City Cast Denver

Cannabis has been legal in Colorado for close to a decade. In 2019, Denver decriminalized psilocybin. Soon, voters will be asked to consider changes in the regulation of psychedelics statewide. But before Colorado has the chance to capitalize on this latest potential drug policy shift, some experts are sounding the alarm. Will historic inequities that followed other legalizations play out with psychedelics, too?In the second episode of Ballot Trip, a new four-part series from City Cast Denver, award-winning investigative reporter Chris Walker digs into the potential impacts of plant medicine legalization. He talks with plant medicine healers, ancestral knowledge keepers, and advocates who fear that if the legalization and decriminalization of psychedelics isn’t laid out carefully, communities could be harmed. As Chris mentioned in the episode, here are Kuthoomi Castro’s resources for listeners interested in decolonization work in the psychedelics space: Dr. Rocio Rosales Meza, a Seer, Medicine Woman, Counselor, and Educator, and Puma Fredy Quispe Singona, an Andean Medicine Man. This reporting is supported by the Ferriss-UC Berkeley Psychedelic Reporting Fellowship.More news you can use in newsletter form. Read and Subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Have psychedelics helped you? Tell us about your experience on Twitter: @citycastdenver Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There are many narratives about Denver — we’re a boom n’ bust town, we’re a weed town, we’re, well (in the eyes of one rural Colorado politician), a “toilet bowl.” Earlier this week, Mayor Hancock shared his own, albeit bland, narrative of the Denver he’s been in charge of for the last 11-plus years. Over at Westword, editor-in-chief Patty Calhoun and the crew pondered that same narrative and asked: has Denver lost its mojo? On the show today, host Bree Davies sits down with Patty and Westword staffer Conor McCormick-Cavanagh to discuss what makes Denver worth celebrating, and what we can do to put that pep back in our Mile High step. Check out Westword’s latest cover story contemplating the mojo question from Patty, Conor, and a slew of other great writers.Listen to our episode from earlier this week where Paul and Bree discuss Mayor Hancock’s final State of the City address. (Conor did a great summary of the speech for Westword, too!)Looking for cool stuff to do this weekend? Editor Peyton Garcia’s got you covered. Read and subscribe to the City Cast Denver newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/We are on twitter: @citycastdenverLearn more about the sponsors of this episode: Colfax Ave. BID presents Independents Day Denver Film presents Film on the Rocks: Summer of Soul 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

Outdoor concerts are a staple of the Colorado experience, and this month, Levitt Pavilion Denver is celebrating five years of bringing live shows to the Ruby Hill neighborhood. On the show today, host Bree Davies talks with Levitt’s Interim Executive Director, Andy Thomas, and Marketing and Development Director Jessi Whitten about why Levitt is about more than live music — it’s about creating community, paying local musicians fairly, and creating the next generation of Denver music lovers, movers, and shakers. Levitt Pavilion Denver still has dozens of free and ticketed shows coming up this season — check out their concert calendar for a list of great local and national acts to see this summer and fall!Miguel Aviña, front-person for the band iZCALLI, was mentioned several times — hear his interview with City Cast Denver from a few months ago!All the news you need, right here in the City Cast Denver newsletter. Read and subscribe: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Share your Levitt Pavilion Denver memories with us on Twitter: @citycastdenverLeave 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: Colfax Ave. BID presents Independents Day Denver Film presents Film on the Rocks: Summer of Soul 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

It’s host Bree Davies’ Sweet 16 sober anniversary and she’s ready to celebrate! Because not-drinking can sound like a drag, Bree wanted to shed some light on what can make a bar inviting to those who don’t imbibe. She invited friend of the show, Artistic Director at the Sie Film Center AND fellow non-drinker, Keith Garcia, to chat about how to go out on a Friday night and find fun in Denver, whether you choose to drink or not. Keith mentioned the monthly-ish queer-centered dance party Junk Drawer and the new event space slash hair salon Scorpio Palace on Brighton Boulevard. Bree talked about Clearheads, happening this Sunday at Fort Greene; check out our May interview with the party’s founder, Jen Korte!More news you can use: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Where are your fave spots to get fun, booze-free drinks? Tell us on Twitter: @citycastdenverLeave 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:Colfax Ave. BID presents Independents Day 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

On Monday, Mayor Michael B. Hancock offered many thoughts and some interesting prospects for Denver’s future in his last State of the City address. Winding down his third and final term as Denver’s mayor, Hancock focused mostly on what he’s done for us lately — like championing programs and policies to address housing and homelessness and announcing the new Denver Institute of Racial Equity, Innovation and Reconciliation, a think tank that’s supposed to improve public safety. Today on the show, host Bree Davies and producer Paul Karolyi break down Hancock’s speech, respond to some of his claims, and ask: What will be Mayor Hancock’s true legacy? To read or watch Hancock’s whole State of the City address, click here. Paul mentioned a Westword story about the Denver Basic Income Project. You can read that here. There’s plenty more Denver news you might want to know. Fortunately, we’ve rounded it all up for you in today’s CCD newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Hang out with us on Twitter @citycastdenverLeave 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: Denver Film presents Summer of Soul Colfax Ave. Business Improvement District presents Independents Day 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

Psilocybin, AKA magic mushrooms — maybe you’ve heard of ‘em? Or, you know, tried them for yourself? Because here in Denver, voters decriminalized psilocybin back in 2019, but the statewide fight to regulate naturally derived psychedelics like mushrooms — and mescaline, ibogaine, ayahuasca, and DMT — is only just beginning. In the first episode of a new four-part series for City Cast Denver, award-winning investigative reporter Chris Walker brings us Ballot Trip, a deep dive into debate over how psychedelics will fit into life in Colorado. From practitioners of traditional, ancestral healing work to the multi-million dollar PAC behind policy reform in Washington, Chris explores the many perspectives that exist within the world of legalization and decriminalization of psychedelics. Get more news you can use from the City Cast Denver newsletter: https://denver.citycast.fm/newsletter/Follow us on Twitter: @citycastdenverHave you ever had your car towed in Denver? Was it by a company called Wyatt’s Towing? You are far from alone. Attorney General Phil Weiser is cracking down on predatory towing, and we want to hear from you. Tell us your Wyatt’s Towing stories! Leave us a voicemail with your name and neighborhood, and you might hear it on the show: (720) 500-5418‬.Learn more about the sponsors of this episode:Colfax Ave. Independents Day (July 22-24)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 happens when an anti-gang activist shoots someone at his own peace rally? For Terrance Roberts of Northeast Park Hill, that question came to define his life following that very incident on September 20, 2013. Award-winning journalist Julian Rubinstein spent seven years reporting Roberts’ story. The resulting book, “The Holly: Five Bullets, One Gun, and the Struggle to Save an American Neighborhood,” came out in May 2021. It won a Colorado Book Award for best general nonfiction, and has been made into a documentary film that premiered at this year’s Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride. And recently, Roberts announced a run for Denver mayor. Roberts and Rubinstein joined host Bree Davies last May to talk about the book, the nature of gang violence in Denver, and police reform.NOTE: This interview originally aired in May 2021, and is back as part of our special summer book series.Learn more about the documentary film "The Holly," which Julian Rubinstein directed, at TheHollyFilm.com Connect with us on Twitter: @citycastdenverAnd sign up for our morning newsletter!Learn more about the sponsor of this episode:Denver Film presents Film on the Rocks: Summer of Soul 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

In “The Guide,” Colorado author Peter Heller weaves a suspenseful tale centered on Jack, a young wilderness and fishing guide at an elite resort near Crested Butte. Things aren’t quite as idyllic as they seem, though, and Jack finds himself questioning what he sees and hears at every turn. Heller joined City Cast Denver’s Peyton Garcia for a conversation about his inspiration for the book, and what it was like writing a fictional story set during a pandemic — while actually experiencing the pandemic in real time. NOTE: This interview originally aired in August 2021, and is back as part of our special summer book series. Tune in all week for more! Learn more about Peter and his work at PeterHellerAuthor.com We’d love to know what your favorite summer book is! Tweet us @citycastdenverOr leave us a voicemail with your name, neighborhood, and the title of your favorite book and why you love it. (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

Jenny Shank grew up in southeast Denver, but when it was time for school, she was bused all over the city — from an elementary school with a Chicano-rooted curriculum on the West Side to a predominantly Black middle school near Five Points. And it was those experiences that informed her new collection of short stories, “Mixed Company.” It explores all the awkward, comical, and challenging ways that very different kinds of Coloradans can find connection. The book has been awarded the George Garrett Fiction Prize and a Colorado Book Award since it was released last November — which is when host Bree Davies sat down with Shank to talk about their shared history with Denver Public Schools and busing, and how they understand their similar education experiences differently today.NOTE: This interview originally aired in November 2021, and is back as part of our special summer book series. Tune in all week for more reading recommendations!To learn more about her work including “Mixed Company,” check out her website, JennyShank.comAnd for more on Denver’s history of busing, check out our episode from September 8 with playwright Alicia Smith Young! What books are keeping you company this summer? Tweet us your recs! @citycastdenverSign up for our morning newsletter! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Almost 20 years ago, Erika Krouse took a job as a private investigator. Her first big case? A massive sexual assault scandal that revealed a toxic culture of abuse within CU Boulder’s prized football program. Krouse’s new book, “Tell Me Everything: The Story of A Private Investigation,” is part true crime thriller and part memoir, as she weaves together her recollections of the case with the story of her own experience with sexual assault. City Cast Denver’s Peyton Garcia spoke with Krouse about what it was like going up against an institution as powerful as the University of Colorado, the legacy of the case today, and how she saw her own story in the stories of the survivors. NOTE: This interview originally aired in March 2022, and is back as part of our special summer book series. Tune in all week for more reading recommendations!Warning: While there are no graphic descriptions, this episode contains discussions about sexual assault.Learn more about Erika Krouse and her work at erikakrousewriter.com. And for more about the scandal at the heart of Krouse’s book, ESPN has a full timeline right here.Learn more about the sponsor of this episode:Control Group Productions presents THE ENDLooking 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