4 MAY 15-21, 2025 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | W ® 19 FINAL SERVE Anyone for Tennis? Denver’s indie-pop darling is about to get out of the music game. BY JUSTIN CRIADO 8 WOLF WATCH Wolves are expanding in Colorado, and so are battles over livestock depredation repayments. BY CATIE CHESHIRE 12 FROM ERITREA TO COLORADO After escaping an oppressive life in eastern Africa, Rodas Tewelde is raising money to aid other refugees and tell their stories. BY HANNAH METZGER 14 CITY’S SPIRIT The Denver Art Museum resurrects an artist series with Eyes On: Susan Wick. BY JOHN FLATHMAN 16 PIPE DREAMS Do you remember the Organ Grinder? Bob Nicholson does, and he’s making a movie about the pizza palace. BY GIL ASAKAWA 14 Culture 16 Cafe 19 Music CONCERTS/CLUBS ................................... 22 25 Marijuana CANNABIS CALENDAR ............................ 26 ASK A STONER ......................................... 26 VOLUME 48 NUMBER 38 MAY 15-21, 2025 E D I T O R I A L Editor Patricia Calhoun News Editor Thomas Mitchell Food and Drink Editor Molly Martin Interim Food and Drink Editor Gil Asakawa Music Editor Emily Ferguson Culture Editor Kristen Fiore Social Media Editor Katrina Leibee Staff Writers Catie Cheshire, Brendan Joel Kelley, 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 DARREN VARGAS 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! ILLUSTRATION BY JULIE KITZES “BUZZ OFF!,” ABBY O’BRIEN, MAY 8 W H A T ’ S T H E B U Z Z ? The bee cover story was cool; my concern is the online content. For instance, stories about the weekly protesting going on in Denver. To be fair, Westword covers both sides, but it’s always obvious whose side the writer is on. I just think the journalists should be more neutral, even when I agree with them. Adds credibility. Here’s a snarkier way of putting it: I really love how Westword provides a wide range of opinions, from left to left-leaning to left- adjacent to progressive to liberal Democrat. Imagine if they hired a conservative on staff? Gasp! Like matter and anti-matter meeting. Boom! Todd Imus Denver Fun fact: Honey bees aren’t native! John Joseph Colorado Springs I never knew that helping bumblebees was not necessarily helping the bee population overall. Thanks for an informative article. Su Marx Denver I am planting my fi rst pollinator garden. I will focus on plants that attract native bees. Lily Vigil Denver The subject matter of Westword is so fucking behind the times it makes me sick. Dude. really. How old are you? Fifty-nine? Is the audience you are trying to reach 59? Ashley S. Conley Denver “HOME FREE?,” BENNITO L. KELTY, MAY 8 C A M P D I S M I S S E D The comparison with homeless people living on the streets and migrants moving out of encamp- ments into shelters and then out on their own was fascinating. Thanks for doing this story. Jackie Hall Denver You know there’s a camp nearby when they swarm your car at an intersection, try- ing to wipe your windshield. Michael Madden Denver Threats are the reason you don’t see the camps anymore! Who the fuck is writing for you? Jason Paquette L’Anse, Michigan “THE END IS NEAR,” BRENDAN JOEL KELLEY, MAY 1 S H R O O M S E R V I C E Wish my mom had this resource when she was sick. Rebecca Davila Denver This is compassionate care. Theresa Martinez Flannery Greeley Sounds like wook science, but okay. George Cottrell Guffey “TRANS TRAILBLAZER,” HANNAH METZGER, MARCH 20 G E T O U T T H E V O T E Brianna Titone faces some challengers for the Colorado treasurer election this fall. I hope voters consider qualifi cations, not gender. All of this state’s politicians should be as honest as Titone has been during this recent legislative session. Lacey Powers Denver The only important questions…who is the most qualifi ed, and who can be trusted to faithfully execute their duties? Jim Burness Denver Why is there such a dearth of suitable candidates for public offi ce nowadays? William A. Harris Jr. Denver
