Just My Type
While I’m jealous that Blake gets to spend his Memorial Day weekend elsewhere, I am seriously looking forward to a bounty of happenings this weekend at the Denver Art Museum focused on the five-hundred-year old tradition of letterpress printing. The fun wraps up on the second level of the Denver Pavilions, from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, with the opening of Pressed!, a special exhibit of works by letterpress typographers from across the country and beyond, including Hatch Show Print, that remains on view through July 4.
Rainbow Magic
Who doesn’t love rainbows? Seriously… I know I do. Optical and meteorological phenomena, rainbows are magical and beautiful. However, I don’t need to wear one on a necklace, wave it in the air, or sticker my rear window with them. Just saying.
Here are some pretty spectacular images of cypher13 design studio’s temporary sculptural installation Rainbow Magic, outside of David Adjaye’s MCA Denver and just across the street from Create Denver Week headquarters this past April. These are just the kind of rainbows I could spend some quality time with. But like any great rainbow they didn’t last long enough. To see more and read more, click here.
Law and Order, 1990-2010
Forgive my silence, dear readers, for I am in mourning. I have been unable to touch finger to keyboard until now to describe the sadness I feel at the passing of Law and Order. Yes, it’s gotten worse over the years. Yes, things weren’t the same after Lennie left. I also recognize that viewership has dropped precipitously over the past few years and that the original has been eclipsed in ratings by its spinoffs (particularly the ever popular SVU, with its gore and prurience).
Original Cast (sans DA and Lieutenant)
But the original is still the original and I’ve probably seen almost all of its episodes at least once, if not three or four times. I remember the first time I truly became addicted. It was the summer of 2001, so already 11 years into its run (just think of how many reruns there were to watch: a cornucopia of death and legal wrangling to be discovered!). I was subletting with people I didn’t know all that well and they had cable (I didn’t even have a TV myself). One of them was also an L&O addict. And soon I joined her.
I came to realize that while many things in life might bring me more joy and happiness, few things were as reliably satisfying as an episode of Law and Order. One hour and things were wrapped up neatly. The prosecution didn’t always win, of course (which leant it some small semblance of verité), but the murder was usually solved even if not adequately punished. Police for half an hour; DAs for another half an hour. Predictable and satisfying. I came to know the ins and outs, which leads were red herrings, when the supposed murderer really was innocent. It often had to do with timing. I knew the rhythms of an episode so well that I knew when it was too soon to have found the perp or to have wrapped up the case: a twist was coming!
All of this predictability might make it sound like L&O was boring, but on the contrary, it was like it had become a reliable old friend. I knew the sounds (bum bum!) and the characters. I savored every little detail revealed about their personal lives (and these were famously few and far between). I came to have my favorites. I think my Dream Team would have to be:
One Configuration of My Favorite Lineup
S. Epatha Merkerson as the tough-as-nails Lt. Anita Van Buren
Jerry Orbach as the salty, wise-cracking, club soda swilling Lennie Briscoe
Tie: Benjamin Bratt and Jesse L. Martin as Rey Curtis and Ed Green, respectively, the hot junior cops and Lennie sidekicks (both of whom, in different ways, have troubles off the job: Rey’s wife, Deborah, has MS, and Ed battles a gambling problem)
Steven Hill as the crotchety and taciturn DA Adam Schiff
Sam Waterston as Jack McCoy, Executive ADA (who else could it be?)
3 way tie: Jill Hennessy, Carey Lowell, and Angie Harmon as Claire Kincaid, Jamie Ross, and Abby Carmichael, respectively. These three ADAs could not be more different from one another, and that was all for the good. All three were feminists, though Ross and Carmichael would never have slept with the boss as Kincaid did. All three were whip smart. Carmichael’s politics were generally not my own but there was a certain thrill by proxy when Abby advocated some horribly draconian punishment.
The 2009-2010 Cast
So who is your dream lineup? Or what L&O memories would you like to share as we tune in this week for the series finale (sob) of twenty years of the police, who investigate crime, and the district attorneys, who prosecute the offenders?
Sharon Stone
Ms. Stone has officially risen to the top of the heap amongst searched terms that end up with a click on Down and Out in Denver. Giving her a run for her money are Sarah Richardson, host of the HGTV show “Sarah’s House,” and Sandra Rinomato of HGTV’s “Property Virgins” (Rinomato is often combined with the words “hate,” “teeth,” or “breasts”); Alastair and I posted on Richardson and Rinomato, respectively. While we here at DOD think we’re writing a little blog about all things gay and Denver, people arrive here for all sorts of other reasons. (I was right, by the way: the possibility of Emilio Sosa’s gayness has resulted in a number of hits every day since I posted on his PR win.)
Stone and SVU co-star Mariska Hargitay on set
Those who have blogs of their own will not find this at all surprising as they probably check what WordPress calls a “Dashboard” to see how many hits they have, whether others have linked to them, which links those visitors themselves have clicked, and so forth. Alastair and I do all those things as well. But what has surprised me in the last month is just how little I said about Sharon Stone (I mentioned that she was set to become a guest star on “Law and Order: SVU”) and how that has generated more traffic than just about anything else over that month. And not just in English. Other alphabets have started to grace the DOD Dashboard: شارون استون and Шэрон Стоун. Apparently Czechs and Russians are using DOD to learn more about Ms. Stone. Even just typing in “Stone” gets you to DOD.
My biggest question is this: is there really no better place to find out more on the wonders of la Stone? I googled Sharon Stone (no quotation marks) and made it through the first ten pages without coming upon lil’ ol’ DOD. Who has the time to keep going, I ask you. And why?
Pinkberry Comes to Denver
Yes, Pinkberry, the tart premium frozen yogurt franchise that got its start in Southern California (and home to Swirly Goodness) is coming to Denver’s 16th Street Mall this July. Looks like they’re taking over the old Peet’s Coffee & Tea at 1600 Glenarm Place. And while I was seriously bummed to see Peet’s go, I’m happy that Pinkberry is taking its place just in time for summer. I’m even happier that it’s not going to be another Starbucks or Subway. Seriously… how many Fourbucks do we need along the 16th Street Mall, people?
While Pinkberry is located mostly in Southern California, with roughly a dozen stores in New York City, there are many competitors out there, including Red Mango which, according to my best gal pal Leona, has an outpost in Seattle. I’m most looking forward to the sleek green-and-blue striped facade, carefully crafted interior, and Philippe Starck plastic furniture that all help compliment the product, while hopefully injecting some good design sense to Denver’s 16th Street Mall.
Be sure to listen to The Lady Tigra’s incredibly catchy jingle “Sorry Ice Cream,” Pinkberry’s signature song, below.
“Sorry Ice Cream” by Rachel de Rougemont aka The Lady Tigra:
A Night on the Town
Trying to come up with a title for this post — just one word or location — was impossible. Your DOD boys were all over the place this weekend. We began Friday night at a lovely catered graduation party in the Highlands, where we chatted with friends and congratulated the graduate (an advanced degree; we’re too old to be socializing with undergrads!). Then we headed out to meet some of our gal pals for a few drinks on the town. I had planned on turning in relatively early; I had to be up the next morning. It was not to be.
We had a cocktail at Sputnik first but we weren’t really feeling it. So we headed on over to a new DOD favorite, Sketch Wine Bar, at Broadway and 1st Avenue. We split a bottle of Prosecco and then each had a glass of wine. There were 8 of us by this point, but J.D., the friendly barkeep, knew all our names by about halfway through our stay. Now that’s the kind of service we can get excited about! Add to that the great selection of wines by the bottle and glass, and we were happy campers.
But even that was not enough for one of our gal pals, whom I shall call Whitney (you’ll see why in a minute). Whitney was hell bent on singing karaoke and she swears by Armida’s (on Lincoln between 8th and 9th). She twisted our arms and so we pried ourselves away from our lovely window nook at Sketch and piled into cabs bound for Armida’s. (Our surly driver told us we should have walked but he dropped us off nevertheless.)
The Karaoke Viewer at Armida's
Turns out that by the time we arrived, Whitney (who got there first) had already signed up both the DOD boys. We had earlier made the mistake of telling her what we would sing if we had been so inclined. The key word there is “if.” I do not sing. I had a karaoke stint in high school when, apparently, I had fewer inhibitions, but I haven’t done it in years. I have a horrible voice and I wasn’t keen to subject anyone else to my out-of-key keening. But Whitney was having none of it.
This is the thing: she can sing. And she’s fearless (the cocktails didn’t hurt). After a rousing rendition of “Your Love” by Outfield (which we have on video, but which WordPress would charge me too much to upload), it came my turn. I was dreading it, so I brought Whitney up on stage with me and we recaptured some of my high school glory with Bananarama’s version of the classic “Venus” (It didn’t hurt that my mic was set to backup and Whitney’s was the lead). Alastair rounded out the evening with “Midnight Cowboy.”
A great time was had by all. A few suggestions for our fellow singers: No ballads unless you can actually sing. And even then, think twice; they’re just not as much fun for the audience. If you’re a white boy, avoid songs where you’ll be required to to say n***er. Really. And no matter who you are, sing with enthusiasm. A little dancing never hurt anyone either. If Blake can do it, pretty much anyone can!
Fancy Tiger
About two months ago, Alastair and some of our gal pals and I hit the town. Among our stops was Fancy Tiger, which was having one of its monthly trunk shows: DJs, beer, and various wares on sale. I told myself that I would return to shop when I wasn’t heading out on the town and I’ve finally done so.
Fancy Tiger is located at 14 South Broadway, between Archer and Ellsworth, right near some other DOD faves: Sputnik and Beatrice and Woodsley. They feature handmade jewelry, bags, and lots of men’s and women’s clothes for the arty and hipster crowd. It was the clothing that brought me back. I picked up a cute striped V-neck T-shirt (perfect for the coming summer) and a necktie. The tie — my first skinny tie! — has diagonal stripes in two shades of blue, allowing me to combine a trendy look with my Brooks Brothers roots. I’m easing my way into hipster formalwear.
This Friday Fancy Tiger once again hosts “Denver Made,” featuring DJs and great shopping from 7 to 10 pm. The event is sponsored by Great Divide Brewery, so you know what that means. Stop on by!
Denver Made at Fancy Tiger
Tamayo
Tamayo's Dining Room
One of my very best gal pals from college has been in town for a few days for a conference of very earnest people. Previn (as he has chosen to be called) and I ventured out for dinner and some fun this weekend. We went to Tamayo, located at 14th and Larimer. I had been once before, but about three years ago. I remember it as decent food but a little touristy, it being in LoDo and surrounded by hotels. My memory was correct.
We began our meal with two appetizers: the ceviche de mahi mahi and an order of quesadillas filled with a meat that I no longer recall. The ceviche was tasty: onion, cilantro, and a sweet and spicy tomato broth. The quesadillas, which seemed more like empanadas to me, were forgettable, hence my literal lack of memory.
For the main course, Previn opted for the Alambre de Lomo: basically two shish kebabs of beef tenderloin, chorizo, and a variety of vegetables, including some nicely charred scallions. It was a lot of food, but definitely tasty. I had the enchiladas with fresh crab meat and some sort of queso fresco and green salsa; this was lighter (though it doesn’t sound it) and less filling than Previn’s entrée. All the food was just fine but the extensive selection on the menu and the atmosphere all feel just a little bit corporate. And indeed the restaurant is part of Richard Sandoval’s empire, which includes other restaurants here in Colorado (Zengo and La Sandia) as well as locations in Las Vegas, DC, Dubai, and a couple Mexican cities.
The Front Porch at the Cowboy Lounge
Afterwards we met up with some of Previn’s fellow conference attendees at The Cowboy Lounge, a completely contrived Country and Western bar in LoDo. This place was ridiculous, but Previn had been charged by his coworkers with finding something Western within walking distance of the hotel. Not being able to locate a mechanical bull, he had opted for the The Cowboy Lounge. It, too, is part of a bar empire (The Tavern Hospitality Group), and it feels it. While there is definitely country music playing, the bartenders do wear cowboy hats, and there are intermittent line dancing lessons, the whole place was as artificial as they come. It was also freezing. I felt bad that the out-of-towners were taking this as representative of D-Town. But they weren’t my coworkers or friends, so my guilt was short-lived. Previn and I hightailed it out of dodge and went in search of some homosexuals…
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