Thursday is Blur Day in Aspen.

The 31st Annual Food & Wine Classic is upon us.  Thursday Night was a blur in Aspen.  Parties everywhere.  AspenSpin needs a qualified intern.   Click in and see what's up.

ASPEN 82 & Friends Aspen's TV Kings are throwing down on the roof of The Mother Lode.  They will continue to do so...all weekend long.  If you like good times at an awesome venue...get on this list.

Taco Time w/PARAGON, LUXE and SUERTE. Tacos at Twilight.  Paragon hosted margies & tacos as the sun went down over Aspen.

The FABULOUS THUNDERBIRDS at The WHEELER.

Aspen 82, Aspen's TV Kings rooftopped it at MotherLode. Click 4 pix.

Paragon, Luxe and Suerte couldn't get down any harder. Click 4 pix.Kim Wilson, founding member of The Fabulous ThunderBirds was clearly TUFF ENOUGH at the Wheeler. Click 4 pix.

Food & Wine: Pre-Game. a.k.a. Tent City

The Food & Wine Classic has taken over Aspen.  This will be AspenSpin's first F&W Classic...assuming we can successfully sneak in.   In the old days, blowing $1500 to drink our face off for the weekend wouldn't have required a second thought.  Now after 10 years of skiing every day and partying every night...and receiving media access to almost every event in Aspen...it's crash the party or die.

A-Spin did receive VIP invites to several off-site parties hosted indirectly from the F & W hoopla.  We're especially looking forward to the Grand Cochon at the Hotel Jerome on Sunday June 16...Father's Day.  Everybody loves pig...right?  The Grand Cochon will crown the King and Queen of Porc. 10 chefs in 10 cities will compete for the crown.  Click: PIG for tickets and info.

Food & Wine is BIG Business.  Most people don't realize that event host Food & Wine Magazine is owned by American Express.  5000 guests, thousands of volunteers and staff and an estimated 15,000 man hours of set-up time go into the Food and Wine Classic.  Wagner Park was closed for 3 months in preparation for F & W and its been fenced off for the past week paroled by security guards protecting the tents.  F & W classic is a big deal...but when do the benefits outweigh the good?  I've asked local politicians about the "true economic impact" F & W brings to Aspen. Their eyes roll back in their heads...and they act like they dont understand the question.  Unless I'm mistaken American Express is the big winner from F & W.  Another blip on their income statement, while the town and Wagner Park are held hostage.  No matter if the turf gets trashed every year for a 2 day event.  I'm sure some of Aspen's businesses thrive during the weekend.  F & W puts heads on beds, so thats good...but can't they find a more suitable location to monopolize other than the best green space in town?  Wagner Park is the centerpiece of Aspen...and we rent it out to the highest bidder. Another personal pet peeve, my street is closed and 50% of the parking spots in the A & B sectors of town are reserved for two weeks. The town is over-run with 18 wheelers and heavy equipment bringing in food and gear.  That's in addition to the 15 unrelated major construction projects clogging up the Aspen core right now.

What ev's...hopefully F & W will be HUGE fun. All the alcoholics love it. I'm not really a drinker...but I'll document the scene.  A photo essay about the substance abuse may not win me any awards.  I'm told that  F & W is the hardest drinking weekend of the year, and Aspen is a hard partying town.  Just have one question for ACRA and The City...how does AXP's a$$ taste.

In honor of AspenSpin's first F & W Classic we have penned a little diddy. 

Sung to the tune of Mickey Avalon's, My D*@k:

MY TENT

my tent look like a city  / your tent so itty bitty

my tent all HUGE & white /your tent, a Coor's Lite

my tent all over town / your sh*t look like a clown

my tent, security guards / your tent, right,filled with tards

my tent got a designer /  your tent takes selfies like Anthony D. Weiner

my tent pose like George Clooney  / your tent look like Tim Mooney

my tent a full on metropolis / your tent... Zach Galifianakis

my tent filled with booze & ho's /  your tent got nuttin' to show

Time to let the world know/    Dude, ya gotta let the park grow.    Aspen,  the best in the business / P.S. we got tents like Jesus.

Time to let the world know/    Dude, ya gotta let the park grow.    A-Spin is the best in the business / P.S. we got tents like Jesus.

my tent sized like a dinosauer / your tent, a reoccuring cold sore

my tent dunk like Shaq  / your tent go quack quack quack

my tent got a BIG giant Afro /  your tent cant get a pube to grow

my tent flies private on a G / your tent drives a gremlin from AMC

my tent has cash like Goldman / your tent folds like Lehman

my tent do pilaties /  your tent be sandy like Saudis

my tent squats 550 /  yout tent shops at thrifty

my tent party at da club / your tent nuttin' but a scrub a scrub

my tent, doin shots with shorties / your tent paper bags & forties

Time to let the world know/    Dude, ya gotta let the park grow.    Aspen is the best in the business / P.S. we got tents like Jesus.

Time to let the world know/    Dude, ya gotta let the park grow.    A-Spin is the best in the business / P.S. we got tents like Jesus....tents like Jesus.

Aspen's Game of Thrones

Much like the HBO series Game of Thrones, Aspen has several distinct Kingdoms and everyone is vying for power and wealth.  Aspen, like the 7 Kingdoms of the Realm has a complex and complicated social hierarchy.

To simplify it,  everyone wants to be King... or Queen. 

Here's Aspen's modern day version of the Game of Thrones.

The Imp.Benny the Blade.

Joffrey: The Boy KingDigi Dave: The Boy Nerd.

Daeneryys Targaryen: Queen & Mother of DragonsRamona: Queen of the Airwaves.

Lee: The Banned.

 Theon Greyjoy: The Prisoner.

The Red Priestess who serves the Lord of Light The Red Ant, who serves the G.O.P.

Oliver: The Prepster

Jon Snow.: The Bastard.

Aspen Eco Fest 2013

Aspen Eco Fest came back for it's fourth year.  Eco Fest is a family friendly street fair in the core of Aspen.  Aspen Eco Fest features Eco friendly vendors and booths with food, fashion, music and a parade. 

Everything was GREEN in Aspen for Aspen Eco Fest.

Click 4 Pix:   ASPEN ECO FEST

The "trashion" show. featuring eco friendly styles from local stores.

 In his last full day as Aspen's Mayor, Mick Ireland seemlessly transformed into a male model.

 The "trashion show" at Aspen Eco Fest 2013

All the Aspen Eco Models backstage at Aspen Eco Fest 2013

llamas and goats were out in Aspen.

Snowmass Mammoth Fest: HUMONGOUS Fun.

Snowmass Mammoth Fest: HUGE Fun.By all accounts the first-ever Snowmass Mammoth Fest, a derivitve of the 10 year old Chili and Brew fest was siiiiiiiiiick.  Snowmass Mammoth Fest was a two-day affair with 9 bands, 28 beer purveyors and about 30 chili makers spread out over vast acerage at a new venue, Snowmass Town Park.  The new production included a festival-friendly camp ground.  Everyone had a blast.  Music, Chili and Brews...what more could we ask for.

Everything fell into place perfectly for Snowmass Mammoth Fest.  The weather was the majestic Colorado equation...hot, clear sunny days and cool easy-breezy nights.   The Mammoth Fest was produced by SBG Productions out of Telluride, a new collaborator with the town of Snowmass Village.  SBG is the highly experienced outfit that produces the very successful Telluride Blues & Brews Festival every September,  since 1994.  It was clear from the get go that SBG had great vision for Mammoth.  They moved the venue from Fanny Hill to the flats of Town Park where Mammoth Fest-ers could spread out, dance, play hacky-sack, corn-hole (bean bag tossing) and frisbee etc.  Mammoth added 4 late night shows at Snowmass Village.  The whole event was very well organized and very well attended.

Click 4 pix.  SNOWMASS MAMMOTH FEST

Chili folks are just different. Click 4 pix.Music,Chili and Brews flowed copiously all weekend.  Stamina was required if you wanted to do it all...but the family friendly crowd kept up an incredible energy over the 2-day fest. The mellow, yet upbeat vibe of the crowd definately added to the festival experience. The musical line-up was ecclectic and included somthing for everyone. The shows  kicked off on Day 1 at 5 pm on Friday afternoon. Leading off was YOU ME & APPOLLO, a bluesy, folk-rock band from Fort Collins, Co.  The beer and chilli was still gushing vigorously during their fast moving and dance-worthy set.  Next up was veteran southern rockers JJ GREY and MOFRO.  Hailing out of the swamps of North Florida, J.J. Grey admitted he was a little travel fatigued after a late show the previous night in NYC and a 2 hour layover in Denver.  But once the jams started...J.J. rose to the occassion and Mofro kept him rolling.  A picturesque twighlight and gorgeous sunset complimented the music in a dreamlike fashion.   Next up, after dark and under the stare lit night in Snowmass was the all-star funk-soul-jazz super group RETURN to the DARK SIDE of the MOON (click for artist profile) performing the iconic Pink Floyd album in it's entirety.   Dark Side of the Moon, a seminal rock album and one of my favorites is celebrating it's 40th anniversary.  Laying out there in the fields of Snowmass...I actually had a flash back to 1973. The super- band put their own funkified beats to it... and Dark Side of the Moon never felt better.  After that almost out-of-body experience, we jumped on the convenient bus and unfortunately left the late night shows at Venga Venga and Basecamp to the youngsters.

The Joy Formidable rocked out in SnowmassDay 2 took a second wind and some energy.  Beer and Chili began streaming at noon.  Due to a previous engagement...we missed LORD HURON and twenty one pilots...the first two performers.  We rose to the occassion to catch in succession, KARL DENSON'S TINY UNIVERSE, STRFKR, THE JOY FORMIDABLE and AWOLNATION.  Karl D, as he calls himself, played a strong set of the horn enfused jazz that made him famous.  STRFKR...an unsual name for a band...until you start adding the vowels, then it becomes clear.   Strfkr is a hippster, synth-indie-rock-pop band out of Oregon.  Their music is ethereal and the crowd was enraptured.  Next up, THE JOY FORMIDABLE was a highlight for me.  The guitar infused hard / indie rock trio from Wales obviously brought their A-game to Snowmass.  Fiery lead singer and guitarist Ritzy Bryan had the crowd eating out of her hands. Her bright red dress glowed in the twightlight.  The Joy Formidable showed an energy and passion for performing that some of today's bands seem to leave backstage.  Bryan's haunting voice and powerful guitar licks created a frenzy at the front of the stage.  Bryan left no doubt...she's a firecracker.  AWOLNATION was the finale.  Awolnation is a band of electronic rockers out of California fronted by Aaron Bruno and signed by Red Bull Records.  Many in the festival crowd were long time Awol-ers and the Snowmass Mammoth Festival finished on a high note as Awolnation's set crushed.

Click here for BAND PROFILES

Snowmass Mammoth Festival was a first class event.  The venue, the musical line-up, the brews and chili...everything was great.  In my mind...this is how festivals should be. The vibe...while difficult to describe in words ...was awesome.  Wide open spaces, a beautiful setting, perfect weather...good music, good food, good drinks and good people.  The lack of fences was one noticable positive. It may be a little early to fire-up for next year's Snowmass Mammoth Festival...but helllz yeah...we'll be there.

Click 4 pix:  SNOWMASS MAMMOTH FEST

Aaron Bruno and AWOLNATION went HUGE at Snowmass Mammoth Fest. Click 4 pix.Karl Denson's Tiny Universe blew it out at Snowmass Mammoth Fest. Click 4 pix.JJ Grey & Mofro brought the heat to Snowmass. Click 4 pix.The Super Band, Return to the Dark Side of the Moon payed tribute to Pink Floyd's seminal album. Click 4 pix.You Me & Apollo from Fort Collins, Co. kicked it off at Snowmass Mammoth Fest.Music, Chilly and Brews...and perfect Colorado weather in Snowmass. Click 4 pix.Blowing Bubbles in Snowmass. Mammoth Fest was family friendly. Click 4 pix.Warm & Sunny days made for a perfect venue at Snowmass Mammoth Fest. Click 4 pix.Cool breezy Colorado nights and first rate jams at Snowmass mammoth Fest. Click 4 pix.