2 westword.com WESTWORD MARCH 13-19, 2025 | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | W ® 6 WHAT THE FLOCK? Meet Amanda Buxton, Denver’s own duck whisperer. BY JASON HELLER 4 KICKING KIDS TO THE CURB Colorado may end program promoting teen participation in lawmaking. BY HANNAH METZGER 10 PICKING UP THE PIECES A collaboration between a local artist and St. Francis residents bridges the gap between stigmatized communities and society. BY KRISTEN FIORE 13 DOING FINE One Concept Restaurant Group has been quietly expanding its portfolio and now, it’s going upscale. BY HELEN XU 15 LET’S RIDE Horse Bitch is so hot right now. BY EMILY FERGUSON 10 Culture 13 Cafe 15 Music CONCERTS/CLUBS ................................... 16 20 Marijuana CANNABIS CALENDAR ............................ 20 ASK A STONER ......................................... 20 VOLUME 48 NUMBER 29 MARCH 13-19, 2025 E D I T O R I A L Editor Patricia Calhoun News Editor Thomas Mitchell Food and Drink Editor Molly Martin Music Editor Emily Ferguson Culture Editor Kristen Fiore Social Media Editor Katrina Leibee Staff Writers Catie Cheshire, Jason Heller, Bennito L. 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Peri- odicals postage paid in Denver. Domestic subscriptions may be purchased for $100/year or $50/six months. Postmaster: Send address changes to Westword, P.O. Box 5970, Denver CO 80217. Mailing address: P.O. Box 5970, Denver, CO 80217 Street address: 1278 Lincoln Street, Denver, CO 80203 For general information, call: 303-296-7744 For Editorial, email: [email protected] ON THE COVER PHOTOGRAPH BY EVAN SÉMON LETTERS T O T H E E D I T O R YOU CAN COMMENT ON ANY STORY AT WESTWORD.COM; SEND LETTERS TO [email protected] Don’t miss a word! The stories in this print edition are just a fraction of the pieces we publish every week on westword.com. For a cheat sheet on all that content, subscribe to our daily newsletter at westword.com/profi le. You can also follow @denverwestword on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. And it’s all free! PHOTOGRAPH BY HEATHER M. SMITH “MEASURED RESPONSE,” HANNAH METZGER, MARCH 3 G E T O U T T H E V O T E I am a staunch Democrat, but I must express good vibes about Michael Fields. He under- stands how to get things done. Mad respect! Mike Filion Lakewood It’d be great to win Colorado back one policy at a time. Problem is, people like this who speak out put a target on their own backs. Carollucy Cortez Arvada Ballot measures imply that we the people vote for them, so what is this blue state wor- ried about? Jeannie Trudell Denver This state has too many leftist commies; a Republican will never be in the offi ce of governor. I’m an independent, and would rather deal with Republican tyranny than the garbage we are dealing with now. Brian Howard Denver Most Coloradans agree with the direc- tion of this government, by huge numbers in the polls and the elections. Also, the state Republican Party is a dumpster fi re and Lauren Boebert is the face of the party. I see MAGA destroying the country to make the rich richer and eliminating the middle class. Blue states will lead the way back. Bob Mueller Loveland Westword used to be a voice for all citizens of Denver. It’s now become a haven for the far “left.” I’ve always considered myself a bit left of center, but the writings and publication of this once-treasured outlet have become distasteful, unobjective and nearsighted. I’m sad to acknowledge that Westword no longer has an actual pulse of the community, public or city any more. Brian Shepherd Denver Denver needs an overhaul and Westword disbanded for its blatant propaganda and pandering to tourists and transplants. Anthony Varanai Arvada “DRESSING UP,” KRISTEN FIORE, MARCH 3 C L O T H E S C A L L Kristen Fiore’s story on upcycling was a breath of springtime. Inspirational to see what Aliyah Wallace and others are doing. Joni Masters Denver I love this philosophy! I love it when people stand out! I get so bored with all the conformity. Rita Matthis Denver I love this!! Such a wonderful cover story. Elizabeth Strunk Instagram “THE BUS STOPS HERE,” JASON HELLER, FEBRUARY 20 C O L D , H A R D ‘ F A X To me, the Colfax BRT project is just another downtown construction project that is clos- ing lanes and making it harder and harder to get in and out of downtown. The mayor and the whole Denver political establishment have completely ignored the traffi c prob- lems with lane closures due to construction downtown. RTD is pretty broken, so people have to drive, yet the major things we should all be doing is riding bikes and taking public transportation. Condo builders seem to have free rein to close a lane on a major downtown street for years! These building permits need to be evaluated in relation to the impact on traf- fi c fl ow. If the City of Denver wants a more vibrant downtown and people to return to the offi ce, how about making it easier for people to actually get downtown and get home? I would think that would be a priority. It’s strange to me how out of touch Denver’s leaders are to this issue. Kevin Tieff Aurora
