There are just a few events a year that I really look forward to to let my geek flag fly high and the Colorado Symphony’s Tribute to Comic Con has to be one of them. With plenty of genres being catered to during this event, it is hard not to stand up and cheer when the conductor takes center stage, especially when it is the sublime Christopher Dragon who seems to really love this event. With the crowd waiting anxiously for some of their favorite scores to come to life, it is easy to get lost in the music, whether it is something that is near and dear to your heart, or a melody that you were not too sure about.

Coming on stage dressed like Jack Skellington, it was easy to see that Dragon was ready to take us on a journey that would involve The Nightmare Before Christmas, but instead of diving right into it, the symphony started with 'One Winged Angel' from Final Fantasy VII, complete with a choir joining in. Moving through the playlist, the Nightmare Before Christmas Suite was played and gave the audience a little treat. Then with a little prerecording call from Austin Wintory about his work from Abzu and Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, the crowd was graced with the presence of Sandy Cameron, a violinist who performed the violin solo in 'Assassin Dances' from the score. Needless to say, she was on top of her game and brought the house down. 

Trying to get the audience to calm down a for a moment, the conductor-less symphony took it upon their shoulders and brought the Game of Thrones theme back to life with a fantastic rendition, right before one of the surprises of the night hit the stage. Mister Dragon, dressed in an inflatable T-Rex outfit stepped to the podium and gave us a trip back to Jurassic Park. This still has to be one of my favorite movie themes and even though it does not bring me to tears, it does put scenes from the movie in my head as the music plays. With a standing ovation at the end of the first set, a much needed intermission was given to the audience and musicians who gave it their all.

Coming back from the short break, more John Williams music was played with some Harry Potter love from The Prisoner of Azkaban. I must admit that this is far from my favorite movie series out there, but when listening to the controlled chaos of ‘Witches, Wands and Wizards’, I may need to give the movies another go through since the music is really something else. As the set continued to move on and looking at Scott Murray when The Last Guardian suite was announced, I could see he was having a fantastic time since he really looking forward to hearing this piece live. No tribute to Comic Con would be complete without some Doctor Who and Star Wars, so that is how the show finished off. The playing of ‘Leia’s Theme’ was great this year to help celebrate what Carrie Fisher helped bring to the role for so many of us who are still in mourning. Yes, this one did make me tear up a little bit and I have no shame, it was beautiful. 

So in a nutshell, another great show to add to the books and I know that everyone that attended the show had a fantastic time. This show should be a staple to anyone that has even a little bit of love for pop culture since it covers so many genres from movies to video games. You never know what the Colorado Symphony will bring to the table when it comes to this event, but you can always know that you will be blown away. A huge thanks to Pop Culture Classroom, Denver Comic Con, the Colorado Symphony and of course Matt Krupa for letting us be a part of it for the fourth year and running. This is just fun for the entire family and if you have any doubts, don’t because there are more great geeky shows on the schedule with the Music of Star Wars, along with a show for The Legend of Zelda and one for the Harry Potter movie series coming up in the near future that will blow you away.  

There are two things that make Denver Comic Con just an absolutely phenomenal event. The fact that this convention is becoming rich with yearly traditions all around the Denver Metro area and also that they find a way to include every single one of their fans/attendees. 

Case in point, the annual Denver Comic Con Beer. Ever since the con's inception in 2012, there has been a custom beer for beer drinkers and comic con fans alike to enjoy and every single year, they open it up to the public to help name this tasty brew and over the years, the fans have come up with some awesome alcoholic monikers. The Fantastic Pour, The Caped Brewsader, Brews Wayne, Hulk's Mash, and Snape-ricot all came from the minds of Comic Con fans and the time has come to name this year's beer as well. 

Now this year's brew is a Bohemian-style Pilsner and according to Breckenridge Brewery which has brewed the beer for the convention since the beginning the beer is; 'delicate and well-balanced, light yet complex. Saaz hops, a classic pilsner ingredient, impart a pleasant, earthy aroma while giving spicy flavor characteristics and a crisp, dry finish.' If anything, it's important to have an idea of what the beer will taste like because one of you out there is going to be the one to name it and as I mentioned before, Denver Comic Con is currently taking submissions to name this year's tasty brew and here is how you can get in on the fun. 

Head over to this specific post on Denver Comic Con's Facebook page and enter what you think the name should be in the comments section, and act fast because the opportunity to submit your name for the beer will close on Thursday, March 23rd, 2017 at 5:00 p.m. MST. Once the submissions are in, Denver Comic Con and Breckenridge Brewery will whittle the field down to four names that all of us can vote upon. Also at this point, I'm sure you're also wondering what the winning name will earn outside of bragging rights for the person who submits the winning moniker and well...the prize is quite the treat. 

The winning name will be turned into art by a local artist, and that illustration will be featured on this year's pint glass, and the person responsible for giving the beer its name will receive a special prize pack from Breckenridge Brewery that includes free beer for a year and a Denver Comic Con Beer Tap Handle. So hey, get creative, have some fun and submit your name for this year's beer because who knows, your idea may be the winner this year and you'll get to hoist your idea, immortalized on a pint glass with pride, at this year's Beer Release Party.  But you'll never know...unless you enter and we here at Nerds That Geek, wish you the best of luck!