If you love listening to Good tunes, having a Good time, and supporting Good causes (all at once) as much as I do, get your ticket now for the First Ascenders MoreRock benefit concert!

I feel so lucky to live in Denver and be able to do so many of the things I love in and around Denver.  We are surrounded by a beautiful playground in which we can do things like ski, rock climb, cycle, and kayak in a world-class setting, and I, for one, take full advantage of it.  Not only do I get a great thrill from my experiences in the outdoors, but they have also made a major impact on who I am as a person.  Rock climbing alone has taught me countless lessons on discipline, humility, trust, communication, and perseverance.  I’m guessing if you’re still reading this article, you’ve had a similar experience, too.

Unfortunately, though, we’re living in an era in which kids are being less active and spending less and less time outdoors (for a Good book on this phenomenon, read Last Child in the Woods).  There has never been a more important time to get kids out in the wilderness.  That’s why I’m so proud of a few Good friends of mine, Jonah Fruchter, Kevin Riley, and Yoni Geffen, for their work in co-founding a non-profit called First Ascenders.  First Ascenders takes inner-city kids on outdoor climbing trips, teaches them rock climbing skills, instills lasting values, and builds future leaders.  The program is in its early stages, but it has enormous potential and is already experiencing big success with students from the Denver School of Science and Technology.

First Ascenders is off to a promising start, but in order for the program to have the ability to continue to transport groups of kids to/from rock climbing areas, pay for professional rock climbing guides, provide the appropriate safety gear, and expand its reach, the organization needs money!  So, on Saturday February 18th, First Ascenders is putting on an intimate benefit concert at Lost Lake Lounge featuring four Good independent bands, a raffle with prizes, and, in case you’re hungry, the über delicious Über Sausage food truck.

The artists performing at show are below:

• Netherfriends: Featured artist at the Pitchfork Music Festival, this psych-pop project arrives in Colorado in the middle of an ambitious 50 state tour.
• DJ Ginger Perry: Winner of the Best Nontraditional DJ award at the Westword Music Showcase, Ginger’s tracks can be heard regularly at Table 6 and LipGloss.
• Dewi Sant: This group comes to MoreRock out of the independent folk revival in Minnesota. Their influences include Fleet Foxes, Blitzen Trapper and Bright Eyes.
• Small Houses: Michigan based indie/folk project featuring the songs and poems of Flint native Jeremy Quentin.

Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door.  Get them while they last!  Show starts at 7pm.

The Good Life Denver is written by David Schlichter.  To stay in the loop, like The Good Life Denver on Facebook and follow @thegoodlifeden on Twitter!

As you probably know by now, I’m a big fan of Icelantic Boards.  They make Good innovative, hand-crafted, locally-made skis (and now a splitboard).  They also have teamed up with creative businesses, marketing/PR firms, and other winter sports companies to share a cool collaborative workspace called Battery621.  Battery621 fosters creative synergies between its tenants, serves as a “gateway to the mountains,” and happens to be the location of a Good party every first Friday.

Now, Icelantic is taking its innovation and love for a Good party to the next level by sponsoring the first-ever winter concert at Red Rocks.  Coinciding with the Snow Sports Industries of America (SIA) Snow Show Tradeshow, the concert they are calling “Winter on the Rocks” will feature successful hip-hop artists Atmosphere and Common, and up-and-coming artists Grieves & Budo.  I saw Atmosphere live at the Mile High Music Festival in 2010 and have been listening to his music since–he puts on an awesome live show.  You probably know who Common is, and maybe even saw him “controversially” recently read poetry at the White House, but in case you don’t know–he’s Good, too.

Winter on the Rocks should be an awesome concert and hopefully the start of a new season of shows at Red Rocks!  Tickets can be purchased online here (or at the Ogden to avoid Ticketmaster’s service charge).  Doors open at 6:30pm.  Below is a video of Atmosphere performing at Summer Jam in 2009 and Common performing “The Light” in 2007.  Enjoy!

The Good Life Denver is written by David Schlichter.  To stay in the loop, like The Good Life Denver on Facebook and follow @thegoodlifeden on Twitter. 

Thinking about buying or selling a home in Denver?  Click here.

Richard Kallweit. The Ultimate Painting, 1966. Photographic documentation of a collaborative work between Clark Richert, Richard Kallweit, JoAnn Bernofsky, Gene Bernofsky and Charles DiJulio. Image source: mcadenver.org.

Two years ago the Denver Art Museum featured an amazing psychedelic art exhibit of over 300 concert posters from San Francisco in the late 60′s.  Tonight, the Denver Museum of Contemporary Art is opening an exhibit from the same era entitled “West of Center: Art and the Counterculture Experiment in America 1965-1977.  A Good friend of mine who works for the museum–who I trust regarding anything that even slightly relates to art–tells me that this is an exhibit you won’t want to miss.

Here’s an excerpt of the exhibit description:

In the heady and hallucinogenic days of the 1960s and ’70s, a diverse range of artists and creative individuals based in the American West—from the Pacific coast to the Rocky Mountains and the Southwest—broke the barriers between art and lifestyle and embraced the new, hybrid sensibilities of the countercultural movement. The exhibition West of Center illuminates the unique works of these individuals through videos, photographs, drawings, ephemera and other original and re-created objects and environments.

The countercultural movement has typically been associated with psychedelic art, but West of Center presents psychedelia as only one dimension of the larger, artistically oriented, socially based phenomenon. The wider integration of art practices, political action and collaborative life activities is foundational for so much contemporary art and culture.

Co-curators Elissa Auther and Adam Lerner bring together a range of projects by groups and individuals such as the Drop City commune in southern Colorado, light show producers Single Wing Turquoise Bird, San Francisco’s extravagant theatre groups the Cockettes and the Angels of Light, modern dancer Anna Halprin, former Black Panther Emory Douglas, the Ant Farm collective, and the Womyn’s Lands of southern Oregon.

Expect tonight’s opening to be one to remember.  Museum visitors can see all of the amazing artwork included in the exhibit, many are expected to dress up in crazy outfits, part of the opening includes an incredible light show, and the 60′s psychedelic drag queen group, The Cockettes are expected to make an appearance…in full drag.  The schedule for tonight starts with a member preview from 6pm-8pm, and the public opening follows thereafter from 8pm-10pm.  Enjoy the opening!

The Denver Museum of Contemporary Art is located at 1485 Delgany St., Denver, CO 80202.

The Good Life Denver is written by David Schlichter.  To stay in the loop, like The Good Life Denver on Facebook and follow @thegoodlifeden on Twitter.

‘Tis the season of adventure films!  Last week the Reel Rock Film Tour made adrenaline scream through my body, Warren Miller’s “Like There’s No Tomorrow” will be in Denver in two weeks (have you gotten your tickets yet?), and what’s in between?  The 7th annual Boulder Adventure Film Festival, which is taking place today through Saturday (Nov. 3-5) at the Boulder Theater, REI, and Patagonia.

Originally founded by Boulder climber Johnny Copp, who was tragically killed in an avalanche in China two years ago along with fellow climber Micah Dash and filmmaker Wade Johnson, the festival’s theme this year is “Become What You Dream.”  It features more than 40 films selected from over 200 entries from 15 different countries.  There are several films at the festival that piqued my interest this year; here are three that look especially interesting:

Kadoma: “Legendary explorer Hendri Coetzee travelled through obscure parts of Africa by foot and by boat. Last year he guided two American kayakers, Ben Stookesberry and Chris Korbulic, from his home at the root of the Nile through Rwanda on a mission to paddle into the Congo. The Lukuga River, previously unnavigated, led them deep into the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where Hendri was tragically killed by an African crocodile, prolific on that river but sight unseen prior to his death. Kadoma takes us along for the final journey of an adventurer of the finest, highest caliber… and while the tragedy strikes deep, the inspiration does as well.”

Towers of Ennedi: “There exist the tales of veritable untouched, unexplored gardens of climbing around the world… and then there are the tales of getting there. A landscape devoid of much life – the dry, hot and sandy deserts of northeastern Chad – still has it’s beauty and mysteries to unveil, and that’s exactly what filmmaker Renan Ozturk, and his team (Mark Synnott, James Pearson and Alex Honnold) set of to discover. In to the heart of Africa across the Ennedi Desert, this is a film that celebrates the whole adventure – the roadless and bumpy journey, the wild and unclimbed beauty of desert towers, and everything in between. ”

The Pinnacle: “In one legendary week on Ben Nevis in 1960 Jimmy Marshall and Robin Smith climbed six first winter ascents in six consecutive days. Not to mention, they also made the first single-day winter ascent of Point Five Gully, went for a walk, had a beer and got arrested over a dominoes incident! (Yes, dominoes.) Exactly fifty years later, Dave MacLeod and Andy Turner pay tribute by setting out to repeat all the routes that Smith and Marshall first climbed in that famous week. This film tells the story of the original events, and follows MacLeod and Turner as they discover exactly what an achievement this was.”

A description of all of the films for the Boulder Adventure Film Festival can be found here, the festival trailer can be found here, and the festival schedule can be downloaded here.  Below is the trailer for Kadoma–enjoy the festival!

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LivingSocial has a Good Deal and Event available right now for a bouldering party with barbeque and beers at The Spot, a climbing gym in Boulder. For $25, you get a two hour bouldering session with blacklights and music, two drink tickets, and a barbeque dinner.  There also will be a costume contest with prizes.  Through LivingSocial, your ticket is %50 off at $25, and given that a day pass to The Spot normally costs $16, this is definitely a Good Deal.  This party takes place this Sunday, October 23rd.

But if you’re really into climbing, parties, or climbing parties, on Saturday (the day before the LivingSocial deal) The Spot will be hosting Psychedelia (see the video above), a bouldering competition with free beer and food that is “more like a party than a comp.”  Owner Dan Howley says has grown and gotten better with every year, and over a thousand people are expected to show up for this black-lit climbing fiasco.  Entrance to Psychedelia is $35.

Enjoy!

For more Good Deals and Good Events in and around Denver, be sure to follow The Good Life Denver on Facebook and Twitter.

A delicious barbeque sandwich from NZ's Smokin' Guns BBQ food truck--one of the trucks to be present at Snack Attack this Sunday

Have you been keeping up with (and more importantly, eating from) the exploding food truck scene in Denver? Unfortunately, the days of being able to swing by Civic Center Park on your lunch break every Tuesday and Thursday to choose from dozens of food trucks assembled just to please your belly (Civic Center Eats) are done for the year.  Luckily, though, for all of us, they are reconverging this Sunday at Morey Middle School (13th and Emerson) for the first-ever Snack Attack.

The Good folks at Capitol Hill United Neighborhoods, the neighborhood association representing Capitol Hill, are putting on Snack Attack, and they will be raffling off prizes from Capitol Hill businesses throughout the day.  At least 8 delicious food trucks will be present, and entrance is free, though the food, sadly, is not!

If you haven’t already, check out www.denverstreetfood.com to learn more about Denver’s burgeoning food truck scene–it’s a great resource.  Below is a list of the food trucks that are confirmed for Snack Attack:

• Stick it to Me
• Uber Sausage
• Crazy Good
• Bambu’ Mobile Chinese
• NZ’s Smokin Guns BBQ
• MaxLunch
• Mestizos
• Crock Spot

What: Snack Attack

When: Sunday, October 16th 11am-4pm.

Where: Morey Middle School (13th and Emerson).

Why: Civic Center Eats withdrawal.

For more Good Events and Good Food in and around Denver, be sure to follow The Good Life Denver on Facebook and Twitter.

Watch the trailer below and prepare to have adrenaline pump through every inch of your body:

The Reel Rock Film Tour is showing in Denver on October 27 at the Starz Film Center (at the Tivoli).  Many of the showings in other cities have sold out (including both shows in Boulder), so get your tickets as soon as possible.  All proceeds from sales benefit the Outward Bound Denver Scholarship Fund.

For more Good Events like this one–be sure to follow The Good Life Denver on Facebook and Twitter.

First Friday Art Walk – Friday: Join fellow art lovers and revelers on Santa Fe Blvd. for the monthly night of local art, music, and libations.  By now you should know about Art Walk, but I thought I would put it in this post to remind you to enjoy it while the weather is still nice–and so you could check out Good music from the band Filthy Children at Battery621 (with free Tommyknocker beer)!

USA Climbing World Cup – Saturday/Sunday:  This competition will feature the best indoor lead rock climbers as they compete for rock climbing glory and the sport works to earn a spot in the Olympics.  There hasn’t been an indoor lead (roped) rock climbing world cup event in the United States in more than 20 years, and this one is right in our back yard, at Movement climbing gym in Boulder!

Sports Authority Rock n’ Roll Denver Marathon (and Half) – Sunday: Strap on your running shoes and see what you’re made of, or sleep in a bit and catch the finish.  The 2011 course map is below.

Click to enlarge (http://runrocknroll.competitor.com/denver/event-details)

To make sure you continue to hear about Good Events in and around Denver, follow The Good Life Denver on Facebook and Twitter!

CultureHaus is a social and education organization that supports the Denver Art Museum and “connect[s] the young at heart with art.”  It puts on events almost every month for its members to enjoy exclusive access to art, learn about collecting artwork, socialize with other art enthusiasts, and support the museum.

Every year, CultureHaus also puts on a party at the museum called BASH in the Basement, and this year’s BASH is tomorrow night.  The BASH will feature artwork that hasn’t been on display in more than 10 years including photographs, paintings, and sculpture from the Western American Art, Photography, and Architecture, Design & Graphic departments.  The event will also feature an auction, music, cocktails (including the event’s signature Breckenridge Distillery vodka/Vuka energy drink), wine from Irony Wines, beverages from MillerCoors, food from Gourmet Fine Catering, and more.

Tickets are $25 for CultureHaus members and $40 for nonmembers.  They can be purchased here.  To make sure you hear about Good Events like this one, follow The Good Life Denver on Facebook and Twitter!

Friday – 2011 Snowboard on the Rocks: With SNIAGRAB complete and winter weather quickly approaching in the mountains, snowboarders can kick off the season with an event at Red Rocks featuring Good live music from RJD2, Doomtree, and Michal Menert of Pretty Lights and three snowboarding films: TB20 by Standard Films, Shoot the Moon by Videograss, and Familia 2 by M.O.D.T. Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the doors.  Attendees will receive a free lift ticket to Echo Mountain and buy-one/get-one free tickets that can be used at Copper Mountain, SolVista Basin and Ski Cooper resorts.  (And in case you haven’t gotten your Epic Pass yet, you can still get it here.)

Saturday – Vine St. Pub Uptown Block Party: Vine St. is throwing a block party featuring live music from Dave Johnston of Yonder Mountain String Band and Drew Emmitt from Leftover Salmon, an outdoor beer garden, the first-ever Mountain Sun Brewer’s Olympics, a Denver All-Star Comedy Debate, and more.  Of course, nothing at Vine St. would be complete without Good food, Good beer, and Good people, too.  This party should be a very Good time.  Admission is free, and all proceeds from food/beer benefit the Cancer Support Community Colorado.  In case you haven’t ever been to Vine St., see a review of it here, and remember to bring cash!  Vine St. does not accept credit cards, though they do have an ATM on site.

Friday-Sunday (and Friday-Sunday, too) – Oktoberfest Denver: This weekend is the first of two weekends celebrating Oktoberfest with music, food, and, of course, bier.  Located between 20th and 22nd on Larimer and very close to Coors Field, Oktoberfest is the perfect place to pregame or postgame the Rockies series with the Giants.

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