Denver News Blog

If there was one party I was looking forward to during the DNC, it was the August 27 reception for the Manifest Hope gallery show at 2990 Larimer Street, featuring Obama-inspired art by the likes of Shepard Fairey, Ron English, the Date Farmers.

But after spending a day battling heat stroke while covering protest marches and police harassment of anarchists, I could barely assemble complete sentences, let alone hobnob with the hipsteratti.

So I handed, Adam, my younger brother, my official Colorado Press Association card and my camera. "Ride your bike down to this art thing," I muttered. "Say you're on the VIP list from Westword. Get pictures." At 10:30 he sends me the text message "This partys fuckin awesome!" so it must have been good.

Click below for his photos and his very hungover report via the phone at 9am. - Jared Jacang Maher

I find the building and there was a huge fucking line to get in. I go up to the guy and say 'Hey I'm from the media. I'm on the VIP list.' But then he looks at the list and tells me I'm not on it. So I stand there for a little bit and go around to the other door where they're letting in people. I just show him the press pass and he's like 'whatever' and he lets me in!

It was a big warehouse area and it was packed. It was a weird mix of people. Like older politician dudes with suits and grey hair and all these younger hipster kids. It felt like you were in LA or something, all kinds of movie stars walking around.

Then I turned and ran into my friends Clay and Ryan. I asked them how they got in and they pointed to the back door, which was wide open with no rope or anyone guarding it. They were like, "We just wandered in."

It was an open bar so I started hitting it up. There were all kinds of Baracks on the walls. The art was a lot of street urban art. There were paintings of Obama as Abraham Lincoln by Ron English. Someone knitted these huge dresses, but they had things that said like 'Hope' on it or "Obama.' I didn't get a picture of that.

There were so many hot girls there it was crazy. Sarah Silverman did standup. It was hilarious. I don't remember what she said, it was just funny. The guy from Death Cab for Cutie was there, but he was with some folky band. They were good.

Danny Glover was there. He looked super happy. He was laughing his ass off about something.

Then I spotted the guy who plays Jin on Lost. I took a picture of the back of his head, then he turned around and I took a picture of his face. His wife, or whoever he was with, was so incredibly hot. I can't even explain how hot she was.

A whole bunch of people started dancing. Did I mention it was an open bar? I got shit-faced.

I saw my friend Marika.

At about 1:30 I knew it was time to go. So I just left without saying bye to anyone and rode my bike home.