2 westword.com WESTWORD JUNE 11-17, 2026 | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | W ® 5 THE COLDEST CASE Mystery remains 35 years after the infamous Father’s Day bank massacre. BY HANNAH METZGER 10 REMEDIES AND RITUALS Juan Carlos Escobedo explores inherited familial and cultural pains and cures at his ASLD exhibition. BY KRISTEN FIORE 12 CAFE ARTISTE The granddaughter of a famous mathematician has opened a community space where people can create. BY TEAGUE BOHLEN 15 HOT ON THE TRAIL This man is on a mission to fi nd the best green chile around. BY MOLLY MARTIN 17 METAL MEETS WORLD PEACE World powers will converge at Denver’s debut Flatline Festival. 10 Culture 15 Cafe 17 Music CONCERTS/CLUBS ................................... 18 22 Marijuana CANNABIS CALENDAR ............................ 22 HIGH NOTES ............................................. XX VOLUME 49 NUMBER 41 JUNE 11-17, 2026 E D I T O R I A L Editor Patricia Calhoun News Editor Thomas Mitchell Food and Drink Editor Antony Bruno Music Editor Emily Ferguson Culture Editor Kristen Fiore Social Media Editor Katrina Leibee Staff Writers Sage Kelley, Hannah Metzger Senior Contributors Brendan Joel Kelley, Alan Prendergast, Michael Roberts Contributors Gil Asakawa, Teague Bohlen, Justin Criado, Audrey Ferrer, Nick Hutchinson, Karl Christian Krumpholz, Skyler McKinley, Abigail Nueve, Ryan Pachmayer, Kristin Pazulski, Adam Perry, Evan Semón, Amber Taufen, Toni Tresca, Kastle Waserman Music Listings Matthew Jones Cover Designer Monika Swiderski Editorial Intern July Ramirez P R O D U C T I O N Production Manager Michael Wilson Assistant Production Manager Erin Kirk Graphic Designers Caleigh Gearheart, Tori O’Connor C R E A T I V E S E R V I C E S Senior Graphic Designer Allie Seidel A D V E R T I S I N G Senior Multimedia Account Executives Amy Camera, Aaron Lembke Multimedia Account Executives Remy Diamond, Rachel Gilmore, Keith Gordon, Trey Konsella, Kirby Quick, Dalton Wilson, Allison Wissink Operations Manager Carver Hodgkiss Digital Sales Coordinator Anne-Grace Hartman Director of Digital Sales Alan Heath C I R C U L A T I O N Circulation Manager Ty Koepke B U S I N E S S Director of Business and Operations Russell Breiter Financial Accountant Robert Scribner AR Coordinator Stacy Phillips IT Systems Manager Kris Robinson Receptionist Cindy Perez Associate Publisher Tracy Kontrelos Publisher Scott Tobias V O I C E M E D I A G R O U P Executive Editor Chelsey Dequaine-Jerabek Editorial Operations Director Bridget Thomason Director of Membership and Community Development Jennifer Robinson Digital Operations & Audience Strategist Allison Stephenson Audience Strategist Lauren Antonoff Hart Corporate Controller Beth Cook Legal Counsel Steve Suskin Chief Financial Offi cer Jeff Mars Chief Executive Offi cer Scott Tobias V M G N A T I O N A L National Advertising: 1-888-278-9866, www.voicemediagroup.com Senior Vice President of Sales Operations Joe Larkin D I S T R I B U T I O N Westword is available free of charge. 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ILLUSTRATION BY KARL CHRISTIAN KRUMPHOLZ T H E H A R D S E L L In an effort to avoid prison time, an Adams County man received more prison time. Adams County District Judge Marcelo Kopcow sentenced 47-year-old Steven San- doval to three years in prison on June 4 after Sandoval pleaded guilty to a felony charge of false report of explosives earlier in May, according to an announcement from the 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Offi ce. In what reads like either a bad action movie plot or a chuckle-ridden satire (depending on your movie taste), Sandoval called in a bomb threat to the county’s courthouse in Brighton from a nearby King Soopers payphone on the same day he was scheduled to be sentenced for a felony charge of identity theft. The plot was technically successful — if only for a moment. The bomb threat caused the courthouse to evacuate around 1,000 people for four hours. Approximately 100 people were also evacu- ated from the King Soopers as police traced the call, according to the District Attorney’s offi ce. The Brighton Police Department already knew Sandoval and quickly identifi ed him as the caller, leading to another arrest and another guilty plea. He was sentenced to an additional two years in prison for the identity theft charge. Those two sentences will run consecutively, so a quick phone call turned two years in prison into fi ve. “Threats of violence — whether real or implied‚ disrupt essential public services and put our community at risk. This sentence sends a clear message that such actions will be prosecuted and those who make them held accountable,” the DS’s offi ce concluded. – Sage Kelley P O T L U C K Hey, did you hear? Medical marijuana is legal now … sorta. The U.S. Department of Justice announced in April that state-licensed medical marijuana had been reclassifi ed from Schedule I to Schedule III in the Controlled Substances Act. This gives the plant the same legal status as prescribed anabolic steroids, ketamine and hydrocodone-infused aspirin — if you have an approved medical marijuana card, that is. So, does that mean you no longer have to worry about the long-standing challenge of procuring pot on vacation? That’s what one reader asks in the latest installment of our Weekly WTF. According to TSA, you and your medical marijuana now have the green light through security. Schedule III status gives registered patients the right to cross state borders with medical marijuana, unless a state specifi cally bans it, as Idaho and Kansas have. After the DOJ announced the cannabis rescheduling, the What Can I Bring section of TSA’s web- site was updated to show marijuana listed as a “Yes” for both checked and carry-on bags. But that “Yes” comes with special instruc- tions: Flyers are required to have a state-legal medical marijuana card, and travelers still must follow local rules regarding cannabis consumption and possession. That’s where things get sticky. Public cannabis consumption is banned at all airports and on planes, obviously, and most air- ports are slow to change their policies regarding possession. According to a DIA spokesperson, the airport’s marijuana policy, last updated in June 2025, still bans consumption and posses- sion. This includes all airport property, such as ground transportation facilities, roadways, land, hangars, warehouses, runways, shops, hotels, motels and administrative offi ces.” If TSA agents were to fi nd cannabis in your luggage at DIA today, they’re still supposed to refer you to local police, which could result in a citation (and potentially a missed fl ight) if you’re carrying 2 ounces of herb or under. And as long as you’re not traveling with more than 6 ounces, you’ll likely avoid a felony. But who needs that much weed on vacation? Reports of cannabis possession citations and arrests are rare at DIA, and traveling incognito has become even easier as THC gummies and vape products gain popularity. With a new CEO on the way at DIA and the recent reform at the federal level, maybe the airport will revisit its policy sometime soon. But if you’re only fl ying with a handful of gummies or a small jar of buds, you probably don’t have to worry about being taken away in cuffs before fl ying to Charlotte or Milwaukee — although we can’t say that with certainty, since we’re not lawyers and have no idea what other freaky shit you might be fl ying with. – Thomas Mitchell Read the full stories on westword.com.
