While it often gets overshadowed by the music scene, Denver actually has a rich history of underground literature. From the Kerouac-inspired bohemian coffee and bookshops of 1960s Colfax to the Yellow Rake readings at Old Curtis Street Tavern, our city has been spawning independent works of fiction and poetry for decades. And there are few locals today more closely associated with DIY publishing than Charly "The City Mouse" Fasano. Whether hustling his books of poetry or impressively crafted audio-books, or giving one of his now iconic readings (he once opened a sold-out show at the Gothic -- an audience size almost unheard of for a live poet), Fasano has rooted himself in this city, becoming as much a part of the creative fabric as home-brew or cutesy indie-folk bands.

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It's difficult to say exactly what "mod" means in 2012. Even when the movement reached its zenith in London in the early '60s, the definition wasn't clear: not quite hippie, not quite punk, not quite English, yet not quite American, either. Inventing a sort of bohemian dandy aesthetic, the mods wore pork-pie hats, listened to jazz records, gobbled down amphetamines like pac-man and rode Vespa scooters through London, on their way to fights with "the rockers." Ah, but some would say that's not quite right, either. In its evolutions from the Quadrophenia/mod-punk revival of the late '70s to the Britpop aesthetics of the mid-90s, what's considered mod has gone through many changes and titles -- yet, like the Supreme Courts definition of pornography, you know it when you see it.

Here in Denver, the mod lifestyle of high fashion, scooters and record-collecting has been growing, due in part to groups like the Denver Vintage Reggae Society, whose events allow people to get dressed up in mod (or skinhead, ska, northern soul, etc.) gear and dance to records made before most of them were even born. And this Friday, May 18, you can check out these bohemian dandies yourself at the Mods Mayday 2012 event at the Skylark Lounge, featuring DJs spinning ska and northern soul, as well as live music by The Manxx and The Sonic Archers.

Westword reached out to Mods Mayday 2012 event organizer Steve Antonio to discuss scooters, music and shopping for mod clothes in Denver.

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More Once Upon a Race photos.

Denverites really have no problem with getting up early on a weekend, donning a ridiculous costume and drinking -- all for a good cause (remember Cupid's Undie Run?)

It happened again over the weekend. Photos below.

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The West Coast punks are pogoing into town this spring at MCA Denver, Gildar Gallery, the Colorado Photographic Arts Center and other locations, for a series of shows falling under the aegis of Search & Destroy. So-named for the San Francisco 'zine or the '70s), the ring of satellite shows came to rest Friday night, March 29, 2012 at MCA, where a reception with live music opened to the public at 8 p.m. Read more about Search and Destroy at MCA.

Below are a few scenes from the opening and here's the full slide show: Search and Destroy opening at MCA.

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Instructor Gretchen Hirsch, Sew Retro; The Starlet Suit Jacket.

I had my doubts about Craftsy. I'm protective of crafting; my grandmothers taught me how to bead, knit, and sew, and I've always felt crafts were a sacred space, an internal domestic community of passed-down knowledge. So I was wary of a website infringing into that personal sphere. I'm also a person who buries her money in the backyard and wears tinfoil on my head so the government can't "get me." So take my wariness of technology with that grain of salt.

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Courtesy of Ben Turk

On a particularly frigid night in the winter of 2009, Weslie Coleman, Kate Pleuss and Ben Turk were sitting in their collective home and talking about how cold they were. Incredibly cold, they decided. So the three members of the revolutionary theater group Insurgent Theatre decided to plan an escape -- not realizing at that point that their escape would revolve around others who cannot do the same. In February 2010, the three friends launched their experimental play In the Belly on the first of what would turn into three long-term tours. And while many of their destinations are warmer than their home in Ohio home, the play itself is chilling.

In the Belly, which they have continued to adjust and adapt since they wrote it, is a non-narrative performance focused on incarceration. In it, the three housemates each play three roles, but those parts aren't traditional characters. Over the space of roughly 45 minutes, In the Belly takes audiences through many of the more aggressive experiences of prison life, which, while okay for children accompanied by parents, occasionally are too much for former inmates. It's a tough subject, but "that's kind of the point," Turk says. "That's what makes it worthwhile."

Westword spoke to Turk about the real-life stories behind the play, which comes to the 27 Social Centre tomorrow.

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The beautiful South Broadway shop Ironwood, with its plant-strewn, new-Victorianiana steampunk vibe, isn't very big. But it's no doubt large enough to hold the musicians of the new, diminutive local Tinyamp Records, or at least some of them -- members of Amphibian, Calliope of the Future and Year of the Dragonfly -- long enough to share some tunes with whoever can squeeze into the place comfortably. Perhaps, weather permitting, they'll spill out the front door onto the sidewalk, but whatever -- a pleasurable evening is promised for all on this fortuitous February leap night.

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Launch: Community Through Skateboarding

If you -- or your kid -- have been dreaming of making your own custom skateboard decks, don't miss this week's three-day Build Your Own Skateboard Workshop at Art Lab Fort Collins, 239 Linden Street, starting on Friday, February 24 at 4:30 p.m. The $60 workshop, which continues February 25 and February 26, is presented by local nonprofit Launch: Community Through Skateboarding, includes materials and instruction for designing, shaping, finishing, painting and griptaping your custom deck, and comes with a 15 percent discount coupon to hook up trucks, wheels and bearings through MRKT, a local skate shop.

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They're hiring!

Goodwill has plans to open two stores this spring, one in Longmont and a boutique in Cherry Creek, which will be do-good organization's 25th and 26th stores in the metro area.

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Meghan Throckmorton, who opened Rakun at 1147 Santa Fe Drive last June, has designs on Denver: She's holding a fashion competition for students, asking them to create a woman's look. "As long as you're in school and sew your own clothes," she says, "we want your submissions!"

But you'll need to hurry: The deadline for submissions is tomorrow, and applicants can drop off both garments and sketches at Rakun.

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