Food and music pairings for a Taste of Colorado

​A tent city has been erected in Civic Center Park. We can smell the sweet, smoky scent of turkey legs wafting down Broadway, and we're eagerly anticipating sightings of kids on leashes and people who never learned that Spandex is a privilege, not a right. Yes, a Taste of Colorado is upon us, serving up four days of binge eating, arts-and-crafting and dancing to the sweet beats of dozens of bands.

To help you get the most out of this annual festival, we've put together suggested music-and-food pairings -- so that you can stuff your face while you get your sway on.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

​

Friday

Warm up at Westword's Heritage stage with the belly dancers at 5:45 p.m., and nosh on (or sip on) something from a lounge with a name that alludes to bellies: the Funky Buddha. Gracing the main stage at 7:30 p.m. is Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, the very same group in clever hats that brought back swing in the '90s. Did you know that this band got its start in L.A.'s iconic Brown Derby nightclub? Neither did we, but we suggest pairing that fact with another restaurant made iconic by L.A. -- or, more specifically, Hollywood: Bubba Gump Shrimp.