There are a lot of perks to having one of the largest conventions in North America in your hometown. The first being the fact that it's a short drive to enjoy said con when the time rolls around to attend it. But another perk is everything that comes with the entire community embracing Denver Comic Con. 

Ever since its inception in 2012, DCC has planted roots all over the metro area, inspiring incredible event after incredible event and everyone enjoys them so much that they have in many ways become a yearly tradition before the con and one such event is about to arrive once again...the Denver Comic Con Beer Release Party.

Every year DCC and Breckenridge Brewery partner up to create a tasty comic con brew that can only be enjoyed shortly before and during the convention and they always put on one hell of a show to unveil their delicious beverage and this year's release party just so happens to be arriving this Friday.

Yes at 7:30 p.m. this Friday night at Stoney's off of Lincoln, the doors will open to allow fans of Denver Comic Con and Beer Aficionados everywhere their chance to taste the latest DCC inspired creation; Snape-ricot, a crisp apricot lager named after the character who won us over in the Harry Potter franchise with his undying love for Lily, and who was immortalized in film by the late Alan Rickman. To make this beer all the more special, local artist Frankie Serna designed the art for this year's beer, paying tribute to Alan in impressive fashion.  

Frankie will be present at the event since his work will be featured on this year's commemorative pint glass, which means that you'll want to line up for this event super early this year; since this limited edition glass will be headed home with the first 200 people who order a delicious Snape-ricot. But if you're not in it for the glass, come down to Stoney's regardless and enjoy live music from Red 5 and Spin Doctors 90's Cover Band and celebrate the wonder of Denver Comic Con a little early. This event is always a good time with great beer and we look forward to seeing all of you this Friday.

Something few people know about me, is that I am an avid collector of movie and television soundtracks. Don't get me wrong, I have my love of traditional music as well, in fact you'll find every Journey album ever recorded on my shelf...but there is just something so incredibly special about soundtracks.  

Every movie I've ever watched, or any show that I've loved, I just find that I connect with the music and the moment on screen that goes with it. Be it the score that went with Admiral Adama dropping the Battlestar Galactica out of the sky, or the simple and subtle sounds that come with Andy Dufresne just trying to survive in The Shawshank Redemption; these scores move me and I love going back and hearing the music that came with those powerful moments to re live the power of that scene one more time.

It's why I am always counting down the days to the Symphonic Tribute to Comic Con because that's exactly what this concert does for me every single year. It either sends me back to wondrous moments in my childhood where I experienced those amazing notes for the first time, or it sends me back to a point in time where I was simply left in awe in the theater. This year's show was no exception to that rule as the Symphony took me back to a time when Indiana Jones ruled my VCR with their rendition of Raiders of the Lost Ark and while it brought a tear of joy to my eye, it was wonderful to know that I was not alone.

All throughout the show this year I was able to take a moment and look around to see people moving in their seats. Not because they were bored or because they were ready to stretch their legs...but because the music was flowing through them. They were dancing in their seats, tapping their fingers and smiling because they knew every single note, every single beat and they couldn't help but let the joy take control as their own fond memories came to the surface of their mind.  It was a beautiful experience and it speaks to what the Symphony is doing and why the Tribute to Comic Con has become a can't miss event.

It's because the Colorado Symphony has come to realize that music is more than a presentation or a history lesson. It's about the experience. It needs to infect you, take control of you and let your imagination experience wonders and the best part about this year's show for me...was the sheer fact that there were so many families in attendance, generations of geeks coming together to share memories and create new ones in the process to talk about for years to come. It makes me glad that the Symphony has made this a regular tradition and I can't wait to see what wonders they will unlock in our minds next year when this event rolls around again.

There are very few events that I look forward to during the year, but one of them is the Symphonic Tribute to Comic Con. One of the biggest reasons why I enjoy this event is that it incorporates almost everything from the past and the present when it comes to pop culture. This year was no different as we traveled through the world of dragons by way of our new conductor Christopher Dragon. Putting musical themes together this year to tell the story of a lifetime, I doubt that anyone left the concert hall feeling cheated at all.

Starting off with the theme from Game of Thrones, followed by How to Train your Dragon, you knew that this was going to be a great ride, especially when watching as Shae was lighting up with the music that she loves; How to Train Your Dragon, not GOT, she has yet to watch that, but along with a taste of Harry Potter, it was a great beginning to the show.  But then we had our guest conductor Austin Wintory make an appearance for the third straight year and he was able to blow our minds once again with his score from Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate. That was not all Austin had in store for us though as he conducted a medley of Jerry Goldsmith’s classics. If you have never heard of Jerry Goldsmith, you need to check out his page on IMDB and I can guarantee that you have watched at least one movie he has scored.

After a couple more songs, we were met with our intermission and the excitement around the Boettcher Concert Hall was like nothing I have ever felt. Eaves dropping on a couple of conversations, everyone was loving the show thus far and it would take something horrific to bring down the mood. When the ten minute warning bell was rung, everyone started to rush back to their seats to ensure that they did not miss what was next on the docket and for good reason as an Indiana Jones dressed Dragon was leading us into the final half of our night. Starting off with a rendition of the pop song "Bad Blood". I was blown away by the rendition and I hope everyone was as impressed as I was with it. Even though I am not as familiar with the song as some people, it made me want to give it a listen before writing this, I think that the Colorado Symphony Orchestra did a great job on their rendition and I when I do finally listen to the song, I'm pretty sure I will like the Symphony version better. 

Following this up with the Raiders March from Raiders of the Lost Ark, I was taken back to my youth once again, something that this show has been able to do successfully for three years now.  Then we jumped back into video game scores with Fallout and Final Fantasy VII.  One of the things that has become very apparent in these shows over the past couple of years is the importance of music in the gaming industry and now that fans are finally able to see where this comes from, I hope that it opens their eyes and ears to what other processes have to go into games other than just awesome graphics. The highlight for me however was the theme from Cosmos, I felt like Neil deGrasse Tyson was going to walk out and talk about space for a bit, alas he did not.  No Tribute to Comic Con would be complete without some Doctor Who and Star Wars and that is how the show finished up.

I have always loved the Symphony and have seen several shows over the years after they have started to put on these pop culture shows.  It is amazing to see how the Colorado Symphony Orchestra has been able to adapt to the changing culture by changing what traditional symphony used to be. It is not all about Beethoven and Bach anymore, it is about what people are able to connect with, not only for themselves, but with their children as well. Seeing all of the kids running around the concert hall, taking pictures with the 501st Legion, R2-D2 and the Umbrella Corp, it opens your eyes to what is most important, our future. If one in ten of the children at the event this year choses to pick up an instrument and learn how to make music, the symphony will never go away and that is my biggest take away from these events. A huge thank you to Denver Comic Con/Pop Culture Classroom for helping to get these events going, Boettcher Concert Hall for providing an awesome venue and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra for making dreams come true for another year. I cannot wait until next year to see what music will be played next since there are so many more movies, television shows and video games that have yet to be hit by this series.

​Tomorrow night, the Colorado Symphony is doing something magical! They are paying tribute to Denver Comic Con and all the wonderful nerdy music that comes along with it. What better way to spend your Friday night than by sitting in a gorgeous theater and hearing the music we iconically love by talented musicians?

Having been the previous years, I can honestly attest to the amazingness that is this event. We've experienced wonderous music from Star Trek, which featured a real live performance with a theremin, to the thrumming March of Star Wars. Movies, shows, and even video games are covered in a live performance that nobody should miss! It's an event every geeky nerd should see at least three times. And it's one I'm not willing to miss.

That's because music and movies are something extremely special. I love when a soundtrack is so distinct and moving that it sends chills down your spine. It's an extremely important part of watching a new movie or one of your old favorites and it doesn't matter if you're watching it at home or in the theater, when the magical moments hit and the music touches your soul...there's really nothing like it at all. 
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So, to get your tickets and for more information, check out the symphony's website, which I've linked for all of you. Also make sure you use the code BADBLOOD, all one word, to get a special discount to the show and most of all, have fun tomorrow night and make sure you swing by our table and say hello and I'll see all of you there!