Notes from the Centennial State
I spent Easter back home in Denver (yes, I still do—and probably always will—think of Denver as home). Regrettably, I failed to take any photos (despite the onset of a fairly impressive spring snowstorm on Sunday night) but I am nonetheless sufficiently moved by the experience to put down a few random weblog notes on the flight home.
- Perhaps it’s just absence making my heart grow fonder, but it seems to me that Denver is getting hipper by the day. I was really impressed, for example, to see that my hometown now boasts an authentic rock-and-roll establishment like the Larimer Lounge, where I was fortunate enough to see one of my heros, Greg Dulli, and his band, the Twilight Singers, on Sunday night. To call Dulli a showman is an understatement—I think “mesmerist” or “tent revival preacher” would be more accurate—and seeing him in a tiny venue like the Lounge was an experience I won’t soon forget. It’s been a long time—probably going back to South by Southwest in 2001 or Primal Scream at Hammersmith Palais in 2000—since I found myself so thoroughly swept up in a show.
- As if enjoying the Twilight Singers wasn’t enough, I had another pleasant surprise during my stay: my alma mater, the University of Denver, won the NCAA “frozen four” hockey championship. This is a big deal for any school, of course, but it’s truly auspicious for DU, which hasn’t won that honor since before the first moon landing and seriously debated whether it should even bother returning to Division I competition in 1998. It was especially cool to see it happen this year since one of my co-workers happens to have a brother on the team (small world, eh?). Go Pioneers!
- One of the great things about going back to Colorado is that it always gives me the opportunity to hang with my Denver homies, and this time was no exception. On Sunday I had the opportunity to catch up with (and have my ass kicked in Quake by) my former co-worker Chris Jones, who has become a vocal advocate for the rights of Colorado’s mountain bikers. Right now, Chris is actively campaigning to reverse Jefferson County’s unfortunate decision to ban mountain bikes from the Reynolds Ranch open space area. It looks like they’ve made some progress, but if you live in Colorado (or, for that matter, even if you don’t) and you want to see bike access at Reynolds Ranch restored, you might still want to join Chris and his compatriots in sending Jeffco a message. Remember, folks: they ride, and they vote!