Boulder Weekly 12.23.21

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Four seasons

Four of Boulder’s finest chefs share their favorite recipes

by Katie Rhodes

Wu-Tang Clan ain’t nothin’ to . . . p.15 Dishes of the year, p. 24 Cracking down on the cartels, p.30

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feature:

Chefs from Boulder’s finest restaurants share their favorite seasonal recipes

by Katie Rhodes

15

buzz:

The saga of the rare Wu-Tang Clan album

by Bill Forman

21

film:

‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’ is stylish but distancing

by Michael J. Casey

nibbles:

A food critic’s guide to his favorite Boulder soups, salads, sandwiches and treats of the year

by John Lehndorff

24 30

weed between the lines:

Cartels are illegally growing cannabis on America’s public lands; meet the game wardens fighting them

by Will Brendza

departments 5

The Anderson Files: Democracy and ordinary people

17 Events: What to do when there’s ‘nothing’ to do . . .

19 New Year’s Eve Guide: Maybe 2022 won’t suck 22 Astrology: by Rob Brezsny 23 Savage Love: Outward bound 27 Beer: Beer worth leaving Boulder County for 29 Food and Drink: Grilled cheese and roasted tomato soup @ Raglin Market BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

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DECEMBER 23, 2021

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BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

Publisher, Fran Zankowski Circulation Manager, Cal Winn EDITORIAL Editor-in-Chief, Brendan Joel Kelley Managing Editor, Caitlin Rockett News Editor, Will Brendza Food Editor, John Lehndorff Contributing Writers: Peter Alexander, Dave Anderson, Emma Athena, Rob Brezsny, Michael J. Casey, Angela K. Evans, Jim Hightower, Jodi Hausen, Karlie Huckels, Dave Kirby, John Lehndorff, Sara McCrea, Rico Moore, Amanda Moutinho, Katie Rhodes, Leland Rucker, Dan Savage, Alan Sculley, Tom Winter, Gary Zeidner SALES AND MARKETING Market Development Manager, Kellie Robinson Account Executives, Matthew Fischer, Carter Ferryman Advertising Coordinator, Corey Basciano Mrs. Boulder Weekly, Mari Nevar PRODUCTION Art Director, Susan France Senior Graphic Designer, Mark Goodman CIRCULATION TEAM Dave Hastie, Dan Hill, George LaRoe, Jeffrey Lohrius, Elizabeth Ouslie, Rick Slama BUSINESS OFFICE Bookkeeper, Regina Campanella Founder/CEO, Stewart Sallo Editor-at-Large, Joel Dyer Cover, Chef Eric Skokan of Black Cat Farm in Boulder, photo by Susan France December 23, 2021 Volume XXIX, Number 20 As Boulder County's only independently owned newspaper, Boulder Weekly is dedicated to illuminating truth, advancing justice and protecting the First Amendment through ethical, no-holds-barred journalism, and thought-provoking opinion writing.

Free every Thursday since 1993, the Weekly also offers the county's most comprehensive arts and entertainment coverage. Read the print version, or visit boulderweekly.com. Boulder Weekly does not accept unsolicited editorial submissions. If you're interested in writing for the paper, please send queries to: editorial@boulderweekly.com. Any materials sent to Boulder Weekly become the property of the newspaper.

690 South Lashley Lane, Boulder, CO, 80305 p 303.494.5511 f 303.494.2585 editorial@boulderweekly.com www.boulderweekly.com Boulder Weekly is published every Thursday. No portion may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher. © 2021 Boulder Weekly, Inc., all rights reserved.

Boulder Weekly welcomes your correspondence via email (letters@ boulderweekly.com) or the comments section of our website at www.boulderweekly.com. Preference will be given to short letters (under 300 words) that deal with recent stories or local issues, and letters may be edited for style, length and libel. Letters should include your name, address and telephone number for verification. We do not publish anonymous letters or those signed with pseudonyms. Letters become the property of Boulder Weekly and will be published on our website.

Democracy and Ordinary People

by Dave Anderson

F

reedom is never given; it is won. A community is democratic only when the humblest and weakest person can enjoy the highest civil, economic, and social rights that the biggest and most powerful possess.” —Asa Phillip Randolph, American labor union leader, civil rights activist, and democratic socialist In this gloomy time for progressives, labor historian Nelson Lichtenstein sees hope in a small union victory by Starbucks workers in Buffalo, New York. He told Democracy Now!: “What’s remarkable here is that the enormous amount of effort and money that the management put into stopping this organizing drive, it’s really a statement on the part of management on how important unionism is. If they’re going to spend all this money and bring their top executives to prevent a handful of workers from unionizing, that’s the best endorsement of unionism I’ve seen in a long time.”

He said they had to send the highly-paid national big shots because lower-level management at retailers

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

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like Starbucks or Walmart or Target are “unreliable as union busters” because they can be too sympathetic to their employees. The big shots had to rush to crush the union drive because “every college town has a red hot Starbucks ready to organize.” Things can get out of hand.

This country’s rotten labor laws allow companies to engage in intense psychological warfare against workers trying to unionize. Management terrorism is perfectly legal.

However, Lichtenstein says that “the managerial mindset” is more important than labor law. In periods of serious social unrest “when we had great social movements in this country, whether it’s the women’s movement or civil rights or other, we’ve had a section of capital which has made the decision that it’s better to accommodate the social movement than not. . . that the dangers of resisting this movement are too great.”

However, the capitalist elite is divided. In a recent interview with The Sun, historian Rick Perlstein said: “On one side are big brands and publicly traded mul-

see THE ANDERSON FILES Page 6

DECEMBER 23, 2021

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tinational companies, which have to worry about their public image, and companies that have always trended liberal because of their partnerships with labor and the government. On the other side is the more reactionary capitalism, in which most companies are locally based and owned by families who present themselves as aristocrats in their towns.”

Political scientist Thomas Ferguson developed “the investment theory of party competition” in his book The Golden Rule ( “To discover who rules, follow the gold.”)

He argues that in the early years of the 20th century, American politics was dominated by a coalition of labor-intensive and pro-protectionist industries (steel, coal, and textiles) and the big financial institutions. They opposed labor unions and supported the Republican Party.

After the first world war, this coalition split up after capital-intensive firms such as Standard Oil and General Electric cropped up. They favored lower tariff s to stimulate world trade. International banks also rejected protectionism. These new multinational corporations formed the coalition that backed Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal.

They were able to tolerate unions since they had fewer labor expenses while the Republican-supporting national firms were labor intensive and operated in a more competitive environment. That didn’t mean that these multinationals were necessarily too supportive of Roosevelt’s pro-labor policies. Meanwhile, the unions pooled their resources to l

become investors in the political money game as well.

Today’s world is somewhat different. The labor movement was much stronger then. The South’s electorate was basically all white and in the Democratic Party. The region’s Democratic segregationist elite united with Northern Republicans to constrain the progressive impulses of FDR. The civil rights revolution of the 1960s shook up everything. In the early days, prominent business leaders of major multinationals, and foundations allied to them heavily supported the Civil Rights Movement. The Democratic Party was torn apart and the more racist whites in the South became Republicans.

The Democratic Party moved away from the economic progressivism of the New Deal and the Great Society. Austerity and a neo-liberalism milder than Reagan and Thatcher was promoted. Clinton said, “The era of big government is over.” Rick Perlstein says that “Joe Biden (as a senator) was a pioneer of that idea, but he now understands that its time has passed.”

Meanwhile, the Republican Party has steadily become more and more “white nationalist” and anti-democratic. It is now fascism-curious. As the GOP becomes more crazy, how many of the corporate elite might conclude that the Republicans will cause violent social unrest, economic stagnation and environmental horrors?

This opinion column does not necessarily reflect the views of Boulder Weekly.

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SUSAN FRANCE

Four seasons Chefs from four of Boulder’s finest restaurants share their favorite seasonally-appropriate recipes

by Katie Rhodes

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BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

SUSAN FRANCE

WINTER Daniel Asher, River and Woods

T

he restaurant world according to Daniel Asher looks a little different than that of the bigger chains spreading across the country. Focusing on community spaces where people can gather over local, farm-fresh meals, feeling that they’re loved and also part of something that matters, Asher and his partners have worked years in the Denver and Boulder areas.

Asher deeply connected with cooking at a young age, and describes being mesmerized by the sights, smells, and sounds coming from his mother’s kitchen as a child.

“My mom made everything from scratch when I was growing up,” he says. “I was in there with her watching by age 6, and by 7 I was helping her make dinner. In the next few years I started making salad dressings, baking . . . It really planted the seed for the rest of my life, this idea of connecting over the table. I realized I wanted to recreate those moments for other people, and the feeling of love and beauty that they created for me.”

At 14, Asher dove into the restaurant world, washing dishes, peeling potatoes—it was the beginning of a lifelong career in the kitchen.

River and Woods was opened by Asher and his partners in 2016, focusing on highlighting local food systems, sustainable food culture, the seasonality of Colorado, and of course creating a community space that brings people together. In the years focusing on a different type of cuisine, but all continuing to focus on fresh, local ingredients.

While emphasizing his belief that “we eat too many animals as a society,” Asher’s go-to winter dish is an exception that begs to be made: River and Woods’ signature cider wine braised short ribs with goat cheese smashed potatoes and garlic broccolini. Sourcing the short ribs from Callicrate Ranch in Colorado Springs, a famously sustainable, low-volume farm, the meat is dry-rubbed with cajun spice and seared then slow braised for hours, making it a warming, nourishing, well-spiced comfort food perfect for the colder months.

Cider Wine Braised Short Ribs with Goat Cheese Smashed Potatoes and Garlic Broccolini

Wine pairing: Domaine Cabirau Serge & Marie Maury Sec 2017

SHORTRIBS:

4 lbs Callicrate Ranch boneless short ribs 1/2 C Smith & Truslow cajun seasoning or Mile High steak seasoning

dice

6 cloves garlic, smashed 3 ribs celery, large dice 2 large Starling Farm carrots, large dice 1 medium Cure Farm yellow onion, large 4 T tomato paste 3 T sea salt

1 C red wine 1 C Big B’s spiced cider 2 C vegetable stock 4 sprigs thyme 2 sprigs rosemary 1 blood orange, quartered 1 large apple, large dice Season beef liberally with spice blend, pressing into the short ribs like applying a dry rub. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Let short ribs sit for 30 minutes, meanwhile preheat cast iron pan on medium-high heat and add a nicely caramelized crust develops, approx. 2 min per side. Remove short ribs from pan and set aside. Add apple, celery, onion, carrots, and sauté until onions are translucent.

Add tomato paste, stir until veggies are well coated and tomato paste has a chance to lightly “toast” without burning. Add red wine to deglaze pan, stir to catch up all the fond from pan bottom, and remove from heat.

In braising pan, pour red wine and veggie

mixture and place seared short ribs in pan.

Add garlic cloves, cider, stock, herbs, orange, salt. Make sure ribs are mostly submerged and cover pan in heavy duty foil.

Place in oven and cook 4 hours or until short ribs are fall apart tender. Let cool in braising liquid, then remove. Strain out braising liquid and reserve to reduce for pan sauce.

GOAT CHEESE SMASHED POTATOES:

2 lbs Cure Farm redskin potatoes

1/4 C sea salt 6 oz butter 3/4 C sour cream 1/2 C softened local chèvre (Haystack, Lazy Ewe, Jumpin’ Good) 2 scallions, sliced on bias Sea salt and cracked pepper to taste Bring potatoes to boil in salted water in a large pot on high heat. Let simmer until tender

and “creamy.” Remove from heat. Strain out potatoes and place in mixer with paddle attachment (can also be done by hand with masher in large bowl). Add butter, sour cream, chèvre, and scallions. Mix well until all is incorporated. Add salt & pepper to taste.

GARLIC BROCCOLINI:

1 lb organic broccolini, washed & trimmed 8 cloves of garlic, rough chopped 1/4 C good olive oil

Maldon, etc.

Heat sauté pan on medium high heat. Add olive oil, let heat until shimmering. Add broccolini and toss in oil; let heat build until color toss again; turn heat to low to avoid burning garlic. Heat until tender and garlic oil becomes fragrant. Remove from heat and sprinkle with

see SEASONS Page 10 BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

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SEASONS from Page 9 SUSAN FRANCE

SPRING Eric Skoken, Black Cat

B

lack Cat’s farm-to-table model is not uncommon in the restaurant world these days—however, what is uncommon is the owner’s 425-acre farm, located a mere 20 minutes from his restaurants, which serve fresh produce on a daily basis. The harvesting and the cooking are both done in-house.

Eric Skoken, owner of the farm and head chef of Black Cat, has a long history with recruiting fresh produce for his creations.

Working his way through college in restaurants, Skoken most important of all, fun! “I guess I decided somewhere along the way during those years that I’d rather be a chef than a lawyer,” Skoken says.

Always gravitating toward the healthier side of food and cooking, Skoken went on to run a vegetarian restaurant in San Francisco, eventually moving to Colorado to be the head chef of a spa and resort. He’d always been a gardener as well, boasting a small backyard garden here in Colorado when he was in the process of opening the Black Cat. “The garden really just got out of control!” Skoken laughs.

“Initially I just loved being in the garden, loved having that fresh produce. But what I found when I was harvesting was that the juxtaposition between what I was growing and what standard produce restaurants are bringing in was startling.

The English peas I’m growing give me goosebumps, and the ones I’m going to serve at the restaurant are ho-hum. Right away I thought, ‘I can’t stand for that.’” it again, and again, until it was 10 acres, then 50, and now 425. The decision had been made that the best thing about the restaurant was that it revolved around what was being harvested on the farm.

“The idea is simple: We grow great things close to the restaurant, harvest what we need for the day, bring it in, present it in a simple way, and let the vividness of the produce that’s still fresh and alive carry everything forward.”

Spring Pea Soup with Mint Lemon and Crème Fraîche

675 g fresh peas, shucked (reserve pea pods) 1 medium onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 medium potato, peeled and diced 1 liter vegetable stock 8 ice cubes 60 ml crème fraîche Sea salt Lemon juice to taste 10 g mint leaves, julienned 6 pea shoots

In a medium saucepan over high heat, blanch the shucked peas in boiling salted water until their color 10

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brightens, 20-30 seconds. Drain the peas and immediately plunge them into a bowl of iced water. After the peas have chilled, drain and set aside.

In a medium saucepan over a medium-high heat, combine the reserved pea pods, onion, garlic, potato, and stock. Boil until the stock is reduced to three-quarters of its original volume and the potato is very tender, about 40 minutes.

Transfer to a blender or food processor. Add half of the reserved peas. Blend until velvety smooth, adding water if the soup is too thick to easily puree. Strain through stir until the ice cubes have melted. Season with salt and lemon juice and place in the fridge to fully chill, about 1 hour. To serve the soup warm, return it to the saucepan and warm fully over a low heat for 10-15 minutes.

Divide the soup into four soup bowls. Top each with Serve immediately.

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

SUMMER Sheila Lucero, Jax

SUSAN FRANCE

G

rowing up in Colorado, Chef Sheila Lucero of Jax Fish House didn’t have much exposure to seafood. Now, after nearly 20 years at Jax, Lucero is deeply in love with seafood, fueled by the same passion and curiosity that characterized the start of her career.

After going into college to play soccer and a brief post-collegiate career playing the sport, Lucero was adrift after quitting, wondering what she was going to do next.

“I started working in restaurants at that point,” Lucero says, “and just naturally gravitated to the back of the house. It felt like a natural replacement for soccer: It was team oriented, fast-paced, and gratifying work.”

Drawing on memories from a childhood of watching her father cook fantastic meals and subsequently being exposed to good food, Lucero, aware she had no formal training, bumpy one. felt very transient in the industry—people were always being hired on and then quitting, coming and going. I was really looking for community in the kitchen, and I worked in several places before meeting Dave [Query, of Big Red F Restaurant Group], and feeling like I really found that.”

Lucero’s journey with the restaurant group began when a fellow culinary school graduate introduced Lucero to the restaurant she had been working at: Zolo, one of Big Red F’s restaurants in Boulder. Listening to her rave over the familial atmosphere, the work at Jax Fish House, also owned by Big Red F, in the late ’90s, Lucero has been on board ever since.

“Everything that I was looking for came together for me at Jax,” Lucero says happily.

“We were all young, hungry culinary grads who spent our time eating together and talking about recipes and techniques and food—we had this constant infectious banter with each other in and out of the kitchen. That was what really connected with me. Ever since I’ve always tried to embody and share that, and I’ve been fortunate that Jax has been the place to consistently let me do that.”

Lucero’s go-to summer dish is a delightfully fresh Mediterranean Grilled Tuna Steak, with freshly grated tomato sauce, summer squash, zucchini, roasted Kalamata olives and fresh basil. This time of year is tomatoes’ time to shine, she says, making this a light but

Jax Grilled Tuna Steak with Summer Squash, Fresh Grated Tomato Sauce, Roasted Kalamata Olives, and Sweet Garlic Puree Suggested wine pairing: Any dry, crisp Italian white

GRILLED TUNA STEAKS: portions) 28 g olive oil 10 g kosher salt 8 g black pepper, fresh cracked 10 g basil, fresh leaves Season tuna steaks with olive oil, salt, and cracked pepper on both sides of each steak.

Reserve basil for garnish.

GARLIC PUREE (YIELD 1 CUP):

Place the raw garlic in the small pot and cover with cold water. Place the pot on the stove and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, Fill the pot again with cold water and bring to a boil again. Repeat this process four times in total.

After you have blanched the garlic four times, strain out all the water. While the garlic is still hot, place it into a blender with the salt and sugar. Blend the garlic by starting on low speed and slowly turning up the speed. Go all the way to “High’’ and blend for about 20 seconds.

Turn the blender off. Scrape down the sides of the pitcher making sure there are no remaining chunks of garlic. Repeat the blending process again a second time starting from low.

The garlic should be smooth and about the thickness of loose mayo.

GRATED TOMATO SAUCE (YIELD 1 QUART):

300 g garlic cloves 5 g kosher salt 5 g sugar

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

500 g tomato, vine ripened, medium size 5 g kosher salt 5 g sherry vinegar Wash and dry the tomatoes. Grate them on l

the box grater into the medium mixing bowl—use the large citrus zesting side of the box grater.

You do not need to grate the skin. Discard skins.

Add the salt, vinegar, and garlic puree. Mix well.

ROASTED KALAMATA OLIVES (YIELD 1 CUP):

250 g Kalamata olives, pitted and drained 5 g olive oil Drain olives from their liquid and place in a medium metal bowl. Add the olive oil and mix.

Lay the olives out on a sheet tray and roast in the oven at 350 degrees for 25 mins. Pull the evenly) and return them to the oven for another 10 mins. Olives should appear roasted, dry and the mouthfeel of a meringue.

GRILLED ZUCCHINI AND SUMMER SQUASH 500 g zucchini 500 g yellow squash 25 g olive oil 5 g kosher salt 7 g sherry vinegar 3 g kosher salt

DECEMBER 23, 2021

Wash the zucchini and yellow squash. Trim off the stems and ends. Slice the zucchini and inch thick. Place the squash and zucchini in a mixing bowl and add the olive oil, salt, and black pepper. Mix gently and evenly. Grill the squash clean). Cook the squash and zucchini for about 2-3 mins on each side, just enough to get grill marks. Do not overcook: if anything they can be a little “undercooked” as they will continue to cook even after being pulled off the grill. Once you have grilled the zucchini and squash place them back into the metal bowl and season with grill on for the tuna steaks.

Assembly: Grill tuna gently to medium rare. Place the tomato sauce in the center of four shallow bowls. Place the grilled tuna in the center of the tomato sauce. Place 7 dots of the sweet garlic puree in the tomato sauce. Partially on the tuna and some cascading on the plate).

Top the squash with the roasted olives. Finish the plate with torn basil and olive oil . see SEASONS Page 12 11

SEASONS from Page 11

SUSAN FRANCE

FALL Rob Hurd, Frasca

F

rasca is one of Boulder’s shining stars of exemplary culinary achievement. A three-time James Beard award winner, holding a AAA four-diamond rating, the restaurant is known for its northern Italian cuisine and stunning wine selection. Head chef Rob Hurd started his career by accident at the age of 15, getting a job as a busboy in a restaurant because he wanted what every teenager wants: to be able to afford a car when he turned 16. they were short staffed, so they immediately led me back to the kitchen. It was Mother’s Day 1993. They threw me an apron and asked me to dip 1,000 chocolate covered me to cut carrots. After that I never looked back.”

Hurd describes the magnetic environment, fast-paced and crazy where people are

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DECEMBER 23, 2021

place he’d ever been. It was different from any other job he had worked—he was hooked.

“What I realized over time, the reason I kept doing it, kept putting myself through long hours and holidays and missing friends’ parties, weddings, baby showers, was that I really got something out of taking care of other people. That’s been the main driving force: I love making sure people have a good time.”

Hurd’s favorite fall dish, Chestnut Risotto, is a testament to his background in several ways. Having grown up with chestnut trees, and then later in life living in Paris, where during the fall season chestnuts were roasted and sold on street corners by local vendors, this dish looks, smells and feels like autumn. With its combined lightness and warmth, and ingredients that speak to the changing of seasons, this dish is the perfect addition to any autumnal dining experience. l

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

Chestnut Risotto (for two)

Wine pairing: Podversic Damijan “Prelit,” Gorizia, Friuli, Italy 2013

BRODO:

1 ½ qt water 125 g onion (lg dice) 50 g fennel (lg dice) 40 g celery (lg dice) 75 g russet potato (peel & lg dice) 1 tart apple such as granny smith (peel & lg dice) 12 coriander seed 5 black peppercorns 250 g fresh peeled chestnuts, peeled weight (can substitute frozen chestnuts; roast 450 degrees for 10 min) Place all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a light simmer, and cook for 30-40 mins.

Delivering Cheer

for making the risotto.

BROWN BUTTER SAGE CHESTNUTS:

100 g fresh peeled chestnuts, peeled weight (small dice; can substitute frozen chestnuts) 50 g unsalted butter 1 small sage leaf Place 50 grams of butter, sage leaf, and the diced chestnut into a sauté pan; over medium high heat, toast chestnuts until golden brown (approximately 5-10 minutes). Pour chestnuts and the lightly browned butter onto a plate to stop the cooking process and cool slightly. Reserve chestnut mixture for making the risotto.

RISOTTO

125 g Vialone Nano rice 100 g dry white wine 1½ c chestnut brodo (approximate) 2 T olive oil 8 g kosher salt (approximate) 10 g unsalted butter Brown butter sage chestnuts (1 batch)

Add olive oil to a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat; when warm add rice and stir until nicely coated. Cook until toasted, about 45 seconds. Pour in wine, stirring continuously, and cook until wine is almost completely evaporated. Add ½ cup of hot brodo and a pinch of salt (season throughout the whole cooking process), continue to stir until the rice has absorbed almost all of the brodo (the risotto should lightly simmer throughout the whole cooking time). Continue to add brodo to the rice, ¼ cup at a time. stirring continuously and repeating each addition of brodo as the rice absorbs the liquid fully. The more you stir, the creamier the risotto will be. After 13 minutes, add the browned chestnuts and the butter they were browned in with ¼ cup of brodo. Lower the heat and continue to stir every 20-30 seconds for 3 minutes. Taste and adjust salt. Finally, stir in 10 grams of butter and adjust the consistency of the risotto with remaining brodo if needed. The consistency should be thick but somewhat soupy. Plate two portions of risotto and, using a microplane, each plate. Serve immediately.

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

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DECEMBER 23, 2021

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PHOTO COURTESY OF WU-TANG

Bring da motherfuckin’ ruckus The saga of the rare Wu-Tang Clan album

by Bill Forman

L

ike so many of life’s great mysteries, it all began with a press release. On July 27, the U.S. Department of Justice sent out a news alert with the attention-getting headline “United States Sells Unique Wu-Tang Clan Album Forfeited by Convicted Hedge Fund Manager Martin Shkreli.”

“Through the diligent and

and its law enforcement partners,” declared Acting United States Attorney Jacquelyn M. Kasulis, “Shkreli has been held accountable and paid the price for lying and stealing from investors to enrich himself.”

While the federal government isn’t usually in the business of selling slightly-used albums, this one was worth the hassle.

For one thing, Wu-Tang Clan’s Once Upon a Time in Shaolin is a two-album set, with 31 previously unreleased tracks that took the iconic hip-hop group a full six years to record. But what makes the 2015 album even more special is the fact that it was released in a limited edition of one, encased in an engraved nickel-silver box with a leather-bound parchment book of lyrics, and auctioned off for $2 million to Martin “Pharma Bro” Shkreli, the hedge fund manager who infamously acquired the license for an HIV drug and upped its price from $13.50 to $750 per pill.

In 2017, Shkreli was indicted for securities fraud and sentenced to seven years in prison. The federal government subsequently seized the album and auctioned it off to satisfy the balance of a $7.4 million

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

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forfeiture judgment.

So who is the anonymous party who now owns the world’s most expensive album? And how much did they pay for it?

Those questions remained unanswered until a few weeks ago, when PleasrDAO, a collective of Non-Fungible Token (NFT) enthusiasts and investors, posted a video on their website titled “We Bought the Unreleased Wu-Tang Clan Album With Crypto.”

“There is no more storied, iconic, and historic piece of physical music on earth than the single copy of Wu-Tang Clan’s unreleased album, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin,” bragged PleasrDAO’s “Chief new bicycle. “After nearly a decade under wraps and in private hands, PleasrDAO purchased the complete album, with plans to oversee and At this point, it’s not clear what that ruckus will look like. When Wu-Tang auctioned off the album, it came with the stipulation that the music could not be commercially released until the year 2103, which is still a long way off. Upon purchasing it, Shkreli said that he had no plans to actually listen to the album, but simply bought it to “keep it from the people.”

PleasrDAO, which bought the album for $4 million, hope to do the exact opposite by negotiating a deal with Wu-Tang in which fans and investors will be able to buy NFTs that give them part ownership of the album.

“This is like the original NFT,” says Johnson in the video, as he drives to the vault where the holy grail of hip-hop awaits him. “It’s the

DECEMBER 23, 2021

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RE OR

CONCER

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A RAN

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AKE HERE

BOULDER WEEKLY GIVEAWAYS

E VENTS

EVENTS

Queer Community Meditation & Conversation (virtual)

If your organization is planning an event of any kind, please email the managing editor at crockett@boulderweekly.com

6 p.m. Thursday, December 23, ONLINE via Zoom.

Virtual Event URL: bit.ly/3FdY7rN A warm invitation for all individuals seeking an opportunity to be together. Basic mindfulness awareness meditation and contemporary embodied meditation, including relevant practices

and everyday life. This offering is free. Donations greatly appreciated .

Free to Play Texas Hold’em

7 p.m. Tuesday, December 28, The Rusty Melon Gunbarrel, 6525 Gunpark Drive, Suite 380, Gunbarrel. Free Free to play. All skill levels welcomed.

Bears and Aurora of Alaska

9 p.m. Fiske Planetarium, 2414 Regent Drive, Boulder. Tickets: $7-

O Holy Night: A Christmas Musical Performance

6 p.m. Thursday, December 23, Unity of Boulder, corner of Valmont and Folsom streets, Boulder. Free, but donations are appreciated. Virtual Event URL: eventbrite.com/e/221008792247 Catch one—or both!—of Unity of Boulder’s O Holy Night, a Christmas musical performance, on December 23 and 24 at 6 p.m., featuring the Unity Christmas choir and band performing holiday classics and a dramatization of the Christmas story. Unity is providing free tickets to the in-person production in order to get a headcount and keep folks safe. Please wear a mask to this indoor event. You can also watch online at unityofboulder.com.

Tickets available at: Dec. 23: eventbrite.com/e/220971831697 Dec. 24: eventbrite.com/e/220971831697

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

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Dr. Travis Rector, an astrophysics professor at the University of Alaska Planetarium and Visualization Theater (and a CU alumni) will talk about River of Bears and Above Alaska last frontier.

see EVENTS Page 18

For more event listings, go online at boulderweekly.com/events

DECEMBER 23, 2021

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EVENTS from Page 17

EVENTS

CONCERTS

RYAN MASTRO

JUST ANNOUNCED JAN 17 ................................................................................................. SUMMER SALT APR 29 .............................................................................................. FREDDIE GIBBS FEB 5 ................................................................................................ THE GOOD KIND

FRI. DEC 31 WESTWORD & TERRAPIN STATION PRESENT: THE TRIP OUT TOUR

THE CRYSTAL METHOD

FRI. DEC 31 RADIO 1190, WESTWORD, PARADISE FOUND & TERRAPIN CARE STATION PRESENT

CRUMB’S NEW YEAR’S EVE BOULDER BASH RAMAKHANDRA SAT. JAN 15

GODLAZER

RELIX, 97.3 KBCO & GRATEFUL WEB PRESENT

THE JERRY DANCE PARTY FEAT. DJ JERRBROTHER

FRI. JAN 7

SUMMER CAMP ON THE ROAD TOUR

SUN. JAN 16

SAT. JAN 8

97.3 KBCO, BOULDER WEEKLY & GRATEFUL WEB PRESENT

LAWRENCE

HIGHERUP PRESENTS

ELEVATE YOUR FREQUENCIES FEAT. CVPTVGON KICK, IAM_JACKO, TWOPERCENT, ASHTROLOGY FRI. JAN 14 SLOW BURN WINTER TOUR

BUMPIN UGLIES

SWATKINS

MON. JAN 17

THE SECOND CITY THE ABSOLUTE BEST FRIGGIN’ TIME OF YOUR LIFE TUE. JAN 18

ARTIKAL SOUND SYSTEM, JOEY HARKUM

105.5 THE COLORADO SOUND PRESENTS

LUCINDA WILLIAMS AND HER BAND BUICK 6

SAT. JAN 15 RETRO 102.5 & TERRAPIN CARE STATION PRESENT

THE PETTY NICKS EXPERIENCE

WED. JAN 19

December 23

Steve Manshel. 6 p.m. Bootstrap, 142 Pratt Street, Longmont.

Daniel Rodriguez and Friends. 6 p.m. Gold Hill Inn, 401 Main Street Gold Hill, Boulder. Light dinner buffet served from 6-7:30 p.m. $16 cash only. SOLD OUT.

ROOSTER & PARTY GURU PRODUCTIONS PRESENT

FISHER

MOUNTAIN ROSE

THU. JAN 20

HARVE B2B KAEGI, RYNE

CHANNEL 93.3 PRESENTS

SAT JAN 22

THE UNLIKELY CANDIDATES

A Winter’s Eve: Reed Foehl, Megan Burtt, and Sturtz. 6:30 p.m. eTown, 1535 Spruce Street, Boulder. Tickets are $25.

88.5 KGNU & PARTY GURU PRODUCTIONS PRESENT

DIRTWIRE

AMZY

COURTESY OF REED FOEHL

GONE GONE BEYOND, BLOSSOMN

FRI. JAN 21 ROOSTER PRESENTS

TUE. FEB 1

THE LOSERS CLUB, DAYSHAPER, HELLOCENTRAL

ANAÏS MITCHELL + BONNY LIGHT HORSEMAN

BURY MIA SAT. JAN 22

Open House: EDM Throwback Edition with Britton Lee, Illien + Bro Candy. 7 p.m. Larimer Lounge, 2721 Larimer Street, Denver. Free.

WED. FEB 2

TENTH MOUNTAIN DIVISION + FLASH MOUNTAIN FLOOD

INVIOLATE TOUR

STEVE VAI THU. FEB 3

MON. JAN 24

105.5 THE COLORADO SOUND PRESENTS

EIVØR

SON VOLT

EMILY JANE WHITE

Hulk Gang (4B + Valentino Khan).

8 p.m. Ogden Theatre, 935 East Colfax, Denver. Tickets: $29.50-$75.

JESSE FARRAR OF OLD SALT UNION

THU. JAN 27

TUE. FEB 8

ROOSTER & PARTY GURU PRODUCTIONS PRESENT

CHANNEL 93.3 PRESENTS

BAD SUNS

WOOLI

SAT. FEB 12

FRI. JAN 28

105.5 THE COLORADO SOUND PRESENTS

JIMKATA

JOSH RITTER

KRONEN

SUN. FEB 20

SAT. JAN 29

105.5 THE COLORADO SOUND & 88.5 KGNU PRESENT

SAM BUSH

ROOSTER PRESENTS

MELLOWPUNK

88.5 KGNU PRESENTS

GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR

FRI. FEB 4 105.5 THE COLORADO SOUND PRESENTS

DRUNKEN HEARTS + BUFFALO COMMONS

97.3 KBCO PRESENTS

LOS LOBOS

TENTH MOUNTAIN DIVISION

SUN. FEB 6 MAR 18 MAR 20 MAR 22 MAR 26 MAR 31

FRI. FEB 11

The Gilmour Project. 8 p.m. Paramount Theatre, 1621 Glenarm Place, Denver.

December 30

Ravin’Wolf. 6 p.m. Bootstrap Brewing Company, 142 Pratt Street, Longmont.

MON. MAR 7

PICK & HOWL

DUBBEST

My Morning Jacket with Neal Francis. 7 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop Street, Denver. Tickets: $56-$110.50.

SAT. FEB 26

BLUSH, DRY ICE, JACKSON CLOUD ODYSSEY

PASSAFIRE

December 29

KID BLOOM, LITTLE IMAGE

TRIVECTA, ACE AURA, SHANK AARON

Chris Sheldon. 7 p.m. Jamestown Mercantile, 108 Main Street, Jamestown.

............................................................................ MARCHFOURTH ............................................................................. SARAH JAROSZ ................................................................................. YVES TUMOR ........................................ ANDERS OSBORNE & JACKIE GREENE ................................................................................. DEAD FLOYD

105.5 THE COLORADO SOUND, UPSLOPE BREWING & TERRAPIN CARE STATION PRESENT: ANDY’S BIRTHDAY PARTY

My Morning Jacket with Neal Francis. 7 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop Street, Denver. Tickets: $56-$110.50.

For more event listings, go online at boulderweekly.com/events

ANDY FRASCO & THE U.N

FEB 12 FEB 16 FEB 18 FEB 19 FEB 25

18

....................... WOOD BELLY + PIXIE & THE PARTYGRASS BOYS ............................................................... THE CACTUS BLOSSOMS ................................................................... THE RIVER ARKANSAS ................................................................... JANE AND MATTHEWS ............................................................................................ SPORTS

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2028 14TH STREET NOW FT. MCDEVITT TACO SUPPLY SUPER HEADY TACOS! 303-786-7030 | OPEN DURING EVENTS

DECEMBER 23, 2021

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BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

Happy New Year 2021-2022 BOULDER WOW!’s New Year’s Eve Party

Party No. 1: 10 a.m.-noon; Party No. 2: 1 p.m. -3 p.m. WWW! Children’s Museum, 110 N. Harrison Avenue, Lafayette, wowchildrensmuseum.org

New Years Eve at The Louisville Underground

All Ages Celebration 6 p.m.; Adults only 9 p.m. The Louisville Underground, 640 Main Street, Louisville.Price: $15-$28, thelouisvilleunderground.com

New Year’s Eve at Avalon Ballroom 6:45 p.m. Avalon Ballroom, 6185 Arapahoe Avenue, Boulder. Tickets: $45 in advance, $55 at the door, dancelaughlove.com

Crumb’s New Year’s Eve Boulder Bash with Ramakhandra.

7 p.m. Boulder Theater, 2032 14th Street, Boulder. Tickets: $35-$39.50, z2ent.com/boulder-theater-venue

New Year’s Eve Dance Party

7 p.m. Gold Hill Inn, 401 Main Street, Boulder. Tickets: $45, brownpapertickets.com/event/5318534

St Julien Hotel & Spa 2021 New

Year’s Eve Party Masquerade Ball

8 p.m. St. Julien Spa & Hotel, 900 Walnut Street, Boulder, stjulien.com

New Year’s Eve American Legion Post 32

8 p.m. American Legion Post 32, 315 S. Bowen Street, Longmont

Avanti Boulder’s New Year’s Eve Rooftop Party

8 p.m. Avanti F&B Boulder, 1401 Pearl Street, Boulder. VIP tables are $100$500, boulder.avantifandb.com

License No. 1 New Year’s Eve Party 8 p.m. License No. 1, 2115 13th Street, Boulder, license1boulderado.com

The Crystal Method with GODLAZER. 8:30 p.m. Fox Theatre, 1135 13th Street, Boulder. Tickets: $25-$30, z2ent.com/fox-theatre-venue

DENVER Bunk with the Beasts (ages 5-12)

6 p.m. Denver Zoo, 2300 Steele Street, Denver. Tickets are $68-$86, denverzoo.org/family-bunks

see NEW YEAR’S EVE GUIDE Page 20

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

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2425 Canyon • 303-443-2421 • www.christinasluxuries.com Mon-Sat 10-6 DECEMBER 23, 2021

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Happy New Year 2021-2022 NEW YEAR’S EVE GUIDE from Page 19

My Morning Jacket with Neal Francis

Denver NYE Cocktail Party 2022

7 p.m. Mission Ballroom, 4242 Wynkoop Street, Denver. Tickets: $56-$110.50

8 p.m. Sheraton Denver Downtown Hotel, 1550 Court Place, Denver. Tickets are $110, nyenightdenver.com

Resolution New Year’s Eve 2021

19th Annual White Rose Gala

7:30 p.m. McNichols Event Center & Art Gallery,144 W. Colfax Avenue, Denver.

Tickets are $119-$199, resolutiondenver.com

9 p.m. Ellie Caulkins Opera House - Denver Performing Arts Complex, 14th and Champa, Denver. Tickets are $80-$299, whiterosegala.org

Railroad Earth & The Dustbowl Revival

New Year’s Eve Gala at Gaylord Rockies

7:30 p.m. Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 N. Clarkson Street, Denver

9 p.m. Gaylord Rockies, 6700 N. Gaylord Rockies Boulevard, Aurora. Tickets are $50-$200, bignightrockies.com/buy-tickets

Denver New Year’s Eve Black Tie 2021

BoomBox featuring The BackBeat Brass 9 p.m. Ogden Theatre, 935 E. Colfax, Denver. TIckets: $37.50-45

8 p.m. Mile High Station, 2027 W. Colfax Avenue, Denver. Tickets are $110-$120, newyearsevenight.com

Celebrate the New Year on the Orient Express at Denver Union Station

Lee Fields & The Expressions

9 p.m. Bluebird Theater, 3317 E. Colfax Avenue, Denver. Tickets: $39.75.

New Year’s Eve Fireworks

8 p.m. Denver Union Station, 1701 Wynkoop Street, Denver. Tickets are $95$699, unionstationindenver.com 20

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9 p.m. and midnight, 16th Street Mall, Denver

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

The way to dusty death

‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’ is stylish but distancing

Call 720.253.4710

by Michael J. Casey

S

tyle is half the picture. Story is the other half. William Shakespeare’s 17th-century play, The Tragedie of Macbeth, might be one of the greatest stories ever penned. If not, it’s at least one of the most durable. The desire for power, the ruthlessness of rule, and the all-consuming descent into madness that comes with conspiracy and murder are more than warning signs from a morality tale; they are touchstones in a quest for power applicable to practically any historical period.

What story could hold up better to the endless visual possibilities that cinema presents?

Why, then, does The Tragedy of Macbeth feel so distant, so empty in intent?

Adapted for the screen and directed by Joel Coen—working without brother Ethan for

All credit cards accepted No text messages

The Tragedy of Macbeth is a striking movie loaded with a visual audacity that would bowl me over in any other movie but leaves me feeling hollow here.

Filmed in boxy Academy aspect ratio and striking chiaroscuro black and white cinThe Tragedy of Macbeth is a theatrical affair. Characters often enter the frame from the background and then walk toward the camera A24

close-ups. The sets surrounding them are both sparse and beautifully detailed but give no indication that a world exists outside the frame. Some even feel with no tether. The performances are similar, with many actors coming across like rigid automatons—empty vessels Washington is allowed several vocal

ON THE BILL: ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’ opens in

has grown fully mad that he loses composure and leans across his throne with a devil-may-care attitude. Up to this point, slouching seems not to exist in all of Scotland.

The scene-stealer of the affair is Kathryn Hunter. She plays all three witches like a hallucination. Hunter twists her body into impossible and unsettling shapes as she delivers Macbeth’s prophecy and fate. Between her and the crows, there’s enough spookiness to push The Tragedy of Macbeth into the horror realms.

This is all by design, no doubt: Clever ways to draw attention to the theatricality of the proceedings. Even Macbeth’s climactic duel with Macduff (Corey Hawkins) carries a comic touch that feels designed to be appreci-

Coen didn’t go for naturalism instead.

Not that there is anything natural about the versions directed by Orson Welles and Scottish Play. Welles’ Macbeth was made for pennies, so he hid the lack of sets with fog and shadow, rapid cutting, canted angles, and high theatrics. That movie feels like a fever dream. Kurosawa’s Throne of Blood takes Shakespeare’s story and incorporates elements of Japanese Noh Theater to make it feel even more ghostly. Kurosawa’s ending makes you believe in spirits—until he pulls back the curtain, that is. Coen’s Tragedy of Macbeth has roots in both but lacks the shock of the new and the sense of something wholly different.

I admire The Tragedy of Macbeth, even if it feels like the movie is holding me at arm’s length. That makes it feel like an exercise—which sounds like a terrible damnation of a movie that is so clearly the summation of an artistic expression.

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

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DECEMBER 23, 2021

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BY ROB BREZSNY ARIES

LIBRA

MARCH 21-APRIL 19: You may become a more audacious

MUAY THAI KRAV MAGA KICKBOXING Fitness and

Self-Defense Classes

storyteller in 2022. You could ripen your ability to express the core truths about your life with entertaining narratives. Bonus: The experiences that come your way will provide raw material for you to become even more interesting than you already are.

Now study these words by storyteller Ruth Sawyer: “To be a good storyteller, one must be gloriously alive. It is not possible to kindle fresh fires from burned-out embers. The best of the traditional storytellers are those who live close to the heart of things—to the earth, sea, wind, and weather. They have known solitude, silence. They have been given unbroken time in which to feel deeply, to reach constantly for understanding.”

TAURUS

APRIL 20-MAY 20: Taurus author May Sarton wrote a poem celebrating her maturation into the person she had always dreamed she would be. “Now I become myself,” she exulted. “It’s taken time, many years and places; I have been dissolved and shaken, have worn other people’s faces.” But at last, she said, “All fuses together now, falls into place from wish to action, word to silence. My work, my love, my time, my face: gathered into one intense gesture of growing like a plant.” I invite you to adopt Sarton’s poem as a primary source of inspiration in 2022. Make it your guide as you, too, become fully and richly yourself.

GEMINI

MAY 21-JUNE 20: In 2012, the writer Gore Vidal died the day after Gemini writer Maeve Binchy passed away. They were both famous, though Bincy sold more books than Vidal. Vidal was interesting but problematic for me. He was fond of saying that it wasn’t enough for him to succeed; he wanted others to fail. The misery of his fellow humans intensified his satisfaction about his own accomplishments. On the other hand, Binchy had a generous wish that everyone would be a success. She felt her magnificence was magnified by others’ magnificence. In 2022, it will be vital for your physical and mental health to cultivate Binchy’s perspective, not Vidal’s. To the degree that you celebrate and enhance the fortunes of others, your own fortunes will thrive.

3101 1/2 28th St., Boulder, CO 303-402-9460

CANCER

JUNE 21-JULY 22: Cancerian political leader Nelson Mandela was wrongly incarcerated for 27 years. After his release, he became President of South Africa and won the Nobel Peace Prize. About leaving jail in 1990, he wrote, “As I walked out the door toward the gate that would lead to my freedom, I knew if I didn’t leave my bitterness and hatred behind, I’d still be in prison.” Although you haven’t suffered deprivation anywhere close to what Mandela did, I’m happy to report that 2022 will bring you liberations from limiting situations. Please adopt Mandela’s approach as you make creative use of your new freedom.

LEO

JULY 23-AUG. 22: French poet André Breton wrote, “Je vous

souhaite d’être follement aimée.” In English, those words can be rendered as “My wish is that you may be loved to the point of madness” or “I wish you to be loved madly.” That’s got a romantic ring to it, but it’s actually a curse. Why would we want to be loved to the point of madness? A person who “loved” you like that might be fun for a while, but would ultimately become a terrible inconvenience and ongoing disruption. So, dear Leo, I won’t wish that you will be loved to the point of madness in 2022—even though I think the coming months will be an interesting and educational time for amour. Instead, I will wish you something more manageable and enjoyable: that you will be loved with respect, sensitivity, care, and intelligence.

VIRGO

AUG. 23-SEPT. 22: Many people in our culture are smart intellec-

tually, but not very smart emotionally. The wisdom of feelings is undervalued. I protest! One of my great crusades is to champion this neglected source of insight. I am counting on you to be my ally in 2022. Why? Because according to my reading of the astrological omens, you have the potential to ripen your emotional intelligence in the coming months. Do you have ideas about how to take full advantage of this lucky opportunity?

Here’s a tip: Whenever you have a decision to make, tune in to what your body and heart tell you as well as to what your mind advises.

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DECEMBER 23, 2021

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SEPT. 23-OCT. 22: Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl said that a sense of meaning is crucial. It’s the key gratification that sustains people through the years: the feeling that their life has a meaning and that particular experiences have meaning. I suggest you make this your theme for 2022. The question “Are you happy?” will be a subset of the more inclusive question, “Are you pursuing a destiny that feels meaningful to you?”

Here’s the other big question: “If what you’re doing doesn’t feel meaningful, what are you going to do about it?”

SCORPIO

OCT. 23-NOV. 21: Scorpio guitarist Rowland S. Howard spoke

of “the grand occasions when love really does turn into something far greater than you had ever dreamed of, something auto-luminescent.” Judging from the astrological configurations in 2022, I have strong hopes and expectations that you will experience prolonged periods when love will fit that description. For best results, resolve to become more generous and ingenious in expressing love than you have ever been.

SAGITTARIUS

NOV. 22-DEC. 21: “I’ve been trying to go home my whole life,” writes poet Chelsea Dingman. I know some of you Sagittarians resist the urge to do that. It’s possible you avoid seeking a true and complete home. You may think of the whole world as your home, or you may regard a lot of different places as your homes. And you’d prefer not to narrow down the feeling and concept of “home” to one location or building or community.

Whether or not you are one of those kinds of Centaurs, I suspect that 2022 will bring you unexpected new understandings of home—and maybe even give you the sense that you have finally arrived in your ultimate sanctuary.

CAPRICORN

DEC. 22-JAN. 19: To ensure that 2022 will bring you the most

interesting and useful kind of progress, take good care of your key friendships and alliances, even as you seek out excellent new friendships and alliances. For best results, heed these thoughts from author Hanya Yanagihara: “Find people who are better than you are—not smarter, not cooler, but kinder, and more generous, and more forgiving—and then appreciate them for what they can teach you, and listen to them when they tell you something about yourself, no matter how bad—or good—it might be.”

AQUARIUS

JAN. 20-FEB. 18: Sometime during the Northern Song Dynasty that ruled China from 960 to 1127, an artisan made a white ceramic bowl five inches in diameter. About a thousand years later, a family in New York bought it at a garage sale for $3.

It sat on a mantel in their home for a few years until they got a hunch to have it evaluated by an art collector. A short time later, the bowl was sold at an auction for $2.2 million. I’m not saying that 2022 will bring a financial event as dramatic as that one. But I do expect that your luck with money will be at a peak.

PISCES

FEB. 19-MARCH 20: In the Quechuan language spoken in

parts of Peru, the word [[i]]takanakuy[[i]] means “when the blood is boiling.” Every year at this time, the community of Chumbivilcas stages a holiday called [[i]]Takanakuy[[i]].

People gather at the town center to fight each other, settling their differences so they can forget about them and start over fresh. If my friend and I have had a personal conflict during the previous year, we would punch and kick each other—but not too hard—until we had purged our spite and resentment. The slate between us would be clean. Is there some humorous version of this ritual you could enact that wouldn’t involve even mild punching and kicking? I recommend you dream one up!

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

BY DAN SAVAGE Dear Dan: I’m extremely kinky, with an emphasis on extreme. To give an example, I love long-term and extremely restrictive bondage.

Think full-body casts or getting locked up for an entire weekend. I’m a 32-year-old straight male year we opened up our marriage because my sexual desires were putting too much of a strain on the marriage. My wife is incredible, and we do many wonderful kinky things together, but I needed more. More frequency, more intensity.

Since then, I’ve seen some other women but looking around I came to the realization that gay men have all the fun! I often see these incredibly intense sexual experiences that I so desire in amateur gay porn or on various gay men’s fetish pursue these kinds of things. I’ve been talking to a guy who shares a very similar set of kinks, and it’s been great. He showed me Recon, which has opened a whole new world up to me. I’m struggling right now. It’s like a battle between my identity as a kinkster/fetishist and my identity as straight. I think the former is going to win, but certain things concern me. I don’t know if I’ll feel repulsed to have, say, a dick in my mouth. And I don’t want the poor guy that I play with to have to deal with my own internal psychological drama. I grew up in a very rural area that was extremely homophobic. I was bullied and called a faggot constantly. I’ve just recently been feeling less shame about being kinky and now there’s this whole other level of shame that I am scared to contend with. Am I silly for considering doing stuff with men even though I’m a lot more attracted to —Brooding Over Unmet Needs Daily Dear BOUND: “I felt very much in this person’s shoes at one point in my life,” said bondage porn star James “Heavy” Woelfel.

Just like you, BOUND, Heavy was always turned on by extremely heavy bondage scenarios. That was the reason he chose “Heavy Bondage For Life” as his porn name. And just about getting tied by other men because he didn’t identify as gay or bisexual at the time.

“I was really worried that if I played with men that meant my identity had to change too,” said Heavy, looking back at that time in his life. “But seeking out other genders to play with doesn’t necessarily have to change your identity.”

Heavy’s identity ultimately did change—he know that your identity doesn’t have to change.

“I view bondage the same as getting together with friends for a round of golf, or shooting hoops, watching a movie or game together,” said Heavy.

“I’ve had many bondage encounters that involved sex, but I’ve had even more that were simply about the bondage itself.”

What Heavy is suggesting here, BOUND, is that you can meet up with another guy for a

heavy bondage scene and enjoy the bondage—and even get off on the bondage—without having “sex.” You can consent to being a guy’s bondage sub for an evening or a weekend without having to consent to sucking his dick or letting him fuck your ass.

“BOUND just needs to be direct about what he’s looking for when he reaches out to the guys he might like to play with,” said Heavy. “He needs to have the same conversations he had with his wife about limits, comfortability levels, and intentions. And if someone is pushy about certain things that he’s unsure about, then they’re likely not the right person for him.”

Bondage tops on Recon with the kind bondage will most likely have heard from other were in it for the bondage, not the sex. If simply getting to tie you up isn’t enough—if a gay bondage top isn’t interested in a bondage-only scene with you—he’ll decline to play with you. and genuine people to share these kinds of experiences with,” said Heavy. “Bondage is inherently dangerous, especially when you’re a lot of trust. BOUND needs to make sure he’s putting his trust in the right people.”

So, how do you know if you’re interacting and negotiating with and possibly playing with the right kind of guys? In addition to trusting your gut—always trust your gut—check their references. If you’re meeting bondage tops on Recon, you can send messages directly to the one with a lot of friends (and a lot of original play pics) is a much safer bet than someone with no friends or pics, BOUND, but if you’re tempted to play with someone without friends with other men he’s played with. If he refuses, BOUND, don’t play with him.

“The gay men I played with when I was still identifying as straight were generally very respectful,” added Heavy. “I did have a few experiences where my limits weren’t respected. But thankfully I’m okay and I learned from those experiences.”

And Heavy wants you to know that there are women out there who are into intense bondage.

“It’s a myth that only men play to the level BOUND is interested in playing at,” said Heavy. “Though I’ve had many incredible experiences with men, I’ve met just as many women that wanted to lock me up in the most serious forms of restraint you could ever imagine.”

Follow Heavy on Twitter @for_heavy, on Instagram @_heavybondage4life_, and Only Fans at Heavybondage4life.

Send questions to mail@savagelove. net, follow Dan on Twitter @fakedansavage, and visit savage.love.

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

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boulderweekly.com DECEMBER 23, 2021

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BOURBON CHICKEN FROM RUBY RU’S STREET EATERY; PHOTO JOHN LEHNDORFF

Great tastes of 2021

A food critic’s guide to his favorite Boulder soups, salads, sandwiches and treats of the year

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Bourbon Chicken, Ruby Ru’s Street Eatery, Lafayette:

can

Pumpkin Curry, Bee’s Thai Kitchen, Lafayette:

by John Lehndorff Smoked Brisket Pho, Pho Mi, Boulder: The

Chile Rellenos, Parkway Cafe, Boulder:

Margherita Pizza, La Licha, Lyons:

Spicy Pig Patty-style Pizza, Audrey Jane’s Pizza Garage, Boulder:

Breakfast Burrito, Blue Corn Tacos, Longmont:

Momo, Chiri’s Momo Delights, Boulder:

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DECEMBER 23, 2021

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BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

Caprese Panini, Community Table Kitchen, Boulder: At the eatery in the Della and grilled until gooey good.

Milanesa de Res, La Choza, Boulder: Ska Street Dagwood, Ska Street Brewstillery: Sandwich of the day, Al’s Artisanal Meats and Cheeses, Lafayette: Finocchiona NEW MOON BAKERY; PHOTO JOHN LEHNDORFF

olive oil and rosemary, Salt

Boulder.

Local bakery treats

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tasting tour should include

Top roadfood attractions

Ajarski, House of Bread, Denver: The Old Amsterdam, Dubbel Dutch, Denver: BBQ Pork Banh Mi, Vinh Xuong Bakery, Denver: Chicken Matzo Ball Soup, Zaidy’s Deli, Denver: This is the real thing: Clear

Taste The Difference Think all water tastes the same?

See why Eldorado Natural Spring Water keeps winning awards for taste.

Pan-fried chicken, Castle Cafe, Castle Rock: potatoes and gravy.

Words to chew on John Lehndorff hosts Radio Nibbles at 8:20 a.m. Thursdays on KGNU (88.5 FM, streaming on kgnu.org).

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

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DECEMBER 23, 2021

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Voted East County’s BEST Gluten Free Menu

Happy Holidays!

We we will be toasting the night away and adding some opulent dishes to ring in the new year! Opt for a cozy indoor dining experience with our air filtration system or celebrate on one of our four heated patios. Prefer to feast in the comfort of your home?

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japangoboulder

WINE

Hours: Wed-Sat 8am-8pm, Sunday 8am-4pm MORNINGGLORYCAFE | 1377 FOREST PARK CIRCLE, LAFAYETTE | 303.604.6351

DECEMBER 23, 2021

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BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

Tour de brew: Coda Brewing Co. Beer worth leaving Boulder County for

by Michael J. Casey

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MICHAEL J. CASEY

our brother-in-law is back in town. You love him, he’s always looking for something new, something tart in the mouth with a times get a little weighty,

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afternoon. tmavé pivo the greatest beer styles

the only thing that lingers is the memory. here is substantial. Just make sure you leave room

recounts the tale.

Locally owned & operated since 2020

NOW SERVING BRUNCH SATURDAY & SUNDAY 9am - 3pm

HOURS: Monday - Thursday 11am - 10pm • Friday 11am - 11pm • Saturday 9am - 11pm • Sunday 9am - 8pm

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

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300 Main St. Longmont, CO • (303) 834-9384 • dickens300prime.com DECEMBER 23, 2021

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DECEMBER 23, 2021

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BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

JOHN LEHNDORFF

TASTE OF THE WEEK:

Grilled cheese and roasted tomato soup @ Raglin Market

by John Lehndorff

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espite being open since 2018, Raglin Market (5378 Gunbarrel Center) is still undiscovered country for many diners, even those who love Matthew Jansen’s 20-year-old Mateo in Boulder.

found a menu full of chef-made approachable classics. Nostalgia drove me to order grilled cheese and tomato soup, but this is a serious upgrade on the old Campbell’s Soup combination. Raglin’s tomato soup is a soothing blend of roasted tomatoes and carrots with basil and a goat cheese crumble on top.

The sandwich is sourdough slices with gruyere, American, and goat cheeses griddled until golden brown and melted. Yes, I dunked. vor button with bacon, cheese, and caramelized onions, plus a bowl of loaded potato soup that was an unexpected pleasure. This super-creamy vichyssoise-like soup is blended with butter, cream, and bacon puree and crowned with green onions, chopped bacon, and grated Parmesan. Yes, it’s as dreamy as it sounds.

Raglin’s menu features substantial salads like the Ancient Grain with arugula, farro, quinoa, and roasted butternut squash tossed with dried cranberries, toasted pepitas, and sherry vinaigrette.

Desserts include an authentic New Orleans bread pudding and Mateo’s famous pot au chocolate.

I’ll come back for Raglin’s Market Plate which pairs proteins like meatloaf, roasted chicken, seared ahi, grilled wild salmon, and roasted portabellas with a choice of salads and sides. The eatery showcases sparkling, white, and red wine on tap.

Another roadfood attraction

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onsider exiting I-25 at Greenwood Village to fuel up with The Monster Cookie served at the chic Bird Bakery. This expansive, excessive confection tucks peanut butter, peanut M&Ms, and roasted peanuts plus coconut, chocolate chips, and M&Ms into a big buttery oatmeal cookie. Bird Bakery crafts a memorably chewy Toll House-style chocolate chip cookie that is well designed for dunking in a chai latte or eggnog.

JOHN LEHNDORFF

What to drink instead of eggnog

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ccording to legend, the root beer float was “invented” more than 128 years ago by Frank Wisner of Cripple Creek Brewing Company in Colorado.

For holiday toasts, if you can’t stand eggnog, consider enjoying Root Beer Milk from Morning Fresh Dairy in Bellvue instead. Made with milk, cream, sugar, and root beer syrup crafted by CooperSmith’s Pub in Fort Collins, it tastes like a root beer float minus the extra thick creaminess. The root-y aroma is incredible. I found it in quart glass bottles at Natural Grocers.

To make a festive “nog,” simply add a shot of your favorite clear spirit from a Boulder County distillery to a mug of root beer milk with a cinnamon stick for stirring.

Holiday hack: How to make mulled wine or cider

At some casual parties this holiday season we will still gather on patios around fire pits if we want to be together. Put a smile on the faces of family and friends by greeting them with a hand-warming mug of mulled wine or cider steaming its fruit spice aroma.

Never waste expensive fine wine on mulled wine. Grab a bottle

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

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or box of Merlot, Zinfandel, Chianti or any red table wine.

The best device for heating mulled wine is a slow cooker.

Heat low and slow or the alcohol and flavor may evaporate. Use fresh whole spices, i.e., not ancient ones from the back of the pantry.

To make roughly six to 10 servings of mulled wine, heat about two quarts or more—of red wine with whole spices—about two cinnamon sticks, two whole cloves, and four whole star anise. Add the juice of one orange and one lemon plus at least 1/3 cup of honey and slices of orange. Taste and add more honey or wine as needed, and serve in pre-warmed mugs.

To make mulled cider, substitute good quality apple cider for the wine.

DECEMBER 23, 2021

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Fighting the dark side of cannabis Cartels are illegally growing cannabis on America’s public lands; meet the game wardens fighting them

by Will Brendza

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Hidden War

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DECEMBER 23, 2021

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War in the Woods

BOULDER COUNTY’S INDEPENDENT VOICE

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