COMMENTARY
OPINION A CLIMATE CRISIS, BUT NOT A CATASTROPHE
Decarbonization will continue in Colorado despite Trump triumph
Chris Wright, the nominee of president-elect Donald Trump to oversee the U.S. Department of Energy, founded Liberty Energy, a company headquartered on the 24th floor of a downtown Denver building. The company deploys hydraulic fracturing (fracking) and other technological innovations that have produced a bounty of hydrocarbons in Colorado and other places on the planet.
Wright is a hydrocarbon evangelist. He says only fossil fuels can lift people out of poverty. He acknowledges humaninduced climate change but downplays the potential costs. Renewable generation will take a century or two to displace fossil fuels.
“We should push ahead, but if you push ahead at all costs, you end up harming people’s lives,” he said in Greeley in 2021.
In Colorado, the energy transition is well underway. Consider Holy Cross Energy, the electrical cooperative serving the Aspen and Vail areas. During October, Holy Cross managed to achieve more than 90% electrical generation from its wind, solar and other renewable resources. Bryan Hannegan, the chief executive, believes Holy Cross can achieve between 95% and 100% emissionsfree electricity by 2030.
The cost? Surveys of Colorado’s 50-plus electrical utilities consistently
NOVEMBER 28, 2024 Volume 32, Number 15
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show Holy Cross having among the state’s lowest rates.
Colorado legislators in 2019 adopted goals for economy wide decarbonization, the first big milestone being 50% by 2030. That’s a difficult goal, and we’re currently lagging the pace we need. Will a Trump White House and a Republican Congress further slow Colorado’s journey?
No, because Colorado has such strong momentum. Beginning with a big bill-signing festival amid solar panels in Arvada in May 2019, Gov. Jared Polis has signed scores of bills into law. Those laws collectively push and pull Colorado toward lowand no-emissions technologies.
This big pivot has been made easier by rapid price declines in wind and solar energy during the last 15 years. Keep in mind that Trump, when campaigning in Grand Junction in 2016, promised to put coal miners back to work. Guess what? During his time in the White House, Colorado utilities made plans to close all their coal plants. They’re too costly.
I posed the question of a Trump presidency and Republican Congress to Jigar Shaw in October 2023. He oversees the Department of Energy loan program.
“Four major technologies have thrived to the point where they’re super cost-effective today: solar, wind, lithium-ion battery storage and electric vehicles,” he replied. “All four were unscathed [and] thrived under the Trump administration.”
The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the deceptively named climate change law passed by Congress in 2022, has funneled great sums to both rural and urban Colorado. (Holy Cross Energy is getting none.)
Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, the electrical provider for 17 of Colorado’s 22 electrical cooperatives, is to get $2.5 billion in grants and loans to help it replace coal plants with renewables and natural gas. The Denver Regional Council of Governments got $200 million to help reduce natural gas consumption in buildings. A representative
OPINION
assured me the money is secure.
Can the Trump administration redirect money to other purposes, such as for erecting a wall in Arizona? Likely not in any significant way. After all, well more than half of IRA money has gone to the nation’s congressional districts represented by Republicans, according to an analysis from E2, a nonprofit lobbying group for the renewable energy industry.
The greatest near-term threat may be to the $7,500 federal tax credit for purchase of electric vehicles. Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla and presumptive head of the new U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, dislikes subsidies. According to the New York Times, he told shareholders in July that shedding the tax credit will hurt competing auto manufactures more. Losing that tax credit could slow Colorado’s embrace of EVs. EVs and plug-in hybrids were responsible for about 28% of all new-car sales in the third quarter of 2024.
Renewables still have challenges. Because of their intermittency, we need more storage. And just as we once built costly interstate highways, we will build costly transmission lines for more energy sharing across broad areas. We have a long way to go in this marathon.
Wright, Trump’s energy nominee, discounts the immediate threat of global warming. Colorado River flows that have declined 20% attest to a big problem today. Part of it is natural drought, but a new study shows warming temperatures have been swinging the heavier bat in this aridification. Grand Junction can attest to this. Temperatures last summer averaged over 80 degrees, a record.
To be clear, it would be far better if the Trump administration wanted to accelerate the pace of the energy transition. But will Trump’s triumph stall Colorado’s progress? Not much.
Allen Best writes about Colorado’s pivots in energy and water at BigPivots.com.
This opinion does not necessarily reflect the views of Boulder Weekly.
CULTURE
‘SHAKING, SCARED, OFF-KEY’
Sober performance spaces offer a needed respite to people in recovery
BY SHAY CASTLE
The man on the stage strums his guitar and croaks out a song. His voice falters on the high notes. His fingers fumble on the strings. At one point, he pauses and mumbles an apology for his mistake.
In the audience, no one snickers or cringes. No one looks away. Instead, they shout encouragement, and the man begins again with a smile.
As he plays the final chords and warbles the last few words, there is complete silence. He has drawn everyone, collectively, into all this song means to him and all it has cost him to play it — every hour spent learning the placement of his fingers on the strings, each private rehearsal in his home or on drives to work, committing the lyrics to memory.
There is nothing polite in the applause he receives; these are people who know exactly what it takes to be here, and they celebrate each person brave enough to show up.
This is Sober Night Live at Roots Music Project, an open mic night by and for people in recovery from substance use — or simply the sober-curious, a concept that has grown in popularity in recent years.
Spaces free from the omnipresent influence of intoxicants are hard to come by.
And while the general public has never had more choice when it comes to spiritfree drinks and events, performers still find their options limited.
Artists all across the Front Range are building their own sober spaces, online and in the physical world, providing critical support for creatives to pursue their art and sobriety simultaneously.
“A lot of people are like, ‘Society is
going downhill,’” says David Kennedy, Roots’ executive director. “The sober movement, that’s something that’s getting better.”
ROCK-N-ROLL MYTH
From Van Gogh to Steve-O, making art is inextricably linked with drinking and using drugs. The exploration of why that is could fill several books. Ryan Dart believes it has to do with the fear of rejection.
“You have to be so vulnerable to share that creative output with other people,” says Dart, a musician and manager of Colorado acts like Elephant Revival and Rose Hill Drive. “I’ve been writing songs for 25-plus years, and a new song is such a vulnerable space to share with other people. I still get those feelings, those nerves, those butterflies.”
“It’s safer to close that window to the soul.”
The association between mind-altering substances and meaningful creativity is especially prevalent in the music business what Dart calls the “rock-n-roll myth” and Kennedy refers to as “the mystique of the musician under the influence.”
“I’ve even had teachers recommend, ‘Maybe you ought to smoke some weed and try to do some songwriting,’” Kennedy says. “I’ve been to rehearsals with bands in the past where everybody is using.”
The vast majority of music venues serve alcohol. Particularly for those newly in recovery, that takes performing or even attending shows off the table.
Brooke Delgado, a singer-songwriter and student at CU Denver, is interviewing sober musicians for her master’s thesis.
Drugs or alcohol are “an escape from that anxious place of how their art is going to be received.”
Substance use can also put distance between themselves and the art they create, Dart believes. A lyric or a painting can reveal so much about the artist, a level of vulnerability that can be uncomfortable.
“It’s a way to not have to feel responsible for the origin of their art, you know?” says Dart, who has been sober for about seven years. “It gets them off the hook of having to relay how they were inspired to write this thing or do this painting.
She has talked to 18 people so far. In her research, participants told Delgado they “put music down at the beginning of their recovery, and they pick it up later,” she says. “That would be something I’ve heard more than once.”
Paul Soderman, a fixture in the local music and recovery scenes, didn’t step foot in a bar during his first five years of sobriety. After that, “I was in bars more than heavy drinkers. I was safe. I could be around booze, I could take secondhand weed smoke, and it didn’t bother me.”
Today, he has 41 years of sobriety to his name. He celebrated his 40th year of being clean with a party at Roots Music Project.
“It’s hard to be 90 days sober, 30 days, zero days,” he says. “It’s easy to do 40 years.”
RAW AND REAL
Sober Night Live feels like a mixture of entertainment and an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting. Professional lights, sound and an emcee elevate the event above many open mics. But there’s a camaraderie and communal vibe that set it apart: Guests introduce themselves to newcomers; free pizza and soda, provided by an attendee, were available to all.
Then there are the performances themselves: comedy, poetry and music interspersed with tidbits from personal healing journeys. Polish is replaced by vulnerability; politeness exchanged for genuine appreciation and welcome.
“There’s a rawness I didn’t see elsewhere,” Delgado says. “You go to a regular open mic, people are out there releasing music, playing gigs, performing. You got to a sober open mic, and you’ve got someone who is reciting poetry or writing a song for the first time.
“You’re probably not going to do that at a bar where you’re background music,” Delgado adds. “You want people to listen to you.”
“A lot of these folks haven’t performed music sober in decades,” Kennedy says. “They just need a safe place to prove to themselves that they can do it.”
For years, Soderman hosted a sober open mic for Boulder nonprofit AIM, which helps young adults get help with substance use and other behavioral health issues, until the event lost its physical space. Roots stepped in to fill the void.
Soderman wants to draw younger artists to Sober Night Live, and hopes participants with more sobriety under their belts will continue to share their stories alongside songs and poems and stand-up routines — even if they’re “shaking, scared, off-key” — to set an example for folks new to or not yet in recovery.
Ideally, he says, every performance should engage with the healing journey in some way. “I want to hear songs that speak to us. I don’t want to hear another Neil Young song.”
A duo on stage at the Oct. 1 Sober Night Live at Roots Music Project in Boulder. Credit: Bled Chimanga
‘SOMETHING IS HAPPENING’
For the newly sober, finding alcoholfree places and people is the obstacle. For venues, it’s the cost to provide those spaces.
Even with volunteer labor, it isn’t free for Roots Music Project to host Sober Night Live.
“Just to have a space, pay rent and insurance and clean it and have somebody to schedule it is about $1,000 a day, for our space,” Kennedy says. “I know that seems ridiculously high, but it’s the reality of it. The business model is challenging, really challenging.”
Some venues charge more for sober events, according to Joe Huisman, founder of Second Chance Comedy, a show by, for and about people in recovery. Or the event will become sober-ish, with alcohol available for sale even if most people there aren’t drinking.
Huisman doesn’t like it, but he doesn’t have a lot of options.
“One of the biggest challenges is finding venues,” he says. “I do think it does limit the audience. Some people will come if there’s a full-sober show and others probably won’t. And probably the other way around.”
The show features performers who “have had a personal relationship with addiction,” either directly or through family members, friends or loved ones. The shows are typically about addiction and recovery and are a mix of comedy and storytelling. Twenty percent of ticket sales benefit Sobriety House, Colorado’s oldest licensed treatment center.
Some venues take extra steps to support the mission. Dickens Opera House in Longmont actually removed all the liquor bottles from the bar for Second Chance Comedy shows there.
“That’s a lot of work,” Huisman says. “I was really impressed by that.”
And there is a flicker of hope as the offerings of mocktails and non-alcoholic beer expand. While sales of traditional beer are at their lowest level in 25 years, the alcohol-free beer market is booming, projected to reach $37 billion by the end of the year. It’s a global phenomenon: In Germany — land of the liter — non-alcoholic beer sales have doubled in the past decade.
“Something is happening,” Huisman says. “People are looking for healthier things to do other than just get messed up.”
An expanded drink menu will be what finally turns the tide for venues, Dart predicts.
“That’s probably the thing that’s going to push change,” he says, “is these businesses actually [being] able to make money.”
ONE STEP AT A TIME
For now, those in the sober community are doing what they can to keep it going — and growing.
Dart is launching a podcast, Creating While Sober. He and Eric Singer, an executive producer at Boulder’s Coupe Studios, will be interviewing artists and performers about the intersection of creation and sobriety. They’ve recorded three episodes so far and aim to release the show when they have five to six done. They plan to record the next Sober Night Live on Dec. 3 for an episode.
“It’s important to have those people in the community creating that space,” Dart says. “It’s a gift.”
Huisman has Second Chance Comedy shows planned up and down the Front Range. He’s looking to broaden the group of performers to include more diverse voices — all while staying true to the mission.
“There’s a joke that it’s easy to get comedians to go to AA because they’ll do anything to get a microphone,” he says. “I don’t want people who are looking to get on a comedy show. The authenticity is more important than the jokes per minute.
“If we don’t stick to that brand, it just becomes another comedy show.”
As for Sober Night Live, Kennedy and Soderman are working to engage Boulder County’s various rehabs, transitional housing and sober-living homes. They are looking for financial sponsors and hope to grow into the main space; right now, the recurring events, held the first Tuesday of the month, are in the smaller, adjacent room — one without a bar.
Sobriety isn’t a requirement: “It’s open to everybody,” Soderman says.
Kennedy sees Sober Night Live as part of Roots’ larger effort to support musicians’ wellbeing. They already ask visiting performers if they want a sober green room, and work hard to enforce it. Their
yearly Rootstock fundraiser festival — coming up on Nov. 30 — has a dedicated space for sober artists, and they’re working on a “decompression lounge” for next year.
“I see this as a cornerstone to a bigger recovery support effort on our part, a bigger plan, making sure our musicians have access to mental health care, safe places when they perform, having it be part of our culture.”
Like recovery, Kennedy says, “we’re just taking it one step at a time.”
ON STAGE: Sober Night Live
6:30-8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 3, Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl St. Suite V3A, Boulder. Free (donations accepted) Second Chance Comedy
7-9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5, The Lincoln Center - Magnolia Theater, 417 W Magnolia St., Fort Collins. $28. More dates and venues: secondchancecomedy.com/shows
Joe Huisman performs at Second Chance Comedy show at the Lincoln Center in Fort Collins. Credit: Jake L.
Stop by one of our stores in New York, Boston, or Boulder for a coffee and inspiration for this year’s holiday gifts for family, friends, loved ones – and yourself!
Welcome to nature
BOCO, BRIEFLY
Local news at a glance
BY TYLER HICKMAN
NAROPA CANCELS SHROOM TRAINING COURSE
Applicants to Naropa University’s Psilocybin Facilitator Training (PFT) program were left feeling confused and surprised after receiving a Nov. 21 email stating that the program would not be running in January, and application fees would be refunded. The cancellation, according to Naropa President Chuck Lief, is tied to the university’s insurance provider.
“Our insurer, fairly late into the renewal process, decided that they were not comfortable with the training happening through the university,” Lief said in a Monday phone call with Boulder Weekly Naropa is in the process of creating a new entity outside the university that will host the course. The faculty and curriculum will remain the same, according to Lief.
Lief expects the transition to take 60 days. While that lines up with the scheduled course start date of Jan. 21, he “didn’t want people to hear at the very last minute.”
“It’s unfortunate how abrupt it needed to be,” Lief said, “but the university has to have insurance coverage, so we didn’t have much choice.”
The program has been removed from portions of Naropa’s website, with no
information pertaining to its cancellation because “the new insurers that we’re working with didn’t want to see anything on our website that suggested Naropa was doing psychedelic training,” Lief said.
“This is the kind of bump in the road that we didn’t really need, but it’s not shocking.”
The university had planned to train 60 facilitators in the inaugural year of its program, according to previous reporting from Boulder Weekly
“Honestly, I was just a little frustrated,” said Catherine Kurfman, who received the email three weeks after submitting her application. “I’m super bummed; I was really looking forward to getting into that program.”
Naropa’s is one of five natural medicine programs in Colorado accredited to train psilocybin facilitators, according to the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies website. Facilitator training programs were made possible when Gov. Jared Polis signed the Natural Medicine Regulation law in May 2023, following the will of the voters in passing Proposition 122.
BOULDER NAMES BROADBAND PARTNER
Citywide high-speed internet is finally coming to Boulder after city council unanimously approved an agreement with ALLO Communications on Nov. 21.
The Nebraska-based telecom company will enter into a 20-year agreement to lease a portion of Boulder’s recently completed fiber backbone, with plans to bring affordable, market-rate broadband internet to 97% of the city by 2030.
NEWS
Boulder has been working to make municipal broadband service a reality since 2018 when it approved $20 million to construct 65 miles of fiber optics throughout the city. In October 2023, the city opted to move forward with a partnership model to lease the fibers to a telecom company, as opposed to providing the service itself, a project that would have cost an additional $295 million.
The deal is projected to bring $9 million in revenue to the city, with ALLO paying Boulder $1.5 million upfront along with monthly per-customer revenue shares: $2.25 for each residential customer and $9 per business.
Rates won’t exceed the monthly costs for the other 10 Colorado cities where the company currently provides internet services, according to the lease agreement with ALLO, and includes a $30 monthly subsidy for residents who live in affordable housing or qualify for government assistance. Nearly 10% of Boulder residences meet these requirements, according to Boulder’s deputy director of innovation and technology Mike Giansanti.
Current monthly rates for ALLO services are $79 for 500mb, $108 for 1G and $136 for 2.3G. In comparison, Longmont’s municipally owned NextLight internet service costs residents $70 for 1G service.
IN OTHER NEWS…
• Boulder has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 24% since 2018 according to its 2023 Greenhouse Gas Inventory, a city press release said. The largest reduction in emissions comes from building electricity — still the leading contributor to GHG in the city at 36% — due to lower consumption levels and use of cleaner energy sources, according to the release. Boulder needs to curb annual emissions by 7% on average to reach its 2030 goal of a 70% reduction.
• Boulder Valley School District classrooms will be cell phone-free starting in January after the school board voted 6-1 to universally ban “personal technology devices” — which includes phones, wearable watches, headphones, cameras and other mobile devices — at its Nov. 19 meeting.
Courtesy: Naropa University
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RUNNING START
The Fretliners pick up steam in the Colorado bluegrass scene
BY ZOE JENNINGS
When Boulder County bluegrass outfit The Fretliners made their debut crowded around a single microphone for a small crowd on a Fort Collins farm a couple years ago, fiddle player Dan Andree had a feeling they were onto something.
“From the moment we played together, we knew we wanted to do more of it,” he says. “It didn’t feel like a new band, although we were working on a lot of arrangements and new originals. We fell in hitting the ground running.”
After years playing separately in the Colorado roots music scene, members of the newly formed, Lyons-based quartet — including Tom Knowlton on guitar, Sam Parks on mandolin and Taylor Shuck on bass — worked with local powerhouse Sally Van Meter on producing their first album and prepping for competition in the famed Telluride and RockyGrass band competitions.
“We put a lot of work into those,” Andree says. “It helped the momentum of the band early.”
The group won both prestigious contests in 2023. The honor earned them a spot on the 2024 Telluride Bluegrass main stage. During the time in between, they released their self-titled debut, showcasing the quartet’s balanced songwriting and singing.
“It’s sensitive,” Andree says. “All of us have great communication with one another. We know this band is as successful as it is because of the collective of the four of us. We take great care to make each member feel that they’re contributing — that’s not hard to do, because we all are.”
TRADITION MEETS PROGRESS
Like many modern bluegrass outfits, The Fretliners push the boundaries of the genre; but they still consider themselves a
traditional instrumentation group at the end of the day. With their self-titled debut serving as a “coming out party,” the band is now looking to expand their scope.
“There’s a lot of lonesome stuff on that first album. I think we’re transitioning into some songs of hope,” Andree says. “We have an opportunity to be more intentional about the sound of this next album.”
“When we play together, the four of us, the way our instruments work together lends itself to a bluegrass instrumentation,” Andree says. “The backbeat of the mandolin with the bass, works with the rhythm of the guitar and the space that not having a banjo provides us to get a little nimble. When the mandolin’s taking a solo, I’ve got the chop on the fiddle and everything just kind of weaves in and out together with the instrumentation.”
This dynamic has landed The Fretliners on stages at nearly all the major bluegrass festivals across Colorado. From aforementioned rites of passage like Telluride and RockyGrass to Rhythms on the Rio Music Festival in Del Norte, the band’s schedule has been packed to say the least.
July. The band is taking up more and more of our time. We’re not going to get in the way of the momentum that this project is taking on.”
Front Range concertgoers will get a taste of that momentum when the Fretliners open for bluegrass legends Sam Bush and Leftover Salmon on Nov. 30 at Boulder Theater.
“Leftover Salmon always brings a huge good time,” Andree says. “What the crowd can expect from us is as much energy as we can pack into our set to build it up for [them].”
While the Colorado outfit is looking forward to gracing the historic Boulder Theater stage in support of homegrown legends, the band hopes to eventually break out of the local bluegrass circuit. With a booking agent on board since February 2024,The Fretliners have aspirations beyond state lines.
“We try to both lean on the traditional bluegrass themes of heartache, loss, transition,” he continues. “[But we] move it into the present day with mental health and struggles with relationships.”
With this melding of the old ways and the new, The Fretliners have found their niche in the bluegrass world — but each member took a different path to get there. Andree first learned classical violin. Knowlton played electric guitar. Shuck played electric bass in more funk-based bands.
“It’s been such a long summer. It’s hard to remember them all,” Andree says. “I don’t think we’ve had a weekend off since Memorial Day. It’s been all good things, though. Every weekend, it’s something new.”
‘A HUGE GOOD TIME’
With their rigorous touring schedule, music has become the main priority for Andree and his bandmates.
“Sam is the only one with a full-time job, and I don’t know how he gets away with that,” he says. “I had to leave mine in
“It is so easy, fun and fulfilling to play in just Colorado,” Andree says. “You can go all up and down the Front Range and through mountain towns and dip into Wyoming and Utah and come back and start again. It’s a ball. If you want to branch out of that, it’s a little more difficult at first. You’ve got to rip off the Band-Aid and get to it. I think we’re starting to do that.”
ON
THE BILL: Leftover
Salmon feat. Sam Bush with The Fretliners. 8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $63+
The Fretliners headline the Cowboys + Aliens Halloween show at Aggie Theatre in Fort Collins. Credit: What A Dream Media
The Fretliners share a microphone during their Aggie Theatre show in Fort Collins. Credit: What A Dream Media
By Louisa May Alcott
Adapted and Directed by Jessica
Robblee
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Dec. 5 – Dec. 29
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MISSED CONNECTIONS
Regional premiere of Curious Theatre Company’s ‘Confederates’ struggles under the weight of its big ideas
BY TONI TRESCA
An audacious challenge lies at the heart of Curious Theatre Company’s regional premiere of Dominique Morisseau’s Confederates: connecting the lives of an enslaved woman in the Antebellum South and a modern-day Black professor to explore systemic racism.
It’s a provocative premise, but this production falters under a sluggish script, inconsistent acting and a fractured directorial vision. Despite its striking moments, Confederates struggles to join its two timelines into a cohesive theatrical experience.
The play alternates between the present and the American Civil War, with two Black women fighting against their circumstances. Sara (Tresha Farris), an enslaved woman on a Southern plantation, seeks freedom while grappling with her relationship with her brother, Abner (Cameron Davis). She navigates the manipulative alliances of the plantation’s mistress, Missy Sue (Rachel Turner), and the opportunistic house servant, Luanne (Kristina Fountaine).
In the present day, Sandra (Kenya Mahogany Fashaw), a tenured instructor at a prestigious university, deals with the microaggressions and systemic barriers of academia. She faces challenges from Malik (Davis), a defensive student questioning her fairness, Candace (Turner), her overbearing and self-serving office assistant, and Jade (Fountaine), a Black colleague whose professional ambitions collide with Sandra’s authority.
While the play attempts to explore the persistence of racism over centuries, the connection here feels forced and, at times, reductive. Comparing Sara’s literal enslavement to Sandra’s workplace struggles creates a tonal imbalance that undermines both narratives. The stakes for Sara are life-or-death, while Sandra’s challenges, though significant, feel comparatively muted.
MISSED OPPORTUNITIES, STALLED MOMENTUM
The doubling of actors across timelines exacerbates these issues. Davis plays both Abner, a soldier fighting for freedom, and Malik, a modern figure of resistance against the academic powers that be, but neither receives the character development they deserve. Similarly, Turner’s Missy Sue and Candace lean on broad caricatures that flatten their dramatic impact.
Instead of enriching the narrative, the constant shifts between eras highlight the play’s weaknesses. Both timelines feel underdeveloped, and the parallels between characters come off as superficial. With the actors tasked with embodying thinly written roles, the doubling becomes a missed opportunity.
Technically, Confederates is striking.
Matthew S. Crane’s set, a towering wall of books, serves as both Sandra’s office and the plantation study, a symbol of the
oppressive weight of history. The reveal of a photoshopped image of Sandra’s face on a slave breastfeeding a white child — covered with a sheet at the beginning of the play — is a chilling moment that speaks to the work’s provocative themes of erasure and exploitation. The question of who hung this image is central to the conflict in the university setting.
Richard Devin’s lighting design effectively distinguishes between the two worlds: the warm, shadowy tones of the plantation contrast with the stark, fluorescent glare of academia. Nicole Watts’ eraappropriate costumes create a similar effect, but lengthy costume changes stall momentum, interrupting rather than bridging the two timelines. These interludes reflect broader struggles with pacing and cohesion.
A HEAVY HAND
Fountaine shines as the production’s standout performer, seamlessly transitioning between the roles of Luanne, a cunning house servant, and Jade, a determined professor. Whether scheming to navigate plantation life or confronting Sandra about professional betrayal, Fountaine commands attention and demonstrates the potential of the doubling conceit.
Unfortunately, the rest of the ensemble struggles to match her level of subtlety. Mahogany Fashaw’s Sandra remains frustratingly subdued. In a post-show conversation with the audience Nov. 15, she
described the character as having a “quiet rage,” but her performance was too understated to convey the character’s inner turmoil. Farris’ portrayal of Sara is hampered by contrived characterization that limits the role’s emotional range. Davis’s Abner and Malik lack depth, while Turner’s Missy Sue and Candace are too over the top.
Marisa D. Hebert’s direction compounds the production’s issues. While the decision to stage costume changes and transitions in full view could have reinforced the play’s central conceit, it instead fragments the narrative. The tonal inconsistency — oscillating between heavyhanded drama and misplaced humor — further weakens the emotional stakes, leaving neither timeline fully realized.
Confederates raises urgent questions about systemic oppression, but ultimately falls short in execution. Morisseau’s script gestures toward profound connections between past and present, but the production struggles to fully realize them. Despite Fountaine’s standout performance and impressive technical elements, the uneven writing, erratic pacing and disjointed direction leave the experience feeling incomplete.
ON STAGE: Confederates. Through Dec. 8, Curious Theatre Company, 1080 Acoma St., Denver. $43+
Kenya Mahogany Fashaw (left) and Cameron Davis in Confederates Credit: McLeod 9 Creative
Tresha Farris as Sara in the regional premiere of Confederates, running at Denver’s Curious Theatre Company through Dec. 8. Credit: McLeod 9 Creative
THERE IS A LIGHT THAT NEVER GOES OUT
The mysterious ‘Double Life of Véronique’ illuminates CU International Film Series
BY MICHAEL J. CASEY
She is beauty incarnate. Blessed with the voice of an angel, Weronika lives fully and loves passionately. But her heart is weak, and she will see neither the age of 25 nor the 30-minute mark of her movie. But there is another, this one named Véronique, living miles away in Paris. Both were born on the same day, both have alluring brownish-green eyes, and both are played by Irène Jacob.
Welcome to The Double Life of Véronique, a masterpiece from preeminent filmmaker Krzysztof Kieślowski. Filmed in the fall of 1990 and the winter of 1991, Veronique was Kieślowski’s first film after the fall of communism in his home country of Poland. Up to this point, Kieślowski had enjoyed both funding and censorship from the state. Then, the curtain fell on both, and he could tell whatever story he wanted. But he would also have to find the money to tell it. So Kieślowski and co-screenwriter Krzysztof Piesiewicz looked to France to fund and film the story of two women, separated by national borders but alike in so many ways they might as well be the same soul.
Véronique was the first of four international co-productions Kieślowski made prior to his untimely death in 1996. Taken together, the Three Colors triptych and Véronique represent metaphysical explorations of the mystery of humanity with such grace and skill it’s hard not to be bowled over by them.
But these are not heavy films weighed down by didacticism or dogma. They are leavened by small moments that cut deep. Take an early moment in Véronique where Weronika bounces a rubber ball so hard it hits the plaster roof above her. A light trickle of dust showers Weronika, and she raises her head to receive it. The camera slows, the dust catches the sunlight and glistens. Though nothing obvious is happening, you feel something significant is transpiring. CU film studies professor emeritus Suranjan Ganguly — a passionate champion of Kieślowski — fondly calls these moments “epiphanies.” And not just for the characters, but for the audience as well.
This is most evident in the scene where Weronika sees Véronique boarding a tour bus in Krakow. The sight of herself in another place, living another life, strikes Weronika in a way no words can do justice. So Kieślowski and his ace cinematographer, Slawomir Idziak, capture the moment as a series of quick shots — the tour bus turning from right to left, Véronique walking to the back of the bus while the coach moves forward, the camera tracking around Weronika to get a better vantage — that bleed into transcendence. The frame dissolves, the connection is palpable and, for a brief moment, the veil between you and the screen falls. It’s moments like this that make my heart happy that pictures can move.
Véronique is so loaded with such moments that the whole movie sings. A large part is thanks to Zbigniew Preisner’s chilling score, but also to Idziak’s images, which use gels to mask sections of the image in shadows while transforming this brown winter into greens, golds and vibrant reds — the color associated with Weronika/Véronique.
Jacob is stunning as both. Her Weronika is so full of life and love that
when it departs, Véronique feels the absence. That Jacob is able to manifest this sense in every scene without explanation bolsters the movie’s spell. Prior to this film, Jacob had a bit part in Louis Malle’s Au revoir les enfants — another work of cinema that hits like a 10-ton truck — but nothing this complex, this demanding. How do you convey the metaphysical in a performance? It helps if you have Kieślowski behind the camera, but Jacob shares in the success. It even earned her the Best Actress prize at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival.
Not every loose thread in Véronique can be — or should be — tied up. For me, the biggest mystery is: Why isn’t this movie more known, seen, revered, beloved? Thankfully, it remains ready to be discovered and rediscovered time and time again. Do not miss it.
ON SCREEN: The Double Life of Véronique 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 7, International Film Series, CU Boulder, 1905 Colorado Ave. $10
Irène Jacob stars in a dual role in The Double Life of Véronique Courtesy: The Criterion Collection
ENCHANTED EVENING AND HOLIDAY PARADE
6-9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29 and 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, Downtown Niwot.
Welcome Santa and Mrs. Claus to town with a Friday tree lighting and Saturday parade. The town will be full of live music and caroling all weekend, from the Niwot Community Semi-Marching Band to Dr. Banjo himself. Tell the kids to bring their wish lists for a post-parade visit with Santa.
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BMOCA
HOLIDAY POP-UP
11 a.m to 5 p.m. Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, BMoCA, 1750 13th St., Boulder. Free
Find the perfect gift for your artsiest friend or family member (or treat yourself) at the first weekend of BMoCA’s holiday pop-up featuring work from local artists across the state. The museum promises fair reasonable prices and discounts for members at the market, which runs through Dec. 29.
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HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE RIDES
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29; noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30 and Sunday, Dec. 1, Front St., Louisville. Free
Over the river and through the woods, to Louisville we go! Horse-drawn carriage rides are back thanks to the Louisville Downtown Business Association. Take a festive ride through town behind the Kodiak Ranch clydesdales on select dates throughout December. Carriage picks up riders across from Old Town Skate every 20 minutes.
29 – 1 APRÉS SKI POP-UP
Noon to close, Nov. 29-Dec. 1, Rosetta Hall, 1109 Walnut St., Boulder
Want to celebrate ski season while supporting a good cause? Head to the rooftop at Rosetta Hall for the launch of the Boulder eatery’s new recurring weekend pop-up fundraiser for Protect Our Winters (POW). Craft seasonal cocktails, special offers and visits from POW athletes are on the menu, with 10% of sales supporting the nonprofit climate advocacy org.
29 BLACK FRIDAY BEER FOR A YEAR
Noon to 9 p.m., Friday, Nov. 29, Left Hand Tasting Room, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont. Free
Skip fighting for your life in pursuit of a new TV and head to Left Hand for a boozier Black Friday celebration with live music from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Spend $100 or more on merch and to-go brews and you’ll receive “free beer for a year” — a growler and a certificate for free monthly refills. Bottoms up!
29 LYONS TREE LIGHTING CELEBRATION
5-6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 29, Lyons Sandstone Park, 335 Railroad Ave. Free
There’s no place like Lyons for the holidays. Whether you’re a local or just passing through, the town’s second annual tree lighting is sure to brighten your spirit with plenty of caroling, cookies, hot chocolate and holiday cheer to celebrate the most wonderful time of year.
30
DRESS UP DOWNTOWN SANTA CRAWL
5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, Downtown Longmont. Free Feeling jolly? Then dust off that Santa hat, put on your oversized red suit and head downtown for a St. Nick-themed costume crawl. Whether it’s a $5 spiked hot cocoa at The Local Drive or a free cookie and beer taster at 300 Suns, a Kris Kringle get-up will deck your halls with the merriest drink and food specials Longmont has to offer.
30
ST. NICK ON THE BRICKS
11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, Downtown Boulder Visitor Information Center, 1303 Pearl St. Free
He’s baaaack. Little ones of all ages, rejoice — Santa is returning to the Pearl Street Mall for his yearly holiday residency in downtown Boulder. Head to the visitor information center with Christmas lists in tow for this beloved holiday meet-and-greet in the heart of the People’s Republic, happening every Saturday through Dec. 14.
30
ROOTSTOCK
Noon to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl St., Suite V3A, Boulder. $20+
Roots Music Project presents this all-star benefit concert featuring 20 bands across two stages. Don’t miss local talent like Hazel Miller, Barn Ghost, Flutter, Half Zen and more — plus food trucks, a silent auction (including a free vasectomy) and more during this all-day rager supporting homegrown music on the Front Range.
30
WINTER CRAFT MARKET
1-5 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, Museum of Boulder, 2205 Broadway. $10+ (free for museum members)
Do your holiday shopping with a side of community care at this holiday craft market hosted by Natural Highs, a nonprofit providing “healthy alternatives to drugs and alcohol” and mental health support for teens. Peruse handmade arts and winter crafts, explore museum exhibits or do some sampling at the yerba matte bar.
30
ORIGAMI AND OBI GIFT WRAPPING
2-4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, The CollectiveCommunity Arts Center, 201 N. Public Road, Lafayette. Free
Add a little something extra to your presents this year with a free gift-wrapping tutorial. Iruka Hikaru will be your guide to the art of Japanese origami and obi (kimono sash tying). Stop by with a small-ish package to decorate; The Collective will provide the paper and the know-how.
1
ROLLINSVILLE HOLIDAY MARKET
Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 1, Howlin Wind Brewing, 51 A Main St., Rollinsville. Free
Add a wintry vibe to your holiday shopping with this high-altitude artisan market in the former mining town of Rollinsville. Enjoy $1 off beers while you support a dozen local makers and stuff your stockings with icewater tie-dye, flower-press beanies and mountain-grown mushrooms.
LIVE MUSIC
THURSDAY, NOV. 28
KICKBACK WITH DJ TINSEL JUNK. 8 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. Free
FRIDAY, NOV. 29
VIC DILLAHAY TRIO WITH TIM CARMICHAEL AND JON POWERS. 3 p.m. Dry Land Distillers, 519 Main St., Longmont. Free
MIKE IPPOLITO DUO 5:30 p.m. Left Hand Brewing, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont. Free
EDDIE TURNER & TROUBLE 6 p.m.
Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free
HIGHWAY ROBBERY 6 p.m. Bricks on Main, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free
RICO JONES WITH VLAD HAMMOND
B3 QUARTET 6:30 p.m. Full Cycle Cafe & Bar, 2355 30th St., Boulder. $25
DAVE HANSON & FRIENDS 7 p.m.
Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $20
NEW FAMILY DOG WITH DAVE WATTS
7 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl St., Suite V3A, Boulder. $15
ELLE MICHELLE’S GRATEFUL HOLLER
TRIO. 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free
LEFTOVER SALMON WITH SAM BUSH AND MOUNTAIN GRASS UNIT (NIGHT
1) 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $142
MATT FLAHERTY BAND 9 p.m.
Mountain Sun Pub, 1535 Pearl St., Boulder. Free
SATURDAY, NOV. 30
ROOTSTOCK 2024. 12:30 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl St., Suite V3A, Boulder. $22
JOHN SHEPARD WITH THE ZEN COWBOYS. 5:30 p.m. Left Hand Brewing, 1265 Boston Ave., Longmont. Free
CHRISTMAS CAROLS. 6 p.m. Bricks on Main, 471 Main St., Longmont. Free
TENBUCKSIXER 6 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free
RICO JONES SEXTET: SIX WINGS. 6:30 p.m. Full Cycle Cafe & Bar, 2355 30th St., Boulder. $25
LOS BOHEMIOS. 7 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $20
BLUE VIOLIN CANDLELIGHT
CHRISTMAS 7 p.m. Gordon Gamm Theater, 2590 Walnut St., Boulder. $30
SOUL SCHOOL WITH TASTE OF WINEHOUSE 7:30 p.m. Nissi’s, 1455 Coal Creek Drive, Unit T, Lafayette. $15
HONKYTONK EXPRESS WITH DEREK DAMES OHL. 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. $18
THE THING WITH JESUS CHRIST TAXI DRIVER AND BITCHFLOWER. 8 p.m. Hi-Dive, 7 S. Broadway, Denver. $19 STORY AT BOULDERWEEKLY.COM
JOHN MCKAY DUO 8 p.m. Longs Peak Pub, 600 Longs Peak Ave., Longmont. Free
LEFTOVER SALMON WITH SAM BUSH AND THE FRETLINERS (NIGHT 2). 8 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th St. $64 STORY ON P. 13
MATT FLAHERTY BAND 9 p.m. Mountain Sun Pub, 1535 Pearl St., Boulder. Free
SUNDAY, DEC. 1
BOULDER FRIENDS OF JAZZ 1 p.m. Avalon Ballroom, 6185 Arapahoe Road, Boulder. $12
LIVE MUSIC
ON THE BILL
BoCo indie-pop outfit The Galentines take the stage at The Fox Theatre on Dec. 4 with fellow locals Big Pinch and On the Dot. Since meeting on the campus of CU Boulder in February 2023, the homegrown quintet has been sharpening their sound with a focus on high-energy live shows, thoughtful songwriting and a splash of punk sensibility. Scan the QR code for a Boulder Weekly feature on the band. See listing for details
LOCO UKULELE. 2 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt St., Longmont. Free
AFTER MIDNIGHT 7 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $20
LIONEL YOUNG DUO. 8 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free
MONDAY, DEC. 2
M-PACT 7 p.m. eTown Hall, 1535 Spruce St., Boulder. $30
SIXPENCE NONE THE RICHER. 8 p.m. Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Ave., Denver. $50
TUESDAY, DEC. 3
FACE VOCAL BAND: JOY TO THE WORLD! 7:30 p.m. Nissi’s, 1455 Coal Creek Drive, Unit T, Lafayette. $50
DESTROY LONELY. 6:30 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop St., Denver. $55
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 4
CARRIE AND DREW. 6 p.m. Rosalee’s Pizzeria, 461 Main St., Longmont. Free
KENNYTHEINDIGO 7 p.m. Velvet Elk Lounge, 2037 13th St., Boulder. Free
THE GALENTINES WITH BIG PINCH AND ON THE DOT. 8 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th St., Boulder. $20 BW PICK OF THE WEEK
VIC DILLAHAY WITH ERIC OTTEM
7 p.m. Dry Land Distillers, 519 Main St., Longmont. Free
OH SNAP! 7:30 p.m. Muse Performance Space, 200 E. South Boulder Road, Lafayette. $20
RIVER MANN WITH WILD SHADOWS AND ERICA SHAPIRO 7:30 p.m. Roots Music Project, 4747 Pearl St., Suite V3A, Boulder. $26
more
County events? Check out the complete listings online by scanning this QR code.
ASTROLOGY
BY ROB BREZSNY
ARIES (MARCH 21-APRIL 19): Renowned composer Mozart had a sister nicknamed Nannerl. During their childhoods, she was as much a musical prodigy as he. They toured Europe doing performances together, playing harpsichord and piano. Some critics regarded her as the superior talent. But her parents ultimately decided it was unseemly for her, as a woman, to continue her development as a genius. She was forcibly retired so she could learn housekeeping and prepare for marriage. Is there a part of your destiny, Aries, that resembles Nannerl’s? Has some of your brilliance been suppressed or denied? The coming months will be an excellent time to recover and revive it.
TAURUS (APRIL 20-MAY 20): Do you know if you have any doppelgangers, Taurus? I bet you will meet one in the coming weeks. How about soul friends, alter egos or evil twins? If there’s no one like that in your life right now, they may arrive soon. And if you already know such people, I suspect your relationships will grow richer. Mirror magic and shadow vision are in the works! I’m guessing you will experience the best, most healing kind of double trouble. Substitutes and stand-ins will have useful offers and tempting alternatives. Parallel realities may come leaking through into your reality. Opportunities for symbiosis and synergy will be at an all-time high. Sounds like wild fun!
LIBRA (SEPT. 23-OCT. 22): Libran songwriter and producer Kevin MacLeod has composed over 2,000 pieces of music — and given all of them away for free. That’s why his work is so widespread. It has been featured in thousands of films and millions of YouTube videos. His composition “Monkeys Spinning Monkeys” has been played on TikTok over 31 billion times. (P.S. He has plenty of money, in part because so many appreciative people give him free-will donations through his Patreon page.) I propose we make him your inspirational role model in the coming weeks and months, Libra. How could you parlay your generosity and gifts into huge benefits for yourself?
SCORPIO (OCT. 23-NOV. 21): According to my grandmother, I have such a mellifluous voice I should have pursued a career as a newscaster or DJ on the radio. In eighth grade, my science teacher admired my work and urged me to become a professional biologist. When I attended Duke University, my religious studies professor advised me to follow his path. Over the years, many others have offered their opinions about who I should be. As much as I appreciated their suggestions, I have always trusted one authority: my muses. In the coming weeks and months, Scorpio, you may, too, receive abundant advice about your best possible path. You may be pressured to live up to others’ expectations. But I encourage you to do as I have done. Trust your inner advisors.
GEMINI (MAY 21-JUNE 20): Humans have been eating a wide range of oranges since ancient times. Among the most popular type in modern times is the navel orange. It’s large, seedless, sweet, juicy and easy to peel. But it didn’t exist until the 1820s, when a genetic mutation on a single tree in Brazil spawned this new variety. Eventually, the navel became a revolutionary addition to the orange family. I foresee a metaphorically comparable development in your life during the coming months, Gemini. An odd tweak or interesting glitch could lead to a highly favorable expansion of possibilities. Be alert for it.
CANCER (JUNE 21-JULY 22): Cancerian, you are a finalist for our “Most Resourceful and Successful Survivor of the Year” trophy. And if you take a brief trip to hell in the next two weeks, you could assure your victory. But wait! Let me be more exact: “Hell” is an incorrect terminology; I just used it for shock effect. The fact is that “hell” is a religious invention that mischaracterizes the true nature of the realm of mystery, shadows and fertile darkness. In reality, the nether regions can be quite entertaining and enriching if you cultivate righteous attitudes. And what are those attitudes? A frisky curiosity to learn truths you have been ignorant about; a brave resolve to unearth repressed feelings and hidden yearnings; and a drive to rouse spiritual epiphanies that aren’t available when you’re in the trance of everyday consciousness.
LEO (JULY 23-AUG. 22): In my astrological opinion, you need and deserve big doses of fun, play, pleasure and love. Amusement and enchantment, too. As well as excitement, hilarity and delight. I trust you will schedule a series of encounters and adventures that provide you with a surplus of these necessary resources. Can you afford a new toy or two? Or a romantic getaway to a sanctuary of adoration? Or a smart gamble that will attract into your vicinity a stream of rosy luck? I suggest that you be audacious in seeking the sweet, rich feelings you require.
VIRGO (AUG. 23-SEPT. 22): December will be Home Enhancement Month for you Virgos. Get started immediately! I’ll offer tips for how to proceed and ask you to dream up your own ideas. 1. Phase out décor or accessories that no longer embody the style of who you have become. 2. Add new décor and accessories that will inspire outbreaks of domestic bliss. 3. Encourage everyone in your household to contribute creative ideas to generate mutual enhancement. 4. Do a blessing ritual that will raise the spiritual vibes. 5. Invite your favorite people over and ask them to shower your abode with blessings.
SAGITTARIUS (NOV. 22-DEC. 21): I invite you to get a head start on formulating your New Year’s resolutions. Jan. 1 is a good time to instigate robust new approaches to living your life, but the coming weeks will be an even better time for you Sagittarians. To get yourself in the mood, imagine you have arrived at Day Zero, Year One. Simulate the feeling of being empty and open and fertile. Imagine that nothing binds you or inhibits you. Assume that the whole world is eager to know what you want. Act as if you have nothing to prove to anyone and everything to gain by being audacious and adventurous.
CAPRICORN (DEC. 22-JAN. 19): There was a long period when many popular songs didn’t come to a distinct end. Instead, they faded out. The volume would gradually diminish as a catchy riff repeated over and over again. As you approach a natural climax to one of your cycles, Capricorn, I recommend that you borrow the fade-out as a metaphorical strategy. In my astrological opinion, it’s best not to finish abruptly. See if you can create a slow, artful ebb or a gradual, graceful dissolution.
AQUARIUS (JAN. 20-FEB. 18): When he was young, Aquarian musician and sound engineer Norio Ohga wrote a critical letter to the electronics company now known as Sony. He complained in detail about the failings of their products. Instead of being defensive, executives at the company heeded Ohga’s suggestions for improvement. They even hired him as an employee and ultimately made him president of the company at age 40. He went on to have a stellar career as an innovator. In the spirit of the Sony executives, I recommend that you seek feedback and advice from potential helpers who are the caliber of Norio Ohga. The information you gather in the coming weeks could prove to be highly beneficial.
PISCES (FEB. 19-MARCH 20): What would your paradise look and feel like? If you could remake the world to suit your precise needs for maximum freedom, wellbeing and inspiration, what changes would you instigate? Now is an excellent time to ponder these possibilities, Pisces. You have more ability than usual to shape and influence the environments where you hang out. And a good way to rouse this power is to imagine your ideal conditions. Be bold and vivid. Amuse yourself with extravagant and ebullient fantasies as you envision your perfect world.
I’m a 30-year-old lesbian who has never used a strap-on. I want to top, but I don’t want to embarrass myself. Help?
There are YouTube tutorials for lesbians interested in strap-on sex — tons of them — but if you’re a reader and/or YouTubers get on your nerves like they get on mine, you could curl up on your sofa with one of the classics: The Ultimate Guide to Strap-On Sex by Karlyn Lotney (originally published in 2000) and The Whole Lesbian Sex Book by Felice Newman (originally published in 1999).
P.S. Giving yourself permission to embarrass yourself — telling yourself and your partner that it’s going to take you some time to get good at this thing you’ve never done before — radically decreases your chances of embarrassing yourself. Low expectations are easily exceeded.
Should you ever open up a relationship out of boredom/monotony?
Some argue you shouldn’t open up your relationship — or even talk about opening up your relationship — if you’re in a “good” place. But there are lots of happily open couples out there who were in a good place emotionally (getting along, still in love) but not in a great place sexually (getting bored, stuck in a rut) when they first discussed opening the relationship. And that convo — opening up a relationship or keeping it closed — is never boring.
Is not having sex a reason to end a relationship you’ve invested seven years in? Other than not having sex, we have a great relationship. He used to take testosterone, which helped, but he hasn’t been able to get his prescription filled in a long time. We are both in our mid-50s; we live together; we work together. He is my boss, and he owns the company.
Sexual neglect, sexual dissatisfaction, sexual frustration, sexual incompatibility — all perfectly good reasons to end a sexually exclusive relationship. If your boss/partner refuses to do anything about this (like get his testosterone prescription refilled) and you’re
SAVAGE LOVE
BY DAN SAVAGE
afraid that addressing the matter directly by asking for an open relationship could result in you being single and unemployed, then DWYNTDTSMASS.
How does one get started with Becoming a Dominatrix 101?
“Dommes can be soft and sweet, cold and mean, and everything inbetween,” said Inanna Justice, a Parisbased pro Domme. “Be yourself — stay true to who you are — and you’ll attract play partners who can help you find practices and philosophies that correspond to your inner Domme. As for finding inspiration outside yourself, that’s as easy as watching some good, ethical kink porn or reading a really good book.”
P.S. You might also get some good ideas reading Inanna Justice’s blog, which you’ll find on her website: InannaJustice.com.
Are lesbians really less exposed to STIs than others?
People who don’t have penetrative sex with men are less likely to be exposed to STIs. But lesbians are at a “not negligible” risk of STI exposure, according to the National Institutes of Health, and should get regular STI tests.
Why do I love eating men’s (freshly showered!) assholes so damn much?
Because they’re delicious.
How do I stretch my foreskin?
Very carefully.
How do I get my husband of 20 years to talk dirty to me during sex?
Encourage him to use my dirty talk tip for beginners: Tell me what you’re about to do (“I’m going to fuck the shit out of you”), tell me what you’re doing (“I’m fucking the shit out of you”), tell me what you just did (“I fucked the shit out of you.”)
Email your question for the column to mailbox@savage.love or record your question for the Savage Lovecast at savage.love/askdan! Podcasts, columns and more at Savage.Love
HUNGER IN YOUR ’HOOD
As
food insecurity rises in BoCo, EFAA struggles to keep people fed
BY JOHN LEHNDORFF
There are thousands of Boulder County residents, families and workers who aren’t sure how they will feed themselves this week. These neighbors are hidden from most of us as we work, dine, shop, pray and play each day.
Walter O’Toole has met Boulder’s burgeoning food insecure population every day for the past four years as the food bank manager at Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA).
“I was talking with one of EFAA’s shoppers the other day,” he says. “She said: ‘Pretty much everything I eat comes from EFAA. Without it, I would not be able to feed myself. I don’t have the resources.’
“I’ve heard that story much more than once.”
More than 37% of food bank visitors say they rely on it as a primary food source, according to EFAA, one of Boulder’s oldest family resource nonprofits. From July 2023 through June 2024, the organization distributed 1.6 million pounds of food (worth $3 million) to 2,599 households including 6,511 individuals.
“Mostly, we have a lot of families with kids seeking assistance,” O’Toole says. “Latino families are a big part of our community here.”
Like other food banks, EFAA has an emphasis on providing culturally familiar foods, not just peanut butter, tuna and mac-n-cheese. They also provide quality fresh produce to clients.
EMERGENCY FAMILY ASSISTANCE ASSOCIATION (EFAA):
“People can get as much fresh produce as they want,” he says. “Most of our food is donated by Community Food Share or rescued from local supermarkets, but we allocate part of our budget to purchase things like corn tortillas, dried beans, chilies, tomatillos and cilantro. We purchase a lot of produce, beef, tortillas and eggs from Boulder County farmers and producers.
EFAA.ORG
Sister Carmen Community Center: sistercarmen.org
Boulder Food Rescue: boulderfoodrescue.org
Longmont Food Rescue: longmontfoodrescue.org
Harvest of Hope Pantry: hopepantry.org
Community Food Share: communityfoodshare.org
Nederland Food Pantry: nederlandfoodpantry.org
OUR Center: ourcenter.org
MASA Seed Foundation: masaseedfoundation.org
There is a litany of reasons food insecurity has become so much worse.
“Having that strong local food system is important for food security for the whole community.”
“Quite a few COVID-era assistance programs — including the increased child tax credit and increases in SNAP benefits — have ended while the cost of living in Boulder County has continued to skyrocket,” he says. “Demand for our direct financial assistance program for rent has gone through the roof.”
Like Boulder County’s other food banks including Our Center in Longmont and Lafayette’s Sister Carmen, EFAA is struggling to meet the increased need.
“We had been allowing clients to shop weekly, but we had to scale it back to twice a month because we were running out of food,” O’Toole says. “It is a scary situation.”
A majority of EFAA’s shoppers are employed. “Some of these folks are working two or three jobs,” O’Toole says. “We stay open until 7 p.m. two nights a week so working families can shop.
“We see a lot of kids who come through with their moms right around 3 to 4 o’clock,” he continues. “We have little kid-sized shopping carts for them. We also try to have healthy snacks available for them so the moms can shop in peace.”
HELP NONPROFITS FEED THE WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD
EFAA encourages donations at its North Boulder facility. Needs range from manual can openers, boxed cake mix with frosting and candles to breakfast cereal, boxed milk and juice, masa and corn husks for tamales. See the current list at efaa.org.
Consider making a financial contribution to one or more Boulder County food organizations on Colorado Gives Day, Dec. 10, when some gifts are matched by grants: coloradogives.org.
FOOD INSECURITY: HOW SERIOUS IS THE PROBLEM?
1 in 8: The number of Boulder County residents affected by food insecurity, according to Community Food Share.
58% of eligible Coloradans are signed up for SNAP food benefits, according to Hunger Free Colorado. The national signup average is 75%.
47 million: The number of people living in food insecure households in the United States in 2023, including nearly 14 million children, according to Department of Agriculture statistics. This is the highest rate and number of food insecure individuals and children in the U.S. since 2014.
Courtesy: Boulder Food Rescue
Courtesy: EFAA
NIBBLES
LOCAL FOOD NEWS: FRIED CLAM BLUES
Local options for lovers of fried clam with tartar sauce have seriously dwindled. Besides the recent shuttering of Maine Shack in Boulder, Reelfish Fish & Chips has closed its doors at 2770 Arapahoe Road in Lafayette.
We first reported their pending closure in September, but this week we bid a sad adieu to BOCO Cider, closed after five years in business. Boulder’s only cidery produced excellent unfiltered, unpasteurized and sulfite-free offerings, often using apples gleaned from local trees.
Mother’s Greek Food is serving souvlakia evenings at 3301 Arapahoe Ave. where Naked Lunch dishes during the day.
Two new eateries are open on Main Street in Longmont. Red Cedar Bistro offers Mediterranean fare at 516 Main St., and Chí Kapé, a new Guatemalan cafe and pastelería, is serving at 1680 Main St.
Coming soon: Relish, a large new food hall and pickleball court, 550 McCaslin Blvd., Louisville.
Congratulations to Community Fruit Rescue. In 2023, the nonprofit led 175 harvests of local trees by 396 volunteers yielding a record harvest of 50,143 pounds of fruit.
CULINARY CALENDAR: TASTING FOR A CAUSE
Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux hosts a tasting of the wines from 80 Bordeaux wineries Jan. 22 at the Colorado History Museum in Denver. Proceeds benefit We Don’t Waste, a food insecurity nonprofit. Tickets: denverwine.givesmart.com
WORDS TO CHEW ON: BOULDER PIE, CIRCA 1896
“Take four cups of this strained pumpkin, add four cups of rich milk, a teaspoonful of salt, two of ginger, one of nutmeg and one of mace, a small cup of sugar and four or five eggs according to their size.”
— Recipe from the Boulder Daily Camera, 1896
John Lehndorff hosts Radio Nibbles Thursday mornings on KGNU, 88.5 FM, streaming at KGNU.org. Comments: nibbles@boulderweekly.com
CALIFORNIA DREAMIN’?
The complicated role of cannabis in the recovery community
BY SHAY CASTLE
“
Well I’m California sober as they say / Lately I can find no other way / I can’t stay out and party like I did back in the day,” sings guitarist Billy Strings. He’s given up “the hard stuff and whiskey” and now the only thing coursing through his veins is good ol’ fashioned Mary Jane.
The song and the concept are called California sober: the idea that you can be considered drug free if the only substance you use is cannabis.
It’s a popular notion — and a divisive one among people in recovery.
As Boulder Weekly explored the proliferation of sober performing spaces (read more about that on p. 6) we asked the folks we talked to about their thoughts on “weed-only” sobriety. Here’s what they had to say.
ABSTINENCE ONLY
When Brooke Delgado was designing her study of sober musicians, she drew a hard line.
“I have had potential participants ask if California sober qualifies,” the CU Denver graduate student says. “And I say no. My
study is on people living sober lifestyles, which is a lifestyle free of drugs and alcohol.
“You have to have some sort of criteria, and I was concerned [with] the conflict of someone in recovery versus someone who is California sober,” she says. “Can I compare the data?”
Some of Delgado’s study participants were California sober “for a period of time,” she says.
The chief criticism of opponents of California sobriety argue that cannabis use is a slippery slope, a sure way to trigger heavier drinking and drug use. Others say it’s a stepping stone on the recovery journey.
“If you’re going from being a really bad alcoholic, blacked out drunk, to being high, that’s a step in the right direction,” says Ryan Dart, a musician and songwriter who has been the manager for Colorado acts like Elephant Revival and Rose Hill Drive.
But for some people, “it really is a gateway” back to using. “There’s not one prescriptive answer for everybody,” Dart says. “Everybody’s at a different place in their life.”
AUTHENTIC AND VULNERABLE
Joe Huisman, a former crack addict and founder of Second Chance Comedy, has worked with performers who, as he says, “smoke pot,” and he himself sometimes uses marijuana edibles to sleep. What substances people use is often less important than the work they’ve done to get and stay sober, Huisman says. Some of the early Second Chance performers were California sober, and they didn’t jive with the show’s vibe or mission.
“The goal is to try to bring stories that are relatable and bring humor to them so someone in the audience can laugh at their own pain or shame,” he says. These particular performers, “never really dealt with the underlying things that led to their addiction” and so weren’t able “to bring that authenticity and vulnerability that I’m looking for on the show.”
A NEW FRONTIER
Challenging the dominance of so-called “sober-sober” apostles is the promise of psychedelics to treat addiction and the underlying trauma that pushes many people to use drugs and alcohol in the first place.
That’s how Paul Soderman came around to the concept of California sober — or, as he would prefer it to be known, Colorado sober. “We were the first to have legal weed,” he says.
After years of believing in and practicing “complete abstinence,” some of Soderman’s friends and confidants began disclosing their use of psychedelics: a rabbi who micro-doses shrooms for depression; other people in recovery “who have ayahuasca-ed themselves into amazing epiphanies.”
Psychedelics definitely have potential, Dart agrees, but he worries people are taking them as a form of escape rather than healing.
“Just because you’re doing something that’s a plant medicine, it doesn’t do the work for you,” he says. “Once you use that to rewire some pathways in your brain, you don’t need to keep going back to that well.”
At the end of the day, what Soderman counts as sober vs. addicted is “the fruit” — Whatever substance you’re using, does it get you closer to healing, or take you farther away from it?
For Huisman, the litmus test is one’s ability to live a functional, productive life free of destructive dependencies.
“Of all the drugs and substances,” he says, “if that’s the one you’re stuck on, more power to you. It’s not destroying lives like alcohol or hard drugs.”
Paul Soderman helped bring Sober Night Live to life. Credit: Bled Chimanga
Comedian Joe Huisman performs Oct. 1 at Roots Music Project’s Sober Night Live. Credit: Bled Chimanga
