Everything’s weird, says Denver musical polymath Tom Hagerman.
That pretty much sums up, well, everything these days. And in that context, the DeVotchKa multi-instrumentalist and frequent Colorado Symphony collaborator has teamed up with magician and mentalist Professor Phelyx to recruit some of Denver s best artists for A Valentine for the Mercury Cafe, a free-to-watch fundraising livestream at 1 p.m. Sunday, February 14.
Phelyx will emcee, and Hagerman will play music with the Grand Orquesta Navarre; Nathaniel Rateliff, Wesley Schultz of the Lumineers, Nick Urata, comedians Adam Cayton-Holland and Josh Blue, Lannie Garrett and poet Andrea Gibson are also on the bill.
Credit: Anne Herbst, KUSA
My husband is a bit of a music snob, and when he heard Jen Korte perform in my story, he thought she was fantastic.
She is.
Korte has a few different projects in town, and said that this was going to be her year.
2020 was the year of her album. She was finally a full-time musician after years of hard work. And then the pandemic hit.
So even though things stalled a bit, she kept creating just like her fellow artists.
“There will be a flood of messaging and storytelling that comes from this time because there were so many huge things that happened in one year,” Korte said.
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• Gov. Kate Brown has announced that she s directing state agencies to start planning to send kids specifically elementary school kids back to in-person classes as soon as February 15, but is leaving the decision to individual districts. The Oregon Education Association immediately blasted the governor s decision saying it would radically and abruptly change the current plans for returning to school, and without taking into consideration the needs of educators.
• For the essential workers in the grocery industry, 2020 has been a nightmare. Check out this first person description of what these workers have endured from an anonymous Fred Meyer employee.
• And if YOU VE had a rough year (hahahahaaa of
Mercury family to you.
IN NATIONAL NEWS:
• Calling Trump Putin s puppy (too cute of a name), Biden also slammed the president for irrational downplaying Russia s devastating hack of government agencies. ( Putin s putz ? Putin s pustule ? Putin s pooter ? Nevermind.)
Breaking News: President Trump pardoned 20 people, including two convicted in the Russia inquiry and four Blackwater guards convicted in connection with the killing of Iraqi civilians. https://t.co/kimvJobNYY
It s a Christmas miracle: The Squad and Donald Trump agree on something! Zach Gibson / Getty News
GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! On the eighth day of Christmas, my baby gave to me: A pair of Chloe shades and a diamond belly ring. LET S GO TO PRESS:
• Landlords are gonna landlord: Even though the legislature provided some more-than-fair relief for them during Monday s one-day special session, landlords are now suing the state to get rid of the eviction ban. (Who do you think is less popular: landlords or chlamydia?)
This is a good summary of the problems we face in holding police accountable. Portland is mentioned several times. Implementing @yeson26217 is a critical next step in this fight to regain control.