Wednesday, February 28, 2007

A band you should hear...(and other news)

If you're going to SXSW, check out Illinois. Here's their song Screen Door.

You know roller derby is catching on when they get their own beer bus. For the Rocky Mountain Rollergirls' next bout this Saturday, 3/3, you can ride from 3 Kings Tavern to the Bladium to watch the bout, then get a ride back to 3 Kings for the after party. Tix are $20, including admission to the bout, and beer on the bus is free.

On to more sobering news...Some Colorado newspapers noticed the Greeley Tribune was improperly using other newspapers' stories...Details here...and now Chris Cobler has to find a new job. More

In addition to the shows at the Hi-Dive we mentioned earlier, add one more. Born in the Flood plays 3/8 for a midweek show.

Monday, February 26, 2007

We're in the middle of Denver Restaurant Week: Get a meal for two for $52.80 (since we're in the Mile High City) or $26.40 for one.

Friday, February 23, 2007

Ski it like you mean it

Tomorrow 2/24 at Loveland, you or you-and-your-friends can raise money for The American Cancer Society while you make some runs. It's the ACS Vertical Rally. Starting at 8:30 a.m., make laps on Chair One. You can win prizes for raising the most money or for the total number of vertical feet. Pre-registered folks get discounted lift tix ($28!). Details

Then at A-Basin on Sunday, 2/25, it's the annual Ski-A-Thon. It was started after a Colorado School of Mines alum skied into a tree but survived horrific injuries partly because he was wearing a helmet. The Beta Phi chapter of Beta Theta Pi sponsors the Ski-A-Thon to raise money to so that you can use a helmet free when you rent a ski or snowboard package from Christy Sports. Cost is $40 for a lift ticket, lunch, T-shirt and a raffle ticket for prizes, or $10 if you don't need a lift ticket. Details

Figures to be a crowded weekend at both resorts, so why not make the best of it with a big group of people for a good cause

Monday, February 19, 2007

The Forecast

Silversun Pickups play the Fillmore 3/6 with Snow Patrol and OK Go, and they do an in-store the next day at Twist and Shout! 6 p.m.

There's a ton of good shows coming to the Hi-Dive to ring in March:
2/28 Spinto Band and Dios Malos
3/2 Cold War Kids
3/3 Say Hi To Your Mom

And then after you catch the Silversun Pickups at Twist&Shout on 3/7, go to the Hi-Dive for swing dancing with Paul!!!!!! (He's the Sputnik bartender with plugs/paperclips/pennies in his ears and the black glasses and goofy mustache. Or moustache)

Thursday, February 15, 2007

iPod troubles?

Is there a doctor in the house? News from a familiar name: ===>>>Read it

Jihae

2 out of 3 Asians say, "enh"

After lots of performances, working with Duncan Sheik and David Steel of English Beat and Fine Young Cannibals, Jihae debuts her solo album "My Heart is an Elephant" in March. Here's her video for "Black Pearl" off the album.

First the back story. She was born in South Korea and started singing in church at age 4. Her mom is a piano teacher and had training as an opera singer. She lived in South Korea, Nigeria and Sweden before arriving in the U.S. as a teen (apparently her father was a diplomat?)

Listening to the album can take a bit of patience. The music is somber, subdued, and there's not much variety to mix things up. Best to listen as you're waking from sleep or trying to wind down for the night. Definitely not road trip music, nor songs to listen to while operating heavy machinery. I think "Lullaby for the Lonely People" is my favorite. After several listens, there's enough here to enjoy. It just will take an investment and an open mind to find it all. Fun facts: Lenny Kravitz guests on the album. So does director Michael Gondry ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"), who played all kinds of crazy percussion.

MC (Asian #2) says: I like her voice but I didn't like the music. I think I liked #3 ("Faint"). She has a good voice but...

AY (Asian #3) says: Ummm, I didn't like it


Mike, token white guy, says: Maybe there are some crazy people out there who like it

Check it out yourself on MySpace though.
Or listen to "Cement Garden" now
You New Yorkers and people who get to hear her shows in person might think differently

Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Frasca

Frasca in Boulder has been praised by local and national media for good reason. The food is thoughtfully and skillfully prepared (credit goes to co-owner and chef Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson as well as the two sous chefs), the atmosphere is cozy and upscale yet still comfortable, and master sommelier and co-owner Bobby Stuckey makes every guest feel welcome, a trait instilled in everyone at the front of the house.

Friends told me reservations may need to be made a month or three in advance, but every night, there are some seats reserved for people who walk up. If you want one of these, it's best to arrive early. A group of five of us went there Tuesday night, got there five minutes before opening time and managed to commandeer the bar.

Warning: I'm not a food expert at all, and the chef friends I ate with aren't here to correct any of my language, so you'll have to bear with me.
Salumi: We all shared the prosciutto/ speck/ Fra'Mani Salame. Yum. But I didn't eat a whole lot to pace myself. We also had the frico caldo -- a warm, potato, cheese and onion dish. It's round like a small pizza but with the warm cheese inside.
Primi: I think four of us tried the pork belly. It's a small , just-right portion, with honey crisp apple salad and pickled horseradish, both of which provided a nice zing and different textures to go with the pork belly.
One friend tried the silky Anson Mills polenta, mm. At least, that's what I thought of the forkful I sneaked off my friend's plate.
Secondi: Three of us (including me) got the house special homemade hand-cut tagliatelle. They only make 21 orders each night. It had a creamy sauce and was served with cured pork sausage. But I really should have gotten the pan fried veal loin with spinach and potatoes like my friend did! Fried is great, right? The other friend got the polenta and broccoli dish.
They tweak the menu quite often, so you might find other delights.
Dessert: From the gelato/ sorbet menu, I picked the lychee flavor. The person one plate over got the red grapefruit and frangipane tart with frozen yogurt. Refreshing and flavorful. The person two plates over from me got the chocolate peanut butter torte, with dark chocolate gelato. Seriously, while my seat partner and I were trading bites of the grapefruit tart and gelato, the other guy had practically inhaled all of his torte. So I guess it was good. He swallowed all of it before any of the rest of us could taste. I don't know what the person three plates down from me got. And the other friend got the blood orange from the gelati/sorbetti menu. She tried to say it was more tempting than lychee, but I liked mine better. Ha! Other flavors included banana, coconut, raspberry and butter rum!

All right. So I spent $100 for the night, (including a big tip). It probably would've been cheaper, but we decided to get wine to go with each course. They give you the option of having quarter-glasses if you like, because then you can sample more. Apparently two drinks were also complimentary, my friends said. (We got a little cocktail to start and one after-dinner special drink). It is definitely possible to spend much less than $100.

Mostly you should know that going to Frasca is a fun fine dining experience, and you won't feel hungry or overstuffed when you leave but just right. And the whole staff makes you feel welcome. They're all "thank you for trekking through the snow to be with us tonight" looking you straight in the eye with a warm smile when they say it, even though they're not hurting to fill the tables at all (On the snowy, cold Tuesday that we were there, there were still people waiting for tables). Like going to French Laundry. If you're a foodie -- or just aspire to be one -- you should make the trip.

Tuesday, February 13, 2007

The Infernal Affairs trilogy is out on DVD today, as is The Departed two-disc DVD. Read more in The Denver Post

Friday, February 09, 2007

The Forecast

Tickets go on sale tomorrow, 2/10, for Apples in Stereo's show April 1 at the Bluebird! Apples also are supposed to play on Conan on Valentine's Day

Knitters unite! Starting this Saturday, 2/10, the Panera Bread in Cherry Creek is hosting a weekly knitting time to make scarves for the homeless. Panera will provide FREE coffee and snacks. Shellie Lubowitz, owner of Coppelia’s Needlepoint and The Shivering Sheep, will hand out donated yarn for you to make your scarf to donate.

Hot IQs play a free show at the Bluebird next Saturday, 2/17. Actually it's $8, but if you go to their MySpace page, you can print out a free ticket. Or just hang out outside the Bluebird after a random concert one of these nights. Someone is bound to be passing out some free tix.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

The Forecast

If you don't have tix to see Albert Hammond Jr. on Thursday, 2/8, with Incubus, don't fret. Albert Hammond Jr. plays the Marquis Theatre with Mooney Suzuki on March 10.

Besides, don't you want to see Camera Obscura on 2/8 at the Bluebird?