Narkita Gold
Anthony says the title of the Boulder show,
From This Day Forward, reflects on the state of the world during COVID-19 and ongoing political and civil unrest over the police killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Elijah McClain and other Black people.
“We decided that as artists, educators and designers, in order to move forward, we must address what was upon us as a community,” Anthony explains. “We would address grief and loss along with difficult conversations of what the world and society has been and could be, and maybe, just possibly, how to find a path to get there.”
Jonathan McMillan, once a troubled youth and today a mentor and community activist, has joined Mayor Michael Hancock’s Youth Violence Prevention Action Table as its Youth Violence Prevention Coordinator.
The YVPAT was started in 2019, during an increase in gang activity in the city, to improve collaboration and information-sharing across city agencies, community businesses and youth groups in order to boost prevention and intervention efforts. Current members include Kwon Atlas from the mayor s office; Denver Public Health’s Bill Burman; Mike Eaton, director of school safety for Denver Public Schools; and Deanne Maes, chief of Denver Adult Probation. Denver City Attorney Kristin Bronson has been leading the Table since its inception. McMillan was a member of the executive team before getting the full-time gig, which Hancock announced January 27.
Lamont Ferguson
A Good Green Room, the co-hosts discuss everything from Dave Chappelle’s
8:46 standup special and a Black bird-watcher to looting, guns and vitamins. Guests have included comics Shed G., Nora Lynch, Rick Bryan, Kevin Jordan, Mo Alexander and Jaylyn Bishop.
“I like a mix of veteran and new entertainers,” Johnson explains. “We’ve had comedians, singers, actors and community activists on the show. We like interesting people with great stories.”
In-between
A Good Green Room, Johnson and Ferguson did some virtual performances throughout 2020 and are looking forward to what 2021 will bring.
“I miss performing live on stage. I’m not a big fan of the standup Zoom shows,” Johnson says. “I’ve been doing live shows around the state and at the Comedy Works South club. I’m taping a Dry Bar comedy special at the end of March 2021.”
North High School teacher Katy Lushman has always loved singing in choirs and drinking at happy hour. In 2018, she brought the two activities together and formed the Denver Choir League. In the years since, more than 400 people have sung, drunk and bonded together as part of her group.
If people love to sing, they re welcome, no matter how talented, studied or experienced they are.
“Denver Choir League welcomes anyone who wants to sing in a choir,” Lushman says. “We know that auditions can be really intimidating and that sometimes singers are discouraged from even trying to join a choir because there’s an audition. The beautiful thing about choir is that it’s not about you as a solo singer, but about the group.
Atomic Pixies
The Pixies have also self-published comic series on their website Webtoon and on Patreon. One of those comics,
Rendezvous, was inspired by a dream Hughes had and was able to scribble in her journal.
“It was a dream where me and a few friends were trying to meet another group of friends in the mountains,” she says. “While en route, the world was literally overrun by less-than-friendly spaceships.
Hanson-Necessary was inspired by Hughes s dream and decided to draw a scene from it.
Of all the Pixies art, Necessary says, their Nerdveau prints and enamel pins sell like hotcakes at conventions. In 2019, they started a monthly pin club with fantasy-oriented designs by Hanson-Necessary and Hughes.