now. Why? Because you will thrive on making strong, crisp decisions and undertaking strong, crisp actions. The time for pondering possibilities must give way to implementing possibilities.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): People may be attracted to you in the coming weeks because they unconsciously or not-so-unconsciously want to be influenced, stirred up and even changed by your presence. They hope you will be the catalyst or medicine they need. Or maybe they want you to provide them with help they haven’t been able to give themselves or get anywhere else. Please be aware that this may not always be a smooth and simple exchange. Some folks might be demanding. Others may absorb and integrate your effects in ways that are different from your intentions. But I still think it’s worthwhile for you to offer your best efforts. You could be a force for healing and benevolence.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): Sometimes when gifts arrive in our lives, they are not recognized as gifts. We may even mistake them for obstacles. In a worst-case scenario, we reject and refuse them. I am keen on helping you avoid this behavior in the coming weeks, Aquarius. In the oracle you’re now reading, I hope to convince you to expand your definition of what gifts look like. I will also ask you to widen the range of where you search for gifts and to enlarge your expectations of what blessings you deserve. Now please meditate on the following riddles: 1. a shadow that reveals the hidden light; 2. a twist that heals; 3. a secret that no longer wants to be secret; 4. a shy ally who will reward your encouragement; 5. a boon that’s barely buried and just needs you to scrape away the deceptive surface.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): Lake Baikal in Russia is the world’s deepest, oldest and largest lake by volume. It contains over 22% of the fresh surface water on the planet. I propose we make this natural marvel your prime symbol for the next 11 months. At your best, you too will be deep, fresh and enduring. And like Lake Baikal, you will be exceptionally clear. (Its underwater visibility reaches 120 feet.) P.S. Thousands of plant and animal species thrive in this vital hub. I expect you will also be a source of richly diverse life, dear Pisces.

SAVAGE LOVE

BY DAN SAVAGE

I am a 45-year-old married cis male. After more than a decade of dipping in and out of the swinging lifestyle, my wife and I have decided to open up to dating other people. I’m trying to catch up with the language of dating apps.

I am open to dating people of various genders and orientations so long as they don’t have a penis. I am attracted to lots of different kinds of people along the masc/femme continuum, but I know from personal experience that I’m not interested in D.

Any suggestions on how to convey this in a way that doesn’t sound awful? Also, if a “straight” man has sex with or dates a non-binary-identifying AFAB individual, would he be considered bisexual? Oh, and you don’t need to tell me this is all moot. I am aware that middle-aged and married cis dudes don’t pull a lot of likes from beautiful, non-binary folks anyway.

— Concerning Intimate Semantical Meanings And Nuances

An AFAB person who identifies as non-binary is queer, but having sex with a queer person doesn’t automatically make you queer. Like a straight guy with a bisexual girlfriend, CISMAN, fucking or dating a nonbinary AFAB individual doesn’t magically make you something other than straight. But since a non-binary AFAB is queer, a straight guy in a relationship with a non-binary AFAB is in a queer relationship, just like a straight guy with a bisexual girlfriend is in a queer relationship. But I would argue — this is a hill my gay ass is prepared

to die on — that straight guys who are only interested in AFAB persons, regardless of how they identify or present, so long as those AFAB persons have vaginas and want dick are and always will be straight guys.

“Exclusively attracted to AFAB people, however they identify,” is not only a perfectly respectful way of asking the Internet for what you want, CISMAN, it’s a good way to avoid wasting the time of people who don’t have what you want. Despite what you may have heard from some loud people online, “genital preferences” are not bigotry. Sexual orientations are real, and primary sex characteristics are something our sexual orientations orient us toward.

Finally, CISMAN, don’t sell yourself short! You may not be overwhelmed by the response you get online (most men aren’t), but you’re gonna be someone’s jam. To optimize your odds of success, you’re not going to wanna rely exclusively on dating and hookup apps. Head out to bars and clubs where you feel comfortable, go to or throw parties and invite your friends to bring friends, join a few clubs, and volunteer for an organization whose mission you support. Because you never know: a hot AFAB person — binary or non — who would’ve swiped left on your photo might actually wanna fuck you after meeting your straight cis married ass in person.

Email your question for the column to mailbox@savage.love or record your question for the Savage Lovecast at savage.love/askdan. Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love

EVENTS EVENTS

JULY 5 - 28 Gallery show Belgin Yucelen/Landscapes of Desire @Bus Stop Gallery

JULY 24 Carson Besser/Symptoms of Mundane Artist Discussion and Interactive Communal Art Installation @NoBo Art Center, 6-9PM

SATURDAYS Painting Club for Teens

@NoBo Art Center, 10:15 - 1:15 pm

FRIDAYS Painting Workshops

Botanical Gelli Plate Art Print or Texture: Summer Flowers @Lael Gallery & Studios

BRAKE FOR BEETS

Your 2024 guide to the roadside farm stands of Boulder County

BY JOHN LEHNDORFF

Supermarket-bound cars rush by the inconspicuous sign on Jay Road for Benevolence Orchard & Gardens. The drivers don’t know what they are passing up — just-harvested sweet organic carrots, greens, herbs, mushrooms and other earthly summer delights.

Within Boulder County, there are dozens of unique roadside farm stands offering fresh produce. This is the undiscovered country of local cuisine. Those who understand happily pull over when they see those signs for farm eggs and fresh honey.

Here’s why roadside farm stands are so cool:

• You won’t find most of these growers at farmers markets. Farm stands always have varieties of vegetables, greens and herbs unavailable elsewhere. You can see and ask how they are grown.

• You buy vegetables just picked from the soil you are standing on and get cooking tips from the farm family that grew them. Some farms let you pick your own berries and flowers. It doesn’t get fresher or more local.

• Burger and fries-loving kids can get to see where potatoes and beef come from. Some stands feature locally raised meats, as well as honey, flowers, baked goods and local food products.

• There are no crowds at these smaller, quirkier agricultural attractions on rural roads with great foothill views.

Never visited a farm stand?

Here are a few rules of the road:

• Roadside stands are irregular places with minimal signage and hours of operation that can change. Follow farm social media for details.

• Many stands accept debit cards or Venmo, but all prefer cash. Some operate on a selfservice honor system. Bring your own bags, too.

• Stands generally don’t offer bathrooms, sell beverages or offer live music. They do harvest small crops that vary week to week during the season. The early bird gets the heirloom black raspberries.

The best advice is to hit the road and get to know a bunch of stands using the following guide, found exclusively in

Boulder Weekly. If nothing else, stop for multi-colored farm eggs that beat the store-bought equivalent in flavor.

Cure Organic Farm is open noon to 5 p.m. daily. Credit: Will Matuska

Many farm stands, like The Bee Hugger in Longmont, offer honey from resident hives. Credit: Will Matuska Find displays of just-harvested carrots, herbs, mushrooms, zucchini and more. Credit: Will Matuska

There are dozens of roadside farm stands serving fresh produce around Boulder County. Credit: Will Matuska

NIBBLES

7TH GENERATION FARM

100 South 96th St., Louisville

Noon to 5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday

A historic family farm located a short walk from downtown Louisville, this year-round on-farm stand offers locally raised meats including beef, pork (including bacon), lamb, chicken and a true rarity, goat. Local produce, fresh eggs (both chicken and duck) and honey are available. Hours expand during the farm’s autumn pumpkin fest.

ASPEN MOON FARM

7940 Hygiene Road, Hygiene

10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

Newly relocated across the road, this open-air seasonal stand offers certified organic vegetables, flowers, berries, herbs and heirloom grains.

THE BEE HUGGER

12590 Ute Highway, Longmont

8 a.m. to dusk daily

This cute farm offers pony and “unicorn” rides, farm animals, a picnic area, you-pick flower fields and a selfserve stand offering honey from the resident hives. The farm also occasionally hosts live music.

BENEVOLENCE ORCHARD & GARDENS

6712 Jay Road, Boulder

Self-service 10 a.m. to dusk daily

Look for the Benevolence bus and the stand stocked with vegetables, herbs, flowers, honey and mushrooms grown in the farm barn. The farm’s orchards also produce some fall fruit. Benevolence also offers community classes on everything from fruit tree care to mushroom log inoculation.

BIG ASH FARM

Southwest side of 95th Street, south of Valmont Road, Boulder

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily

Self-serve, honor-system roadside trailer offering eggs and veggies and a great view.

BLACK CAT FARM

4975 Jay Road, Boulder

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday-Sunday

Now open year-round, the store is a hidden gem packed with goodies from chef Eric Skokan’s family farm. The offerings include heirloom vegetables, lamb and pork, fantastic breads and prepared frozen foods from Skokan’s restaurant, Bramble & Hare.

Alyssa Hanofee, farm manager of Moving Mountains Market. Credit: John Lehndorff

NIBBLES

BOULDER LAVENDER FARM

Arapahoe Avenue at Willow Creek Drive, east of 95th Street, Boulder

This small honor-system cart overlooking a field of lavender offers lavender products, eggs, honey and bouquets.

CURE ORGANIC FARM

7416 Valmont Road, Boulder Noon to 5 p.m. daily

The charming Cure Farm is stocked with one of the widest varieties of farm-grown organic vegetables, greens, herbs and flowers. The stand also offers eggs, locally raised beef, Western Slope fruit and artisan breads from Daily Grains bakery.

FARM STAND

7428 N. 73rd St., Niwot

When the sign is out during daylight hours This little suburban farm stand doesn’t have a name, but offerings include eggs, vegetables and freshly made fruit preserves.

GROWING GARDENS

1630 Hawthorn Ave., Boulder 3:30-6:30 p.m. Wednesday

A great community resource for agricultural and sustainability education, the farm’s stand opens one day a week offering vegetables, greens, fruit and a variety of locally made food products and baked goods.

LET IT BEE HONEY & MORE STORE

4689 Ute Highway, Lyons Noon to 5 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday

This sweet roadside attraction offers honey, pollen and beeswax from local apiaries. Bring a jar to fill.

MASA SEED FOUNDATION FARM

1367 75th St., Boulder 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily

A remarkable resource for local gardeners and farmers, the stand offers a seed house stocked with hundreds of sustainably selected seeds, plus fresh vegetables, greens and growing advice.

MEADOW LAKE HONEY

7922 Meadow Lake Road, Niwot

Daytime hours

Small, porch self-serve stand offers raw honey collected at the family’s onsite apiary.

MONTGOMERY HOMESTEAD FARM STAND

10286 Isabelle Road, Lafayette

8 a.m. to dusk daily

In its 160th year as a family farm, the self-serve stand features a changing supply of just-harvested vegetables and plants.

MOVE MOUNTAINS MARKET

4336 63rd St., Boulder

3-7 p.m. Friday, noon to 4 p.m. SaturdaySunday

An easy-to-miss stand for a small, sustainable, women-owned farm offers fresh produce as well as jams, eggs, tea blends and local foods and goods.

MUNSON FARMS

7355 Valmont Road, Boulder

11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (starting in late July)

Thousands of regulars make a beeline to Munson’s every year for its famous sweet corn, plus squash, flowers, tomatoes and Western Slope fruit. In the fall, it’s a pumpkin patch.

NAUGHTY GOAT FARM

3614 61st St., Boulder

Daylight hours

A tiny roadside stand offering chicken and duck eggs, and fresh herbs and flowers.

NEW MOON FARMS

3298 95th St., Boulder (southeast corner of 95th Street and Isabelle)

9 a.m. to dusk, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday

Self-service farm stand offering eggs, honey, soap and vegetables.

NIBBLES

SUNBEAM FARM

1005 Cherryvale Road, Boulder

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily

OLLIN FARMS

8627 N. 95th St., Longmont

11 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday

Well-regarded for its regenerative agriculture practices, the family farm store is well-stocked with vegetables, prepared foods, baked goods and Western Slope fruit. The farm offers tours, kids’ activities and you-pick fields.

RED WAGON FARM

1640 Baseline Road (at Thomas Open Space), Lafayette

Noon to 6 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday (opening in late July)

If you’ve dined at Boulder County’s better bistros, you’ve already tasted Red Wagon produce. The large farm store offers a wealth of fresh produce, locally grown mushrooms, honey, eggs, local food products, baked goods and crafts.

SHADOW BUTTE LAKE RANCH

Valmont Road near 70th Street, Boulder

A small, self-service box offers eggs and vegetables.

SUAREZ WINES AND MARKET

11078 N. 66th St., Longmont

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday

The weekly family farm stand offers eggs, empanadas, cookies, fruits and vegetables.

Well-known for its garden starter plants, the self-service, honor-system stand stocks farm eggs and some organically grown greens and vegetables.

TABOR ACRES

3918 N. 119th St., Lafayette Daylight hours daily

The farm specializes in growing flowers, but also offers honey and eggs.

THREE LEAF FARM

445 S. 112th St., Lafayette (CO-287 at S. Public Road)

10 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 20, Aug. 3 and 17, Sept. 7 and 21

Three Leaf Farm normally supplies all its produce to its sister eateries Leaf Vegetarian Restaurant, Chautauqua Dining Hall and Boulder Dushanbe Teahouse. On select dates, a farm stand features fresh veggies, herbs, teas, and other goodies for non-restaurateurs.

YA YA FARM AND ORCHARD

6914 Ute Highway, Longmont

9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday-Sunday (hours expand later in the season)

This must-visit agricultural treat offers visits with the animals, and you-pick flower fields and orchards. The farm barn sells apple cider, apple cider doughnuts, apple pie and other goodies.

Did we miss any Boulder County roadside farm stands? Let us know: nibbles@boulderweekly.com

Munson Farms. Credit: Will Matuska

ON DRUGS

A STATE OF UNEASE

Pueblo looks to ban harm reduction services for drug users

BY SARA WILSON COLORADO NEWSLINE

Samantha Messer said a heart attack in January 2023 is what forced her into sobriety.

“I was not given a choice,” she said. “It was like ‘You need to get sober and figure out your life, or you’re going to die.’”

She went to live in a sober-living house and came to Harm Reduction Action Center in Denver during the day to volunteer, which led to her current role as a client services manager. She came as a participant between 2018 and 2019 to get clean supplies for her methamphetamine addiction, including needles and pipes, and she credits the center’s work for sparing her from an HIV or hepatitis C infection.

Colorado has allowed syringe access programs since 2010. The programs are operating during a swell in overdose deaths across the

state and country.

About 1,800 Coloradans died from a drug overdose in 2022, according to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, compared to 807 in 2012.

Research consistently shows that syringe access programs, in conjunction with other intervention measures, reduce HIV transmission. Experts warn that closure of such programs could lead to increased disease transmission among that population, more needle litter in cities because there would be fewer safe disposal sites and fewer people accessing resources for treatment.

But opponents believe the programs themselves are contributing to litter. A Pueblo ordinance from May seeks to ban syringe access programs in the city. Led by Council member Roger Gomez, the ordinance defines the programs as nuisances “detrimental to the health or safety of the inhabitants” of Pueblo.

PART OF RECOVERY

Access Point Pueblo opened in 2014 and offers its syringe access program three days per week. It is the main provider of harm reduction services in southeastern Colorado and one of six Access Point programs operated by the Colorado Health Network across the state.

Access Point also provides overdose reversal medication and education to its clients, and it aims to connect people who use drugs to other behavioral, mental and medical care. That link to care is often possible because people first go to the center for that baseline clean-needle service.

“Our services are part of the cycle of recovery,” said Sarah Money, Access Point Pueblo’s Health Hub manager. “Harm reduction is a method of recovery, and what we provide is a critical piece of the spectrum.”

‘CLEANING UP THE MESS’

Across all six locations, Access Point distributed over 1.5 million syringes between October 2022 and October 2023, according to CHN data. Pueblo’s location accounts for nearly 570,000 of those syringes. The network recorded about 1.2 million returned syringes over the same time period.

Pueblo’s ordinance specifically calls out improper disposal of needles and puts partial blame on the two syringe access programs that operate in the city, Access Point and the Southern Colorado Harm

Reduction Association. The council framed it as a littering issue with an added danger to the public, and members frequently brought up anecdotes of residents getting poked by dirty discarded needles at playgrounds and parks.

“If you’re handing out needles and not receiving back the same amount you’re handing out, then that goes against what the community believed was going to be taking place. We have business owners and teachers cleaning up the mess created by the user, who isn’t responsible enough to dispose of their own needles,”

Council member Regina Maestri said during a work session about the ordinance ahead of the May 13 vote.

The ordinance passed on a 5-2 vote and briefly went into effect when Mayor Heather Graham signed it. The ACLU of Colorado then sued the city, however, and a judge issued a temporary restraining order on enforcement of the ordinance until the lawsuit’s first hearing July 10. That means the two programs can operate until then.

“There’s definitely some concern for the state of harm reduction in Colorado,” Christine Charron, prevention services manager for Access Point Pueblo, said in an interview before the lawsuit was filed. “We’re at a weird time where we need to wait and see how (state law) holds up against other things the state has allowed for local decision making. Everyone is feeling a bit of unease.”

Part 1 of this story ran last week. Read the whole thing at bit.ly/HarmReductionBW