4 AUGUST 13-19, 2026 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | W ® 10 BLIND FAITH Steven Washuta has 25 minutes and six wines to end eight years of seeking redemption. BY ANTONY BRUNO 6 BUMPY ROAD The city is reviewing Veo’s contract as e-scooter complaints persist. BY HANNAH METZGER 8 KEEP CURIOUS From a T-Rex replica to a two- headed cow skull, this Golden store has something to pique any interest. BY KRISTEN FIORE 13 TUFT LOVE Harry Tuft is making more Denver music history at age 90. BY MICHAEL ROBERTS 8 Culture 10 Cafe 13 Music CONCERTS/CLUBS ................................... 14 19 Marijuana CANNABIS CALENDAR ............................ 20 HIGH NOTES ............................................. XX VOLUME 49 NUMBER 50 AUGUST 13-19, 2026 E D I T O R I A L Senior Editor, News Thomas Mitchell Food and Drink Editor Antony Bruno 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 McKin- ley, Abigail Nueve, Ryan Pachmayer, Kristin Pazulski, Adam Perry, Evan Semón, Toni Tresca Music Listings Matthew Jones Cover Designer Kristin Bjornsen Editor Emeritus Patricia Calhoun 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 Brad Belanger, Remy Diamond, Rachel Gilmore, Keith Gordon, Trey Konsella, Kirby Quick, 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 National Editor Sam Eifl ing 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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PHOTO BY GRACE WILSON D U E L I N G F E S T I V A L S B O T H F I N D S U C C E S S Over 400 bands took up stages across the city on the last weekend of July as, deliberately or not, the Underground Music Showcase and Blucifer’s First Rodeo competed for festival supremacy. But in an optimistic twist for the fu- ture of Denver music, both festivals saw success despite choosing the same July 24-26 dates. UMS was the fi rst DIY music festival to blast into the Baker neighborhood, founded in 2001 by Denver Post journalists to highlight local bands and underground artists. The fes- tival played its last session on South Broadway in 2025 after ownership announced that the money simply wasn’t making sense, but the RiNo Business Improvement District Board eventually stepped in and approved a memo- randum of understanding in February, tossing $250,000 to the festival annually. The fi rst RiNo iteration included around 180 bands across four pop-up stages and multiple venues on Larimer Street. Overall, UMS’s fi rst year in new territory saw over 6,000 ticket hold- ers every day, with over 50,000 visitors in the Larimer corridor during the weekend and over 50 participating businesses. Free wristbands were given out to participating neighborhood businesses and others, but Keanan Stoner, director of the new UMS, is still proud of the number of paying attendees and the overall foot traffi c it brought to the area. The upstart Blucifer’s First Rodeo was created to fi ll a Broadway-sized hole after UMS left the Baker neighborhood. Denver musicians Mike Young and Gillian Pasley announced Blucifer’s First Rodeo in February, right after UMS announced it was moving from Baker. The artist-run festival announced its show dates fi rst, taking up the weekend that UMS had historically held. Then, UMS announced its return, keeping its same date slot, leading to the weekend showdown. The idea for Blucifer was to fi ll the void left in South Broadway and keep the under- ground festival close to its roots, with both of the festival’s founders mentioning that UMS had strayed from showcasing local musicians in an effort to bring in more national acts. The new showcase ultimately saw 259 local acts at 17 independent venues and businesses, as well as 17 Baker neighborhood house shows and fi ve DIY venues across four days. Tickets sold out almost immediately, with over 3,000 people in attendance. According to festival organizers, Blucifer and its non- profi t partner, Holy Fool, paid out $123,500 to Colorado musicians, with $300 going to every solo act and $500 going to every band that played the festival. Like UMS, Blucifer’s organizers are al- ready looking forward to a second rodeo next year — but we’ll see if they end up on the same weekend again. “They’re doing something very cool. It looked like what they pulled together was amazing, too, and very community-driven,” Stoner says of Blucifer. “I would love to not do it on the same weekend.” — Sage Kelley D E N V E R M U S I C S C E N E L O S E S A B R I G H T L I G H T When Cass Ivey died last month at the age of 28, she left a legacy of love and kindness that echoes throughout the city. A fi xture of Denver’s music scene, Ivey was known to inspire others. She was a lov- ing daughter and sister, dedicated friend and a passionate music industry professional. She worked at venues throughout the city and managed the band Bruha, among other contributions to the local music scene. Ivey was killed in a motorcycle accident in Colorado Springs on July 30 after she and her boyfriend, who was driving the motorcycle, left Garden of the Gods. According to the Colorado State Patrol, a Subaru failed to yield before colliding with their Harley-Davidson, ejecting both riders. Ivey’s boyfriend report- edly suffered a broken arm. The driver of the Subaru, a 38-year-old male out of Fountain, was not injured and arrested on suspected DUI charges, according to CSP. Ivey is survived by her mother and stepfa- ther, Sarah Ivey-Leone and Andrew Leone, her father and stepmother, Juan Carlos Cerrillos and Sandy Cerrillos, her brothers, Zaiah and Ke- gan, her grandmother, Beth, and many friends. Since Ivey’s passing, a Gofundme cam- paign created to help her family had raised nearly $35,000 as of Aug. 10. “She was a fi recracker,” says her mother, Sarah Ivey-Leone. “She loved it all. She did everything. There wasn’t any stopping her.” — Lauren Antonoff Hart
