Those of an egalitarian bent must be impressed with the evolution of the Après Ski Cocktail Classic, which returns to Aspen for a seventh iteration this weekend. What started as a paid Food & Wine-style tasting event inside the Westin Conference Center in Snowmass has become a mostly fre…
Have you been in the swanky Rossignol pop-up store in the Benton Building on Hyman Avenue yet? It’s quite the place. For now, it’s just a pop-up (though it’s likely to return), but excitement abounds as it’s the first North American apparel boutique for the brand.
Being the champion of equal rights that I like to think I am, I feel a bit remiss about not writing anything in celebration of International Women’s Day, which was last Friday. Fortunately, I’ve been offered a shot at redemption this week in the form of some great events I can highlight that…
Inspector Trousseau awoke from a foggy haze, knocking his smudged spectacles to the floor. They had been laying in front of him, on top of a tall stack of files, note-filled folders and tattered, blurry photographs. Though it was still dark, he did not know if it was early or late. Had he me…
Aspen Brewing Co. celebrates its 11th anniversary on Sunday, which is St. Patrick’s Day. A lot of people treat beer like a meal on the Irish holiday, so that makes this appropriate food-column fodder. And really, who hasn’t finished skiing or biking and also treated an IPA like an appetizer?
I first came across The Head and the Heart shortly after their first release in 2011. I didn’t realize they were from Seattle at the time, and, in reality, I knew almost nothing about the indie band, besides that they were making great folk rock – possibly too good, because it was hard to im…
Yeah, it’s going to be that kind of a week in Aspen
“Fursie,” said the door of our room, in place of a room number. So, at breakfast or dinner when the server would ask how to label our check, I’d say “Fursie” with a straight face, and it would bring a smile to theirs.
It’s going to be a good week for art enthusiasts in the upper reaches of the Roaring Fork Valley, with opening receptions on tap at both The Art Base in Basalt and the Aspen Art Museum tonight, an artists talk at the Aspen Chapel Gallery Wednesday and then a double opening at the Red Brick A…
During the ski-swap season back in October, I intentionally sold a too-small apple green Arc’teryx shell jacket that I totally loved but frankly found too tight for me. I’m not really an extra-small, except in my dreams, so I couldn’t really fit anything comfortably underneath except a T-shirt.
It might just be me, but it sure feels like we get a lot of film festivals coming through the valley these days. There are the old standbys, like Aspen Film’s Shortsfest, Filmfest and Academy Screenings. There are the homegrown favorites, like Carbondale’s 5Point Film Festival. There are fil…
Here we go, over the last winter hump and in between the avalanches and dumps. Time for some sunny, long afternoons and perhaps lunch at Cloud Nine, or any other alpine picnic venue you can conjure.
Say you find yourself at a point in your life when you are on quite a strict budget because you don’t know when the next paycheck might roll in – like if you are a freelancer or a seasonal employee with the end of the season in sight. Eating out becomes out of the question, especially here i…
The Temporary continues to grow and improve the music and arts culture in Basalt for good, bringing in acts that the town might never see otherwise. Friday night, the venue will be welcoming a group from Chicago who have created their own signature sound, perfect for a slightly belated Mardi…
There are plenty of ways to connect with your heritage. Stories, music and travel can all help people learn about the past of their culture and keep them connected. However, for a group of local students, their connection is through dance.
Style details were illuminated at the X Games earlier this winter, and not just on athletes. Coat prints, gold-rimmed goggles, contrast zippers and souped-up gloves were just a few of the trends. Brand names quietly hidden in neon letters and embedded, and style-departure onesie looks domina…
Marking a milestone with a month-long celebration
I had the perfect day of variable conditions to try out new goggles from Smith last week. It was a bright, brisk, sunshiny mid-morning and looking like a true bluebird day, but, of course, as is the case anywhere in Colorado, wait five minutes and things will change, and change they did. Som…
As some of you are no doubt aware, I’m a pretty big deal in the music world, as well as the journalistic one. You may also know me as Commodore Duncan, an on-air personality and DJ for KDNK Carbondale Community Radio with my very own funk music show, KaDuNKafunk, which is on every other Thur…
A merry band of Roaring Fork Valley folk convened for a long winter night’s meal along the San Francisco waterfront last week.
This week, television station Aspen 82, a media partner of the Aspen Daily News, has been profiling local women in business on its mountaintop morning show. People lament that ski-town ratios of men to women heavily stack in favor of guys, but this is a dated concept, especially in Aspen. (F…
In this year’s Aspen Elementary School third grade play, a hilarious yet educational romp through Aspen’s history, there’s a scene about the Wheeler Opera House and its venerated place in the mining era as a hub of cultural and societal activity.
I don’t know when I first heard of Donavon Frankenreiter, but I remember the context. I was told a commonly held belief that Frankenreiter taught Jack Johnson everything he knows. The reality, however, is more like the opposite.
It is really very simple: If you love the Grand Canyon, as I'm sure most of us do, then you must have yourself a copy of Pete McBride's luminous, glorious, splendid "The Grand Canyon: Between River and Rim.”
Stand-up star closes out Aspen Laugh Festival at the Wheeler
Two local theater legends get back in the spotlight
As we begin the transition from February into March, the weather seems to take a tone of winter to wet. Proper footwear during this time can make all the difference between happily embracing all the joy and fun that winter still has for us or taking the form of that curmudgeon groundhog and …
Is it just me, or does it seem like more and more bands are signing up for two-night stands at the Belly Up these days? Most acts who go that route seem to do the traditional back-to-back setup, but in December Lauryn Hill did two nights with a vacant night in between, a formula that deadmau…
Looking for midwinter warmth from your wine (and food)?
Iknow it seems offensive to say that zucchini is a decent substitute for noodles, but I am happy to report that it is true. I’ve never made lasagna in my life. It’s labor intensive and ingredient heavy, which for a typical dinner never seems worth the effort. But for those exact same reasons…
For film festival fanatics, travel to the fests can often make it difficult to see the unique movies that are presented. Luckily for local festival lovers, there are two opportunities to see some great cinema in the valley in the upcoming week.
A fantastic group of weirdos from Oklahoma are back in Aspen again. Wayne Coyne and the Flaming Lips have returned to put on yet another performance that may leave you questioning reality and the existence of unicorns, and – if you’re like me – wondering why you didn’t follow that rock ’n’ r…
Aana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah, named a “5 Under 35” honoree by the National Book Foundation, has debuted with a fierce collection of 12 unnerving and unpredictable short stories, tackling racism, hyper-consumerism and the glorification of violence.
Madigan, Notaro and Feinstein prove women are just as funny as guys
Dance company’s busy tour comes home for one night only
Every February, when the Aspen Laugh Festival comes to town, valley old-timers will inevitably draw comparisons between it and the long-gone U.S. Comedy Arts Festival, which used to envelop downtown for a week each winter. Admittedly, the former may never approach HBO’s Hollywood-style celeb…
I don’t immediately think of needing a watch in the backcountry. It’s a time for disconnecting and enjoying nature. But let’s be honest, no matter how off the grid we are, it’s always crucial to be aware of the time for your own safety. And what if that watch required you to get outside more…
There’s a great passage in John McEuen’s book “The Life I’ve Picked,” published last year, in which the former Nitty Gritty Dirt Band banjo player and multi-instrumentalist describes the band’s time in Colorado, specifically in Aspen, where some of the NGDB members lived. The time was around…
I drove to the Alexander Valley from Healdsburg this week under dark, brooding skies with a building atmospheric river on the rise. The west face of Mount St. Helena rising 4,000 feet above was coated in snow, with definitive white chutes like tendrils dropping off the summit, looking more l…
I’m getting to learn all about food again as my 7-month-old son is dabbling in it. He’s really not into eating and much prefers playing with the spoon over putting anything in his mouth, but we’re trying.
One of the vintage maps — dated 1891 and measuring 15 feet long — documents every building that stood at that time from the townsite of Aspen down to Woody Creek, with the Roaring Fork River and railroad line for reference.
"The trumpet just makes sense to me,” says Dustin Lutomski. “I feel like I can express myself through it in ways my voice and words can't capture. At the age of 10 I chose it because I thought it was an ‘easy’ instrument with only three keys, but now it seems more like it was my destiny.”
Audrey Sutter is determined to leave college and travel north to Minnesota to visit her dying father. The problem is she is too broke for bus fare. She asks her best friend Caroline to spot her the money – a fatal decision. Feeling spurned by her boyfriend, Caroline impulsively offers to dri…
Hard-working Denver comedian performs tonight at The Temporary
Art of Hair in old town Basalt will host a reception, party, performance and CD release party on Friday, Feb. 15, from 6 - 8 p.m., it was announced this week.
Popular midvalley venue looking to move into permanent home sooner than later
It’s interesting how Valentine’s Day tends to mean different things to different people. For grade-school kids it means passing paper notes back and forth to every other girl and boy in the class. For older, married folks, it typically means a box of chocolates and maybe a long-stem rose or …
Confession: I’m a closet wannabe adventure photographer. Along with travel writer, professional musician, novelist and trust-funder, it falls on my career bucket list. You know, things you would pursue if you could do it all over again or if you had nine lives — except maybe trust-funder. I …
As long as we’re talking about Valentine’s Day, I think it’s fair to say that, John Denver aside, Colorado’s longest, strongest infatuation with a musical act might have to be the one the state has had with Leftover Salmon for the last three decades or so. With their unique blend of “polyeth…
In honor of that chardonnay roll call last week, and to catch up on a gem that I wasn’t able to include.
