66 MARCH 27-APRIL 2, 2025 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SPORTS & RECREATION | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | Best Celebration of the Booty The Keester Club auberondesign.com Local artist Joe Murray knows the power of the caboose…and we’re not talking about trains. No, Murray happens to draw very creative portraits of booties, from characters both fi ctional and real. As he puts it, “I’ve been drawing butts for a while, but now I’ll harness their power to spread joy and cre- ate opportunities for connection.” That all happens through the Keester Club, which he bases on the ’80s and ’90s fan-club model, with tiers to join (the annual membership — dubbed Booty Board Member — is $75) for members to receive exclusive, bootylicious merch. Plus, 10 percent of those fees go to a nonprofi t that members get to vote on. Who says an ass man can’t be philanthropic? Best Puppet Troupe Roxie and the Mental Felts mentalfelts.com Like so many people, Anginet “Roxie” An- derson has been on a sometimes perilous, sometimes triumphant mental health jour- ney during these strange times in which we fi nd ourselves. We all cope in different ways, and she copes with puppets. Her puppet troupe, the Mental Felts, comprises a wide range of lovable, irascible characters that embody their creator’s many sides; An- derson combines live performances with a digital presence to bring her Muppet-like menagerie to life — and to bring humor and perspective to the everyday challenge of just staying yourself. Even if that self is spread among, say, a bunch of adorable puppets. Best Homegrown Nerd Event Colorado Festival of Horror cofestivalofhorror.com This year will be a triumphant fi fth for the Colorado Festival of Horror, a homegrown, bootstrappy success story that’s only scary in what it provides fans of the genre — and maybe in how fast it’s grown. When co- founder and organizer Bret Smith helped start the event back in 2020, it was side- lined by a very real horror show: COVID-19. But once it was safe to venture out again (and celebrate all the unsafe characters in some of our best pop-culture scare-fests), it established itself as a regional and eventu- ally national draw. COFOH has grown to a pleasingly monstrous size, so it makes sense that the theme for this year’s fest, which takes place September 12-14, is “Here There Be Monsters.” Best Mini-Documentary About a Bird-Whispering Punk Guitarist Common American Crow: A Dougumentary, by Sam Zalkin youtube.com/watch?v=5YxAXu1bwtA There’s a poignant mundanity to Common American Crow, Denver filmmaker Sam Zalkin’s mini-portrait of Denver guitarist Doug Mioducki — a longtime employee of Wax Trax Records and a man who has an uncanny ability to attract wild crows. Seriously. The birds follow him around Denver and fl ock to him as he drinks his morning coffee, all of which is captured by Zalkin, along with offbeat interviews with the subject’s friends and co-workers, none of whom seem particularly surprised about this strange phenomenon. The fi lm also features some of the last footage of be- loved local musician Luke Fairchild — who was Mioducki’s bandmate in the noise-rock band Quits — fi lmed before his death on January 1, 2025. Best Night Out for Queer Intellectuals (and Allies) Rainbow Cult Film Series rainbowcult.org Don’t let the name fool you: This is a cult only in the most entertaining of senses. It’s really a community gathering that comes together every so often to celebrate queer- community fi lm, with a little drag show here and a little cosplay and sing-along there, plus glitter and glam galore. On April 13 and 14 (Palm Sunday, no less!), Rainbow Cult will bring the Rocky Horror Picture Show to Meow Wolf, with a theme of Res- urrection. “THEY/THEM ARE RISEN!” says Meow Wolf’s website, promising “rap- turous performances, wild costumes, and audience participation as we celebrate this cult classic with an Easter twist!” All this and a Hunky Jesus competition? Sign us up, and amen. Best New Drag Event Colorado’s Next Drag Superstar Jessica L’Whor is always up to something, and more often than not, that something is geared toward uplifting the drag and LG- BTQ+ communities. In 2024, she organized Colorado’s Next Drag Superstar, a series in which ten-plus local drag queens and kings competed for the title and a bundle of sweet prizes at X Bar every weekend through Au- gust and September. It’s a non-elimination- based competition, meaning competitors can rack up points each week, giving everyone a truly fair shot (as well as prizes). The inau- gural crown was won by Khrys’taaal, who dazzled the audience week after week. The series underscored the immense talent of the state’s drag scene, and we can’t wait for this year’s rollout. Arts & Entertainment continued from page 64 continued on page 68 HERE! STARTS Learn more at mychildsmuseum.org.
