ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries C&RL New s ■ January 2001 / 19 Letting your hair down in Denver What to do at the end of the conference day by Ellen Metter ACRL NATIONAL CONFERENCE So, pardner, you ’re moseying in to Denver for the ACRL c o n fe r­ e n c e , M arch 1 5 - 1 8 , 2001? Glad to let you know that the form er cow town now has more to offer than cow pies. Check the October 2000 C&RL News ar­ ticle, “Denver Diversions,” to learn o f day­ time events in the Mile High City, and stay tuned for the February 2001 issue, which will give you the low down on eateries. But keep reading if you’d like to know a b o u t p la c e s where you can k ick your heels up, perhaps enjoy a spirit or two, and just unwind from all that learning and net­ working you’ll be doing at the conference. Cowboy hospitality It’s true. Denver does have more than the usual share of cowboy-related attractions— and much of it’s downright fun. On Saturday night, March 17, from 7 to 11:30 p.m.. join other conference-goers on an arranged trip Photo credit: Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau Denver at n ight to the G rizzly R ose. At the Grizzly, you’ll see more cowboy hats and cowboy boots in a few hours than most people see in a life­ time. The atmosphere is high-charged and friendly, and the music is pure danceable country. Y ou’ll leam to line dance in no time with a country western lesson and then have a live band to try it out to. Visit the Grizzly Rose gift shop to bring home the family their very own country dancing outfits, boots, hats, or shot glasses. You can also find cowboy duds in down­ town Denver by shop­ ping at O verland Fine Sheepskin & Leather— b u t d o n o t i c e th e w ord “F in e ” in their nam e and b e su re to b r in g a c r e d it c a rd with a gen erou s limit! (1 5 1 2 Larim er Street, http: / / w w w . overland, com ; op en w eekdays until 9, Saturday until 10, and Sundays until 6.) For cow boy gear that’s a bit kitschier, visit the C ryb aby R an ch (1422 Larimer Square, http://www.crybaby ranch, com /; open Friday and Saturday until 7, Sunday until 6.) T h ey ’ve got Buffalo Bill B o x e r shorts, cow girl clothes, w estern fur­ nishings, and lots o f other items featuring A b out the a u t h o r Ellen Metter is professional studies bibliographer in the Auraria Library at the University o f Colorado, Denver, e-mail: emetter@carbon.cudenver.edu http://www http://www.crybaby mailto:Qmetter@carbon.cudenver.edu 20 / C&RL News ■ January 2001 dangling leather, fringe, spurs, and John Wayne. Dancing Denver If one night o f cow boy d a n c in g d o e s n ’t still your tapping toes, then just keep them tapping. D ancing o f just about e v e r y s t y l e — s w in g , ta n g o , Iris h , c o n tra , and everything in b e ­ tw een — c an b e found on m ost w eeken d s in D enver. W eb sites that will alert you to d ances bein g held the co n fe re n c e w e e k ­ end in clu d e C o lo r a d o F r i e n d s o f O ld T im e M u s ic a n d D a n c e , h ttp ://w w w . cfootm ad.com ; the M e rc u ry C afé, http:// w w w .m ercurycafe.com /dance.htm l; Swing C o lorad o , http://www.swingcolorado.com; A rgentine T an go in Colorad o, http://www. ragtime.org/dance/; and the Celtic C o n n e c tio n D an ce P age, http://w w w .celticconnection. com /dance/. Just a nip o f green beer? If St. Patrick’s Day is practically a religious holiday to you, don’t worry. Denver residents definitely observe the occasion. If you peek your nose out betw een conference sessions on March 17th you may catch a w ee bit of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade, beginning around 9 a.m., winding its way through downtown and ending up at the State Capital. For exceptional food, an atmosphere that conjures the mists o f Ireland, and live Irish m u sic, F a d ó ’s I r i s h Pub is high on the list o f recommended Irish pub/restaurants. Fadó will be sure to have live music the Friday and Saturday o f the confer­ ence. Irish music “ses­ sions” are also held ev­ ery Sunday and Mon­ day nights, where mu­ s ic ia n s g a th e r in a jagged circle to learn new tunes and, without quite meaning to, enter­ ta in th e p u b -g o e r s around them. Photo credit: Denver M etro Convention & Visitors Bureau Denver Center for the Performing Arts For an authentic Irish pub atmosphere where, as o n e re v ie w say s, there’s “always sure to be an Irishman around," v is it lo c a l fa v o r ite N a l l e n ’s I r i s h P u b , where the Guinness and music will be flowing on St. Pat’s. New to the D e n v e r a r e a is th e C eltic T a v e rn where, on M arch 17th, th ey plan to b lo ck o ff the street around the tavern and truly indulge in the holiday. See the sidebar on the next page for more information on these pubs. Drinks, conversation, and laughs Restaurants open for evening conversation abound in Denver. For dim lights and spirits, som e downtown bars and pubs that com e recommended include the second floor o f the W y n k o o p B re w e ry (1ğ34 18th Street, at W ynkoop, (303) 297-2700) for unique brews and pool playing; T h e C ruise R o o m , at the Oxford Hotel (1600 17th Street, Denver, (303) 628-5400), featuring art deco 40s décor and lighting conducive to relaxing and romanc­ ing (1600 17th Street, (303) 825-1107); and M arlo w e’s, an “upper crust hang-out” that pours a “m ean martini” (511 16th Street Mall, (303) 595-3700). Gay and lesbian bars of note include C’s, a country western bar for women (7900 E. Colfax, at Trenton, (303) 322-4436); Charlie’s, “The Best Country Western Bar in Denver,” (900 East Colfax, at Emerson, (303) 839-8890, http://www. c h a r l i e s o n l in e .c o m / Denver/D enverH om e. html); and The Grand, an upscale piano lounge (538 E. 17th Avenue, at Pearl, (303) 839-5390, h ttp://w w w .thegran d . citysearch.com /). Find many more gay and les­ b ian nightlife reco m ­ m e n d a tio n s at C afé Vivid, http://www.cafe vivid.com. Bars that regularly feature live music in- Taxi! B e aware that taxis are not on the prowl for business in Denver— you must give them a call, and preferably more than a few minutes in advance. Taxi’s in Den­ ver: • American Cab: (303) 321-5555 • Metro Taxi: (303) 333-3333 • Yellow Cab: (303) 777-7777 • Zone Cab: (303) 444-8888 For light rail and bus information, con­ tact the Regional Transportation District (RTD): (303) 299-6000 or (800) 366-7433, http ://www, rtd-denver. com . http://www http://www.mercurycafe.com/dance.html http://www.swingcolorado.com http://www http://www.celticconnection http://www http://www.thegrand http://www.cafe http://www.rtd-denver.com C&RL News ■ January 2001 / 21 elude Bren d an’s Pub, a cozy, basement estab­ lishment featuring blues and jazz (1624 Market Street, at 16th Street, (303) 595-0609) and El Chapultepec a bit o f a hole-in-the-wall but re­ nowned in Denver for high-quality jazz (1962 Market Street, at 19th; (303) 295-9126). To sing as you sip, visit Sing Sing (1735 19th Street, at Wynkoop, (303) 291-0880), where you can harmonize with piano play­ ers known for their musical abilities and wit. Looking for something a tad unusual? Check out Genki, Denver’s first oxygen bar (1632 Market Street, (303) 892-1600). In the mile high altitude of Denver, Genki may be just the ticket for visiting “low-landers.” A full- tank of oxygen will keep you breathing easy for 20 minutes. Not afraid o f becom ing a bit short of breath—with laughter? Visit C om edy W orks, where national acts and high quality local comedians perform (1226 15th Street, at Larimer Square, (303) 595-3637 http://www. comedyworks. com/). Evening cultural events Just a few blocks from the ACRL conference, theater aficionados will find not one, not two, not three, but eight theaters of varying capac- Irish p u b s in D e n v e r a n d B o u ld e r Celtic T avern, 1801 Blake Street at 18th, Denver, (303) 308-1795 Conor O’Neills, 1922 13th Street, Boul­ der, at Walnut (3 0 3 ) 449-1922, http:// ■www.conoroneills.com/ Fadó Irish Pub, 1735 19th Street, Den­ ver, at Wynkoop, next to Sing Sing. (303) 297-0066, http://www.fadoirishpub.com/ denver.html. Nallen’s Irish Pub, 1429 Market Street, Denver, at 15th. (303) 572-0667. Celtic C o n n ectio n , Check for more information on St. Paddy’s Day events in Den­ ver as March 17 draws closer: http://www. celticconneaion.com. Photo credit: Denver Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau The Pepsi Center ity at the Denver Center for Performing Arts, a.k.a. The Plex (http://www. denvercenter.org). T h e 1999 Pulitzer P riz e -w in n in g p lay “W it,” which tells the story of an English po­ etry p r o fe s s o r d ia g ­ nosed with ovarian can­ cer, will be showing at the Space Theatre at the Plex beginning March 15; tickets at (800) 641­ 1222 or (303) 893-4100. Also at the Plex, “Swan Lake” will be performed by the Colo­ rado Ballet March 15 through 18 at the Audi­ torium T h ea ter; tick ets at http://www. coloradoballet.org/ or (303) 830-TIXS. Check Theatre.com at http://www.theatre. com/Denver/ for theater events at the many small theaters in the Denver metropolitan area. Mile h ig h sports The ACRL National Conference should be en­ ergizing, so you can shout out some of that energy by cheering for Colorado athletes. Ice hockey fans can watch the C o lorad o Ava­ la n ch e at the P epsi C en ter— a fairly easy walk from the conference convention cen­ ter. The Avs have games on March 17th (play­ ing Detroit) and the 18th (playing Minnesota). Also catch basketball at the Pepsi Center with the D en v er Nuggets playing March lĉ th against the Boston Celtics and March 18th against the New Jersey Nets (yes, there is both an Avalanche and a Nuggets game at the Pepsi Center on the 18th!). Call (303) 405-1111 for ticket information or Ticketmaster at (303) 830-8497 to order tickets for either the Ava­ lanche or the Nuggets. Not q u ite Las V e gas You w on’t find Wayne Newton or Cirque du Soleil in Colorado’s gambling towns, but you’ll get a nice mountain view, low stakes gam­ bling, and, for the frugal gambler: nickel slot machines! In downtown Denver, The Ace Express bus leaves from 15th Street and Glenarm Place at the Denver Pavilions to C e n tra l City and B lack H aw k, adjacent towns offering slot machines and black jack playing are about 35 miles from Denver. (continued on p a g e 77) http://www http://www http://www http://www.theatre http://www.conoroneills.com/ http://www.fadoirishpub.com/ http://www C&RL News ■ January 2001 / 77 M ilestones in H ealth and M edicine, by A nne S. H ard in g (267 p ag es, S e p te m b e r 2000), provides 500 entries describing a d ­ vances in the treatm ent o f disease an d the understanding o f hu m an health. D escriptions of specific diseases include the first tim e the disease w as n o ted historically an d significant advances in treating it; drugs, therapies, an d technologies are also given a chronological treatment; an a 13-page tim eline offers an overview o f developm ents since th e first evi­ d en ce o f tre p a n a tio n a ro u n d 10,000 B.C. $71.00. Oryx. ISBN 1-57356-140-1. The Tomb o f Christ, by Martin Biddle (172 pages, paperback ed., O ctober 2000), reviews the archeological an d architectural history of the structures at th e site o f th e C h u rc h o f th e Holy Sepulchre in J e r u s a le m , h e l d a t le a s t sin c e th e y e a r 325 to h a v e b e e n th e lo ca­ tion of the rock- c u t to m b at Golgotha w here J e s u s w a s in ­ terred after the Crucifixion. The present version of the Edicule, the “little house” in the church that encloses the tom b, dates from 1810, but Biddle argues— based o n an 11-year investigation— that there are vestiges of earlier Edicules stretching all the w ay back to the time of Constantine, and that m uch of the original rock-cut tom b m ay still exist. As he puts it, “th e layers o f previous Edicules can survive o n e inside the other like the skins of an onion. They suggest that there is m uch to be discovered w h en the time com es for resto­ ration.” A fascinating analysis, w ith m any p h o ­ tographs, detailed draw ings, an d diagrams. $21.95. Sutton Publishing, 260 Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10001. ISBN 0-7509-2525-6. U nheralded Victory: The D e fe a t o f th e V ie t Cong and th e N o rth V ietn am ese Army, 1961-1973, by Mark W. Woodruff (338 pages, Septem ber 1999), is a reassessm ent of the success o f th e A m erican V ietnam War effort, often portrayed as a military defeat. I m issed this sm all-press title w h en it first came out, b u t luckily discovered it at a recent co n ­ ference. Woodruff, an American Marine Corps veteran w h o n o w w orks as a psychologist for th e Royal Australian Navy, challenges the p o p u la r co n cep t that the conduct and p e r­ form ance o f the allied ground troops w as sub­ standard, and claims that b y the time o f the 1973 Paris Peace Accords, the Viet Cong had b e e n soundly defeated an d the North Viet­ nam ese Army w as a sp en t force. H ow and w hy the myths and m isperceptions o f the w ar b ecam e generally accep ted is the them e o f the second part o f this book, w hich offers a so u n d counterargum ent to o ther historians. $24.95. V andam ere Press, P.O. Box 5243, Arlington, VA 22205. ISBN 0-918339-51-0. ■ “Letting y o u r h a ir … ” continued fro m p. 21) T hough th e bus cost is $15, it’s easy to re­ co u p th e cost o f th e ride through ongoing offers at different casinos in th e tw o tow ns. (It’s n o t as easy to reco u p w h at you lose in the casinos so the best advice is: d o n ’t bring a credit card w ith you!) Call Ace Express at (303) 421-2780 for their schedule an d m ore inform ation ab o u t casino rebates. Upcom ing events and even m ore o p tio n s T here are b o u n d to b e events going o n the w e e k e n d o f the conference that w e just d o n ’t k n o w ab o u t yet. N ational musical, theater, dance, com edy, an d lecture events often take a leisurely stop in Denver, an d small clubs w ith great acoustics abound. C heck for the latest D enver h ap p en in g s in W estw ord , a w e e k ly p a p e r th a t’s D e n v e r’s a n s w e r to M anhattan’s V illage V oice. Check ou t their ’’B e st o f D e n v e r ” r e c o m m e n d a t io n s at h ttp ://w w w .w estw o rd .co m . E v e n ts o f a ll t y p e s a r e li s t e d in W estw ord — an d w e d o m ean all types. Also see the tw o daily papers, th e Denver Post, o n lin e at h ttp ://d e n v e r p o s t.c o m , a n d the R ocky M o u n ta in News, o n th e W eb at h ttp ://ro c k y m ountainnew s.com . T he Friday print editions o f th e dailies list events for the w eek en d . O ther sites that describe nighttime d e s tin a tio n s in th e D e n v e r a re a in clu d e S w itc h b o a r d at h ttp ://w w w .sw itc h b o a rd , com; D igital City D en v er at h ttp ://h o m e . digitalcity.com /denver/; an d LodoG uide at http://w w w .lodoguide.com . ■ http://www.westword.com http://denverpost.com http://rocky http://www.switchboard http://home http://www.lodoguide.com