Denver & the rockies

[Karen aka Canvas Clown]

If a thread already existed for Denver, I apologize for the repetition, Otherwise, what's the deal there? Seasonally and in general...?

Also, how about other spots thru the Rockies? ... Utah, Wyoming? I'll be there for other reasons probably early-mid April, but will have time enough to busk if there's an inviting scene.

[Richard]

Wondering if anyone can shed some more light on performing in the Rockies. Particularly in Boulder. I saw in one place that said you need a permit but only if you're working with dangerous objects. Is that true?
What about Denver or Aspen?

Thanks,

[Mr.Taxi Trix]

I used to live in Ward, Colorodo, and worked the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder for 2 summers. This is a good summer tourist crowd, affluent enough, but some younger/louder/cheaper types like to watch too. It can be a seven night a week pitch in the height of summer, but after Labor Day, a gamble.
I arrived in early summer, 1990, I think, right into a street performers festival, and crashed it. Johnny Fox kindly asked me to stash my homemade fire poi at the time, as they were dodgy, and he had just worked hard to get the city to allow fire on the pitch again. Hope its still allowed. I didn't work with him again until Denver Fest last summer, where we finished our day with an interesting 2 man show, culminating in him on top of an upturned trash can, an extra long screwdriver in his gullet, and me spinning around him on a 10 foot unicycle, screwing the thing in. The hat filled to bursting.
You did need a permit to work it legally when I was there, but scrutiny was lax. I used to walk a rope then, and a local performer, Evan from Heaven, actually reported me for having no permit. I had already cleared my work with the city for that weekend, but he didn't know that, and what a sad thing to hear that he had handed me over without so much as meeting me. Hope I never do that to another performer.
But enough about me and that sad, insecure, impotent, pathetic gesture.
Aspen also has some action, I always heard, but Boulder held enough for me. There were three useable pitches, and never too many folks. I stopped by last sumer after the Denver fest, and it was just me, Kenny the Magician, and the Zip Code guy. Ripe fruit out there. Good luck.


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[ 09-04-2002: Message edited by: Mr.Taxi Trix ]</p>

[Richard]

Thanks so much for the info Taxi. Looks to me like it's pretty safe to head to Boulder, set up, start showing off and see what happens.
By the way Taxi, where is Ward, CO?

[ 09-04-2002: Message edited by: Richard ]</p>

[Mr.Taxi Trix]

Maybe, Richard, but you might want to re-read that first paragraph before cruising. Summer rocks in Boulder.

Ward is a small mining town, about 40 minutes from Boulder, up at around 10,000 feet. My ex wife and I were activists: we lived up there in a cabin with no electricity, no running water, and no credit cards. We organised a protest against the Gulf War on the mall, in fact, and used my performer's liability insurance to get the permit. Good old days. I wish I had now the hope and vision I had then, (without the self-righteousness). Where is the line between acceptance and abdication? Are wisdom and resignation as linked as brightness and dawn? Don't get me started. I miss my life in Boulder.

[Lee Nelson]

Hey there,
we were in Boulder this summer as well and their was a few more than 3 regular acts. the acts included Zip Code guy, Kenny the magician, Evan the juggler, a crazy Russian guy that we stayed with near Ward, an even crazier act (real nice guy) had a catchcry, I am 43, chubby and bitter who lived in Ward. Cant remember name either (they all blur), dude who walks rope and ladder and heaps of other cool tricks, sven the juggler and last but not least a crazy contortionist dude with some weird conspiracy theory against other buskers (they all conspired to steal his box apparently). This guy fucked the pitch harmony completely. So that was eight acts when we were there.
So basically in the two weeks that we were their we got a couple of good shows a day on the weekends, the weekday night shows are all over by 10 so you have to be their early to get in the line-up and get a good one. Easier said that done.
Boulder has a crazy kind of conservative vibe I found for humour...keep it clean and non controversial....sections of our crowd walked on some occasions for reasons that I cannot even fathom but at night it really rocks and anything goes. Heaps of tourists.
Anitta and I stayed in Ward as well - nice place but a real one horse town - but heaps of trails and stuff and the mountains are wonderful. Boulder has a really healthy arts scene - even a local circus night several times a week and regular dance classes. Heaps of fun but I was their when the students were not.
Hope this helps a little.
Lee

[Evan Young]

I left boulder a couple of weeks ago. The season is over, it ended on labor day. You can still do shows on the weekends, but you missed all the fun.
Tom (from New Orleans) is the crazy guy, Dexter Trip walks the rope (he's in New York now), Issak is the Russian, and Bashi is the contortionist.
If you get there in late May or early June you can get a summer sub-lease from one of the many students who are going home for around $450 a month; that's what I did.
The permit is required if you juggle or unicycle, or get up higher that 6 feet... I think. The insurance required for the permit is cheap and probably worth having anyway. You can probably get away with not having the permit for at least a couple of weeks.
Havent had the nerve to show up in Aspen yet, but I hear it's a goldmine (only if you know how to play to exeptionaly rich people, cuz that's all there is in Aspen). Anysort of acomodation has a huge price up there though.
Denver is crap, you can play music there, but they won't let you gather crouds. The only reason I ever went to denver was cuz I had a girlfriend there.
There is no winter reliable performing in colorado during the winter season. The real season is from memorial day to labor day.
Hope this helps--Evan
--Evan