By Gene Davis, DENVER DAILY NEWS
For a city its size, Denver is a hotbed for burlesque dancing.
Between the Panties at the Bar shows at 3 Kings Tavern and the performances over at Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret, fans of good ol’ fashioned adult entertainment have plenty of options.
And Mile High City’s infatuation with burlesque isn’t a fleeting affair; one of the scene’s centerpiece shows — Naughty Pierre’s Burlesque and Comedy Extravaganza — has been cracking up and stimulating audiences for three-and-a-half years.
“I think we’re one of the only cities outside of New York City and Los Angeles that has had two burlesque shows a week for three years now,” said Jefferson Arca, Naughty Pierre’s founder and emcee. “There’s definitely a supportive audience here. Denver definitely seems to enjoy its burlesque.”
As implied by its title, Naughty Pierre’s Burlesque and Comedy Extravaganza isn’t just ladies dancing evocatively. There’s a sense of humor to the show that broadens up its appeal. Arca, who stars as Pierre in the production, keeps the laughs rolling while playing the part of a sleazy European emcee.
A big surprise of the Naughty Pierre show is that about 80 percent of the audiences are female, according to Arca. In fact, bachelorette parties account for the majority of the show’s ticket sales, he said.
“Women in this community feel empowered and they feel like that could be them on stage,” he said. “They celebrate it.”
Arca spent years writing, doing comedy and producing theatre in Los Angeles, New York City and Europe. When Lannie’s Clocktower opened four years ago, he moved back to Denver — his hometown — to combine all of his different skills into one show.
He started the production as an open-mic night. But after seeing the positive reaction the audience gave the evening’s one burlesque dancer, Arca decided to book more and more of the entertainers. Finally, Arca revamped the show into what it is now.
“I think people are enjoying going back in time where you see something live and have that one-on-one connection with people,” he said. “They feel attached with a more innocent time…it’s very tastefully done.”

Where: Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret
When: Thursdays at 8 p.m.
Cost: Starting at $20
Information: 303-293-0075, Lannies.com

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By Gene Davis, DENVER DAILY NEWS
For anyone born in the latter part of the 20th century, the traditional circus has served as an entertaining throwback to an earlier time.
The old-school circuses have become even more retro thanks to the advent of modern circus groups like Cirque du Soleil.
However, just because traditional shows like the Zoppe Circus — which is entertaining crowds at the Mile High Marketplace through the weekend — are undeniably un-hip, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t fun for the whole family, either.
“This is what I would call an authentic circus, the way circuses used to be,” said Gina Hallisey of the Mile High Marketplace. “It’s very vintage.”
The Zoppe Circus is a family affair in more ways than one. While everyone from grandchild to grandparent will be entertained, the circus performers themselves are almost all family, too. In fact, the Zoppe Circus is now being performed by the seventh generation of Zoppes.
“It’s mom, her sons, daughters and their husbands,” said Hallisey. “They’re the most wonderful people and make you feel like you’re part of their family. They’re trying to keep their own family tradition alive”
The Zoppe Circus is an intimate affair. There isn’t a seat that’s more than 20 feet from the ring, which allows the performers to consistently engage the audience members.
Another perk is the event’s affordability; you can get you’re entire family into the circus for a total of $20.
“Everybody can go together and have a great time and be together as a family and be able to laugh and see a story and great artists,” said Hallisey. “It’s just a great little circus.”
Zoppe Circus
Where: Mile high Marketplace
When: Through Sept. 13

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By GENE DAVIS, DENVER DAILY NEWS
If there’s ever been an event that The Dude would abide by, it’s the Lebowski Fest that’s rolling into gear tonight.
The 1998 Coen brothers cult classic comedy that, in short, tells the story of a Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler who tries to solve/foil a supposed kidnapping is being screened at the Ogden Theatre tonight. The Black Diamond Heavies will be performing live music at the screening as well.
A bowling party, trivia and costume contest — as well as unlimited White Russians — will wrap up the festivities tomorrow night at Bowl-Ero.
“There’s nothing quite like watching this film with 500 other fans,” said Scott Shuffitt, co-founder of the Lebowski Fest. “It’s a great, great chance to have a lot of fun with a lot of likeminded Achievers (the name for Lebowski fans).”
Shuffitt and Will Russell, aka “the Founding Dudes,” came up with the idea for Lebowski Fest while working at a tattoo convention in 2002. The two friends started trading Lebowski quotes to help kill the time, and it didn’t take long before much of the tattoo convention was quoting and laughing along.
“We decided if you can have a mediocre tattoo convention, why can’t we have a Lebowski convention?” Shuffitt said.
Several months later, Shuffitt and Russell Several staged the inaugural Lebowski Fest at a run down bowling alley in Louisville, Kent. that forbid alcohol and cursing. The event ended up exceeding the friends’ expectations, according to Shuffitt.
“We thought it was going to be a real downer and that only people in Louisville would show up,” he said. “We were totally blown away, people came from all over the place and it had that sense of community that we kind of sought at the tattoo convention.”
Since then, Shuffitt and Russell have gone on to host Lebowski Festivals across the nation. Shuffitt said he’s shocked at how big the festival has gotten and credited its success to the film’s funniness, ability to be quoted and the power of the Internet.
“If you have a certain sense of humor, you can watch it time after time and continue to mine the comedy from it,” said Shuffitt, who has seen the film over 100 times. “And at the festival, there’s something about dressing up in these characters and playing the part…that’s hard to beat.”

Where and when: Ogden Theater tonight at 7:30, Bowl-ero, 5480 W. Alameda Ave., tomorrow night at 8
Cost: $20.50 for the movie tonight, starting at $25 for tomorrow night’s bowling party
Information: LebowskiFest.com

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Source: YouTube

By Gil Whiteley, DENVER DAILY NEWS

“Inglourious Basterds”
Drama/war/comedy/action
Rated: R
9 stars out of 10
“Inglourious Basterds” is “The Dirty Dozen” meets Sergio Leone. This is a World War II fantasy film in which the names, dates, places and general facts of World War II history are not necessarily relevant in Tarantino’s world.
Nevertheless this is Quentin Tarantino’s finest film since “Pulp Fiction,” and maybe it should have been called “WWII Fiction.” It doesn’t matter, it is brilliant, and keeps you smokin’ for 153 minutes of continuous action.
This film is exceedingly violent, but the violence is so gratuitous it has a comic nature to it.
Brad Pitt is incredible as Lt. Aldo Raine, the leader of a group of Jewish American soldiers who are dropped behind enemy lines in German occupied France prior to the D-Day invasion. This small group is known as “The Basterds,” and their only job is to kill Nazis in the most disgusting way possible.
“Each and every man under my command owes me one hundred Nazi scalps … and I want my scalps!” says Raine to his Basterds.
Pitt is perfectly over the top in this film. His role is the wink that keeps this film from being too gruesome to handle.
Sgt. Donny Donowitz (Eli Roth), know as “The Bear Jew,” has been terrorizing the Nazis, pummeling them to death with his baseball bat. He’s such a heinous Basterd that Hitler refuses to admit he’s real, and nothing but a mythical figure to destroy the morale of his troups. Except the Bear Jew is very real, and in one of the more tense scenes in the film he comes out of a cave and is introduced to us and a Nazi captive who won’t cooperate with Raine. Raine loves to explain to his victims what his Basterds do just before they do it to them.
“You probably heard we ain’t in the prisoner-takin’ business — we in the killin’ Nazi business. And cousin, business is a-boomin’.”
Crunch!
Shosanna Dreyfus (Mélanie Laurent) is the sole survivor of the massacre of her family at the hands of Col. Hans Landa (Christoph Waltz, who is deliciously loathsome), the notorious “Jew Hunter.” She flees to the city trying to hide and lands at a small movie theater under an assumed name.
The German film movement is at the core of this story, along with one of the Reich’s heroes, Fredrick Zoller (Daniel Brühl), the Nazi’s version of Sgt. York. Zoller is a patron of the cinema house she now owns and is infatuated with Shosanna. The Nazi hierarchy has produced a propaganda film about the exploits of the now famous Pvt. Zoller. Trying to impress Shosanna, he convinces the powers that be to have the premiere at her theater.
Diane Kruger is great as Bridget Von Hammersmark, a Marlene Dietrich type spy for the Americans, and works with the Basterds against the Nazis. All the energy of the film focuses on the theater, and the myriad of distinguished Nazi generals and dignitaries who will be attend the premiere — maybe even Hitler himself.
This is an excellent film of retribution and payback. Tarantino is careful to separate the German people from the Nazis, which makes the violence almost tolerable. I have to admit that I’m into revenge flicks, and this is the ultimate fantasy that somehow makes us feel good at the conclusion.
This is a violent film and is not for the faint of heart, but it is handled with a certain wit, and is outrageous enough to not be taken too seriously.
This is entertainment. Try to see the humor in this film, and you’ll have one your best film-going experiences in years.
This is my favorite film of 2009 by far.

Gil Whiteley writes sports columns and film reviews for the Denver Daily News. Listen to Whiteley everyday at noon on “Gil and Woody” on AM 1510 KCKK.

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By Gene Davis, DENVER DAILY NEWS
Getting one person in a band who can sing can be hard enough, but recruiting two talented singers in one outfit can be darn near impossible.
Somehow, though, pop-rock outfit Quillion has managed to pull it off. The Denver band that is celebrating its album release party this weekend features two talented singers — Amanda Ray and Keny Karnisky — who help the band stand out from the crowded pop-rock field.
“Not only does (having two vocalists) split up the work, but it gives you a lot more variety in the sound,” Karnisky told the Denver Daily News. “It gives you your masculine and your feminine. I think it works well.”
Karnisky and Ray came into contact with each other through the Denver Music Board. The veterans of the Denver music scene added bassist Geoff LaPlant after meeting him at the D-Note — an early supporter of the band and the location of their CD release show — and drummer David Blue, who they also met through the Denver Music Board.
After getting asked by people at shows if they had any albums out, Quillion decided to record a collection of songs at Module Overload Studios.
“We wanted to develop the sound of the band [and] write a bunch of good material before we bothered to record it,” said Karnisky. “Once we got those songs together, we figured it was time.”
The finished result shows a band still in its early stages but with the potential to go somewhere. Their debut album mixes pop and rock into a style that could easily find a home on adult contemporary radio.
On songs like “Sour Grapes,” all of the elements come together in the form of harmonies, universal lyrics, well-played piano and a good ear for melody. If Quillion can build upon the parts that work, Karnisky’s goal of band “world domination” has a chance to become a reality.
“We’ve been taking it slow and trying to develop a good following,” Karnisky said. “We’re a great band that’s just about to start doing wonderful things, and people should hear it.”

Quillion CD release party
Where: D-Note
When: Friday, starting at 5:30 p.m.
Cost: $5
Information: www.DNote.US

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By Gene Davis, DENVER DAILY NEWS
KOOZA — Cirque Du Soleil is returning to town tonight with Kooza, a new touring production that tells a tale of good versus evil.
High wire walkers, a head balancing act, insanely talented jugglers, a unicyclist and a wheel of death; yup, Cirque Du Soleil is back in town.
The insanely popular Vegas mainstay is swinging through Denver with Kooza, its newest touring production. The 53-artist production tells the story of The Innocent, a melancholy loner in search of his place in the world. During his journey, he encounters several devious characters like the Trickster and the Pickpocket, setting up the timeless tale of good versus evil.
“If there’s no duality, no good versus bad, it becomes boring,” said Kooza artistic director Luc Tremblay. “I think that duality is human nature and remains interesting time and time again.”
Cirque Du Soleil is returning to its circus roots with Kooza, according to Tremblay. The clowns, red curtain and circular stage help the 25-year-old company pay tribute and align itself with its circus predecessors.
Kooza’s costumes and set are inspired by eastern Indian cultures. The result is a colorful staging designed to pop eyes, which indeed it does with some help from the performers themselves.
Fun for all
Similar to most Cirque Du Soleil touring productions, Kooza has something that will appeal to just about every age demographic. Kids will get a kick from the slapstick-inspired clowns, while adults of any age will gasp in disbelief at the mind blowing stunts that the cast is able to pull off.
Additionally, Kooza has come into its own as a production, said Tremblay. Now entering into its 15th city, the performers and the show are at “a very good stage in its life.”
“The performers know their stuff so well, it becomes almost second nature for them,” said Tremblay. “They enjoy performing even more because they’re not stressed.”

Kooza
Where: Grand Chapiteau on the Pepsi Center’s Grounds
When: Opening tonight, running through Sept. 27
Cost: Starting at $45
Information: CirqueDuSoleil.com

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By Gene Davis, DENVER DAILY NEWS
Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret is hosting a Great Female Singers 101 class of sorts with its newest production — “Lannie Garrett: Great Women of Song.”
During the rousing show, Garrett and her talented backing band cover everyone from Billie Holiday to Bette Midler. Garrett — a stunningly talented singer and entertainer — takes audience members on musical journey through many of the best female vocalists of all time.
“I picked out the songs from singers I loved so much, put them together with stories and started rehearsing it,” said Garrett. “It’s been a lot of fun so far.”
Garrett said she was drawn to the different female singers for different reasons. For instance, she loves how Nina Simone had so much emotion in her voice, but also adores the soulful quality of Bonny Raitt.
Along with her ability to belt out the songs in impressive fashion, Garrett during the show pieces in little stories and factoids about the female singers that she is covering. Did you know that Midler was voted “Most Talkative” in her high school class, or that Janis Joplin’s “Take Another Little Piece of My Heart” was originally written by Dusty Springfield? You will learn this, and many other Trivial Pursuit worthy tidbits, during “Great Women of Song.”

Backing band
When talking with the Denver Daily News, Garrett went out of her way on several occasions to talk about how good her backing band is for the show. The virtuosic ability of Bob Rebholz, Justin Adams, Mike Abbot and Todd Reid will blow away anyone who is interested in music, she said.
“I just love entertaining an audience — that’s my forte,” she said. “I just love being in front of an audience and feeling that feedback, and giving back, and it kind of goes around in a circle.”

Where: Lannie’s Clocktower Cabaret
When: Fridays and Saturdays through Sept. 12
Information: 303-293-0075, Lannies.com

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By Joshua Wolpe, DENVER DAILY NEWS
In 2000, the population of Crestone was exactly 73, according to census figures. Despite the scarcity of people, Crestone, located south of Salida in the San Luis Valley, has become an internationally known hub of many different spiritual traditions thanks to Maurice and Hanne Strong, who bought a lot of land in the area during the 1970s and granted much of it to various religious and spiritual projects.

From Gypsies to bluegrass
The region’s wide array of cultural and spiritual influences is reflected in this weekend’s Crestone Music Festival, which runs today through Sunday at the Challenger Golf Course.
The festival is a three-day, two-stage, multi-genre extravaganza featuring local, regional and international performers as well international cuisine, arts and activities.
“It is a community service type of festival filled with diverse genres of music,” said Tom Dessain, executive director of Crestone Performances, Inc., the non-profit that runs the festival. “I’d say about 80 percent of our community participates in the festival in one way or another – whether they are workers, vendors, attendees or anything else.”
Dessain is expecting about 2,500 people this weekend that will be seeing a full lineup of musical acts including tomorrow night’s headliner, The Edgar Winter Band, and Sunday’s headliner, Papa Grows Funk.
Dessain says you are likely to see as eclectic of a musical lineup as you could imagine.
“Traditionally we have 8-10 significantly diverse acts – you’ll be likely to find Eastern European Gypsies, traditional Zimbabwe marimba, Cuban music, something Celtic, bluegrass, classical, East Indian dance and African Kora music.”

Helping schools
The Crestone Music Festival is one of three programs run by Crestone Performances. The organization also produces a Youth and Community Performances program and a community service program.
The youth program seeks to enhance multicultural and arts education in San Luis Valley schools through music, drama and other interactive experiences. The program benefits 14 area school districts, and some of the funds come from music festival proceeds.

More information
The schedule includes music tonight from 5-10, tomorrow from 10:30 a.m.-9:30 p.m. and Sunday from 8:15 a.m.-7:30 p.m.
Adult ticket prices at the gate are $10 for tonight, $30 for tomorrow and $25 for Sunday. Youth day passes are $5, and kids 12 and under are free.
From Denver, take Highway 285 south to Villa Grove.
Five miles past Villa Grove, turn left on Highway 17 south toward Alamosa. Go 14 miles to the town of Moffat and turn left on County Road T.
Take County Road T eight miles to the festival, which is at the Challenger Golf Course on the left side of the road.
Visit crestfest.org for the complete schedule as well as links for accommodations including camping, hotels, motels and more.

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By Gil Whiteley, DENVER DAILY NEWS

‘Julie & Julia’
Rated: PG-13
Biography/drama/comedy
7 stars out of 10
I’m a foodie, and I love films about food and the preparation of food, so “Julie & Julia” was one I was looking forward to.
The movie is based on two books, “My Life in Paris” by Julia Child and “Julie & Julia” by Julie Powell.
The film bounces back and forth between the two lives of these women, which are being lived decades apart.
Nora Ephron (director) is a master storyteller and handles the two stories deftly. She pulled off separate stories in 1993’s “Sleepless in Seattle” masterfully, and this is her best film since.
Meryl Streep does a better Julia Child than Julia Child. She is well past parody or an impression but inhabits Child. Amy Adams has made her mark as an actress and has taken Hollywood by storm since her breakout role in “Junebug” just four year ago.
The first time I saw Adams perform, she was playing Rizzo in “Grease” at Denver’s Country Dinner Playhouse. Since then she has been nominated for two Academy Awards and has won many acting awards. Amy hails from Castle Rock and has a career that she could have never dreamed of.
Adams is Julie, a young woman who has no real direction in her life and can’t seem to finish anything. She is in one of the most depressing jobs ever — she has to listen to stories from the survivors of 9-11 for an insurance company. She wants to be a writer but is lost in this dead-end job, while her girlfriends are all enjoying successful careers.
Her husband, Eric (Chris Messina), encourages her to write a blog about anything, but she doesn’t know what to write about. She is a food lover and loves to cook, but she’s not an accomplished chef by any means. She finds a copy of “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” by Julia Child. It’s encyclopedic, but she decides to prepare every recipe in the book in exactly one year, then write about it daily on her blog.
Julie struggles with her blog, not knowing if anyone is even reading her efforts, but eventually she is writing to thousands of people each day, and the pressure is on. She idolizes Child, and is painstakingly unwavering to the book and makes every dish, which sometimes have disastrous outcomes.
Julia is living with her husband Paul (Stanley Tucci) in Paris in the late 1940s and early ’50s. She is also a lost soul who desperately wants to make something of herself and takes an advanced course in French cooking — only previously taken by men. Child teams up with a couple of French women to write a book on French cooking for American women, in English, which had never been done — the very same book, that Julie is working from 40 years later.
I hate to label this a chick flick, but it is. However, if you’re a guy who likes to cook, you’ll enjoy this immensely.

Gil Whiteley reviews films and writes sports columns for the Denver Daily News. Listen to Gil Whiteley everyday at noon on “Gil and Woody” on AM 1510 KCKK. Respond to this column at editor@thedenverdailynews.com.

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Phish Was Phantastic

By Peter Marcus, DENVER DAILY NEWS
We came, we saw, we conquered.
Four nights at Red Rocks were expected to be “epic.” For the first three shows seen by the Denver Daily News — they were.
Ending a 13-year unofficial ban from Red Rocks after fans in 1996 erupted in minor violence after clashing with police, things this time around went much more smoothly. Fans seem to have grown up — but not too much — and the band themselves have taken a more sophisticated, mature tone about things.
As the sun began to lower, and beautiful Red Rocks was converted into an orgy of sensations and delight, Day 1 kicked off with overcast skies and much anticipation.
The “Divided Sky” opener was almost too obvious — Phish loves to play to the crowd’s moods and the weather’s changing directions. But it set the tone, immediately delving into band leader and guitarist Trey Anastasio’s fictional saga called “Gamehendge.”
The “Gamehendge” songs were few but continued throughout the weekend, rolling into favorites like “Possum,” “AC/DC Bag” and “Punch You In The Eye.”
Fans screamed along with the band, “Let’s get the show on the road.”
Day 1 overall did a good job of setting the tone, while Anastasio worked in new songs set to be released in September on Phish’s new album, “Joy.” Fickle Phish fans have always been extra critical of the band’s new songs, but some have gone over well, like “Ocelot” and “Stealing Time From The Faulty Plan.”
But it was the classics and the tight jams by the band that had the kids howling at the moon at night. The quick chops by drummer Jon “Henrietta” Fishman really “tied the room together.” He tore it up on Day 1 during “Limb By Limb.”
“The Wedge,” “The Moma Dance,” “Horn,” “Stash,” “The Horse,” into “Silent in the Morning” and “Possum” took us into the night.
Time for lights wizard Chris Kuroda to turn it on. Kuroda painted Red Rocks with spectacular imagery, turning the surrounding rocks and waving fans into soft glows of all colors. He is known as CK5 because he is Chris Kuroda, the fifth member of Phish.
Bassist Mike Gordon in the second set of Day 1 kicked it off right away with “Mike’s Song,” into a floating “I Am Hydrogen,” right back into “Weekapaug Groove,” then over to an especially funky and deep “Ghost.”
The crowd got singing on Wolfman’s Brother,” the boys finally seduced their fans with “Billy Breathes,” and “The Squirming Coil,” “David Bowie,” and an encore of the Rolling Stones’ “Loving Cup,” capped off a great start to the run.
While the weather seemed to miraculously hold on Thursday, the sky filled with water just around when the band hit “Water in the Sky” on Friday night.
Before that, pianist Page McConnell took a stroll around the stage, microphone in hand, singing like a lounge singer to his “Lawn Boy.”
“Runway Jim,” “Chalk Dust Torture” and “Bathtub Gin” started the first set.
This time the crowd screamed, “Can’t I Live While I’m Young.”
But the water-themed songs continued as the rain came down harder and the temperature continued to drop. We screamed extra hard, “We love to take a bath!”
A 10-minute, slow cover of The Who’s “Drowned” led way to a cover of the Talking Head’s “Crosseyed and Painless.”
Certainly inspired by the energy of Red Rocks, Phish played just for the Red Rocks crowd, going deep Friday night into what is being called, “Morrison Jam 1.” Things got funky, but then Anastasio dropped the high energy with his new song, “Joy” — one of the new cuts that didn’t cut it with many fans.
“Tweezer” led way to “Backwards Down the Number Line.”
And then it happened, that crazy “Fluffhead” popped his head in again. By this time, more in the crowd were starting to feel “deranged.”
“Piper” became a cover of the Beatles’ “A Day in the Life,” a screaming take on it by Phish always leads to an intense reaction by the crowd.
“Suzy Greenberg” and then the “Tweezer Reprise” made for a slamming conclusion.
On Day 3 the sun came out. Lots were filled with drunken maniacs — by this time in the run, people are starting to feel inspired. Day 3 in a four-night run for Phish has always proven to be some of their best work. They sure didn’t let anyone down Saturday night. This show was a knock-out.
“AC/DC Bag” started it off, and then came “The Curtain,” and in came “With.”
Already tingling from the opening suddenly came the unexpected. Phish took it up a level by putting in a rare and complicated batter in their lineup — “Mound.” The song had not been played since the band returned from their hiatus seven years ago at Madison Square Garden in New York City in 2002.
“Gotta Jibboo,” “Guyute,” “Punch You in the Eye,” “Tube,” “Alaska,” and then a pounding 13-minute “Run Like An Antelope” closed out the first set on what was a beautiful night under the stars.
A cover of The Velvet Underground’s “Rock & Roll” led way to yet another ambiguous jam improvisationally designed by the greatest jam band in the world. “Morrison Jam 2” was simply a treat for the lucky 9,000 fans who scored tickets.
“Down with Disease” found its way into “Free,” which quickly became a circus.
“Esther,” another Phish rarity, popped back up after 88 shows — not played since Vegas 2000. And it was damn near flawless, despite the complicated nature of the song structure.
“Dirt” came in towards the end of second set, and “Harry Hood” finished it off, with fans — as usual — throwing glow sticks towards the band.
Another relatively rare song for Phish, “Sleeping Monkey” rocked the crowd into “First Tube” to end the show.
Spectacular! No wonder these fans do what they do to get into these shows. They’re worth it, and these days, Phish is playing their best music in 10 years — there’s just no question about it.

Grade: A-

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