Lifestyle | What We Thought of the Fleakin' Flea

It’s official! 2016’s first Flea of the year reigned in over 20,000 people this past weekend! And it was quite the spectacle too, as happy hipsters, baby wielding dilfs and local goods enthusiasts flooded the streets of Denver’s River North district.  The crowds did surprise us, mainly due to the sheer chaos downtown that surrounded the launch of Denver’s new A Line... which had a wait of nearly two hours out of Union Station! Promptly abandoning our initial decision to check out the A Line launch party, we decided to ditch the lines and opt for artisan vendors, booze and to our excitement even more lines! 

The Flea was already pretty packed by the time we arrived an hour after it opened on Saturday the 23rd. It was also larger than we expected, spanning out on all sides of the ExDo building. There were booths lined along three sides of the venue coupled with a food truck courtyard, complete with seven food trucks and two ice cream trucks. The bars kept the lines moving as thirsty shoppers flooded their fronts hoping for New Belgium craft, margaritas, cocktails and other domestic spirits.

The long lines, excitement and flawless djing from veteran flea curator, Tobias Krause caused some of our four legged friends to take shameless (and adorable) naps right in the center of the of all the commotion. 

There were over 150 vendors this time making it one of the largest Denver Flea’s to date and what seemed like one of the most popular (next to their super Holiday Flea we reported on early December).  As usual, there were lots of clothing companies, body products, homemade foods and jewelry, all kinds of art and some unique home goods and furnishings. 

One of the reasons we've flocked to the Denver Flea numerous times is the diversity of unique finds situated in a fun, party-like atmosphere. You're always greeted with a boozy beverage ticket, lots of local snack samples and plenty of pretty people watching. Between all the stunning handmade pieces, art, clothes, food and people, the Flea is a nonstop beauty overload. You will most likely leave with a couple cool new things, a full tummy, plenty of FitBit steps, and a renewed appreciation for the artistic spirit thriving within Denver. 

Here's to lookin' at you Summer Flea. Fleak on, fleaks. Fleak on...

Lifestyle | GABF Events | Your Guide to Denver's Drunkest Week

Drunks of Denver.... ASSEMBLE!!! Forget the majestic Rocky Mountains and our 300 days of sunshine, we have beer. Pure North American, craft beer. So great that men and women from around the globe gather here once a year to rejoice in it's sweet, golden triumph. And we could not be more honored to be a part of this year's GABF celebration of all things beer. 

(Image: www.breckbrew.com)

This week there will be: tap takeovers, beer releases, album + beer releases, weird ingredients Bud Light would not approve of, amazing food for our inevitable "drunchies" and more drunks under one roof than you can count. Alongside the programmed set of events there will be an extensive list of after-parties, private off-site brewery tours and special tastings open to the public. So even if you forgot (read: did not buy your GABF tickets the second they went on sale), do not fret! You will still be able to ride the coat tails of this monumental event.

Many Denver breweries are throwing their own GABF events. Take a look at what some of our local favorites are getting into this week:

New Belgium:  http://www.newbelgium.com/Events/CO/GABF.aspx

Oskar Blues:  http://obordeal.tumblr.com

O’Dells:  https://odellbrewing.com/events/

Breck Brew:  http://www.breckbrew.com/events

Left Hand Brewing:  http://lefthandbrewing.com/blog/2015/08/left-hand-gabf-2015/

Ratio Beer Works:  https://www.facebook.com/ratiobeerworks

Denver Beer Co:  http://denverbeerco.com/events/

Jagged Mountain Craft Brewery:  http://www.jaggedmountainbrewery.com/gabf-week-at-jagged-mountain/

Our Mutual Friend Brewing Company: http://www.omfbeer.com/events/2015/9/23/beers-made-by-walking-fest-2015

Former Future Brewing Company:  http://www.omfbeer.com/events/2015/9/23/beers-made-by-walking-fest-2015

Epic Brewing:  http://www.epicbrewing.com/news-and-events/item/6907-3rd-annual-50-firkin-fiasco-and-gabf-events

Crooked Stave:  http://www.crookedstave.com 

Declaration Brewing: http://www.declarationbrewing.com/events/mancan-128-launch-event/

Great Divide Brewery: http://greatdivide.com/event/great-american-beer-festival/

Check out Brewtally Insane for a day by day comprehensive list of daily events as well.

There's a reason everyone calls Denver the Napa Valley of craft beer and it's because we have more innovative breweries per capita than any other state. Our hearts go out to all of our hardworking hometown heroes. We know you'll bring home the gold.

See you by the taps, Denver! Don't forget to chant on your fellow GABF goers. Everyone can use some words of encouragement every now and then. 

Lifestyle | Taco Fest Distress | June 27-28

Let's tacobout why this past weekend's taco fest was more of a distress than a fest. First of all, there was absolutely NO organization. The ticket takers and cops were both unsure of who was checking IDs at the door. Plus, there was a side entrance where a bunch of freeloaders were sneaking in. Pure taco filled chaos.

Secondly, no one was watching the band except two people and we didn't see the lucha libre wrestling or chihuahua races happening. Did anyone? Were we being punk'd?

A few food trucks were selling tacos ranging from $2-10 and others were selling pizza and hamburgers. All of which seemed like they had just woken up, decided to start a food truck, wrote a sign in Sharpee and happened to come across this fest. Sadly, the lines were too long to eat, so we have no idea if it was tasty or not. For all we know we could have missed out on a great meal, or maybe we just escaped salmonella poisoning... Some things are better left unsolved.

Moral of the story: Do not be tempted by the promise of milk and honey (read: tacos and beer), for all you know, it will end up being a chaotic vat of sweaty lost souls, lines, and a few food trucks. 

Lifestyle | Nocturne Denver | Jazz, Culture and Great Food

There's a certain timelessness to jazz music. It's one of the oldest forms of musical expression and yet it is still completely relevant decades later. When you come to a place like Nocturne it is likely because you hold an admiration and longing for the bygone era when jazz clubs reigned supreme and the people, places, and menu all centered around the music. The owners of Nocturne Jazz & Supper Club, Nicole and Scott Mattson surely connected with this sentiment while creating Nocturne. It's apparent in every aspect from the décor, the music and the specially crafted menu to their involvement in the community’s musical education and funding.

Our evening at Nocturne Jazz was simply beautiful. The decor and the ambiance were both inviting and reminiscent of a simpler time. With cushioned booths and sideways sweeping stairways the entire venue transports you to a smoky jazz club circa 1915.  Nicole and Scott are very passionate about their project and were more than happy to come chat with us about their new jazz club, “We’re having a real kick with it,” Scott says. Nocturne has started to gain popularity with weekends nearly at capacity throughout the night and musicians eager to play a ten to twelve week residency. “A residency allows the musicians to get comfortable in our space and really develop their craft. On the other hand, it also gives them an opportunity to experiment with different styles and test out new music on the audience,” our waitress Rachel explains. This means every show is different at Nocturne, even if you come and see the same band perform.

The food and beverages at Nocturne take a residency as well. In addition to a set of “Standards” on the menu, there is a rotating selection called “Renditions” that are directly inspired by iconic and historical jazz albums. We attended their Renditions Menu Launch event last Thursday night where they debuted their newest Renditions menu. During these evenings a live band plays an iconic album from which the menu is inspired and their Chef Dustin Beckner explains how he and his team came up with each dish and drink pairing to match each song on the album.

“Quiet Kenny” by renown horn player Kenny Dorham was the album selected for this menu Residency, with The Tom Gershwin Quartet performing their first show of their ten to twelve week Residency at Nocturne. Chef Beckner tells us there is tenderness to Dorham’s album and every dish he created for this has a subtle line of harmony and balance. Each of the five courses does indeed deliver a delicious combination of sweet and salty, warming and cooling, hearty and light, smoky and smooth, exotic and familiar. The drinks were equally enjoyable from refreshing yet complex cocktails to rare wines on heavy rotation. On any given night, the wait staff is happy to walk you through the menu and explain the inspiration and ingredients of each Rendition’s dish and drink. As owner Scott Mattson explained, “Great music and great food run through the core of our hearts and the pit of our bellies.”

There is a timelessness to Nocturne that we hope will carry them through the current decades here in Denver to become a classic standard in of itself. We're sure that 30-50 years from now Nocturne will be a historic and integral staple to Denver's culture.

Learn more about Nocturne Jazz & Supper club and their upcoming events here.

Lifestyle | Cameron Esposito @ Comedy Works | May 14-16

We know you have a busy weekend ahead of you, full of lying around with your cats, eating CheezIts straight from the bag (no box) and reruns of How I Met Your Mother... but we have something way better planned for you. Cameron Esposito is gracing Denver with her beautiful half mullet and golden brown eyes this weekend at Comedy Works and we couldn't be happier. Castro even dusted off his denim wedding dress for the occasion.

According to non other than comedy legend, Jay Leno Cameron Esposito is the future of comedy and we totally agree. She has been on Chelsea Lately, The Late Show, The Late Late Show, CONAN, has a killer new album out and a bunch of viral vids on YouTube. (Yes we shortened that because why not. Get off our ass dad).

Side Note: We think Cameron Esposito may have Lena Dunham beat as the voice of our generation.  *gasp*

And guess what! She is performing this weekend at Comedy Works and we wanted to extend the invitation to you to come see her live. There's going to be a lot of denim and who knows, maybe we'll even bring our cat(s).

Buy tickets: http://www.comedyworks.com/comedians/807

Take a look at some of the stuff Cameron's been getting into:

Album track "Woman Who Doesn't Sleep With Men" viral video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSJGaVuJJn8

Cameron performs on CONAN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlUWrbY86Yk

Cameron performs on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mp4AzWjow0

Video for album track "Guacamole" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esFP8eO7Ojo

"Ask a Lesbian" video series:
1.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av2PU3wLGio
2.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_N36YpApQA

Cameron's "Who In The World is Cameron Esposito?" AV Club column http://avc.lu/1Bv3ey5

Kill Rock Stars press page:  http://killrockstars.com/samesexsymbol

Cameron's site:  http://cameronesposito.com/
@cameronesposito

Lifestyle | Breckenridge Brewery Partners With The East For Colab Fest

Oh! Collaboration Fest! The finest Fest of all the Fests in town. Who doesn't like to see breweries working together in perfect harmony, singing, brewing and drinking like the blood brothers we are. One of our local favorites, Breckenridge Brewery was making frenemies with the East while we were enjoying our frigidly warm winter. Are we about to see a Tupac and Biggie showdown? Or will they work together to create something that Big Poppa and 2Pac himself would imbibe? We think the latter. If history has taught us anything, it's that beer can solve any and every feud. And we'll drink to that!

Who: Starr Hill Brewery and MadTree Brewing Company.

The Results: Two recipes to be proud of, two days of brewing with new friends and two incomparable and wonderful beers to share.

MADTREE + BRECKENRIDGE BREWERY = SAISON RIDGE

The goal was to create a beer that represented each state through its ingredients. Jimmy Walker, head brewer for Breckenridge Brewery's brewpub in Breckenridge teamed up with Jeff Hunt, head brewer of MadTree Brewing. Together they came up with a short list of ingredients that included Ohio spice bush berries, Colorado spruce tips, and Colorado honey.

“Carrying 10 pounds of super fragrant spice bush berries through airport security to bring a piece of Ohio to the beer was just the beginning of a great partnership with Jimmy and the Breck crew,” shared Jeff. “We had fun coming up with a beer style, brewing something that plays well with these unique ingredients yet is still refreshing for the spring.” Jimmy added, "Both spruce tips and the spice bush berry can be easily overdone with their very potent flavor profiles. We attempted to err on the side of subtlety and keep the beer true to style.” Saison Ridge is the outcome of their meticulous efforts - a dry, refreshing, spicy and drinkable saison with subtle and complex flavor nuances from the native ingredients.

STARR HILL BREWERY + BRECKENRIDGE BREWERY = SNOW YOUR OATS

Todd Usry, Brewmaster and Director of Brewing Operations for Breckenridge Brewery, co-created the second collaboration with Robbie O'Cain, Brewmaster of Starr Hill. “Starr Hill was an easy pick for this collaboration. Its founder, Mark Thompson, is an old friend from brewing school. I was born and raised in Virginia and love the Blue Ridge Mountains where Starr Hill is based. It doesn't hurt that Starr Hill is renowned for its stouts and other beers; I've always wanted to create something with them.” Robbie came to Colorado to brew a collaborative stout at Breckenridge Brewery's Denver brewery. He shipped ahead malt and barley used in Dark Starr, Little Red RooStarr, and other great Starr Hill stouts, and he carried with him locally sourced Virginia oats. To round out the 50 barrel brew, Breckenridge threw in 200 pounds of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory dark chocolate, the same chocolate brewed in its 72 Imperial Chocolate Cream Stout.

Denver was barraged with snow the day they brewed, inspiring the name “Snow your Oats.” How appropriate that the resulting full-flavored, chocolate oatmeal stout is one that will soothe the soul and satisfy the palate during any given storm. “After a great experience brewing and sharing knowledge with the Breckenridge team, I can’t wait to show off this beer at Collaboration Fest," said Robbie, who is flying back to Colorado this weekend to help launch Snow Your Oats. "It will be a blast when Todd and Breckenridge make the trek east to Virginia later this year to brew a new collaboration with the Starr Hill team for our fans on the East Coast.”

Come drink the fine elixirs on March, 21st at Sports Authority Field @ Mile High Stadium, Denver, Colorado from 3pm-7pm.

Get yo tickets here: http://www.imbibe-events.com/event/2015-collaboration-fest/

Parties At Galleries Are The New Black | March 13

Ultra5280 is excited for this upcoming new monthly staple! We mean come on, what's better than listening to local music, supporting local artists and grinding up on a strange person all night? Trust us, WE KNOW... Let's all welcome, The Gallery Party Series to Denver! 

Noveau Colorado and Roux Black are pleased to present The Gallery Party Series, a gathering of Colorado's tastemakers and artisans hosted at Point Gallery. The first party will be held on March 13th (Friday) and will feature performances from The ReMINDers, Catch Lungs, Amanda Hawkins, Jacob Russo, and more. The deejay duties will be held down by SpydaTEK and the dance floor will be packed.

Early in the evening Ladyspeech will be performing poetry, there will be vendors and merchandise booths including tarot readings, massage, live art and more.

Check out thegallerypartyseries.com to learn more about this brand new monthly event and to peruse the sounds of some of the hottest artists.

We are pleased to join in partnership with Point Gallery to provide a party worth the history books and give a platform to some of Colorado's hottest performers and art curators.

Lifestyle | FELLOW Magazine Pop Up Event | March 5

We would have expected nothing less from Fellow Magazine. They transformed a rather empty warehouse into a hipster haven. There was everything from candles hanging from the ceiling in mason jars to tiny cups of cotton candy and a folky band with such exquisite beards that even Nick Offerman would envy. But beyond the decor there was something more to the evening. A sense of camaraderie among us, the feeling that we were all in this together (cue the Disney music). But really, everyone in attendance understood what it was like turn down a desk job or say, “no” to the 9-5. To simply write, draw and create for no other explanation than because we had to. An eternal testament to the city we live in and the people that make Denver unique. FELLOW Magazine has captured the heart of our generation on a 1950s Polaroid camera.

We are Generation C, we collaborate, connect and create. FELLOW understands this and celebrates Colorado’s differences. Their magazine gives artists a chance to express and expose themselves so they can really make it at their trade. A publication that leaves the “click bait” alone and really sets out to create something that captures the people that inhabit the forests, ghost towns and high rises of Colorado.

I read through volume 03 at a voracious pace and soaked in everything from crazy cocktails and ice fishing adventures to beautiful prose. What sets this volume apart is the writing, anyone with a knowledge of the English language can feel the story brewing in the writer’s veins as they read. Two of my favorite articles were, “Riding The Rails” and “ Birds In The Backyard.” Tales simple enough to be told in a few moments or less, but intricate enough to curl up and take home in your mind.

This review does not do the evening or the volume any justice. Head over to: http://www.fellow-magazine.com/ and pick yourself up a copy. We guarantee that it will be your coffee table staple long after your grow out of your studio apartment.

-McClain Morris