City Cast Denver

The people of Denver have elected Mike Johnston to become their first new mayor in 12 years. While the results won't be official until June 20, former CEO of the Denver Chamber of Commerce Kelly Brough conceded after the belt buckle-wearing former state senator won a majority of the votes counted by 10 p.m. on Tuesday. “Tonight we start a chapter about a city that is going to be big enough to care for all of us, to support all of us, to house all of us,” Johnston declared in his victory speech. “That is our dream of Denver.” Host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi discuss the results of the mayor’s race and what to expect from mayor-elect Johnston, as well the City Council runoffs in districts 8, 9, and 10. Follow Denver Elections for future updates on the races that were still too close for us to call.What are your hopes and dreams for mayor-elect Johnston? The Mayoral Madness Hotline is still open... for now. Text or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear your comments on the show: (720) 500-5418‬For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverLearn more about the sponsors of this episode: Regional Air Quality Council badboyboards Energize Colorado Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Summer is finally here! But no need to stress if your calendar’s not already full of summer fun. Over the next three weeks on the podcast and in our newsletter Hey Denver, we’re presenting our Summer Entertainment Guide to help you make this a season to remember. First up, John Moore has been covering local arts and culture for decades, and he’s got a voracious appetite for all kinds of entertainment, from tiny backyard plays to blockbuster arena-filling concerts. He’s on today with host Bree Davies to share his personal recommendations and a heads-up about that local staple you might want to skip. Read John Moore’s work in the Denver Gazette, including this recent piece he mentioned about Denver’s many outdoor film series.Here are links to all of John’s other recommendations: Colorado Shakespeare Festival (Boulder) Oddities Alley (Victor) City Park Jazz (City Park) Five Points Jazz Festival (Five Points) Blues & Barbecue Festival for Better Housing (Edgewater) The Lyric Theater (Fort Collins) Film on the Rocks (Morrison) Phamaly Theater Company’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” (Downtown) Denver Fringe Festival (Five Points) Thingamajig Theatre Company (Pagosa Springs) Creede Reperatory Theater (Creede) Lake Dillon Theater Company (Silverthorne) Little Theater of the Rockies (Greeley) Goatflix & Chill (Various) Do you have a summer entertainment rec? Text it to us or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverLearn more about the sponsors of this episode: Regional Air Quality Council badboyboards Energize Colorado Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Yes, Red Rocks is a world-famous concert venue, drawing music-lovers from all walks of life to the Denver suburbs. But there’s plenty more great venues in town to catch any kind of concert you want. So which one has the best sound? The best vibes? The best seating? Host Bree Davies sits down with two local musicians — Kalyn Heffernan and Gregg Ziemba of Wheelchair Sports Camp — who know all these venues inside and out to get their hard-earned tips for enjoying any kind of show and how to do Red Rocks right. We’re doing a survey to learn more about our listeners, so we can make City Cast Denver an even better, more useful podcast for you. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey — it’s only 5 minutes long. You’ll be doing us a big favor. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card.For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866.Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverText or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Regional Air Quality Council badboyboards Energize Colorado Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What will the next mayor do when it comes to housing and homelessness? There are so many important issues at stake in this election, but those two might be the biggest. That's why we're so grateful that our friends at Elevated Denver were ready to go deep. Their organization aims to humanize the issue of homelessness and bring new ideas to the table through relationships with our unhoused neighbors. So please enjoy this episode of their podcast featuring in-depth interviews with the two remaining mayoral candidates — Kelly Brough and Mike Johnston -- on housing and homelessness.Here’s how they described this episode: “The Elevated Denver team is bringing you an extra special, time-sensitive, bonus episode. In Denver, we are in a runoff Mayoral election, with ballots due on June 6th. We spoke with each candidate — Kelly Brough and Mike Johnston — specifically focusing on housing and homelessness in Denver. The questions were deeply informed by our unhoused neighbors and this conversation answers questions about each candidate’s values and philosophies about this crisis in our community. Read the full transcript here.”New episodes of the Elevated Denver podcast drop biweekly. You can learn more and subscribe to Elevated Denver at elevateddenver.co. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverText or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s Friday and we’re chatting about all the local stories that caught our eyes this week. With Election Day looming, the mayoral mudslinging has begun, and both the Kelly Brough and Mike Johnston camps are getting messy with their ads. Will these late-in-the-game attacks matter to Denver voters? And why go negative now? Producer Paul Karolyi is joined by host Bree Davies and City Cast Denver politics and green chile correspondent Justine Sandoval to parse the unfolding election drama. Plus, the crew picks their Mile High wins and fails of the week, then Hey Denver newsletter editor Peyton Garcia shares her recommendations for your weekend. Paul mentioned a Western Slope graduate and the new culture of the Broncos’ locker room. Bree talked about D3 Arts. Justine shared the mystery of the missing hat and good news from RTD.We’re doing a survey to learn more about our listeners, so we can make City Cast Denver an even better, more useful podcast for you. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey—it’s only 5 minutes long. You’ll be doing us a big favor. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card.For even more weekend event recs and local stories that matter, subscribe to our weekday morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow our weather guy for all your weekend weather needs: Rain or Shine, it's Andy Stein!Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverLearn more about the sponsors of this episode:badboyboardsLooking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The mayor’s race is grabbing all the headlines lately, but what about Denver City Council? With contested runoffs in Districts 8, 9, and 10 and many new faces already elected, this key branch of our local government is poised for some big changes. Incumbents Candi CdeBaca (District 9) and Chris Hinds (District 10) are both fighting to retain their seats, while District 8 is a battle between two new contenders, Shontel Lewis and Brad Revare. But these votes are about more than who gets onto City Council, they could lead to a major ideological swing and a new approach to how lawmaking gets done in Denver. Host Bree Davies and Producer Paul Karolyi break down the races and talk about what’s at stake ahead of Election Day on June 6. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverText or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:badboyboardsLooking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While Denver’s dining scene has attracted top chefs from all over the world, it’s our mom-and-pop shops and holes in the wall that tell a deeper culinary story. Like Noodles Express, a nondescript eatery in a strip mall on Colorado Boulevard that happens to serve up some of the best Szechuan cuisine in town. We stopped by the recently a lo-fi feast of sweet, salty, and tongue-numbing spice with our fave gastro guide, Westword food editor Molly Martin. Today on the show, newsletter editor Peyton Garcia and host Bree Davies celebrate the last day of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month with Molly as they dine on mapo tofu and dish about their fave Asian restaurants across the Mile High. Molly mentioned the Crazy Hungry Asians of Colorado group on Facebook, the Westword profile of Adam You, You’s Denver Chinese Source blog and the return of Mile High Asian Restaurant Week. Here’s Molly’s original review of Noodle Express, as well as her story on the restaurant bouncing back from the brink of closure. All the great places we mentioned: Noodles Express (Colorado Blvd.) New China (Alameda & Pearl) Chada Thai (Uptown) 303 Ramen (Arvada) Szechuan Tasty House (College View) Meat and Eat Bistro (Hampden) Meta Asian Kitchen (Highland)  Pho King Rapidos (Highland, for now) Yuan Wonton (Food Truck) CoArk Food Hall (Centennial) Tommy’s Thai (Congress Park)  Pho Hong (Alameda & Federal)  Tí Cafe (South Broadway) Please take our listener survey!We’re doing a survey to learn more about our listeners, so we can make City Cast Denver an even better, more useful podcast for you. We’d be grateful if you took the survey at citycast.fm/survey—it’s only 5 minutes long. You’ll be doing us a big favor. Plus, anyone who takes the survey will be eligible to win a $250 Visa gift card.For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866.Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverText or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬Learn more about the sponsor of this episode:badboyboardsLooking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Shinesty CEO Chris White got his start selling thrift store finds to his fellow CU Boulder students hoping to stand out at parties. Thanks to a surprise shout-out from Al Roker, Shinesty is now the fastest growing apparel company in Denver, with millions in venture-capital investment, new retail deals with Zoomies and Buckle, and their own MTV docu-series to boot. But they’ve captured Coloradans’ attention not with a better puffer jacket or cowboy hat, but with novelty underwear and raunchy, irreverent, and over-the-top designs for the kind of theme parties millennials love. Host Bree Davies sits down with White in Shinesty’s Highland office to ask how he made millions with products like the “Daytona Dong Sarong,” where to find the best thrift shops and estate sales across the Front Range, and what Shinesty’s success says about Coloradans’ taste in fashion.Paul mentioned the e-bike rebates re-opening today at 11 a.m., Mayor Hancock’s bike lanes, and layoffs at Twitter and Guild. The “Year of Efficiency” Hotline is Open! Have you or someone you know been affected by layoffs in the tech industry? We’d love to hear what’s happening inside these local tech companies. Send us a text or leave us a voicemail at (720)500-5418. For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverLearn more about the sponsor of this episode:badboyboardsLooking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The mayor’s race is getting spicy! No, we’re not talking about the latest attack ad; we’re talking about hot wings. Earlier this week, host Bree Davies moderated a Hot Ones-style forum featuring candidates Kelly Brough and Mike Johnston eating progressively spicier wings while answering progressively spicier questions. Since there’s less than two weeks until Denver elects Brough or Johnston as its first new mayor in 12 years, we’re proud to share a recording of that event here with you today. And just a note, this episode has some explicit moments, but only because those wings were really hot.Huge thanks to our partners New Era Colorado, ONE Colorado, Cobalt, and COLOR for making this a mayoral forum to remember!For even more news from around the city, subscribe to our morning newsletter Hey Denver by texting “Denver” to 66866Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverText or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey Denver newsletter editor Peyton Garcia got a sneak preview of the new Casa Bonita this morning, and she’s calling in from that strip mall parking lot in Lakewood to dish on everything the “South Park” guys cared to reveal — a new ticketing system, the chlorine smell, the sopaipillas, and how they plan to open to the public, and more!Subscribe to Hey Denver to see all of Peyton’s photos and more from inside the Pink Palace. All you’ve got to do is text “Denver” to 66866.Sign up for the Casa Bonita email newsletter list for further updates: https://www.casabonitadenver.com/Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverOr instagram: @citycastdenverChat with other listeners on reddit: r/CityCastDenverText or leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬Looking to advertise on City Cast Denver? Check out our options for podcast and newsletter ads at citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices