Boulder Weekly 09.12.2024

FallArts Preview

FOOD

Appetizers/Tapas

Asian Fusion

Bagel

Bakery

BBQ

Breakfast/Brunch

Burger

Business Lunch

Catering

Chinese Restaurant

Donuts

Fine Dining Restaurant

Food Truck

Gluten-Free Menu

Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt

Indian/Nepali Restaurant

Italian Restaurant

Japanese Restaurant

Kid-Friendly Restaurant

Lyons Restaurant

Mexican Restaurant

New Restaurant

Niwot Restaurant

Overall Restaurant

Pancake/Waffle

Pizza

Place to eat outdoors

Place to go on a first date

Restaurant Dessert

Restaurant Service

Sandwich

Seafood

Sushi Restaurant

Take-out

Thai Restaurant

Veggie Burger

Wings

DRINKS

Bar

Beer selection

Cidery

Cocktails

Coffee House

Coffee Roaster

Craft Brewery

Distillery

Happy Hour

Latte/Mocha

Margarita

Teahouse

Wine Selection

CANNABIS

Bargains at a dispensary

Budtender

CBD Products

Edibles

Flower

CELEBRATING 42 years in business!

Medical Marijuana Dispensary

Recreational Marijuana Dispensary

Selection at a dispensary

Wax

HOME & GARDEN

Carpet/Flooring

Electrician

Florist

Furniture Store

Heating, Venting, and Air

Conditioning

Home Builder/Contractor

Home Finishing

Home Improvement

Hydroponic Store

Kitchen Supply Store

Landscaper

Mattress Store

Nursery/Garden Center

Painter

Pest Control

Plumber

Roofing Contractor

ENTERTAINMENT & CULTURE

Art Gallery

Bank/Financial Institution

Festival/Event

Live Jazz Venue

Museum

Place

Place to Wi-Fi

Private School

Public School (K-8)

Public School (9-12)

Sports Bar

FITNESS & HEALTH

Acupuncture Clinic

Barber Shop

Chiropractor

Climbing/Parkour Gym

Dance Studio

Day

Dental Care

Golf Course

Gym/Fitness Center

Hair

Hospital

Lasik Services

Martial Arts

Massage

Medical

Nail Salon

Orthodontist

BEAUTIFUL QUALITY GLASS

1520 S. Hover St, Suite D, Longmont, CO (720) 680-0551 • www.wbu.com/longmont

341 MAIN ST. • LONGMONT, CO 303-827-3181

Shop LOCAL Buy LOCAL

WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED

WILD BIRDS UNLIMITED

LLocally 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

OZO COFFEE

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 emphasis on eco-friendly products and recycled plastics. We

Osource 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!

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!

1520 S. Hover Street, Suite D

Longmont, CO 720-680-0551 www.wbu.com/longmont

1520 S. Hover Street, Suite D Longmont, CO 720-680-0551 www.wbu.com/longmont

The public smoke shop

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

ZO Coffee Company is a coffee roaster & retail operator based in Boulder, Colorado with Espresso Cafe locations in Boulder and Longmont, Colorado, Founded in 2007, OZO Coffee has based its growth on core principles of service, quality,

community, and sustainability. We are grateful for the opportunity to share our passion for coffee with you.

JUSTIN HARTMAN, OZO FOUNDER

1232-A S. Hover St. www.ozocoffee.com

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!

BUSABA AUTHENIC THAI CUISINE

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

B341 Main Street, Longmont 303-827-3181

www.facebook.com/publicmon

Front Range Mercantile

Wusaba 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.

Now Open: Downtown Boulder 1035 Pearl Street, #102 Hours: 11:30a-9:00p Daily

Louisville Location: 133 McCaslin Blvd Unit H, Louisville

Boulder, Baseline Location: 4800 Baseline Road, Unit A-110

Erie Location: 3120 Vista Village Drive, Suite 102

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

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!

Coming soon to Longmont!

1201 South Sunset Street

Longmont, CO

303-776-6605

@frontrangemercantile

Credit: Amanda Tipton

SEPTEMBER 12, 2024

Volume 32, Number 4

COVER: Photo by Max Brager; mural art by Gabriel Sanchez

PUBLISHER: Francis J. Zankowski

EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Shay Castle

ARTS EDITOR: Jezy J. Gray

REPORTERS: Kaylee Harter, Tyler Hickman

FOOD EDITOR: John Lehndorff

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:

Marie-Juliette Bird, Rob Brezsny, Michael J. Casey, Jamie Miller, Nathaniel Kennon Perkins, Dan Savage, Toni Tresca

SALES AND MARKETING

MARKET DEVELOPMENT MANAGER: Kellie Robinson

SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE: Matthew Fischer

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Chris Allred, Tony Camarda

SPECIAL PROJECTS MANAGER: Carter Ferryman

MRS. BOULDER WEEKLY: Mari Nevar

PRODUCTION

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Erik Wogen

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-holds-barred 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. 1495 Canyon Boulevard, Suite CO 1, Boulder, CO 80302

Phone: 303.494.5511, FAX: 303.494.2585 editorial@boulderweekly.com www.boulderweekly.com

Boulder Weekly is published every Thursday. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. ©2024 Boulder Weekly, Inc., all rights reserved.

Boulder Weekly welcomes your correspondence via email (letters@boulderweekly.com). Preference will be given to short letters (under 300 words) that deal with recent stories or local issues, and letters may be edited for style, length and libel. Letters should include your name, address and telephone number for verification. We do not publish anonymous letters or those signed with pseudonyms. Letters become the property of Boulder Weekly and will be published on our website.

THE ARTS BELONG DOWNTOWN

A central hub helps artists and community thrive

BY MARIE-JULIETTE BIRD

Many Boulder residents may remember the Boulder Arts & Crafts Gallery, located in the heart of the Pearl Street Mall. One of the first co-ops in the country, this beloved institution served Boulder for 50 years. Sadly, it closed in 2021, a casualty of COVID and high rent, leaving many local artists without a place to display and sell their work downtown.

Pearl Street was once saturated with independent galleries and art studios. Now, The New Local, located in the historic Montgomery House at 741 Pearl St., is the only gallery left downtown that champions multiple local artists.

Artists need a consistent downtown presence so they can gain exposure to new audiences and potential collectors. Just as a river brings new life downstream, so a consistent influx of visitors to Pearl Street provides creators with vital opportunities to grow.

In the two years since we staked a claim on West Pearl, The New Local has showcased more than 180 local, women and nonbinary creators in mediums ranging from museum-quality fine art to artisanal botanic soaps. We hold an open call for artwork twice a year, engaging a diverse, expert jury that ensures broad representation. Our gallery has generated $393,000 in art sales, 80% of which went directly to local artists.

The remaining 20% flows into our nonprofit programs. We host field trips for lowincome schools and free community art days, during which

scholarship and paying students enjoy creative play side-by-side. Last November, The New Local hosted the city’s first ever Dia De Los Muertos procession downtown, alongside our friends and community partners, El Centro Amistad. We also launched Sundays on West Pearl this year, providing free art on our lawn every Sunday all summer.

This winter, our nonprofit is collaborating with commercial landlords to occupy a large, historic upstairs space on the bricks of the Pearl Street Mall, accommodating multiple arts organizations in one location. This space will serve as an indoor community hub over the holidays, hosting visual and performing arts groups.

By reclaiming our city’s downtown with inclusive, creative culture, we foster an environment where everyone feels a sense of belonging in the heart of our city.

At the same time we are bringing new life to West Pearl, we’re also helping to preserve its history. The New Local is headquartered in two iconic buildings: The Montgomery House, our main facility, and the Annex at 713 Pearl St. — once one of Boulder’s oldest butcher shops and grocers.

Both venues date back to the 1880s and were occupied by private businesses until we opened to the public in November 2022. These beloved landmarks that are now accessible for everyone to enjoy, honoring the special character and history of our city.

We’d love others to join us, but the financial realities make it impossible. Unless local government and/or private philanthropists step up, artists can’t come back downtown.

The New Local is working to purchase a forever home on West Pearl. As commercial rents continue to rise, we must ensure that The New Local can continue to represent local artists while providing an inclusive hub for creative culture. We hope that, in time, other galleries and organizations will follow suit, bringing a true arts community back to downtown. If this vision resonates with the Boulder that you love, please consider contributing to our capital campaign: givebutter.com/thenewlocalboulder.

Marie-Juliette Bird is the founder and executive/creative director of The New Local.

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

STATE OF THE ARTS

Boulder County creative leaders offer a lay of the land

BY BOULDER WEEKLY STAFF

It’s no exaggeration to say that Boulder County’s arts scene is in flux.

Just a few months ago, Boulder was announced as a finalist for the famed Sundance Film Festival. In November 2023, Longmont voters turned down a tax that would have been used to build a new performing arts center while Boulder voters passed a measure increasing funding for the arts — something that has since been a source of conflict between city leaders and the arts community. Affordability continues to challenge artists and the places they practice; meanwhile brand new spaces and major expansions are underway for local museums and makerspaces (read more about those on p.15).

With all that’s brewing, Boulder Weekly asked local arts leaders to describe the state of the arts in Boulder County — warts and all. They weighed in on everything from trends in CU Boulder’s music taste to affordability for artists. Here’s what they had to say. Editor’s note: Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

TRAVIS

LABERGE

Parlando School of Musical Arts, executive director

The state of the arts is strong but struggling. Interest level and participation in the schools is all very high. There is a general understanding that the arts are valuable. All the things you do to become a musician are actually

lifelong lessons for being a successful human. There’s a growing awareness on the part of parents and families and educators of what role that plays. So in that regard, the state of the arts is strong.

But when it actually comes time to make funding for the arts or scheduling in schools, we’re still coming up short.

DAVID WEINGARDEN

Z2 Entertainment (Boulder Theater and Fox Theatre), vice president of concerts and events

Ticket sales have been strong since we’ve come out on the other end since COVID. People love to come out and support the artists they love. And since COVID, everyone’s out on tour… It’s really amazing to see.

College kids who have been predominantly listening to EDM and hip-hop over the past few years or decade [are starting to get] more interested in bands. They’re starting to spread it out a little bit, and they’re interested in indie rock and country, Americana, that sort of thing.

[When] I’m walking around the Hill, I hear a lot of the music that’s coming out of the fraternity and sorority houses or houses having parties. For, like, the past 10 years, there were never any bands playing at these parties, and now you’re starting to hear more bands.

director

We’re in a great place. We’re seeing a lot of excitement around arts across the whole county. People have started to realize all of Boulder County is really a strong arts county. It’s not just centered in any one town.

I’ve heard from a lot of organizations that they are now really seeing that they’ve recovered from COVID. We’ve

definitely seen a really strong rebound in all of programs for younger ages. I think it’s programs for seniors that are not quite as strong as they were before COVID. Those folks have been taking it a little slower to come fully back into bigger events.

I do know it’s a challenging environment for municipal government right now, with tax structures changing and so forth. Municipal government is such an important supporter of the arts in Boulder County, and they would be significantly impacted by these measures.

ELAINE WATERMAN

Firehouse Art Center, executive director

During the pandemic, a lot of people saw that art is so important for mental health. As far as getting funding, there was this feeling that art for art’s sake was finally getting recognized. But I feel like that’s still a struggle. I think that realization was maybe just a bump.

Groundworks Art Lab, executive director

I think there’s more recognition for the role that the arts play in both the economic health of the area, but also the human wellbeing in the area. I was thrilled that the sales tax extension was passed last fall in Boulder, with half of that funding going to the arts.

I was very disappointed to see that the city’s general fund budget then backtracked on the compromise that was reached last summer and took arts funding out.

The arts are really central to the community, and one of the lowest percentages in terms of local funding priorities. It’s not like the arts community is asking for a lot; we really just want the city to honor the agreement that we made last summer.

Boulder is a really difficult place to live if you’re an artist. It’s not affordable, which makes it very hard. As we look at our students, there are a few who become artists, but a lot are regular folks in the community who have day jobs and maybe work in tech or are school teachers, librarians.

I think people are really hungry for being creative, for making things in real life, for being away from their screens and politics and the media, and having social connections with other live humans. Particularly coming off the pandemic, we saw a big jump, and that still holds.

As much as what happened during the pandemic was a reality, there was some disillusionment when I came back and it was like, ‘Oh, it’s still gonna be work.’ There’s always going to be a certain part of the population that understands the importance of the arts, and there’s going to be a part of the population that still doesn’t know that yet. So it’s really just kind of bringing them along.

JANE BURKE BMoCA, curator

I’ve been encouraged by the ongoing operation of independent art spaces including East Window, Seidel City, Lowrider Gallery and Nick Ryan Gallery. These spaces play an important role in the art ecosystem as they directly contribute to an artist’s ability to take risks and experiment outside of more formal institutions. I feel many artists tend to play it safe and have to remain consistent with what is sellable or easily digestible.

The challenge is increased cost in real estate, making studio and exhibition space more difficult to afford for both artists, gallerists and institutions.

Boulder at large has the interest and financial capacity to bring more national and international artists to the table. However, I believe we need to strengthen not only our economic vitality but also our critical discourse in order to increase Boulder’s relevance within a global art context.

Editor’s note: Burke’s comments were sent via email. Other contributors were interviewed by Boulder Weekly

ERIK MASON

Longmont Museum,

KARI PALAZZARI

IN THE MAKING

A rundown on BoCo’s freshest and still-to-come

BY KAYLEE HARTER

The arts community saw projects years in the making come to fruition in 2024, and new spaces are still on the horizon. While Longmont voters turned down a property tax in November, dashing hopes for a new performance space (for now, at least; you can read more about it at bit.ly/culturalcrossroadBW), here are some fresh places to explore the arts now and in years to come.

BMOCA

Five finalists have been selected to lead the design and architecture of the North Boulder Creative Campus, set to include 17,500 square feet of space for Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art (BMoCA), 17,500 square feet of commercial space, 67 residential units and 96 parking spaces.

“One of the things I’m looking for is someone who can translate the vision we have for the new facility into an iconic building for the community and also designed by the community,” executive director and chief curator David Dadone said.

The finalist selection came just before Boulder City Council OK’d changes to the North Boulder Sub Community Plan on Aug. 15 that open the door for the mixed-use development and higher intensity use the creative campus would require.

The pool of architectural teams will be narrowed to three by the end of the month, Dadone said, and the community

spaces

will be invited to hear presentations and give feedback on each in November before a final selection is made late this year or early 2025.

Deputy Director Gwen Burak told Boulder Weekly last year that the initial estimated cost of the building was $15 million; Dadone said the cost of the project could still change, depending on things like the design of the building and changes in materials costs by the time crews break ground in 2027.

Dadone was tight-lipped about how much funding the museum still needs for the project, but said they have raised a “significant portion of the dollars.” The new space is expected to open in 2030.

Dadone hopes BMoCA can also keep its current downtown space that the museum leases from the city and has called home for five decades.

“Our vision is to move the flagship to North Boulder, but continue to have a presence downtown with exhibitions and programs,” he said. “We are developing creative ideas around how can this building help further support arts organizations and the vibrant arts community in Boulder through this facility.”

LONGMONT MUSEUM

With new office spaces for staff and an opening soiree that welcomed the community to the expanded Stewart Family Courtyard — which more than doubled its capacity — in early September, Longmont Museum’s expansion project is nearly complete.

The final phase of the project will see the addition of a large “flex” gallery as well as renovations to current galleries, one of which will be turned into a children’s space. Museum Director Erik Mason said construction is expected to begin in 2025, with the spaces opening in 2026.

In the past, the museum has had only one rotating exhibit gallery, Mason said.

“We’ve had to choose which of our core audiences we can really connect with at any one time,” he said. “Adding this third gallery will allow us to always have something for that children and family audience, and also have a gallery that is suited for international artists.”

The new gallery space, he said, might be used to showcase anything from local art and history to renowned artists like M.C. Escher and Andy Warhol.

The organization’s capital campaign has raised more than 88% of its $8.1 million goal, according to Mason.

the whole community coming together to provide this space for people to be creative and have a break from their routine and work with their hands, get grounded.”

The organization has raised more $8.5 million, including the value of donated land, but there’s still a big bill to foot for $13.5 million project — the organization is working to pay off the $5 million it took on in construction and clean energy loans, and looking at refinancing options in the meantime, Palazzari said.

“Our ultimate fundraising goal is to be debt free with an endowment,” she said. “Then I would feel like my job is done.”

Classes for wood, metal and print all new mediums to the organization as well as its hallmark clay classes are now underway, and the team is still being built for the stained glass and flame work studio. The new name, Groundworks, pays homage to its students and the art they make.

GROUNDWORKS ART LAB

Groundworks Art Lab, formerly Studio Arts, welcomed its first students to Diagonal Crossing in July, more than six years after the land for the 12,500-square-foot space was donated.

“This is a really big thing. It’s bigger than me. It’s bigger than the building. It’s bigger than our organization,” Executive Director Kari Palazzari said. “It really is

“A lot of the materials that we use are of the earth, from the ground,” she said. “Making art is a very grounding experience to use your hands and to be focused. And we primarily provide community classes, and those classes are really meant for all ages and abilities. Our purpose is really that anyone can come in and start in these art forms without having to invest in equipment or space or safety precautions. We’re really laying a foundation for folks to learn these art forms.”

The nonprofit is still waiting on its final certificate of occupancy, currently operating on temporary permission from the city. Once permit fees are paid and the certificate of occupancy is issued, Palazzari says the nonprofit will welcome the community with a grand opening celebration.

Courtesy: Groundworks Art Lab

Courtesy: BMoCA

Courtesy: Longmont Museum

HOLD THE WORLD HOSTAGE

John Moreland comes back to life

BY JEZY J. GRAY

One morning after a punishing tour cycle, singer-songwriter John Moreland awoke to find the left half of his face paralyzed. He would later learn the cause was a sudden onset neurological condition known as Bell’s Palsy, but the lauded Americana musician didn’t need a doctor to tell him it was a sign to take a breather and spend a season out of the spotlight.

“That was scary as hell,” Moreland tells Boulder Weekly over the phone from his home outside Tulsa, Oklahoma. “People don’t really know for sure exactly why it happens, but it seems to be a stress response. I was just kind of losing my mind and in the worst mental shape I’ve ever been in. I knew I couldn’t do anything else ’til I was ready.”

It was a heady mix of anxiety and exhaustion that brought Moreland, 39, to the breaking point. Since launching onto the national scene with his 2015 LP, High on Tulsa Heat, his star rose steadily to become one of the most celebrated artists in contemporary roots music. Crowned “the new face of folk rock” by GQ, glowing

accolades in outlets like The New York Times and Pitchfork catapulted Moreland to a level of success that took the tattooed former metalcore guitarist by surprise.

On top of the challenges that come with relentless touring and promotion amid a fever pitch of critical praise, he soon found himself dealing with a more distressing layer of public scrutiny: body shaming and harassment by strangers on the internet.

“I have my guard up from being attacked online, and I don’t want to go play music in front of 300 people — I’m afraid they’re going to attack me,”

Moreland says of the recent tour that brought him to the edge. “But they didn’t. Every night, the crowds always proved to be really nice. Maybe in a way it ended up being sort of uplifting, because I got to see that people love me and they’re glad I’m here.”

‘NEW TERRITORY’

To find his way to a healthier headspace, Moreland had to unplug. He stashed his smartphone in a sock drawer for six

months and fell in love with guitar again, the halls of his prairie home in the Ozark foothills blooming back to life with the warmth of his delicate, finger-picked arrangements.

“I had some anxiety to get over, some ego shit to get over. I needed to reassess my worldview. I needed to figure out how to do my job without it killing me,” he says. “Throughout the course of the year, I started to gain some ground on those things. That’s when the songs started to come.”

Those songs would eventually arrange themselves in the shape of Moreland’s seventh full-length collection, Visitor

Released with no advance promotion on April 5, the surprise album via Thirty Tigers trades the drum machines and electronic bloops-and-bleeps of its lushly produced predecessor, 2022’s Birds in the Ceiling, in favor of a simpler formula.

“My approach to songwriting is the same as it has been, but I’m always trying to write about what I’m going through, so it’s new territory in that sense,” he says. “I was experiencing a lot of personal growth during the year I took off from touring. Mentally and emotionally, it felt like I was in some new place I had never been able to reach before.”

JUST VISITING

In the art deco heart of downtown Tulsa, Moreland’s hometown since age 10, visitors are greeted by a mural of Oklahoma native Woody Guthrie playing a guitar emblazoned with the motto: THIS MACHINE KILLS FASCISTS.

Critics and listeners have ventured that Moreland wields his own machine against

autocrat-coded former president Donald Trump, whose father was once Guthrie’s despised New York City landlord, on Visitor standout “One Man Holds the World Hostage.” The rollicking folk-rock number skewers a “fraud” who is “bulletproof and big as Jesus,” bending the world to “satisfy a sickness / while the rest of us bear witness.”

“People seem a little confused by this, but that song is about me,” Moreland says. “Rather than writing some fingerpointy song about someone I think is bullshit, I wanted to talk about how we all have the capacity to do fucked-up things and be monsters.

“That happens when we don’t take care of our shit — when we don’t deal with our feelings honestly, and when we’re not honest with ourselves,” he continues. “Maybe there’s not much difference between myself, or yourself, and whatever asshole you thought the song was about before.”

Moreland’s ability to see himself in a wounded tyrant speaks to the radical empathy that has drawn so many under the spell of his songwriting over the past decade. But despite feeling tethered to the human messiness that connects us all, he says part of him will always feel like an outsider. As the gravel-voiced Okie sings on his new album’s sparse and soulful title track: “Everywhere I go, I am a visitor.”

Now, after getting burned by the spotlight, Moreland is stepping back to his rightful place beneath it. Visitor or resident, for someone whose sense of belonging has been this hard won, that’s no small victory.

“I didn’t leave my house for years, because it felt like I wasn’t welcome anywhere. I know now that’s not true, but it was just like a headfuck I was experiencing from tour trauma and [bad] relationships,” he says. “People here think I moved away and came back home. They’re like, ‘How’s it feel being back?’ But I’ve been here the whole time.”

ON THE BILL:

John Moreland with Justin Bloss. 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $28

John Moreland performs with Justin Bloss at the Fox Theatre in Boulder on Sept. 17. Credit: Angelina Castillo

Visitor by John Moreland was released April 5. Courtesy: Old Omens / Thirty Tigers

FALL MUSIC PREVIEW

Plan your concert calendar

BY BOULDER WEEKLY STAFF

SEPTEMBER

ON THE BILL: Australian genre benders Glass Beams bring their cosmic brand of “serpentine psychedelia” back to the Front Range for a Sept. 21 show at the Mission Ballroom in Denver, with support from Arooj Aftab and Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith. Drawing inspiration from their Indian and South Asian heritage, the emerging outfit has quickly carved a lane for themselves on the touring circuit with a polyrhythmic fusion of ’70s-era sounds and contemporary electronic flourishes. The masked trio returns to Colorado in support of their latest Mahal EP, released March 22 via Ninja Tune See listing for details

NEAL FRANCIS WITH MANYCOLORS

8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $30

LUCINDA WILLIAMS AND HER BAND

8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14 Macky Auditorium, 1595 Pleasant St., Boulder. $60

JOHN MORELAND WITH JUSTIN

BLOSS 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $28 STORY ON P. 17

THE PAMLICO SOUND WITH B LOVE

BAND. 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 20, Roots

Music Project, 4747 Pearl St., Suite V3A, Boulder. $24

INGRID AVISON WITH ANTONIO LOPEZ AND TERESA STORCH 7 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 21, Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl St., Suite V3A, Boulder. $18

GLASS BEAMS WITH AROOJ AFTAB AND KAITLYN

AURELIA SMITH 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $55 BW PICK OF THE SEASON

FUTURE ISLANDS WITH OH, ROSE

8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24, Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $55

EVAN HONER WITH THOMAS

ROWLAND 8 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24, Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $25

BONOBO WITH BARRY CAN’T SWIM, SOFIA KOURTESIS AND YU SU 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 25, Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison. $63

MO LOWDA & THE HUMBLE WITH PLAIN FARADAY 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $23

THE BREEDERS WITH MAN ON MAN. 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26, Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $67

SUKI WATERHOUSE WITH DEBBII DAWSON 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $55

ON THE BILL: Indie-pop OGs

The Magnetic Fields pitch their tent for two nights at the historic Boulder Theater, Oct. 26-27. The legendary project of singersongwriter Stephen Merritt celebrates the 25th anniversary of the landmark 69 Love Songs, a three-volume masterwork exploring its title subject through a kaleidoscopic mix of earworm electro-pop, tender folk ballads and show tune-inspired classicism. The ensemble will perform the entire collection in chronological order across two performances, just as they did following its release in late 1999. Keep an eye out for a Boulder Weekly interview with Merritt next month ahead of the show. See listing for details.

OCTOBER

ANDERSON .PAAK & THE FREE NATIONALS WITH GAWD 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2, Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison. $180

FONTAINES D.C. WITH BEEN STELLAR

8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 2, Gothic Theatre, 2363 S. Broadway, Englewood. $375

BILLY BRAGG WITH STURTZ. 7 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 3, Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. $45

BONNY LIGHT HORSEMAN WITH CHARLOTTE CORNFIELD 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $38

HAZEL MILLER WITH THE DISRUPTORS

7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4, Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl St., Suite V3A, Boulder. $24

FAYE WEBSTER WITH MIYA FOLICK 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 4, Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $54

MICHAEL KIWANUKA WITH BRITTANY HOWARD AND YASMIN WILLIAMS.

7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $80

STILL WOOZY WITH GUS DAPPERTON WITH PAWPAW ROD 6 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 9, Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison. $63

CRUMB WITH VAGABON. 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 9, Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $47

KAYTRANADA WITH CHANNEL TRES AND LOU PHELPS 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $90

MANNEQUIN PUSSY WITH MARGARITAS PODRIDAS. 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 14, Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $25

CLAIRO WITH ALICE PHOEBE LOU 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 14, Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $94

MDOU MOCTAR WITH ROSALI. 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 17, Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway, Englewood. $38

COLD WAR KIDS 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $32

THE REVEREND PEYTON’S BIG DAMN BAND. 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $22

DJ WILLIAMS WITH VON DISCO 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl St., Suite V3A, Boulder. $18

Courtesy: Powerline Agency

Courtesy: Domino Records

MUSIC

RACHAEL YAMAGATA 8 p.m. Monday, Oct. 21, Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $30

MARC REBILLET 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 23, Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison. $68

SOFI TUKKER WITH SHERMANOLOGY

6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, Red Rocks Park & Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison. $81

THE MAGNETIC FIELDS (NIGHT 1). 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. Sold out - resale: $68+ BW PICK OF THE SEASON

THE MAGNETIC FIELDS (NIGHT 2)

8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27, Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $50

VINCE STAPLES WITH BABY ROSE. 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 30, Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $54

THE RED CLAY STRAYS 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $168

THE FRETLINERS WITH FOGGY MOUNTAIN SPACESHIP. 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 31, Aggie Theatre, 204 S. College Ave., Fort Collins. $20

NOVEMBER

MALINDA 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, Aggie Theatre, 204 S. College Ave., Fort Collins. $20

NICK SHOULDERS AND THE OKAY CRAWDAD WITH JACK STUDER 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 4, Aggie Theatre, 204 S. College Ave., Fort Collins. $20

ALLISON RUSSELL WITH KARA JACKSON. 8 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 5, Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway, Denver. $38

PABLO SAINZ VILLEGAS 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, Macky Auditorium, 1595 Pleasant St., Boulder. $22

ON THE BILL: Celebrated singer-songwriter Aimee Mann returns to Boulder Theater with fellow musician and NPR personality Jonathan Coulton on Nov. 11. Since breaking onto the airwaves in 1985 with the Top 10 single “Voices Carry” alongside her now-defunct band ‘Til Tuesday, the distinguished guitarist and songsmith has blazed a singular path as a solo artist across 10 full-length albums, high-profile collaborations and her Grammy-nominated contributions to the soundtrack for P.T. Anderson’s turn-of-the-century epic Magnolia. She performs in support of her latest release, Queens of the Summer Hotel, out now via SuperEgo Records See listing for details

AIMEE MANN WITH JONATHAN COULTON. 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 11, Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $40 BW PICK OF THE SEASON

MODEST MOUSE WITH THE BLACK HEART PROCESSION 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 11, Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $68

DUSTER WITH DIRTY ART CLUB. 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 11, Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway, Denver. $39

DUNCAN COKER WITH SARAH ADAMS 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16, Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl St., Suite V3A, Boulder. $18

LA FEMME. 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18, Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway, Denver. $42

SPAFFORD WITH KNUCKLEBALL

8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, Aggie Theatre, 204 S. College Ave., Fort Collins. $25

LEFTOVER SALMON WITH SAM BUSH AND MOUNTAIN GRASS UNIT (NIGHT 1). 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29, Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $65

LEFTOVER SALMON WITH SAM BUSH AND THE FRETLINERS (NIGHT 2)

8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $65

LP GIOBBI. 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $55

DECEMBER

JEAN DAWSON 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 2, Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom, 2637 Welton St., Denver. $35

KEN BLOCK WITH DREW COPELAND

8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, Aggie Theatre, 204 S. College Ave., Fort Collins. $20

MACHINE GIRL WITH LIGHTNING BOLT AND KILL ALTERS

8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, Summit, 1902 Blake St., Denver. $42 BW PICK OF THE SEASON

KY-MANI MARLEY 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 6, Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $41

KING BUFFALO WITH RICKSHAW BILLIE’S BURGER PATROL 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $20

BIGXTHAPLUG WITH RO$AMA AND YUNG HOOD. 8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, Summit, 1902 Blake St., Denver. $35

RUSH ARCHIVES 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, Aggie Theatre, 204 S. College Ave., Fort Collins. $30

UMPHREY’S MCGEE (NIGHT 1). 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 30, Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $50

UMPHREY’S MCGREE (NIGHT 2)

8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $50

RENEE FLEMING 7:30 p.m. Macky Auditorium, 1595 Pleasant St., Boulder. $33

ON THE BILL: Poll a random sampling of extreme music enthusiasts about the loudest show they’ve ever seen, and you’ll likely get a common answer: Lightning Bolt. The longrunning bass-and-drums duo has spent much of the 21st century demolishing the ear drums of showgoers while refining their erratic, avant-garde mix of experimental punk across seven full-length albums. The band comes to Summit Denver in support of Long Island electronic artist Machine Girl on Dec. 5. See listing for details

Credit: Sheryl Nield

Courtesy: Lightning Bolt

FALL COLORS

Four local artists exploring art and activism at the Street Wise Mural Festival

BY JAMIE MILLER

Autumn is just around the corner, but Boulder will be getting a different pop of color with this weekend’s Street Wise Mural Festival. The outdoor live-painting extravaganza returns Sept. 13-15 for its sixth year of commissioning vibrant large-scale works exploring the intersection of art and activism in public spaces throughout the city.

More than 20 emerging artists from Colorado and beyond will participate in creating 19 public art projects centered around this year’s theme of environmentalism and climate action. The festival aims to spark conversations about social justice and community resilience while empowering local and regional artists. Before the anticipated street art festival returns, here are four local muralists whose work you don’t want to miss.

ALEXANDREA PANGBURN

Hyatt Hotel 3120 Pearl Parkway

Raised in the rolling hills of Kentucky, Alexandrea Pangburn grew up with a paintbrush in her hand. Her childhood in Lexington was teeming with creative energy, but her involvement in the art scene really flourished once she moved to Denver in 2017.

Pangburn completed her first full-scale mural the following year in the city’s RiNo Art District, where she became the director of curation. She continued growing her presence nationally and launched her full-time art career in November 2022.

Now based in Golden, the 36-year-old artist also serves as executive director of Babe Walls, a nonprofit supporting

women and nonbinary artists in the world of street art.

Pangburn’s art is largely inspired by western landscapes and wildlife, which has turned her into something of an amateur ornithologist

“Growing up, I always loved animals. I was an animal sciences major at the University of Kentucky, and painting animals was something I always enjoyed,” she says. “Lately, my large-scale murals have been channeled toward birds. I have fully accepted that I am a birder.”

For her Street Wise piece, Pangburn plans to take a step away from birds and partner with the advocacy coalition Cats Aren’t Trophies to bring awareness to protecting mountain lions and bobcats. She hopes the mural will continue her mission of inspiring people to appreciate nature and care about animal conservation.

CATIE MICHEL

Goose Creek Underpass at Foothills

2198 47th St.

Science and creativity collide in the works of Denver artist Catie Michel.

The Colorado-raised creative briefly left home to study pre-vet science at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, where she discovered her love for marine biology. As her science career grew, including a stint as an educator at NOAA and the Marine

Science Institute, she discovered how art can act as a tool for science.

“I realized I loved that intersection of science illustration,” says the 29-year-old artist. “It was the perfect combination of what I love.”

Now back in the Centennial State, Michel uses her background in research and science to inform her creative work as a scientific illustrator, artist and muralist. She has worked with the Nature Conservatory, NPR and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, which she said have been pivotal, career-building experiences.

For her Street Wise piece, Michel is partnering with Ocean First Institute, a Boulder-based conservation organization. Working with this group is a full-circle moment for the artist after years of wrestling with an internal conflict.

Artwork by Victor “Marka27” Quiñonez.

Credit: Peter Kowalchuk

Alexandrea Pangburn. Credit: Susan Shay Photography

Catie Michel. Credit: Daniel Levy

COVER

“When I was in California wanting to pursue marine science, there was a tiny voice telling me I couldn’t do ocean science in Colorado because it is a landlocked state,” she says. “I am so glad I did not listen to it.”

Her vision is to create a piece centered around the idea that “everyone is connected to the ocean.” She plans to emphasize Colorado’s role as a headwaters state to underscore this point, citing a quote by Dr. Sylvia Earle as inspiration: “No blue, no green. No ocean, no life.”

KAYLEE BENDER

Harvest of Hope Food Pantry 4830 Pearl St.

It was a teenage move to Colorado Springs that set Kaylee Bender on the path she follows today. The 26-year-old artist from Pittsburgh considers herself a lifelong creative, but her relocation to the Centennial State spurred a reconnection with drawing and painting that ushered in a whole new era of expression. Then came the COVID-19 pandem-

Courtesy: Kaylee Bender

ic. The early lockdown marked a major turn in Bender’s journey, when she sold her first commissioned piece to a stranger.

Bender’s art explores storytelling through portraiture. When she moved to Denver, she went door-to-door offering customized portraits to Black-owned businesses as part of her ongoing project to uplift marginalized communities.

“When I meet people, I love to ask if they want a portrait. It is how I enjoy getting to know people,” she says. “Hearing about people’s passions informs and shines through the painting — it is a beautiful way to connect with someone in the community.”

Bender’s large-scale portraits continue the artist’s mission to portray Black people in “a frame of dignity and spiritual wealth.”

This theme carries over into her nature-focused Street Wise piece, which will spotlight local environmental leaders in Denver.

NOELLE MILLER

Art Source International 1237 Pearl St.

TITLE

Fort Collins-based artist Noelle Miller was born with creativity in her blood.

“I have literally been doing art forever,” the 33-year-old Colorado native says. “My mom and grandma are painters, and my dad is a filmmaker. Everyone is some form of artist.”

For Miller, art is a therapeutic mindfulness practice. She views creating as a limitless exploration process.

Historically, her works have been largely abstract mixed-media paintings and wall sculptures, like those found at The New Local gallery on West Pearl Street. But recently she has been getting more literal through representational imagery.

She plans to lean into this new style in her upcoming Street Wise mural, focusing on the theme of the water lifecycle and xeriscaping in drought-prone Colorado.

“One of the biggest ways we can save water is through gardening practices,” Miller says. “Where I live, the HOA requires green grass, which requires a lot of water. We should not be fighting the environment — we should be working with it.”

Courtesy: Noelle Miller

HERE COMES CINEMA

Festivals and films for your fall calendar

BY MICHAEL J. CASEY

Maybe you were underwhelmed by the summer blockbuster season. A lot of them did feel somewhat unfinished and underdeveloped, didn’t they? Perhaps you felt the spring release slate was a little light, and the winter award season was a tad anticlimactic.

Reader, you’re not wrong. The lingering effects of the pandemic are still present, the shift from theatrical to streaming continues to confound studios and distributors, and last year’s dual strike brought the domestic industry to a standstill.

Here’s the good news: All of that might finally be behind us.

Last week, the 51st Telluride Film Festival ushered in the festival season, and, for the first time since 2019, the whole town was abuzz with moviegoers and filmmakers, all of them high on this movie and that. And if their energy was an indication of what’s to come, then the back half of 2024 is gonna be great.

FESTIVALS

CRESTED BUTTE FILM FESTIVAL

Sept. 18-22, The Majestic Theatre and The Center for the Arts

507 Red Lady Ave., and 606 6th St., Crested Butte, Tickets: $15 Passes: $275

Founded in 2011 and presented at 9,000 feet above sea level, the Crested Butte Film Festival is where mountain folk and film lovers go when they’re not watching the aspens turn. Seriously, there is something bizarre about people who trek hours to such a picturesque location to hide inside a dark theater — so bizarre it might make you wonder what magic is hiding in those theaters.

This year’s CBFF features several standouts from the festival circuit (The New Boy, A New Kind of Wilderness and Kneecap, to name three) and a proposition too good to turn down: Grand Theft Hamlet. Two unemployed actors try to stage Hamlet inside the open-world video game known for its anarchic violence, populated by Grand Theft Auto players who have no interest in their thespian goals.

DENVER SILENT FILM FESTIVAL

Sept. 27-29, Denver Film Center

2510 E. Colfax Ave. Tickets: $15 Passes: $75

The lights dim, the live music begins and the black and white images of yester-

year shimmer once again. It’s the Denver Silent Film Festival, and every cinema lover owes it to themself to attend at least once.

Presented by founding programmer Howie Movshovitz, DSFF’s lineup includes Oscar Micheaux’s Symbol of the Unconquered, D.W. Griffith’s Intolerance and four from Buster Keaton, including one of the funniest short films of all time, One Week

And for all you silent diehards, the recipient of DSFF’s David Shepard Career Achievement Award is none other than Anita Monga, the artistic director of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival — another bucket list fest for any cinephile.

BOULDER JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL

Nov. 10-17, Dairy Arts Center 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. Tickets on sale Oct. 22.

Festival founder Katherine Bernheimer always strives for diversity in programming, and this year’s Boulder Jewish Film Festival is no different. Of the 10 features, three focus on Sephardic life (The Blond Boy from the Casbah, Running on Sand, Seven Blessings), one documentary about Borscht Belt comedy (The Catskills), and one of the best movies you’ll see all year, A Real Pain Written, directed and co-starring Jesse Eisenberg — alongside Kieran Culkin — A Real Pain follows two cousins who used to be as close as brothers on a guided tour through Poland to see where their grandmother lived before surviving a concentration camp and coming to America. It’s equal parts somber, hilarious, moving and memorable.

47TH DENVER FILM FESTIVAL

Nov. 1-10. Ticket packages: $60+

Passes: $450+

While the lineup won’t be released until Oct. 1, mark your calendars now, as the Denver Film Festival is always the place to see hits of the festival circuit and award darlings of the year. Over 200 features and shorts will screen in venues all over the Mile High City, many with talent in attendance for Q&As. It’s a must for Front Range moviegoers.

FILMS

MY OLD ASS

Opens Sept. 13 in limited release; everywhere Sept. 27

On her 18th birthday, Eliot (Maisy Stella) ingests a mushroom tea and hallucinates herself (Aubrey Plaza), aged 39. Neither woman understands the particulars of the time travel, and writer-director Megan Park doesn’t dwell on the specifics, just the messiness that comes with trying to discover who you are, where you’re meant to be and how to avoid the unavoidable pain of existence. It’s a delightful coming-of-age story featuring a stellar performance from Stella and the disarming Percy Hynes White. Don’t miss this one.

THE OUTRUN

Opens Oct. 4

Rona (Saoirse Ronan) is out of control. Her drinking has crossed over from a good time to endangerment, and if she doesn’t get out of London soon, she might never. So she goes to a remote Scottish island where she is tasked with tracking an elusive and endangered bird.

Directed by Nora Fingscheidt and based on Amy Liptrot’s 2016 memoir, The Outrun manages to evade some of the more routine pitfalls of the recoveryrelapse narrative while staying true to the claws of addiction. Ronan is magnificent, and the movie’s ending is one of the best you’ll likely see this year.

Clockwise from top left: One Week (Joseph M. Schenk), Grand Theft Hamlet (Grasp the Nettle Films), A Real Pain (Searchlight Pictures)

Courtesy: Sony Pictures Classics

Courtesy: Amazon MGM

FILM

THE APPRENTICE

Opens Oct. 11

The genius of The Apprentice lies in its neutrality. This is neither a pro-Trump nor an anti-Trump movie, but the story of an unremarkable man who found the one little niche where he could build a mountain out of a molehill.

Sebastian Stan plays the New York real estate mogul, Jeremy Strong plays lawyer Roy Cohn with all the deliciousness of Mephistopheles and director Ali Abbasi manages to create a story where the hero rises and falls simultaneously and obliviously. It would make for an excellent double feature with Citizen Kane

CONCLAVE

Opens Nov. 1 in limited release; everywhere Nov. 8

The Holy Father has died, and the Catholic cardinals of the world congregate in Vatican City to elect the next pope. Will it be the conservative cardinal from Rome who is ready to wage a spiritual war? The African cardinal with an unpopular view of homosexuality? Or a progressive who wants to bring the

church into the 21st century? Ralph Fiennes leads a spectacular cast that includes Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Lucian Msamati, Sergio Castellitto and Isabella Rossellini through a labyrinthine plot of secrets, rivetingly staged by director Edward Berger.

EMILIA PÉREZ

Opens Nov. 1 in limited release; on Netflix Nov. 11

Rita Moro Castro (Zoe Saldaña) is a disenchanted lawyer trying to do something good when a ruthless drug lord makes her an offer she literally can’t refuse. So she sings. And dances. Big, choreographed musical numbers featuring dozens of dancers. It’s wild, and that’s not even the half of it.

There aren’t a lot of movies that take swings as big as Emilia Pérez, and even less that land them, but director Jacques Audiard knows how to get the job done. It doesn’t hurt that he has Saldaña, Adriana Paz, Karla Sofía Gascón and Selena Gomez in his corner. Collectively, they won the Best Actress prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival — richly deserved at that.

Courtesy: Briarcliff Entertainment

Courtesy: Netflix

Courtesy: Focus Features

By Henrik Ibsen

Michael Holling

By Louisa May Alcott Adapted and Directed by Jessica Robblee

FALL THEATER PREVIEW

From world-premiere plays to musical adaptations, here’s what is coming to a BoCo stage near you

BY TONI TRESCA

It’s a season of change for Boulder County’s theater scene.

As fall kicks into gear, many companies are adapting to the challenges of limited venues and shifting audience expectations. This is most evident in the overall decrease in production numbers. For instance, The Arts HUB in Lafayette, which produced four shows last fall, has scaled back to just one this year.

The closure of companies like Boulder’s BDT Stage and Longmont’s Unitiive Theatre has also contributed to a slightly reduced theater season. Some companies that were active last year, such as Longmont Theatre Company, Empathy Theatre Project and The Catamounts, say their fall programming will be announced shortly.

The Dairy Arts Center remains a key hub, though its limited availability has prompted some Boulder-based troupes to branch out into unconventional spaces. Companies like Boulder Ensemble Theatre Company (BETC) are expanding their reach into Denver, while others experiment with performances at locations like eTown Hall and the Canyon Theater at the Boulder Public Library.

As Boulder County’s theater companies evolve, this fall promises a scaled-back season with a rich array of performances. Browse Boulder Weekly’s comprehensive list of local theater events to plan your next outing.

LOCAL THEATER COMPANY’S ‘STOCKADE’ EXPLORES THE LAVENDER SCARE

In an era when state legislatures across the country are passing bills denying rights for LGBTQ+ people, Local Theater Company (LTC) presents Stockade, a powerful historical drama about the struggles of queer soldiers after World War II.

The world-premiere play written by Andrew Rosendorf and Carlyn Aquiline follows a group of gay soldiers who reunite on Fire Island during the Lavender Scare, a time when the United States government actively persecuted gay people under the guise of “security risks.”

“There are waves of legislation washing over our country that are stripping individuals of their rights simply because of aversions to their identities. These are fear-based laws,” says co-artistic director Nick Chase. “Stockade examines a similar period in U.S. history during which existing openly as a

SEPTEMBER

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF Sept. 6 through Dec. 6, Jesters Dinner Theatre, 224 Main St., Longmont.

MAD LIBRARIANS. Sept. 21, BETCCanyon Theater at the Boulder Public Library, 1000 Canyon Blvd., Boulder.

TRANSFORMATIVE STORIES Sept. 21, Motus Theater - Arapaho Center, 300 E. Simpson St., Lafayette.

WICKED WANDERINGS. Sept. 21 through Oct. 27, Arts in the Open - Chautauqua Park, 900 Baseline Road & 9th St., Boulder.

STOCKADE. Sept. 26 through Oct. 13, Local Theater Company - Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder.

BM/MT FRESHMAN THEATRE LAB PRESENTATION. Sept. 27-29, CU Boulder College of Music - Ensemble Hall, Imig Music Building, 1020 18th St., Boulder.

homosexual often meant professional collapse and social ostracization, if not worse.”

The work is a thematic prequel to Rosendorf’s 2018 play Paper Cut, about soldiers returning from Afghanistan. Following Local’s successful collaboration with Rosendorf on that production, founding artistic director Pesha Rudnick commissioned him to write a follow-up.

DRAMATIC PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP: HARRY POTTER AND THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS Sept. 27-29, Centerstage Theatre Company, 901 Front St., Louisville.

BUNTPORT THEATER: BUNTPORTED TALKS. Sept. 28, Stewart Auditorium, 400 Quail Road, Longmont.

OCTOBER

VOICES OF CHANGE: FIRST STORYTELLERS – AN EVENING WITH NATIVE AMERICAN PLAYWRIGHTS. Oct. 3, Stewart Auditorium, 400 Quail Road, Longmont.

CARRIE THE MUSICAL. Oct. 4-20, The Spark, 4847 Pearl St., Unit B4, Boulder.

MAD LIBRARIANS Oct. 5, BETC - Canyon Theater at the Boulder Public Library, 1000 Canyon Blvd.

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN. Oct. 11-20, CU Boulder College of Arts and Sciences Department of Theatre & Dance - Loft Theatre, University Theatre Building, 261 University of Colorado.

“It started with a conversation between Andrew and me,” Rudnick explains. “I remember folding my laundry during COVID and talking with Andrew for two hours before emerging and saying, ‘Great, we are going to commission this.’”

Stockade was originally intended to be a companion piece to Paper Cut, but it evolved into its own project. The play was workshopped earlier this year at Local Lab 13, LTC’s annual festival for new work. The raw power of the historical narrative was already palpable, but the characters and stakes needed to be refined.

“It has been a joy to watch this play grow from a spark of an idea when LTC commissioned it in 2020 into the beautiful story it is today,” says executive

director Misha S. Zimmerman. “Each draft of the script has grown as Andrew and Carlyn have had the time to finesse their story, drawing inspiration from many sources, including deep historical research, audience feedback at Local Lab and astute questions from director Christy Montour-Larson, LTC’s co-artistic directors and the designers. As we step into the rehearsal room, it will continue to grow.”

* ON STAGE: Stockade Sept. 26-Oct. 13, Local Theater Company – Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $23-$48

Left to right: Luke Slattery, Alex J. Gould, Lisa Hori-Garcia, Betty Hart and Bobby Bennettin a staged reading of Stockade at Local Lab 13 in March. Credit: Michael Ensminger

THE PROM Oct. 11-20, The Arts HUB, 420 Courtney Way, Lafayette.

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW

Oct. 12, Colorado’s Elusive IngredientCanyon Theater at the Boulder Public Library, 1000 Canyon Blvd., Boulder.

TRANSFORMATIVE STORIES.

Oct. 17, Motus Theater - Louisville Center for the Arts, 801 Grant Ave.

THE BALLOT OF PAOLA AGUILAR

CIVIC LOVE STORIES WITH UNDOCUMENTED COLORADANS

Oct. 19, Motus Theater - Canyon Theater at the Boulder Public Library, 1000 Canyon Blvd.

RHYTHMS OF BRAZIL: SAMBA! Oct. 25-27, The Spark, 4847 Pearl St., Unit B4, Boulder.

HÄNSEL UND GRETEL Oct. 25-27, CU Boulder College of Music - Macky Auditorium Concert Hall, 1595 Pleasant St., Boulder.

Oct. 17 through Nov. 3, BETC - Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. Story at bit.ly/FallTheater24

‘CARRIE: THE MUSICAL’ AT THE SPARK BRINGS STEPHEN KING BACK TO BOULDER

This October, The Spark is set to electrify Boulder’s theater scene with Carrie: The Musical, a thrilling adaptation of onetime Boulder resident Stephen King’s celebrated horror novel. The story follows Carrie White, a teenage outcast bullied at school and oppressed by her fanatically religious mother at home. But when Carrie discovers she has telekinetic powers, she finds herself on a dangerous path of revenge that culminates in one of the most chilling climaxes in horror history.

“We try to listen to what our people want to do, and Carrie: The Musical was what our community really wanted to do,” says Spark founder and executive director Dillon Kenyon. “And what’s not to love? It’s a fun musical based on killer source material.”

Carrie was adapted into a Broadway musical in 1988, more than a decade after the Brian De Palma film starring Sissy Spacek took home two Academy Awards. The stage production was notoriously short-lived, closing after only five performances due to negative reviews and high production costs. Despite its initial failure, the production gained a cult following over time with its blend of horror, tragedy and dark comedy.

In 2012, a reworked version of the musical premiered Off-Broadway, earning more favorable reviews. The Spark’s upcoming production will attempt to build on its success with a fresh take on the spirit of King’s original novel.

“Our production intertwines funky contemporary dance with the story of a young girl bullied to the point of developing deadly telekinetic powers,” Kenyon says. “By capturing the novel’s intense emotions and dark themes, our goal is to bring a new depth to this chilling tale.”

*ON STAGE: Carrie the Musical Oct. 4-20, The Spark, 4847 Pearl St., Unit B4, Boulder.

Sissy Spacek in the 1976 film adaptation of Carrie by Brian De Palma. Courtesy: MGM

THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER Oct. 25 through Nov. 10, Viva Theater - Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder.

TWILIGHT ZONE PARODY: SERLING CENTENNIAL! Oct. 25 through Nov. 10, Theater Company of LafayetteArapaho Center, 300 E. Simpson St.

NOVEMBER

STOP KISS Nov. 1-16, Coal Creek Theater of Louisville - Louisville Center for the Arts, 801 Grant Ave.

OPERATIC GEMS. Nov. 2, Boulder Opera - Trinity Lutheran Church, 2200 Broadway.

ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE Nov. 8-17, BETC - Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder.

ANTIGONE. Nov. 8-17, CU Boulder College of Arts and Sciences Department of Theatre & DanceRoe Green Theatre, University Theatre Building, 261.

INTO THE WOODS JR Nov. 8-17, Centerstage Theatre Company, 901 Front St., Louisville.

HEATHERS: THE MUSICAL. Nov. 14-17, CU Boulder College of Music - Music Theatre, Imig Music Building, 1020 18th St., Boulder.

CIVIC LOVE STORIES WITH TRANS & NONBINARY LEADERS. Nov. 15, Motus Theater - Canyon Theater at the Boulder Public Library, 1000 Canyon Blvd.

THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE Nov. 15-24, The Spark, 4847 Pearl St., Unit B4, Boulder.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST. Nov. 15-24, Backstory Theatre - Broomfield Auditiourm, 3 Community Park Road

MAD LIBRARIANS Nov. 16, BETCCanyon Theater at the Boulder Public Library, 1000 Canyon Blvd.

DECEMBER

ELF THE MUSICAL JR Dec. 5-15, Centerstage Theatre Company, 901 Front St., Louisville.

LITTLE WOMEN. Dec. 5-29, BETCDairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder.

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (A LIVE RADIO PLAY) Dec. 6-15, Upstart Crow - Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder.

SCROOGE Dec. 6-31, Jesters Dinner Theatre, 224 Main St., Longmont.

HOLIDAZED AND CONFUSED. Dec. 13-15, Theater Company of Lafayette - Arapaho Center, 300 E. Simpson St.

THE ADVENTURES OF PINOCCHIO Dec. 14-15, Boulder Opera - eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce St.

MAD LIBRARIANS Dec. 21, BETCCanyon Theater at the Boulder Public Library, 1000 Canyon Blvd.

KAVITA SHAH & CAPE VERDEAN BLUES

FALL DANCE PREVIEW

Celebrate the art of movement with these local productions

BY TONI TRESCA

Looking to put a little spring in your step? Whether you are a ballet aficionado or simply looking for a captivating evening out, BoCo and the surrounding areas have over two dozen performances to satisfy your dance cravings. From classics like The Nutcracker to more experimental offerings from CU Boulder’s dance department, the local scene is buzzing with options for the rest of the year. Browse Boulder Weekly’s listings for the inside scoop on what’s coming soon.

SEPTEMBER

THE CONVERSATION SERIES: STITCHING THE GEOPOLITICAL QUILT TO RE-BODY BELONGING

Sept. 12-14, Roe Green Theatre, 261 University of Colorado, Boulder. $26

Presented by CU Boulder’s Department of Theatre & Dance, this original piece is performed by two men from different cultural backgrounds and is inspired by conversations with Colorado residents between 2021 and 2024 during community programs and workshops. This event is part of the (un) WRAP series, which was launched in response to the pandemic and structural racism, and will be followed by a Q&A session with the artists.

BLACK ORPHEUS

Sept. 14-15, Ellie Caulkins Opera House, 1385 Curtis St., Denver. $25-$130

The Cleo Parker Robinson Dance Ensemble presents two dance pieces, Divinities and Orfeo Negro, that aim to capture the rich diversity of Brazilian culture.

RUSH

Sept. 14-15, Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $28-$34

The Boulder-based Lemon Sponge Cake Contemporary Ballet celebrates its 25th anniversary with a world premiere of a new work by choreographer and company founder Robert Sher-Machherndl. The experimental piece honors his European roots.

UNLOCKED

7:30 p.m., Sept. 20, Chautauqua Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. $41-$64

Boulder Ballet kicks off its 2024-25

season with a mix of classical and contemporary dance featuring guest choreography by Andrea Schermoly and Ching Ching Wong.

DANCING ON THE PLANET

Screenings on Sept. 22 and 25, Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $12

Following the Sans Souci Festival of Dance Cinema’s headlining event from Aug. 30 through Sept. 1, the festival continues with screenings at the Boedecker Cinema. This screening includes shorts from all over the world and is intended to demonstrate how large the world is and how small we all are.

OCTOBER

SLEEPING BEAUTY

Oct. 4-14, Ellie Caulkins Opera House, 1385 Curtis St., Denver. $40-$175

In its season premiere, Sleeping Beauty, the Colorado Ballet invites you to enter a dreamland where classical sensibilities meet storybook magic. This ballet will feature the Colorado Ballet Orchestra performing Tchaikovsky’s score live.

CINDERELLA

Oct. 5, Cleo Parker Robinson Theatre, 119 Park Ave. West, Denver. $22-$28.

Courtesy: T2 Dance Company

DANCE

GET NUTTY!

It wouldn’t be the holiday season without The Nutcracker. In fact, this production is frequently responsible for nearly half of many dance companies’ annual ticket sales. Here’s a rundown of the four organizations around Boulder County producing the beloved ballet.

SUGAR PLUM TEA PARTY

Nov. 23-24, Stewart Auditorium, Longmont Museum, 400 Quail Road. $55-$60

The Centennial State Ballet presents a shorter, narrated version of The Nutcracker with tea and finger foods that it describes as “perfect for younger children.”

THE NUTCRACKER

Nov. 30 through Dec. 1, Macky Auditorium, 1595 Pleasant St., Boulder. $40-$110. Dec. 7-8, Vance Brand Civic Auditorium, 600 E. Mountain View Ave., Longmont. Dec. 14, Stanley Hotel, 333 E. Wonderview Ave., Estes Park. Ticket sales not yet open for Longmont, Estes Park

Mouse attacks, nutcracker romances, and snowflake dances are just a few of the reasons why The Nutcracker is a key part of many family’s holiday traditions. The Boulder Ballet and Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra are teaming up again for their annual production of Tchaikovsky’s holiday favorite in three distinct venues.

THE NUTCRACKER

Nov. 30 through Dec. 29, Ellie Caulkins Opera House, 1385 Curtis Street, Denver. $20-$195

In case you missed any of the 63 previous productions of The Nutcracker by the Colorado Ballet, the show returns to Denver for a month-long run that includes a sensory-friendly performance on Dec. 1 that eliminates potentially triggering special effects. House lights are kept at 30% throughout the show and it will be a “relaxed environment.”

THE NUTCRACKER

Dec. 21, Niwot High School Auditorium, 8989 Niwot Road. $18-$27

In case you haven’t already gotten your fix, the Centennial State Ballet is presenting two performances.

Oct. 6, The Schoolhouse Theatre, 9650 Mainstreet, Parker. $22-$28. Nov. 3, Parsons Theatre at the Northglenn Recreation Center, 1 E. Mem. Parkway. $22-$31

Denver’s Ballet Ariel performs a shortened version of the classic ballet about a young woman whose life is transformed by her fairy godmother.

DANCERS’ CHOICE

7 p.m., Oct. 12, Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $25

This brand new programming from the Boulder Ballet will feature a performance entirely made by its team of professional dancers from choreography to marketing to dancing to production design.

GARRETT AMMON’S DEVIL’S CRUSH

Oct. 17-27, Wonderbound, 3824 Dahlia St., Denver. $70

Denver’s titan of the modern dance world, Wonderbound, has sold out almost every performance since moving into its newly renovated space in the Park Hill area 2023 and hopes to continue that trend with its latest world premiere. This show revolves around Lucifer, who is forced to travel the world as a human and eventually falls in love.

DANCING AS OURSELVES

Oct. 20 and 23, Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $12

Following the Sans Souci Festival of Dance Cinema’s headlining event from Aug. 30 through Sept. 1, the festival continues with screenings at the Boedecker Cinema. The shorts in this screening have been curated to demonstrate what it means to be human through dance.

REVEL

Oct. 25-27, Charlotte York Irey Theatre, 261 University of Colorado, Boulder. $22

This intimate evening features “innovative, multisensory perfor-

mances” created by CU Boulder’s MFA dance students performed in and around the theater space.

SECRETS

Oct. 25 through Nov. 14, eleven locations across Colorado and New Mexico. $25-40

Created by Zikr Dance Ensemble based out of Littleton, this performance includes the world premiere of David Taylor’s Liturgies and a newly expanded version of the stunning Ripples in the Sand set to the Dune soundtrack by Hans Zimmer. Catch them at Longmont’s Stewart Auditorium on Oct. 26, Broomfield Auditorium on Nov. 1 or the Dairy Arts Center in Boulder on Nov. 15.

NOVEMBER

INTERZONE

Nov. 8-17, Swoon Art House, 4295 Broadway, Boulder. Cost TBA Katie Elliott, artistic director of 3rd Law Dance/Theater, is choreographing this performance installation in collaboration with visual artist Rebecca DiDomenico, filmmaker L. Ashwyn Collins, composer Paul Fowler and the company’s dancers.

VOICES

7 p.m., Nov. 16, Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $20-$30 T2 Dance Company, a Boulderbased contemporary dance troupe, presents Lost & Found, a collaboration between the dance company and local poet Joseph Howard, featuring Colorado’s Grace Gee and New York’s Jamal Jackson Dance Company. Howard composed over a dozen poems, which the dance troupe used to guide their choreography.

THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE

Nov. 22-24, Lakewood Cultural Center, 470 S. Allison Parkway. $24-$44. Dec. 28-29, Parsons

Theatre at the Northglenn Recreation Center, 1 E. Mem. Parkway. $20-$40

Craving something other than The Nutcracker? Ballet Ariel has you covered this holiday season with its second annual production inspired by the C.S. Lewis novel of the same name, crafted by the company’s executive and artistic director, Ilena Norton.

DECEMBER

FRESH: FALL 2024

7:30 p.m., Dec. 6-7, Charlotte York Irey Theatre, 261 University of Colorado, Boulder. Free

This dance concert features hiphop, fusion forms and improvised performances created by CU Boulder undergraduate and graduate dance students as part of their classes. The dance departments ask that you “purchase your ticket with an open mind and an adventurous spirit and check back close to the performance for a more specific content warning if necessary.”

GRANNY DANCES TO A HOLIDAY DRUM

Dec. 7-22, Venue and tickets are TBD.

Cleo Parker Robinson Dance’s 33rd annual holiday tradition revolves around a grandmother who is losing her memory but is inspired to share her stories with her grandchildren. Granny always shares new stories, so even if you’ve seen this one before, there’s new material about her past dancing around the world.

GARRETT AMMON’S JOLLY MOXIE

Dec. 12-22, Wonderbound, 3824 Dahlia St., Denver. Tickets available Oct. 17

Wonderbound collaborates with the Colorado Jazz Repertory Orchestra on a madcap holiday romp featuring seasonal songs from the 1920s and 1950s.

MURAL FESTIVAL

DANCE

‘READY TO BLOSSOM’

Boulder Ballet approaches 2024-2025 season with growth mindset

BY TONI TRESCA

It’s a busy afternoon at the Boulder Ballet headquarters. Artistic director

Ben Needham-Wood is juggling multiple meetings and rehearsals for the company’s upcoming season opener, Unlocked. Emails pile up and dancers stretch in the studio, awaiting his instruction.

“This is just a normal day as an artistic director,” he laughs. “One minute I’m running rehearsals, the next I’m meeting with donors or organizing costumes, and then I’ll be off to teach a class.”

When Needham-Wood took the reins of Boulder Ballet in August 2022, he brought with him years of experience. Before moving to Boulder, he performed with the prestigious Smuin Contemporary Ballet, the Louisville Ballet and Amy Seiwert’s Imagery. His choreography for the TV specials BaseBallet and BaseBallet: Into the Game nabbed five Emmy Awards and inclusion in the National Museum of Dance and Hall of Fame.

His relationship with Boulder Ballet

began before he officially joined the company. In 2021, he collaborated with the company to stage Seiwert’s The Devil Ties My Tongue and fell in love with the dancers and the Boulder community.

“I could just feel a hunger for growth,” Needham-Wood says. “I ultimately chose to move here because it is an environment that I think is ready to blossom.”

As Boulder Ballet enters its 42nd season, Needham-Wood says his vision for the company is clear: to create work that pushes boundaries, helps dancers reach their full potential and strengthens connections with the Boulder community.

UNLOCKED

The season opener at Chautauqua Auditorium begins with Grand Pas Classique from Raymonda Act 3, a traditional Russian piece known for its intricate footwork and demanding jumps. This is followed by Gerald Arpino’s Light Rain, an “iconic, sensual piece” that celebrates the fluidity of the human body.

Andrea Schermoly returns to Boulder after co-choreographing Minefield last season to stage the Colorado premiere of Within Without, a full-company work. The night concludes with the world premiere of Superbloom by emerging choreographer Ching Ching Wong about the conditions that allow growth to take place.

ON STAGE: Unlocked. Friday, Sept. 20, Chautauqua

Auditorium, 900 Baseline Road, Boulder. $41-$64

DANCERS’ CHOICE

This one-night-only event at the Dairy Arts Center, where Boulder Ballet is headquartered, allows dancers to to express themselves on stage and behind the scenes. Dancers will choreograph and produce all of the original works.

“We’re unlocking their curiosity and creativity in new ways by allowing them to discover what their future could look like beyond performing,” NeedhamWood says.

ON STAGE: Dancers’ Choice. Saturday, Oct. 12, Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $25

THE NUTCRACKER

The ever-popular yuletide collaboration between Boulder Ballet and the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra remains a cornerstone of the company’s season. The Nutcracker is performed across multiple venues through the holiday season, including CU Boulder’s Macky Auditorium, Vance Brand Civic Auditorium in Longmont and the famous Stanley Hotel in Estes Park.

This year, Boulder Ballet will share behind-the-scenes content via social media and email to give audiences a glimpse into the meticulous preparation required to bring this beloved holiday classic to life.

“The Nutcracker is a special program that people have traditions around, so we want to unlock more of those layers,” Needham-Wood says. “It is one of the few programs we have that truly reflects the heritage we hold as a collective.”

ON STAGE: The Nutcracker Saturday, Nov. 30 through Sunday, Dec. 1, Macky Auditorium, 1595 Pleasant St., Boulder. $40-$110. Dec. 7-8, Vance Brand Civic Auditorium, 600 E. Mountain View Ave., Longmont. Dec. 14, Stanley Hotel, 333 E. Wonderview Ave., Estes Park. Tickets not yet available for Longmont and Estes Park performances.

REVIVED

The company’s March production at the Dairy focuses on returning to dances with fresh perspectives.

The program includes Heart(S) pace, a deeply personal piece by Nicolo Fonte, originally choreographed after the loss of his father. Revived will also include the return of a piece from the company’s first show, allowing dancers to revisit choreography from earlier in the season. The final work in the program is Cooties, a “playful, juvenile ballet that centers on relationships” created by Needham-Wood 10 years ago.

ON STAGE: Revived. Friday through Sunday, March 21-23, 2025, Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $25-$55

QUEEN OF HEARTS

For its season finale, Boulder Ballet stages a playful reimagining of Alice in Wonderland at the Dairy that shifts the focus to the story’s infamous villain. What events shaped the Queen of Hearts into the figure we know?

This ballet delves into her backstory with a mix of drama and humor, providing a new perspective on Lewis Carroll’s classic story. If that sounds similar to what Wicked did with Wizard of Oz, Needham-Wood says that’s the point: “There is a lot of value in understanding the world from different perspectives.”

With former Boulder Ballet artistic and school director Ana Claire making a guest appearance in the title role, Queen of Hearts will close the season on a sentimental note.

“I have been wanting to create a ballet based on the story of Alice in Wonderland my entire life,” NeedhamWood says. “My first lead role in a ballet was the White Rabbit, so it has a special place in my heart.”

ON STAGE: Queen of Hearts. Friday through Sunday, May 16-18, 2025, Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $25-$55

Left to right: Gianna Forte, Carly Hambridge, Catherine Lasak, Kelly Dornan and Emma Michaux perform Sun and Steel, choreographed by Boulder Ballet artistic director Ben Needham-Wood. Credit: Amanda Tipton

BOOK REPORT

Six Colorado titles to ring in the fall season

BY NATHANIEL KENNON PERKINS

The local literary scene has been busy this year, offering a wide array of books as dropping temps find us spending more time indoors. From the conclusion of a gripping

TANNERY BAY

by Steven Dunn and Katie Jean Shinkle

Image courtesy: F2c

Wondrous and haunting, Steven Dunn and Katie Jean Shinkle’s Tannery Bay hums with energy and lyricism. The pair met while pursuing creative writing degrees at the University of Denver, where they cooked up the plan to someday write a book together. Tannery Bay is that book.

Perhaps it’s because of the intimacy of the collaborative writing process — a departure from the stereotype of the author as a solitary shut-in — or maybe it can simply be chalked up to these seasoned authors’ formidable skills, but Dunn and Shinkle craft striking personal connections between the rich, lovable characters, which in turn deepen the reader’s own emotional engagement with them. The setting is just as evocative: an eerie town shaped by memory, full of mystery and hellishly stuck in time. Nobody knows what year it is, but the date is July 37 — then the calendar once more rolls over to July 2. Tannery Bay’s residents’ lives intertwine as they wrestle with the extraordinary events that creep into their world, leading them to form a joyful resistance to the entrenched powers that dominate the town.

Like Dunn’s previous novels, Tannery Bay perfectly achieves a surreal mix of humor and despair.

slasher trilogy to a suspenseful trek through a dystopian landscape and a cozy mystery in the heart of the French countryside, here are six works by Colorado authors to check out this fall.

DELIVER ME

by Elle Nash

Image courtesy: The

Unnamed Press

Even though she now lives in Glasgow, Scotland, the Colorado literary community continues to claim Elle Nash as one of their own. After all, her debut, Animals Eat Each Other, takes place in her hometown of Colorado Springs and was published by the Boulder-based imprint Dzanc Books. Deliver Me, Nash’s latest unsettling novel, offers an even bigger dose of the author’s trademark grittiness. The protagonist, Dee-Dee, works at a meatpacking plant in Missouri, where she helps to slaughter and butcher tens of thousands of chickens every shift. But in the relentless taking of life, her thoughts turn to the life she’s determined to bring into the world: after multiple miscarriages, she’s pregnant again.

THE ANGEL OF INDIAN LAKE

by Stephen Graham Jones

Image courtesy: Simon & Schuster

Lucky for enthusiasts of high-caliber horror writing, Boulder-based author and CU professor Stephen Graham Jones averages at least a new book a year. His latest, The Angel of Indian Lake, has been anxiously awaited by his devoted fans. Following My Heart is a Chainsaw and Don’t Fear the Reaper, Jones’ new novel is the final installment of the much-lauded Indian Lake Trilogy. Bathed in chainsaw oil and blood, and spurred on by smoke and flame — someone has set fire to the forest surrounding Proofrock, Idaho — Jade Daniels must make her final stand against the curse of the Lake Witch, on Halloween of all nights.

Jones famously embraces beloved tropes of the slasher genre without limiting his stories or characters. That’s certainly the case in The Angel of Indian Lake, where the author builds on the mystery of the previous two novels, dropping clues and foreshadowing the horrors to come.

The routines of her day-to-day might be savage and monotonous, but now there’s hope. Or at least there’s the gratification of the attention her pregnancy brings her. DeeDee’s boyfriend, a struggling exconvict named “Daddy” who harbors a certain affinity for insects, along with her religious and judgemental mother, are finally treating her with the long-withheld respect and consideration she feels she deserves. However, her magnetic friend Sloane reappears after a long absence, and she’s also pregnant. DeeDee won’t allow anything, no matter how horrific or tragic, to steal her thunder. Motherhood awaits, and she’ll get there by any means necessary.

CHAUTAUQUA COMMUNITY HOUSE CONCERT SERIES

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 10

MAMA’S BROKE w/ THE RESONANT ROGUES

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 11

REED FOEHL w/ INGRID AVISON

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12

PETER BRADLEY ADAMS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17

BLUE CANYON BOYS

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 20

CHATHAM RABBITS

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 9

GOLDPINE

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 10

DOM FLEMONS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15

HIGH LONESOME

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20

CHANTIL DUKART & JJ MURPHY

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21

SOUND OF HONEY & CORSICANA

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28

STURTZ w/ MICKI BALDER

SUNDAY, APRIL 6

WINDBORNE

SATURDAY, MAY 3

GRIFFIN HOUSE

BOOKS

A CYCLIST’S GUIDE TO CRIME AND CROISSANTS

by

Ann Claire

Image courtesy: Kensington Cozies

The dark intensity of the other books on this list fits with some of the traditional themes of the harvest season, but let’s not forget the most important part of the cooling weather: getting cozy. It’s nearly time to throw on a warm sweater and curl up with a hot mug in one hand and a good mystery in the other.

In A Cyclist’s Guide to Crime and Croissants, Colorado novelist Anne Claire introduces us to Sadie Greene, an ex-Chicago office worker who’s given up her sensible career to purchase a bicycle tour company in the picturesque village of Sans-Souci-sur-Mer, France. She’s after a quiet, idyllic life, but the hectic stress from her past follows her when her friends — and her former boss, Dom — fly out for a visit.

Together, they bike between vineyards, villages and bakeries, but it’s not long before a tragedy puts the brakes on their good time. Dom is dead. Murdered. Desperate to protect her friends and save her business, which the incident has brought under heavy scrutiny, Sadie adds another job to her rapidly growing resume: amateur sleuth.

Set against the charming backdrop of the landscapes and gastronomy of French culture, Claire’s novel is a lighthearted whodunnit with a touch of continental flair.

BURN

by Peter Heller

Image courtesy: Knopf

The premise of Burn sounds something like Red Dawn meets Civil War. Add a dash of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, but inspired by the relationships and nature of James Galvin’s The Meadow. Sound intense? It is.

Heavyweight Colorado author Peter Heller’s latest novel is set in a politically tumultuous Maine, where the talk of the town is secession from the rest of the Union. It’s also the place Jess and Storey have chosen to spend a week hunting, deep in the woods, completely off grid. They’re not too worried about the political stuff. They figure the talk is just that: talk.

But upon their return to civilization, they’re faced with a shocking sight. A bridge has been blown up and buildings razed; the burnt-out shells of bombed cars litter the road, abandoned. Disoriented by the sudden change in American reality as they know it, the friends start to make their long way home.

They survive as best they know how, by sticking to the back roads, scavenging supplies and trying to avoid violent combatants. But the pair make an alarming discovery, causing their journey to shift and the stakes to get higher. Burn is an example of what Heller does best: the combination of striking nature writing, riveting plotting and the subtleties of human relationships.

TITLE

PERRIS, CALIFORNIA

by Rachel Stark Image courtesy: Penguin Press

I t might feel weird to see the word “California” in a title on a list of books by Colorado authors, but Stark is one of us now. After growing up in the SoCal community of Perris and studying creative writing at UC schools, she moved to the southern part of the Centennial State, where she now lives and writes. Her debut novel, however, calls back the setting of her past.

Perris, California examines the life of Tessa, a mother of two with one on the way. She’s 27 years old and living in a trailer on property owned by her mother-in-law. Things are stable, much more so than when she was growing up, but the circumstances of Tessa’s life are brought into question when she unexpectedly runs into her first love, a woman named Mel. Mel’s unexpected return to the rural Inland Empire town pushes Tessa to confront the choices that have shaped her existence, as well as the realities of her former life marked by abuse, abandonment and a relentless will to survive. Drawing comparison to authors like Dorothy Allison, who is known for her raw depictions of small-town poverty and familial violence, Perris, California is a literary tale of trauma and resilience.

SALE

Noon to 8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, Electric Tattoo, 625 Main St., Longmont. $31 + tip.

If you’re feeling lucky, or just brave enough, drop into Electric Tattoo for some fresh ink. Choose from a catalog of the spookiest pre-drawn, pre-sized tattoos the studios artists have to offer. Go to @electic-tattoo on Instagram the night before for a peek at the designs.

13

ART NIGHT OUT

5-9 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, 311 S. Public Road, Lafayette. Free

Explore art from 50 vendors, plus face painters, balloon artists, magicians and pop-up performances celebrating cultural diversity that begin at 6 p.m. At 6:30, Paa Kow takes the stage with his handcarved drum set, inspired by traditional Ghanaian drums, to play his own blend of jazz and African roots music.

13

BARBIE MOVIE IN THE GARDEN

7:45 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, The Garden at Left Hand Brewing. 1245 Boston Ave., Longmont. Free

Hey, Barbies! Grab the whole family and head to Left Hand’s beer garden for this all-ages free screening of Greta Gerwig’s 2023 Oscar-nominated flick. Bring your own blankets and snacks and settle in for a movie night under the stars.

13

FALL FEST

Friday, Sept. 13 through Sunday, Sept. 15. Pearl Street Mall. Free.

Sure, the first official day of fall isn’t until Sept. 22, but we’re all more than ready to celebrate the coziest season of them all. Ring in autumn at Boulder’s annual fest with live music, fresh brews and handmade goods from more than 100 local artisans.

14

DROP-IN MEDITATION

10-11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, Louisville Recreation and Senior Center - Hecla Mine Room, 900 Via Appia Way. Free with membership; $8 day pass

Schedule some quiet time into your week with this drop-in meditation led by longtime practitioner Stephen Wurzel. With more than 50 years of experience, Wurzel will help you find your inner calm amid the hustle and bustle of life. Register: bit.ly/MeditateBW

14

ART WALK ON MAIN

4-8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, Main St. between 3rd Ave. and Longs Peak Ave., Longmont. Free

Take a stroll through five blocks of Longmont art, music and food. Shop and jam on Main Street while local artists pave the road in chalk for the Chalkmont mural competition. Stick around to hear the Best in Show announcement at 7:45 by the Firehouse Art Center Exhibits Committee.

Chuck Sitero and Dylan kober

Socks in the frying pan

taylor ashton with r.o shapiro and Emma Rose

Bob Barrick

Katie Mintle

Chuck Sitero and Dylan kober Lionel Young Duo

14

HOUSE BLEND BAND STREET CONCERT

6-9ish p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, 2nd Avenue from Murray to Franklin streets, Niwot. Free

Bring your own chair to the last concert of the summer for the self-described “most eclectic group of people to ever assemble in the name of music.” Enjoy spaghetti from Old Oak Coffeehouse and salad from local farms, provided by Slow Food Boulder County.

15

MORNING YOGA AT THE MUSEUM

10-11 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, Museum of Boulder, 2205 Broadway, Boulder. $10

Start your morning meditation with a dose of Boulder history as Zayd Atkinson leads you through an all-levels kriya yoga class. The class will be taught on the rooftop, weather dependent. Tickets include access to all exhibits.

15

FALL FORAGE AND HERB WALK

10 a.m. to noon. Sunday, Sept. 15, The Herbiculture Hub Farm, 9722 Empire Road, Louisville. $20-25

Wander among plant life on the farm with an herbalist and an organic farmer as they teach you about edible and medicinal herbs that thrive right here on the Front Range. The event is part of a collaboration between Louisville’s Herbiculture Project and Lafayette’s Friends Farm that aims to “create deep community around food and medicine.”

15

OYSTER ROAST

4-7 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, Slupik Minifarm, 7018 Redwing Place, Niwot. $80

Farow is celebrating three years in Niwot with an East Coast-style oyster roast. Enjoy all-you-can-eat mollusks, boiled corn and potatoes and sausage from Longmont’s Buckner Ranch, dessert and non-alcoholic beverages. An extra $60 gets you unlimited champagne and wine. Tickets and info: bit.ly/ OysterRoastBW

15

FULL MOON HIKE

7-9 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, Walden Ponds Wildlife Habitat, 3893 N 75th St., Boulder. Free

Join volunteer naturalists for a peaceful nighttime walk. Learn about the moon and its phases, plus nocturnal wildlife supported by these wetlands that were once industrial gravel pits. The 2.9-mile trail is flat for easy walking and accessibility. Register: bit.ly/ FullMoonHikeBW

17

ROSALEE’S PIZZERIA WEDNESDAY NIGHT SQUARE DANCE

6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17, Rosalee’s Pizzeria, 461 Main St., Longmont. $2.95 square slices.

Now swing your partner, round n’ round — the pizza, that is. Grab a slice and dance the night away to the “hard swinging indie Americana” sound of d’Lovelies, a bohemian bluegrass band. Stop in every Wednesday night for pizza, square dancing and live music.

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

FRIDAY 9/13

SATURDAY 9/14

LIVE MUSIC

THURSDAY, SEPT. 12

VUDU SUNSHINE. 6 p.m. Bricks on Main, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free

THOMAS DOW 6 p.m. 300 Suns Brewing, 335 1st Ave., Unit C, Longmont. Free

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

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

HAZEL MILLER & THE COLLECTIVE

6:30 p.m. Longmont Museum, 400 Quail Road, Longmont. Free

TONY MCMANUS 7 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $20

NEAL FRANCIS. 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $30

SNOW THA PRODUCT. 8 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $50

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

FRIDAY, SEPT. 13

ROBERT JOHNSON WITH MARK DIAMOND TRIO. 2:30 p.m. Longmont Museum, 400 Quail Road. $12

EMELISE. 5 p.m. Stone Cottage Studios, 3091 7th St., Boulder. $35

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

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

RESPONDERS OLDIES BAND 6 p.m. Bricks on Main, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free

CARD CATALOG 6:30 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free

GEORGE PORTER JR. & RUNNIN’ PARDNERS WITH DAMON WOOD’S HARMONIUS JUNK. 7 p.m. The Caribou Room, 55 Indian Peaks Drive, Nederland. $35+

AKOMA NTOSO 7 p.m. Dairy Arts Center, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $14

ANAVRIN’S DAY WITH TEN AND BLIND DOGS 7:30 p.m. Nissi’s, 1455 Coal Creek Drive, Unit T, Lafayette. Free

TAYLOR ASHTON WITH R.O. SHAPIRO AND EMMA ROSE 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $23

HOSTAGE SITUATION 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $20

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

SATURDAY, SEPT. 14

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

SHADOW SIDE. 6 p.m. Bricks on Main, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free

HOUSE BLEND 2024 6 p.m. Old Oak Coffeehouse, 136 Second Ave., Niwot. Free

DUNCAN COKER WITH KATIE MINTLE 6 p.m. Trident Booksellers & Cafe, 940 Pearl St., Boulder. Free

THE HOT LUNCH BAND 7 p.m. Dickens Opera House, 300 Main St., Longmont. $23

RIM OF THE WELL 7:30 p.m. Willow Farm, 11898 N. 75th St., Longmont. $20

LUCINDA WILLIAMS. 8 p.m. Macky Auditorium, 1595 Pleasant St., Boulder. $60 BW PICK OF THE WEEK

BOB BARRICK. 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free

SHAWN CUNNANE. 8 p.m. Longs Peak Pub, 600 Longs Peak Ave., Longmont. Free

BADFISH WITH STYLIE 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $20

ON THE BILL

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

SUNDAY, SEPT. 15

LOCO UKULELE JAM. 2 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free

FELONIUS SMITH TRIO. 4 p.m. BOCO Cider, 1501 Lee Hill Drive, Unit 14, Boulder. Free

MASON JENNINGS. 7 p.m. eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce St., Boulder. $30

KATIE MINTLE. 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free

DAKHABRAKHA. 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $30

MONDAY, SEPT. 16

OPEN MIC WITH STEVE KOPPE. 6 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl, Suite V3A, Boulder. Free

MON ROVÎA. 8 p.m. Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $96

TUESDAY, SEPT. 17

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

JOHN MORELAND 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $30 STORY ON P. 17

MITSKI WITH ETHEL CAIN 8 p.m. Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway, Morrison. $56

LIVE MUSIC

Legendary singersongwriter Lucinda Williams brings her time-tested sound to CU Boulder’s Macky Auditorium on Sept. 14. The roots music maven performs in support of her last LP, Stories from a Rock n Roll Heart, and new tell-all memoir, Don’t Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You. Scan the QR code for a Boulder Weekly feature on the artist before you go. See listing for details

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 18

D’LOVELIES 6 p.m. Rosalee’s Pizzeria, 461 Main St., Longmont. Free

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

MAFALDA MINNOZZI WITH PAUL RICCI. 7 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $20

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

CAGE THE ELEPHANT WITH BAKAR, WILLOW AVALON AND GIRL TONES. 7:30 p.m. Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 18300 W. Alameda Parkway., Morrison. $168

WEEEKLY 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $19

THE COLORADO SOUND MUSIC

AWARDS 7 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St., Boulder. $30

NOT NICE 8 p.m. 100 Nickel, 100 Nickel St., Broomfield. Free

LIVE MUSIC AND SPORTS TRIVIA WITH KOBER & SITERO 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free

LIT SOCIETY 9 p.m. Southern Sun Pub, 627 S. Broadway, Boulder. Free

ASTROLOGY

BY ROB BREZSNY

ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): One of the longest bridges in the world is the 24-mile-long Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana. During one eight-mile stretch, as it crosses Lake Pontchartrain, travelers can’t see land. That freaks out some of them. You might be experiencing a metaphorically similar passage these days, Aries. As you journey from one mode to the next, you may lose sight of familiar terrain for a while. My advice: Have faith, gaze straight ahead and keep going.

TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): My horoscopes don’t necessarily answer questions that are foremost in your awareness. This might annoy you. But consider this: My horoscopes may nevertheless nudge you in unexpected directions that eventually lead you, in seemingly roundabout ways, to useful answers. The riddles I offer may stir you to gather novel experiences you didn’t realize you needed. Keep this in mind, Taurus, while reading the following: In the coming weeks, you can attract minor miracles and fun breakthroughs if you treat your life as an art project. I urge you to fully activate your imagination and ingenuity as you work on the creative masterpiece that is YOU.

GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): The Gemini musician known as Prince got an early start on his vocation. At age 7, he wrote “Funk Machine,” his first song. Have you thought recently about how the passions of your adult life first appeared in childhood? Now is an excellent time to ruminate on this and related subjects. Why? Because you are primed to discover forgotten feelings and events that could inspire you going forward. To nurture the future, draw on the past.

CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): You are lucky to have an opposable thumb on each of your hands. You’re not as lucky as koala bears, however, which have two opposable thumbs on each hand. But in the coming weeks, you may sometimes feel like you have extra thumbs, at least metaphorically. I suspect you will be extra dexterous and nimble in every way, including mentally, emotionally and spiritually. You could accomplish wonders of agility. You and your sexy soul may be extra supple, lithe and flexible. These superpowers will serve you well if you decide to improvise and experiment, which I hope you will.

LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): The internet is filled with wise quotes that are wrongly attributed. Among those frequently cited as saying words they didn’t actually say, Buddha is at the top of the list. There are so many fraudulent Buddha quotes in circulation that there’s a website devoted to tracking them down: fakebuddhaquotes.com. Here’s an example. The following statement was articulated not by Buddha but by English novelist William Makepeace Thackeray: “The world is a looking glass. It gives back to every man a true reflection of his own thoughts.” I bring these thoughts to your attention, Leo, because it’s a crucial time for you to be dedicated to truth and accuracy. You will gain power by uncovering deceptions, shams and misrepresentations. Be a beacon of authenticity!

VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): Peregrine falcons can move at a speed of 242 miles per hour. Mexican free-tailed bats reach 100 miles per hour and black marlin fish go 80 mph. These animals are your spirit creatures in the coming weeks, Virgo. Although you can’t literally travel that fast (unless you’re on a jet), I am confident you can make metaphorical progress at a rapid rate. Your ability to transition into the next chapter of your life story will be at a peak. You will have a robust power to change, shift and develop.

LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): Mythically speaking, I envision a death and rebirth in your future. The death won’t be literal; neither you nor anyone you love will travel to the other side of the veil. Rather, I foresee the demise of a hope, the finale of a storyline or the loss of a possibility.

Feeling sad might temporarily be the right thing to do, but I want you to know that this ending will ultimately lead to a fresh beginning. In fact, the new blooms ahead wouldn’t be possible without the expiration of the old ways. The novel resources that arrive will come only because an old resource has faded.

SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): Did you ever have roommates who stole your credit card and used it to buy gifts for themselves? Does your history include a friend or loved one who told you a lie that turned out to be hurtful? Did you ever get cheated on by a lover you trusted? If anything like this has happened to you, I suspect you will soon get a karmic recompense. An atonement will unfold. A reparation will come your way. A wrong will be righted. A loss will be indemnified. My advice is to welcome the redress graciously. Use it to dissolve your resentments and retire uncomfortable parts of your past.

SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): One of my oldest friends is Sagittarius-born Jeffrey Brown. We had rowdy fun together in our 20s. We were mad poets who loved to party. But while I went on to become an unruly rock and roll musician, experimental novelist and iconoclastic astrologer, Brown worked hard to become a highly respected, award-winning journalist for the PBS News Hour, a major American TV show. Among his many successes: He has brought in-depth coverage of poetry and art to mainstream TV. How did he manage to pull off such an unlikely coup? I think it’s because he channeled his wildness into disciplined expression; he converted his raw passions into practical power; he honed and refined his creativity so it wielded great clout. In the coming months, dear Sagittarius, I urge you to make him one of your inspirational role models.

CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): Let’s hypothesize that you will be alive, alert and active on your 100th birthday. If that joyous event comes to pass, you may have strong ideas about why you have achieved such marvelous longevity. I invite you to imagine what you will tell people on that momentous occasion. Which practices, feelings and attitudes will have turned you into such a vigorous example of a strong human life? The coming weeks will be an excellent time to meditate on these matters. It will also be a favorable phase to explore new practices, feelings and attitudes that will prolong your satisfying time here on planet Earth.

AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): Few Americans are more famous than George Washington. He was a top military leader in the Revolutionary War before he became the country’s first president. George had a half-brother named Lawrence who was 16 years older. Virtually no one knows about him now, but during his life, he was a renowned landowner, soldier and politician. Historians say that his political influence was crucial in George’s rise to power. Is there anyone remotely comparable to Lawrence Washington in your life, Aquarius? Someone who is your advocate? Who works behind the scenes on your behalf? If not, go searching for them. The astrological omens say your chances are better than usual of finding such champions. If there are people like that, ask them for a special favor.

PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): Over 15 centuries ago, Christian monks decided Fridays were unlucky. Why? Because they were the special day of the pagan goddess Freya. Friday the 13th was extra afflicted, they believed, because it combined a supposedly evil number with the inauspicious day. And how did they get their opinion that 13 was malevolent? Because it was the holy number of the goddess and her 13-month lunar calendar. I mention this because a Friday the 13th is now upon us. If you are afraid of the things Christian monks once feared, this could be a difficult time. But if you celebrate radical empathy, ingenious intimacy, playful eros and fertile intuition, you will be awash in good fortune. That’s what the astrological omens tell me.

SAVAGE LOVE

BY DAN SAVAGE

Why do so many people — even kinky ones — regard the Daddy/babygirl dynamic as hot but think Mommy/ littleboy role play is disturbing?

Because people can’t stand to see middle-aged women happy and in control.

Am I on the asexuality spectrum or do I just have a very low sex drive 95% of the time? How can I know for sure?

There’s no genetic test for asexuality, just as there’s no genetic test for heterosexuality, homosexuality or bisexuality. So, while you can’t know with absolute certainty whether you’re asexual or just have a low sex drive, you’re free to embrace the asexual label if it feels right and helps you communicate with prospective romantic partners. Remember: the asexual spectrum — which runs the gamut from sex-repulsed asexuals recoiling from sex scenes in movies to asexual sluts racking up impressive body counts — is as vast as it is unfalsifiable, and you have just as much right to locate yourself on it as anyone else.

P.S. If there were prenatal genetic tests for sexual orientation, evangelical churches would open abortion clinics in their basements.

What do you do if you want to be a gay fisting top but you have really, really big hands?

Seeing as there are gay power bottoms out there literally sitting on traffic cones, finding an experienced fisting bottom capable of accommodating one or more of your really, really, really big hands shouldn’t be that hard. (For the record: I don’t doubt your hands are big, but they’re not bigger traffic cones.)

Is it bad to hold it in right as you are about to reach the point of orgasmic inevitability?

What’s the “it” we’re talking about holding in? If the “it” is a fart, you should

definitely hold it in. If the “it” is a butt plug, you should try your best to hold it in. If the “it” is a giggle, knowing how your partner feels about laughter during sex would inform your choice. And if the “it” is your load — if you’re one of those idiots practicing semen retention for its (unproven and most likely non-existent) health benefits — then holding it in is absolutely necessary, as your entire personality is based on retaining your semen. (From the Journal of Impotence Research — read it and weep, semen retaining weirdos: “Semen retention… a practice that is not supported by current literature and which has been shown to have potential adverse health effects.”)

Tips for getting someone all the way down your throat when their dick is curved?

A dick that curves downward will slide down your throat pretty easily when you’re kneeling in front of it. With a dick that curves upward, you either need to hang the dude you’re blowing from his ankles (so you can slide his dick down your throat) or lay them down the bed and get on top of them facing their ankles (so you can slide your throat down his dick). If that dick curves to the left or right, you’ll need to get into position opposite to the curve.

Best way to bring up opening up a relationship?

It’s best to bring it up early — even if it’s just a hypothetical — because bringing it up after you’ve made a monogamous commitment, gotten married and had kids is going to feel like a violation. It’s not something you can unsay, and there’s a good chance you’ll wind up divorced, disowned or despised for having said it.

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

EVENTS EVENTS

SEPTEMBER 13 -15

Street Wise Mural Festival Walk and bike tours of 19 new murals throughout Boulder

SEPTEMBER 14 Readings by Christy Prahl, Lauren Samblanet, Cass Eddington & Meca’Ayo @ East Window, 7- 9 pm

SEPTEMBER 19 Drop-In Nude

Figure Drawing Thursdays @ NoBo Art Center, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

SEPTEMBER 27 SMUT-Verse: Open Mic and Poetry Reading @ East Window, 7-9 pm

CASTING A SUPPER SPELL

Culinary magic and

sleight of hand are on the menu at the Experimental Dinner Club

BY JOHN LEHNDORFF

AMagical Feast begins when guests receive calligraphed invitations embossed with sealing wax in the mail. Inside, the event’s secret Louisville location is revealed.

Attendees take a short personality quiz beforehand to determine which of four magical teams (and tables) they will join during the festivities.

From the moment we arrived at A Magical Feast, all involved happily suspended their disbelief. Among the 14 guests were many in magic-related costumes, lending a touch of cosplay to the meal.

“I like adding elements of surprise: suspended candles, eerie music, books on magic, the aromas and other little touches,” says Melody Hu, who co-founded Experimental Dinner Club in Louisville with Nicole Alexander.

“We were new neighbors in Louisville,” Hu says. “We discovered we had both moved here from the San Francisco area and we each have two kids.”

(including zero proof gin) for each person to craft their own mocktail.

These events are alcohol-free; kombucha and a warm elixir of elderberry and ginger were among the many liquid offerings. The culinary courses this evening included a multi-hued salad with edible flowers, spring rolls served with preserved eggs, a creamy soup crafted from 10 fresh mushroom varieties, a 14-spice vegetable curry over black forbidden rice, and seared scallops with sweet potato and fish roe. Dessert featured chocolate frogs and meringue mushrooms served with coffee or tea.

In her everyday universe, Alexander works as a labor and delivery nurse at a hospital. Hu owns Sweet Diplomacy, a gluten-free catering service and bakery in Louisville, where she also teaches culinary workshops.

One night over dinner at a restaurant, the duo played a game of what if, Alexander says: “What if we combined performance and food — two things that we both loved — into an experience for guests?”

Both were inspired by the worlds of magical fiction and cinema involving sorcerers, curses, dark arts, potions and spells. According to Hu, cooking has been a magical act since our ancestors tasted a fire-singed appetizer, and chefs have often been regarded as alchemists.

“I pick up my CSA box from MASA Farm and pick flowers and herbs from my own garden the morning of the events,” she says. “It all gets transformed into a feast.”

The two friends launched the business this year with a monthly series of themed dinners featuring the close-up illusions of veteran Denver magician Shawn Preston. Neither had ever participated or even encountered the kind of immersive culinary performances they are now presenting.

A Magical Feast commences with a fun, interactive potion-making session. A tray of lab beakers, lab equipment, mismatched gold-rimmed glasses, dry ice and things that fizz and pop arrive at each table. There are vials of mysterious liquids

A Magical Feast is definitely not dinner theater — a meal served by actors followed by a performance. Rather, it’s a show from start to finish, with tricks between courses and a mindblowing magic tour de force finale during dessert.

Here, the wizard isn’t behind a curtain. Preston captivates with mentalism, classic card tricks and sleight-of-hand melded with legit, engaging stand-up comedy.

“Shawn is pretty incredible,” Hu says. “It’s close-up magic performed right in front of you. I still don’t know how he does it.”

One couple at A Magical Feast was attending their second event; the first was Alice in Wonderland themed. They brought along friends, they said, because it was “so much more fun than going out for a fancy restaurant meal.” One group celebrated a birthday with a sparkly cake that emerged during the dessert course.

The Experimental Dinner Club has scheduled A Magical Feast performances in September, October and November. The themes and menus will change during the coming year, according to Hu.

“As a chef, I’m really proud to create an interactive entertainment experience that involves truly healthy farm-to-table food,” she says. “It’s such a great way to share a love for food.”

ON THE BILL: 6 p.m. Sept. 27, $156. Tickets at bit.ly/magicalfeastBW

TASTE OF THE WEEK: PIE SQUARED = PERFECT

Square pizza is all the rage these days, with local eateries labeling their thick-crusted horizontal pies as Detroit, Sicilian or Roman-style.

When we recently visited Longmont’s Urban Field Pizza & Market, we dug into slices that ignored the labels and delivered incredible flavor and chew. Urban Field’s cacio e pepe square pizza is topped with creme fraiche, a blend of fontina and gorgonzola cheeses, extra virgin olive oil and a generous grind of black pepper

The slow-fermented crust is a deeply flavorful wonder with an airy, moist middle, addictively crispy caramelized cheese edges and just enough toppings. The rebaked leftovers the next day were a joy.

Our recommendation: Ask the kitchen to leave the pie in the oven an extra five minutes to amplify that cheesy crunch.

We also dug into a spot-on Caesar salad and tender beef and pork meatballs in tomato sauce with provolone cheese, basil and pistachio pesto.

Urban Field Pizza is also served in The Lounge at the Boulder Theater.

Cacio e pepe pizza at Urban Field Pizza & Market. Credit: John Lehndorff

Making magic potions. Credit: John Lehndorff

Nicole Alexander, magician Shawn Preston and Melody Hu of Louisville’s Experimental Dinner Club. Courtesy: Experimental Dinner Club

NIBBLES

LOCAL FOOD NEWS: BEST OF THE REST

You only have until midnight on Sept. 14 to cast a vote for your favorite restaurants, bars, bakeries and businesses in Longmont, Louisville, Lafayette, Erie, Niwot and Lyons in the 2024 Best of Boulder East County survey. Make sure to vote in at least 20 categories for your vote to count: vote.boulderweekly.com/food

The 2024 Michelin Awards for Colorado announced Sept. 9 did not add any new Boulder County eateries to the roster, but last year’s winners in various categories retained their designations. Denver’s Alma Fonda Fina was the only new one-star winner, and its owner/chef Johnny Curiel was also awarded Michelin’s Young Chef Culinary Professional Award. He opened Boulder’s Cozobi Fonda Fina in July.

CULINARY CALENDAR: COOKIE ART WITH WINE

Boulder’s Bookcliff

Vineyards hosts a hands-on customdecorated cookie workshop Sept. 13 with Cookies by Nicole. Artists over 21 can sip wine as they craft edible art. bookcliffvineyards.com

Cocina Libre: Immigrant Resistance Recipes is a new cookbook featuring recipes and stories from Colorado’s refugee and immigrant cooks.

Authors Dr. Julia Roncoroni and Dr. Delio Figueroa will talk about their project Sept. 18 at the Boulder Bookstore. Tickets: bit.ly/CocinaEvent BW. Read a BW interview with Roncoroni: bit.ly/CocinaLibreBW

WORDS TO CHEW ON: HAVE SOME PUDDING

“I think I’ll just go down and have some pudding and wait for it all to turn up — it always does in the end.” – Luna Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix

John Lehndorff hosts Radio Nibbles and Kitchen Table Talk on KGNU. Comments: nibbles@boulderweekly.com

HUGS AND DRUGS

A psychedelic painter on the power of ’shrooms and taking the art form seriously

BY SHAY CASTLE

“Isee turtles,” says Molly Coghill. Not in real life — although, sometimes, she does — but in the visions brought on by using psychedelic drugs.

“A lot of people have trip animals,” Coghill says. “I see turtles in most of my trips.”

Coghill is a psychedelic artist. She paints what she sees while under the influence of mind-altering drugs, or scenes inspired by those experiences, following the tradition of an art form birthed during the late 1960s counterculture revolution.

The swirling patterns and bright colors — meant to convey drug-fueled hallucinations and elevated states of consciousness — quickly became adopted into the mainstream. Psychedelia was used in advertising campaigns from corporate giants like Campbell’s soup and General Electric. The rave culture of the 1990s saw a renaissance of psychedelic art and further deepened its association with drug use.

Coghill followed a similar path. The music of the ’60s led her to other aspects of the culture: namely, the drugs and art.

“I was really into abstract art,” she says. “But it got boring after a while. A white canvas and a blue line — that’s

not exciting to me.” But with psychedelic art, “you can do anything with it.”

Her work contains many elements commonly associated with modern psychedelia: “mushrooms, stars, rainbows, weird curvy buildings or trees, and all these beautiful colors,” she says. “I love throwing rainbows and tie dye into it.”

Drugs help with the other side of Coghill’s creative process: the vivid visions inspire her paintings, and the substance allows her to more clearly render what’s in her mind’s eye.

“Every time I paint on psychedelics, it amplifies my art, makes it more colorful, more cheerful, more true to how I see it,” she says. “I like having my design come out exactly how I picture it. I don’t know the science behind it but, damn, does it work for me.”

Perhaps because of its association with drug use, psychedelia is “not taken seriously” as an art form, Coghill believes — but it should be.

“Salvador Dali was a psychedelic artist,” she argues. (Critics might disagree, but surrealism and psychedelia are related.)

Coghill feels the same way about the drugs that inspire her art.

“I think people should see people that take psychedelics not as drugged-out

losers,” she says. “It can get to that point, but not everyone is like that. So many psychedelics have helped people grow, become a better person, help them get past things that have happened or honestly become happier and more mellow.”

Mushrooms — her psychedelic of choice — helped Coghill overcome her fear of the forest at night.

“I was camping in the mountains. Nighttime came and I lit a fire, and I was totally at ease with the forest. Not to sound totally hippie and crazy; it just felt like, ‘You can be out here at night. Nothing is going to get you.’ The earth was there for me, the trees and the winds and the ground had me. It totally got rid of my anxiety. I was able to hang out and look at stars and see beautiful things I normally wouldn’t” — scenes that later showed up in her paintings. Her biggest commission to date was a mural for the City of Boulder (that’s how BW found her, on the city’s website), but she routinely sells prints and custom-painted skateboard decks. Her current dream project is to design a pro model deck for 303 Boards, a DenverBoulder skate shop.

Although Coghill calls the psychedelic art scene “competitive” and “very hard to get into” as an artist, she says psychedelia-focused art events are her favorite to attend.

“It’s just a bunch of love and good vibes,” she says. “Hugs and drugs.”

EXPLORE MOLLY’S ART ON INSTAGRAM: @birdsin.art

All images courtesy: Molly Coghill