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johnwenzel.bsky.social
John Wenzel
@johnwenzel.bsky.social
1.1K followers 270 following 260 posts
A&E reporter / critic for The Denver Post. Bylines in Rolling Stone, Esquire, Vulture and The Atlantic. Dayton, Ohio, native. Send Marion's Pizza.
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johnwenzel.bsky.social
John Wenzel @johnwenzel.bsky.social · 2d
Indeed, an excellent band in an excellent scene. But as a Post writer I'm also going by sales and mainstream renown. The average person seems more likely to have heard of those other acts over Blood Incantation (no offense to them)
johnwenzel.bsky.social
John Wenzel @johnwenzel.bsky.social · 2d
Anything Ben Lee-related
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johnwenzel.bsky.social
John Wenzel @johnwenzel.bsky.social · 2d
I've written about Colorado music on and off for 25 years, and our fertile, fearless indie and DIY artists continue to amaze me.

But I'm also impressed at how the state's int'l music profile has risen over the past decade-plus. So who's repping the state in the mainstream? More at @denverpost.com
These are Colorado’s 5 biggest bands right now
From the folk-rock of The Lumineers’ to the electro fever dreams of Illenium, Denver is home to several multiplatinum artists.
www.denverpost.com
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johnwenzel.bsky.social
John Wenzel @johnwenzel.bsky.social · 3d
You don't tour Europe with "West Side Story" without learning a few things about theater. Now Denver native #RyanFitzgerald is back with his Buell Theatre debut as part of the Tony-winning "Shucked."

How'd he get there? More for @denverpost.com
Denver to Broadway: Ryan Fitzgerald’s corny journey to Tony-winning “Shucked”
The Longmont native is touring with the acclaimed musical comedy, playing Oct. 7-19 at the Buell Theatre.
www.denverpost.com
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johnwenzel.bsky.social
John Wenzel @johnwenzel.bsky.social · 4d
Indeed. As I was just talking about with my editor, he was always cutting edge on top of any other trend.
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johnwenzel.bsky.social
John Wenzel @johnwenzel.bsky.social · 4d
#OffCenter, the experimental arm of Denver Center for the Performing Arts, is done. They did Camp Christmas, David Byrne & Mala Gaonkar's "Theater of the Mind," groundbreaking VR shows, etc.

This comes after layoffs in June at the DCPA that officials declined to describe. More for @denverpost.com
DCPA closes innovative Off Center, producer of “Theater of the Mind,” Camp Christmas
Budget challenges and lack of partners willing to share the risk were major factors, DCPA said.
www.denverpost.com
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johnwenzel.bsky.social
John Wenzel @johnwenzel.bsky.social · 5d
"You are taking in the Human Centipede of Content, and from the very very end of the line, all while the folks at the front laugh and laugh, consume and consume" #AI

www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
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Reposted by John Wenzel
tamaraddunn.bsky.social
Tamara Dunn @tamaraddunn.bsky.social · 7d
Denver Film Festival lineup features new John Elway documentary amd spotlight on Delroy Lindo, Gus Van Sant and more: www.denverpost.com/2025/10/04/d... by @johnwenzel.bsky.social
Denver Film Fest: A John Elway documentary, the new “Knives Out” and Gus Van Sant
The festival returns Oct. 31-Nov. 8 at the Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Sie FilmCenter and other venues.
www.denverpost.com
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Reposted by John Wenzel
denverpost.com
The Denver Post @denverpost.com · 9d
Radio has served as a medium for live music since its inception. In Colorado, radio stations have featured bands big and small over the decades, through in-studio performances and regular sponsored shows at local venues.
Live music is an integral part of these Front Range radio stations
Radio stations broadcast live in-studio sessions and put on concerts by bands playing jazz, indie rock, bluegrass and other genres
trib.al
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johnwenzel.bsky.social
John Wenzel @johnwenzel.bsky.social · 9d
Hmmm
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johnwenzel.bsky.social
John Wenzel @johnwenzel.bsky.social · 10d
MENVER
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johnwenzel.bsky.social
John Wenzel @johnwenzel.bsky.social · 10d
I mean... how can you misinterpret a 4Runner??
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johnwenzel.bsky.social
John Wenzel @johnwenzel.bsky.social · 11d
Undercover quote-getter/photo-taker, I believe is the official job title?
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johnwenzel.bsky.social
John Wenzel @johnwenzel.bsky.social · 11d
Anything. I tried to shoot UMS promo video there a couple times on escalators (funny interviews with Julie Davis, Rachel Pollard and others) and they drove us onto the mall. Tried a couple feet-on-the-street interviews there on and off during holidays and someone ran over when they saw me recording
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johnwenzel.bsky.social
John Wenzel @johnwenzel.bsky.social · 11d
The folks who will soon be the former-operators have been hilariously hardcore about not letting us shoot photos on their property over the years. To the point of calling security guards on me. Sorry for trying to depict you in a civic way!
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johnwenzel.bsky.social
John Wenzel @johnwenzel.bsky.social · 11d
"Brain rot" has lost cachet but as a descriptor for AI-creep in otherwise savvy creative people it's pretty spot on.

I concur w/Dawn here; artists using AI slop in promo speaks poorly of them in every way and makes me wonder what other gen-AI imagery/text they haven't disclosed
502eire.lol
Dawn of the Dead 💀 @502eire.lol · 11d
seeing a distressing amount of writers, musicians, and other creatives using AI generated art to promote their work. some real artist-on-artist crime happening here
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johnwenzel.bsky.social
John Wenzel @johnwenzel.bsky.social · 11d
Old Denver music heads: this one's for you (and me, since I moved to and started seeing shows here many moons ago).

Via George Tanner and @denverpost.com #denvermusic
15th Street Tavern, Tulagi and more Colorado music venues we miss
Long-gone stages in Denver, Boulder hosted the first Colorado visits from Dolly Parton, Eagles, White Stripes and The Shins.
www.denverpost.com
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johnwenzel.bsky.social
John Wenzel @johnwenzel.bsky.social · 15d
Ah, makes sense!
johnwenzel.bsky.social
John Wenzel @johnwenzel.bsky.social · 15d
The hilarious thing about this article is that Bonnie Raitt ended up at Denver Coliseum due to poor weather at Red Rocks (this was written for @denverpost.com before that). What about Paul McCartney, Haim & Lorde? Plus a few more to take a chance on as the snow looms for Denver.
Outdoor concerts to see before the snow flies, including Paul McCartney, Haim, Bonnie Raitt
Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Fiddler’s Green and the last open-air concert experiences of 2025
www.denverpost.com
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Reposted by John Wenzel
dansinker.com
dan sinker @dansinker.com · 16d
Dave Matthews has the opportunity to do the funniest thing.
alyssad.bsky.social
Alyssa @alyssad.bsky.social · 16d
Hmmm....
US Border Patrol docks along Chicago Harbor Lock as part of immigration blitz
U.S. Border Patrol is making its presence known on Lake Michigan, the only Great Lake without a foreign border.
www.chicagotribune.com
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johnwenzel.bsky.social
John Wenzel @johnwenzel.bsky.social · 16d
2026 concerts are ALREADY on sale and filling up Denver calendars, so here are a few biggies I've seen so far, from My Chemical Romance (at Coors Field, with The Breeders!), to Cardi B, Ed Sheeran, Black Violin and more, for @denverpost.com
2026 Denver concert season taking shape: Cardi B, My Chemical Romance, Ed Sheeran and more
Tickets for some shows at Coors Field, Red Rocks are already on sale.
www.denverpost.com
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johnwenzel.bsky.social
John Wenzel @johnwenzel.bsky.social · 17d
Time will tell but I certainly wouldn't be surprised, since he was the genesis of the whole thing.
Reposted by John Wenzel
poniewozik.bsky.social
James Poniewozik @poniewozik.bsky.social · 23d
"America may not be an actual autocracy. But it increasingly seems to be playing one on TV." [giftie]
www.nytimes.com/2025/09/18/a...
The F.C.C. Threatened to Punish Kimmel ‘the Hard Way.’ ABC Made It Easy.
www.nytimes.com
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johnwenzel.bsky.social
John Wenzel @johnwenzel.bsky.social · 18d
Susan GREENE, that is
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johnwenzel.bsky.social
John Wenzel @johnwenzel.bsky.social · 18d
I was lucky enough to work in the old-school @denverpost.com newsroom with Virginia and learned a ton from her about writing obits and cracking hilariously dark jokes. This excellent obit from Susan Green reminds me Virginia was also a deeply empathetic and trailblazing journalist. Well worth a read
lizzy-hernandez.bsky.social
Elizabeth Hernandez @lizzy-hernandez.bsky.social · 18d
Longtime Denver Post reporter Virginia Culver dies
Longtime Denver Post reporter Virginia Culver dies
For 44 years, Culver covered religion and reported obituaries yet remained intensely private on the matter of her own mortality.
www.denverpost.com
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