Volume 3, Issue 23
February 21 - March 6, 2001
If you haven't been to Serina Gray Designs Boutique , then you're missing out on Go-Go Magazine's choice for Designer of the Year. The shop at 2412 East Colfax houses some of the most original and quality-stitched designs in the metro area. The Grays also operate an unbelievably affordable and exclusive custom design business at the same location. If they don't have it, they can make it--and you will end up with an originally designed and precision-fitted garment that will be the envy of all your friends. "Whether it's a T-shirt or a wedding gown, we try to give it a really nice quality and make it affordable," namesake Serina Gray said. "Our custom business has grown into a very exciting business that we really enjoy. It's a little more creative to be able to work one-on-one with our customers. --Kity
Go-Go's bar of this and every other year has to be My Brother's. A mainstay for decades, Mr. Karagas' establishment doesn't need a sign to pull in the locals. The Old Westy feel is complemented by a colorful bohemian history--Neal Cassady and Jack Kerouac used to drink here when it was Paul's Place. Drop on in, grab a beer and eat a burger wrapped in wax paper. This is real Denver history, and you don't have to pay an admission fee.
Our personal vote--tip of the pith helmet to Trip--has got to go to Robbie at the Bank . Hell of a drinkslinger. Good place to go and kill a little time and energy, too. As a matter of fact, we think we need a little break here. . . .
How could we pick just one? Easy: Look at the work. Tiffany Williams has been turning heads all over the country, and it's not just because of her outgoing personality. It's because she's a damn fine artist. Large scale oils conceal hidden themes worked in delicately. She's only 24, but she paints with a master's touch. You'll want to look at her works for a long time. She is currently showing at Merrill Johnson Gallery , 303-333-1566, through March 2. --Rob W.
We just had to give Noelle and Co . a shout for having some of the most rabidly faithful customers in the western hemisphere. To quote one effusive lady: "Noelle & Co. certainly have my vote for the 'Jewelry Gallery of the Year' award for the wonderful exciting jewelry they make and the excellent craftsmanship and design." Never mind that we had no Jewelery Gallery of the Year category. Scores of you from across the West--including somebody from Enron--gave throat to the cry, Noelle! Noelle! Drop by 290 Columbine St. and see what the buzz is about.
Denver hosts a vast array of amazing specialty boutiques, each one magnificently mastering their market. There is, however, one boutique that seems to always rise to the top--the very cream of the crop, if you will--and that is Max . A consistently stylish and stable boutique, Max has seen many women's retail businesses rise and fall in its 17 years, but Max has never been doing better. "Seventeen years and loving every second," owner Max Martinez said. Martinez was proud to have received Go-Go Magazine's Best Boutique recognition. "I'm honored. 17 years is a lot of work. We've had so many trials and struggles," Martinez said. "But, when you look good, you feel good--and I am just so happy right now." Visit Max in Cherry Creek at 3039 East 3rd Avenue, in Boulder at 1177 Walnut, or online at www.maxfashion.net. --Kity
Vesta Dipping Grill wins the coveted Go-Go Restaurant of the Year designation for their high-class food and attractive dining space. Drop in to this LoDo mainstay and experience some of Denver's most creative cuisine--fine foods served with an array of dipping sauces in a variety of styles. The eats are good, the drink is plentiful and the crowd is omnipresent, so plan on getting in early. This is one Denver establishment that won't be riding off into the sunset anytime soon.
Mariana Ryd has done more to get noticed than any other model in this town. Why? She's tall, she's Swedish, she's on the cover of Elle . (Ok it was Spanish Elle but its still Elle.) She is our favorite. This model from Donna Baldwin Talent has achieved international exposure and we here at Go-Go certainly hope she has started a trend. --Rob W.
In addition to being our most talked about cover model ever--Fall Fashion 2001--she has appeared in several Go-Goads and layouts, always with the same result. Who is that girl? That girl is Russian-born Anetta Cherkasova , represented by Donna Baldwin. --Sean H.
Revoluciones Collective Art Space won with over-whelming votes. Why? These kids work hard. Besides the gallery, there are fashion shows, spoken word peformances, DJs spinning on Momentum nights. Did I mention the seamless photo cove? Or their new arts publication, DNA? They just keep getting bigger and better. We also suspect they stuff ballot boxes. Our hats are off to Dave, Terry, Seema and Jeremy. Keep it up gang. Check out the March 1 opening with Raul DeSoto. 719 West 8th Avenue, 303-825-4279. --Rob W.
It's a "place where people make stuff." It's also a gallery and a likely place to catch a saucy fashion show or have a really cool chair made. We still don't exactly know what to think, but we like it. Did we mention Goog is an anagram?
There are tattoo parlors, and then there are Tattoo Parlors. If you seek one of the latter--and we here at Go-Go hope for your sake that you do--then seek your way down to Lifetime Tattoos at 1510 Colfax. Owned and operated by the talented Rob Hostetter, who has been in this game since beginning his formal apprenticeship in 1990 (which was three years after he actually began tattooing), Lifetime is the visible incarnation a man's love for an art form. Hostetter's high-tech yet traditional shop bears witness to his wealth of experience, which includes not only stints in the States but in Europe. This classic-but-cutting-edge shop is sure to impress even the most die-hard tattoo junkie.
Go-Go loves tattoo artists--scratch that, Go-Go loves good tattoo artists. And where in this Mile High City are you going to find a better one than Jer at Twisted Sol? Pros and amateurs alike recognize this young talent as a rising local star. In a city full of talented inkers, Jer stands above the crowd like a Re/Max balloon. Seek him out, but be aware that you won't be the only one--Jer is in high demand, and you might have to wait a few weeks to get in. But trust us, it'll be worth it. And why do you need to hurry anyway? Ship leaving soon?
Another big year for Space Team Electra . Like the Energizer Bunny, this band just keeps going and going and spreading its love through indie circuits nationwide. Along with this fantastic show at the Bluebird , the band got an opening slot at the sold-out Live show at the Ogden last fall. STE is one of Denver's musical mainstays, a true alternative to "alternative." --Judy B.
Sid Pink --the host with the most boast--is Go-Go Magazine's indubitable pick of Best Dressed for success. The eccentric and peculiar emcee is the front man for Grim Productions' twisted trivia game show Think Pink! and has become a local celeb of urban legend and rumor. Hosting many of Denver's most bizarre underground events, the always-dogmatic Sid Pink has skippered the likes of The Boulder Haunted Film Fest, Mr. Pacman's Hour of Power, and Grim Productions . own annual Halloween fete--"A Night of a Thousand Evils." If you'd like your own taste test of the show, an internet sampler is available at www.grimproductions.com. Click on "Harum Scarum" --the creepy pink bunny who, like the show and its effervescent host, is a hell-on-wheels in retro-vision. --Kity
There's really one choice here. The Max Fund No-Kill Animal Shelter does the good work that so many are unwilling to do; most of us unwilling, even, to think about. Given our propensity as humans to use and throw away, why not try and tip the scales of karmic balance back a little? After all, it's not like these animals had a choice. You do.
Ahhhhhhh. The Gemini Tea Room . . . the place to let out a great big sigh, plunk down in a comfy chair, and dream the afternoon away. In a neighborhood of changing demographics, highly urban busy-ness, and constant renovation, the Tea Room functions as a good resting place, meeting place, and drinking place (tea, that is) . Manager Nardi Ferge specializes in offering fine and loose teas (some are original blends) as well as great sandwiches and salads for lunch. The walls are tinted with sky blue, melon, murky purples and mural art. The furniture is unobtrusive, plush, and inviting. The building stands across from KUVO 89.3 FM studios, and together they really do offer an . oasis in the city. . Try it and see for yourself. --Judy B.
Best promoter? Is that even a question? Kevin Larson has promotion down to a sweet science. From the heavily-covered goings-on at his store Pandora's Toybox to heavily-attended theme parties like The Jammy Jam, this young man is living proof that personality sells. He even managed to promote himself onto the cover of this issue of Go-Go , where you'll see him looking collegiate beside the lovely Kat. Proof enough that when it comes to being noticed, our Kevin has no equal.
The Cherry Creek Mall Children's 'Breakfast' Play Area . Hitting, screaming, chewing, throwing, pooping, dripping, sneezing, punching, shrieking, fighting, clawing, falling, stomping, oh, and did I say screaming? Forget condoms, diaphragms, pills and injections. If you really want to break the biological clock or immediately squash the hormonally-induced idea of bringing forth another cute little rugrat into the world, make a date to sit in wide-eyed horror at the Cherry Creek Mall's kids play area. Its 'breakfast' theme comes complete with fun (and soft!) romper room-esque bacon slides, waffle climbers, and a cereal bowl that at least two children tumble out of (BAM!) per hour. Get your psyche's worth and go at about 4:30 during a weekday. And if it's raining outside, be prepared. --Judy B.
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