Pink Elephant Bar

Green Mountain Fire

Gabe Mercado sent this picture of the Green Mountain Fire from Colfax/Oak St. 2 blocks east of Simms St.

Not My President

 I think this might be the third time this week the Starbucks on Capitol Hill has been vandalized...

Sand Creek Spiritual Healing Run

Photo courtesy the Daily Camera

EADS, Colo. (AP) — Descendants of Native Americans killed in the Sand Creek massacre are making their annual healing run from Colorado's Eastern Plains to Denver as they mark the 152nd anniversary of the attack.

Starting Thursday, the Cheyenne and Arapaho runners and anyone wishing to join them will head from the Sand Creek Massacre National Historic Site near Eads and make their way toward Denver, nearly 200 miles away. The run will end Sunday at the state Capitol after stopping at Riverside Cemetery to honor two U.S. Army officers who refused to fire on their ancestors.

About 200 people were killed in the attack on Nov. 29, 1864 led by Col. John Chivington. He and his soldiers then headed to Denver where they paraded some of the victims' remains down Colfax Avenue. The healing run roughly follows their route.

Capitol Hill in the 1940s

Love on Colfax

Photo by Anistacia Barber

Can't buy me love, but you can rent it for a while...

Happy Holidays from ColfaxAvenue.com!

Photo courtesy The Holiday Chalet Bed & Breakfast

Practice Kindness

Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol returns to Vintage Theatre December 2 - 23

Vintage Theatre presents

Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol

By Tom Mula

Directed by Katie Mangett

December 2 - December 23, 2016

Vintage Theatre presents "Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol" December 2 through 23 at Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora 80010. Performances are Fridays and Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.; Sundays at 2:30 p.m. with additional performances on Monday, December 12, Wednesday, Dec. 21 and Thursday, Dec. 22 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $15-$30, and available online at www.vintagetheatre.org or by calling 303-856-7830.

Written by award-winning actor and playwright Tom Mula as “story theatre” the cast speak both the dialogue and the narrative, performing the action as they describe it. “Jacob Marley’s Christmas Carol” is a witty, richly-theatrical re-imagining of Dickens’ holiday classic told from the perspective of Scrooge’s curmudgeonly business partner. 

Reprising their 2015 roles are Joey Wishnia (Scrooge), James O'hagan-Murphy (Marley), Darcy Kennedy (Record Keeper) and Gina Walker as the Bogle.

Tom Mula has been an award-winning playwright, actor, and director for more than 25 years. He received two Joseph Jefferson Awards in 1991 for his play Golem at the National Jewish Theatre and for his work on Nicole Hollander's hit musical, Sylvia's Real Good Advice. In 1995, Adams Media published his novel Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol; it became a Chicago Tribune bestseller. The audio version has been broadcast nationwide on NPR for seven seasons, and received an INDI Award for Spoken Word from the Association for Independent Music. The play version received the prestigious Cunningham Prize from the Goodman School of Drama at Depaul.

Vintage Theatre presents:

"Jacob Marley's Christmas Carol"

Dec. 2 - 23, 2016
 

A re-imagining of Dickens’ holiday classic told from the perspective of Jacob Marley.
 

Fri/Sat at 7:30 p.m.; Sun at 2:30 p.m.; Mon. Dec. 12, Weds. Dec. 21 & Thurs. Dec. 22 at 7:30 p.m.

$15 - $30

303-856-7830 or online at www.vintagetheatre.org
 

Vintage Theatre, 1468 Dayton St., Aurora 80010

Sting is giving Colfax Avenue some love on Valentine's Day!

STING – 57^TH & 9^TH TOUR

THEATRE, CLUB AND ARENA TOUR ANNOUNCED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE RELEASE

OF HIS NEW ROCK/POP ALBUM, 57^TH & 9^TH

CONCERTS CONFIRMED IN NORTH AMERICA & EUROPE

Special guests:  Joe Sumner and The Last Bandoleros

FILLMORE AUDITORIUM

February 14

Showtime 8:00 pm / Doors 6:30 pm

(Photo Credit: Eric Ryan Anderson)

Following the recent release of Sting’s highly anticipated rock/pop album 57^th & 9^th, Cherrytree Management and Live Nation today confirmed that Sting will take to the road in 2017 on a very special tour featuring concert dates in clubs, theatres and arenas throughout North America and Europe.  Additional dates in South America and Asia will soon be announced. Please visit: www.sting.com & www.livenation.com for complete details. 57^th & 9^th is promoted by Live Nation Global Touring, produced by RZO Entertainment.

On the 57^th & 9^th Tour, Sting will be joined by a 3-piece band including his longtime guitarist, Dominic Miller, plus Josh Freese (drums) and Rufus Miller (guitar). Special guests include singer/songwriter Joe Sumner as well as San Antonio-based Tex Mex band, The Last Bandoleros.

In North America, every ticket purchased online includes a digital download of Sting’s new album 57^th & 9^th.

Members of the official Sting.com fan club will have the opportunity to purchase tickets in advance beginning Tues., November 15^th. Details at www.sting.com/tour. Citi cardmembers can also take advantage of a special pre-sale opportunity for show dates in the United States, including a special “Citi presents Sting: 57^th & 9^th” concert at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, beginning Thur., November 17^th at 10am through Sunday, November 20^th at 5pm (all times local).  For complete pre-sale details visit:  www.citiprivatepass.com. Ticket purchases limited to between 2-4 tickets per person dependent on venue.

Sting’s twelfth solo studio album, 57^th & 9^th, his first rock/pop project in over a decade, was released November 11 on A&M/Interscope Records. The ten-song collection represents a wide range of Sting’s musical and songwriting styles from the raucous, guitar-driven first single, “I Can’t Stop Thinking About You” to the ferocious, Road Warrior-style imagery of “Petrol Head” and the anthemic “50,000.”  The album, produced by Martin Kierszenbaum, was recorded in just a few weeks with Sting’s long-time collaborators Dominic Miller (guitar) and Vinnie Colaiuta (drums), as well as drummer Josh Freese (Nine Inch Nails, Guns n’ Roses), guitarist Lyle Workman and backing vocals by the San Antonio-based Tex-Mex band The Last Bandoleros.

ABOUT STING: Composer, singer-songwriter, actor, author, and activist Sting was born in Newcastle, England before moving to London in 1977 to form The Police with Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers. The band released five studio albums, earned six Grammy Awards and two Brits, and was inducted into The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2003. 

As one of the world’s most distinctive solo artists, Sting has received an additional 10 Grammy Awards, two Brits, a Golden Globe, an Emmy, three Oscar nominations, a TONY nomination, Billboard Magazine’s Century Award, and MusiCares 2004 Person of the Year.  Also a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, in December 2014 he received the Kennedy Center Honors, one of the most prestigious cultural prizes in the United States. Throughout his enduring career, he has sold close to 100 million albums from his combined work with The Police and as a solo artist.

Sting’s support for human rights organizations such as the Rainforest Fund, Amnesty International and Live Aid mirrors his art in its universal outreach.  Along with wife Trudie Styler, Sting founded the Rainforest Fund in 1989 to protect both the world’s rainforests and the indigenous people living there.  Together they have held 17 benefit concerts to raise funds and awareness for our planet’s endangered resources, with the next event scheduled for December 14 at Carnegie Hall. Since its inception, the Rainforest Fund has expanded to a network of interconnected organizations working in more than 20 countries over three continents.

ABOUT JOE SUMNER:

Joe Sumner has been honing his solo work for the past five years.  While simultaneously fronting rock band Fiction Plane and pushing boundaries in the tech space with his app Vyclone, Joe has been painstakingly stripping back all that he finds inauthentic. 

The result is a spacious and colorful sound that would not be out of place in a Wes Anderson movie.  Starting with just his voice and an acoustic guitar, he writes heartfelt, playful and genuine songs that are never quite finished.  'Every time I play a song I leave at least a few parts of it completely open to improvisation.' he says of his loose and collaborative performing style.  'After you play a song fifty times I think it should get better, not just stay the same!' 

This open-minded attitude comes in part from his extremely varied musical experiences - from touring with acts that he literally calls family (The Police, Sting) to artists like Snoop Dogg or singing in a modern opera and writing hits for other European artist.  Joe also teaches highly-acclaimed workshops at music schools focusing on the emotional pressures of songwriting.

Joe Sumner's debut solo single 'Jellybean' will be released in January 2017.

ABOUT THE LAST BANDOLEROS:

The Last Bandoleros are a four-piece outfit blending Tex-Mex, country and rock n’ roll. Their story begins in San Antonio, Texas with guitarist/producer Jerry Fuentes who, during a musical pilgrimage to Manhattan, chanced to meet New York native, singer-songwriter/producer Derek James. 

Fuentes and James began collaborating in Brooklyn.  But, Fuentes kept being drawn back to his native Texas to record in the same San Antonio studio where a couple of talented brothers were also emerging.  Diego and Emilio Navaira, sons of Tejano music legend, Emilio Navaira, Sr., had been making a name for themselves around town for their energetic live performances and sterling vocal chops.  Fuentes decided to combine both of his universes by introducing Derek to Diego and Emilio and inviting them to joint-sessions in Brooklyn and San Antonio where riffs and lyrics began flying fast.

Newly christened The Last Bandoleros, the quartet began playing live, opening for The Mavericks, Jon Pardi, Josh Abbott Band, Los Lonely Boys and Marc Broussard. Recognizing their high level of musicianship, Sting called upon them to sing backing vocals on his "I Can't Stop Thinking About You" single which soared the heights of radio charts around the world. 

Praise also began pouring in from the music press. Rolling Stone wrote: "[The Last Bandoleros'] music caroms wildly from rock and country to conjunto and pop, adding up to a sound that's hard to get out of your head." People Magazine dubbed the band "ones to watch” and Entertainment Weekly included them in their “Breaking Big” list. HITS Magazine described The Last Bandoleros as “Tex-Mex meets harmony-rich Beatlesque pop, with a healthy dollop of boy-pop charisma.”

The Last Bandoleros combine their unique cultural experiences with rare musical camaraderie and, as audiences will continue to discover, their exuberance and joy are contagious.

Media Contact Information:

For Sting, contact Tracy Bufferd (tracy@tracybufferd.com) 

TICKETS GO ON SALE MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21 @ 10:00 AM

at the Fillmore Auditorium Box Office, online at www.ticketmaster.com or call 800 – 745 – 3000. 

Tickets are $90.00 GA plus applicable service charges.   

For Private Box seating and other VIP ticket option information, please call (303) 837-1024. 

THIS SHOW IS AGES 16+

CONNECT WITH US ON THE WEB                                                                                  www.livenation.com  / www.facebook.com/LiveNationCO  /   www.twitter.com/livenationco /  http://instagram.com/livenationco

Colfax's reputation

Every city has its own sort of Colfax Avenue. In Seattle, it's Aurora Avenue. In Atlanta, it’s Fulton Industrial Boulevard. These streets gain a reputation that’s seemingly impossible to shake. Men know where to go for company, and streetwalkers know where to go for money. The fact the cops are aware becomes the price of doing business.

Much like lifting the prohibition placed on cannabis, now that streetwalking has become largely irrelevant today (it's so much easier to hook up online), should Denver legalize prostitution? 

Callers are standing by...

Four Winds Motel

Four Winds Motel Postcard (Courtesy Jonny B.)

The Four Winds Motel is no longer around, but man, back in the day it was a luxurious stay on West Colfax!

Kerry Pastine and the Crime Scene at the Goosetown Tavern Tonight!

No Hiring

Photo by Jonny B.

If there's No Hiring, blame it on The Man.

Horse Dumpster Diving

Photo by Anistacia Barber

I'm not opposed to dumpster diving, but count on Colfax Avenue to take it to a whole new level!

Hendrick's Gin

An exceptionally well done mural out on East Colfax in Aurora, I must say!

Black & White Auto Service

Black & White Auto Service once at 2424 E. Colfax. (from the Evan Eastburn collection)

A Friendly Reminder

Photo by Jonny B.

Colfax is for Lovers

The beauty of inspiration is that it can be sparked by absolutely anything. It is the spent tire on the side of the road revived as a skate feature, the line that resonates in the verse, and the scrappy alley cat on Colfax that insists on showing love despite the hard times. 

Standing at 30 ft. x 20 ft. this piece is the brainchild of Pat Milbery, and is his latest contribution to the Denver street art scene, a movement that is booming and beautifying our neighborhoods. The alley cat on Lost Lake Lounge 3602 E Colfax Ave (Monroe St and E. Colfax) is particularly special because it has introduced Denver to the newest member of the SG Creative Division, Patrick McKinney.

Acting as Pat's right hand man on this project, McKinney was able to add his distinct style and creativity to bring the alley cat's persona to life. McKinney states that his inspiration ranges immensely, "equally from everyday life observations and my wild, unconventional imagination". When digging through his various posters, illustrations, and editorials, this sentiment becomes apparent. Scope His Stuff

Check out the mural and be sure to keep an eye on these boys, as they are always creating, and inspiring each other to push the imagination. (courtesy The Denver Egotist)

King Hippo at the 1Up

 

In the former Pete's Monkey Bar space at 717 East Colfax, now called The 1Up, local artist/designer Michael Coriano painted this Mike Tyson Punch-Out-inspired mural of King Hippo to don the walls. It's 5ft x 7ft, acrylics on plywood panels. I like.

All Time Towing

Photo by Jonny B.

History of The Holiday Chalet

 

HISTORY OF THE HOLIDAY CHALET

Celebrating 120 years on East Colfax, The Holiday Chalet Bed & Breakfast was originally built in 1896 for Henry and Mary Bohm. Henry Bohm, a pioneer Denver jeweler, found the firm which was later to be known as the Bohm-Allen Jewelers. The builder was the Colorado Realty and Construction Company.

At that time, the main entrance was on High Street and the address was given as 1475 High Street. The Tiffany window was located on the south side of the building. Noah Hayden Griffith, Mary and John’s father (Margot Hartmann’s grandfather), purchased the home in 1912. Soon after, Noah died in the flu epidemic of 1918.

Grandmother Ida Lindsey Griffith sold their home on Madison Street which was then part of the Colfax A and B “subdivision” which grandfather helped build. As a realtor and developer, he built a number of residences in Denver in addition to building the Denham Theatre.

Grandmother Ida was a very resourceful woman. She realized she needed an income to support her family. She decided to hire an excellent architect and redesign the home on High Street. With the help of a skilled Dutch architect this building was converted into an apartment house. You will note that the main entrance is now on the Colfax Avenue side with the Tiffany window directly over the main door.

This building was tastefully expanded with sun rooms so that what were then individual rooms, became efficiency apartments. Each apartment had closets with French doors. According to Margot’s father, John Griffith, these doors were the first interior French doors to be designed for a home in Denver. Behind these doors were Murphy Beds. The stairway leading to the second and third floors was also relocated to its present location.

This house was not only the family home for the Griffith Family for over 50 years, before they purchased the Peter McCourt home from Henry Roberts, but it was also a center for “Great” happenings. What is now the tea room was then grandmother Ida’s living space. Originally, it was the parlor of the Bohm mansion. According to newspaper clippings, Baron von Richtofen, lay in state in this parlor in November of 1898. Apparently he was a close friend of the Bohm Family. He died at a low ebb in his finances. He was noted for developing the Mont Clair Subdivision and also for planting maple trees from Broadway east to promote his development. As a side note, Margot’s grandmother was taxed by the city of Denver to remove all those trees so that Colfax Avenue could be widened.

This building remained an apartment house from 1922 to 1952. The thought at the time was that a family could live comfortably on the income from an apartment house containing ten units. This building has twelve with two being used for Margot’s family and the balance as efficiency apartments.

That brings us to the modem history of this building. Margot’s father married her mother, Margaret Hull of Rochester, New York, in 1940. They lived in the apartment, which is now room #3.

In 1952 the taxes were raised on the property. Since the building was restricted by a rent freeze imposed during World War II. It was time for the family to take stock of the situation. It was decided to change the apartment house into a hotel. This decision was made when Margot was seven years old. Margaret was appointed manager of the hotel, a position she maintained lovingly until just two years before she passed away in 1983. Because of her devotion, there have been many people who have visited the Holiday Chalet for several generations. There have been and continues to be guests from all over the United States and the World.

April 1, 2004 Crystal Sharp a local fashion designer and business entrepreneur purchased the hotel from Margot, continuing The Holiday Chalet's tradition as a Bed & Breakfast, and also created a boutique featuring many of her own original designs. Crystal, though schooled in economics, has a passion for design, and presented her work in the SheShe Boutique at the hotel for many years.

We hope you enjoy your visit with us and will tell your friends about your journey back into Denver’s colorful past. We also have a private Cannabis-Friendly smoking patio, and serve a delicious breakfast every morning.

Election Day on Colfax

Trash Can Seat

Photo by Jeremy Jojola

Hey it's a trash can, but also a seat. #Colfax

Postscript Postcards: The Colfax

Postscript postcards aren’t typical, and are more of a letterpressed art print that can be mailed. Postscript is the work of Jared and Rachel Rippy, husband and wife design duo in Denver, Colorado. 

All of our postcards are crafted with love.

Our inaugural series for Denver streets takes a fun look into the history and meaning behind the names of streets. Series one takes on the literal history behind the naming process of Wazee, Wadsworth, Ogden, Lafayette, and Broadway with a conceptual Art Deco era motif. Our second street series interprets Otis, York, Pontiac, Colfax Avenue, and Bannock into creatures depicting certain characteristics of the area they abide and the meaning of the names. More street series are in the works and keep your eye out for other series as well.

It's a Beautiful Day at the Holiday Chalet

(Photo by Jonny B.)

Colorado Frockies

The imagined work of Crystal Sharp, fashion designer and owner of The Holiday Chalet Bed & Breakfast (1820 E. Colfax Ave.), was depicted here by artist Kenny Be being worn by Colorado Rockies Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki. The whole project was designed as a fundraiser for charity.

Pancake Breakfast at Avalanche Harley this Saturday

Feed your hunger with some pancakes, sausage and more this Saturday at our Pancake Breakfast starting at 10am. We will serve you a hot breakfast until they are gone. Don’t stay hungry come down and eat breakfast with us and check out some hot Harleys too. Click here for all the details http://www.avalancheharley.com/dealership/news.htm

Full book retail trade value when you trade-in for a new Harley or get 0% Annual Percentage Rate on any new Harley today. Double the promotion and double the fun. Finance Specialists onsite to help get you approved. Call me at 303-238-0425 to book an appointment or click here to submit your finance application to see if you are approved http://www.avalancheharley.com/financing/application.htm! Promotion ends Saturday, November 5th.
Hope to see you soon!

Marc Bilker ~ Fit Specialist
303-238-0425

Avalanche Harley-Davidson
8000 West Colfax Avenue
Lakewood Colorado 80214

Davie's Chuckwagon's Jukebox

(Photo by Bill E. Guerriero)

Frosting Tag

(Photo by Jonny B.)

Not too often you see a tag made out of frosting...