There was once a dark and disturbing time in our world. Where nerds and geeks and all the things they loved were frowned upon. Some may say that's not possible, but I grew up during that era, and it was a dark time indeed. Star Trek was not to be discussed in a public dinner setting. Lightsabers were an afterthought made of low grade materials, and you had to enjoy your favorite nerdy shows in private and let me tell you...I couldn't be happier that the Dark Ages of Geekiness have finally come to an end.  

Everywhere I go now, I see Starfleet deltas on cars or someone's clothing. Lightsabers are now top notch in quality and almost a requirement to decorate a home or a desk. Geek culture is celebrated just about everywhere you go now, to the point where nerds are working to right the wrongs of the past to allow all of us to have wonderful memories with people who share in the same love of our fandoms and one such annual event that does a phenomenal job of bringing nerds and geeks together is happening this weekend, the always amazing...Nerd Prom.

For those who have yet to attend this event in Denver, the title of this event is exactly what it sounds like, but the experience...is what makes this show so special. It's a night that includes great music where folks who perhaps skipped their own prom ages ago, can create some fantastic memories filled to the brim with smiles. Not to mention, there's plenty to do at this event as well. Case in point, for those who aren't inclined to dance...and would rather get their game on (which is totally not a bad thing), Nerd Prom will be hosting several video game tournaments with the help of Level 7 Games throughout the night.

But the fun doesn't end there. In between your gaming run, the dance floor awaits and Nerd Prom has prepared a bevy of bands to keep your toes tappin' all night long. Boyhollow will be handling all the DJ sets for the show, and they will no doubt keep the vibe of the night going while we wait for performances from Rocket Surgeons, MC Lars and Mega Ran and Nerd Prom staple/founding act; Andy Rok and the Real Deal, and in addition to these bands the hosting duties for all things, including the headlining festivities for the night will be handled by Rick and Alf from KTCL 93.3.

As to what big event they will preside over, well that's the moment we've all been waiting for...the crowning of the King and Queen of Nerd Prom, a magical event to say the least and if you'd like a chance to vote for Nerd Prom Royalty head to the voting page now to help decide who will rule over the Nerd-dom for the next year. But what matters most when it comes to this event, it's just flat out fun. It's a great 
way to spend the night geeking out, so snag your tickets today, and we here at Nerds That Geek will see all of you Saturday, April 8, 2017 at 7 p.m. at the Summit Music Hall for the wonder that is...Nerd Prom.

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! 

It's a proud time to be a geek in the state of Colorado, and I have to admit, I'm beaming with pride over how far geek culture has come in this state. Just a few years ago, there were but a handful of geeky conventions and events and the arrival of Denver Comic Con quickly changed all of that.

Suddenly new events and meet-ups with nerdy themes were popping up everywhere you looked, all in honor of DCC and it's mission to promote literacy by making pop culture part of our everyday lives and well...their push has been a success and it has led to one particular annual tradition that I thoroughly enjoy attending every single year, the Symphonic Tribute to Comic Con. For those unfamiliar with this event, once a year the Colorado Symphony puts on the ultimate pop culture show, bringing to life some of our favorite soundtracks in one incredible show that truly reaches us on a personal level.

Over the years we've heard John Williams' iconic scores played live at this show, or we've traveled the universe with the Doctor in the TARDIS, or flown aboard the Enterprise, because these musical notes have great meaning for all of us, we hum them in our daily lives, we think of them on the drive to and from work because music and movies and shows are an incredible thing and what makes this event so incredibly special is the sheer fact that you are amongst friends and extended family since all of us share in the wonder of these dulcet tones together...and geek out in between as well, because the folks behind the scenes at the Symphony understand just how much these moments matter to us, because they're fans as well.

It's that level of passion, that makes this an incredibly unique event, one where cosplay or your favorite nerd shirt are an acceptable formal dress code to further immerse you in a special experience and we here at Nerds That Geek simply cannot wait to attend this year's; A Symphonic Tribute to Comic Con: The Tetralogy and the time has come to give you all the details on this incredible show. Now first and foremost, the bad news is...the musical line up has yet to be announced, but stay tuned because the Symphony should be finalizing the schedule over the next few weeks. But the good news is, we are proud to announce to all of you...that this event has grown in size and demand to the point where the Symphony will be putting together TWO performances of this outstanding show.

Yes, you read that right. You now have your choice of attending either (or both) the March 24th, or March 25th show (both at 7:30pm) to bask in nerdy glory and as an added bonus, the Symphony was nice enough to provide all of us nerds and geeks out there with a discount code* because we're freakin' awesome! So if you head over to the Ticket Page at the Colorado Symphony's website for this event, and enter the code ASSASSINS you can get most Adult Seats** at $20.00 (Please double check the fine print below) and Kids tickets at $10.00 and we will see all of you at the end of March, for one of Denver's coolest new traditions. 

*This discount is eligible only for both performances of A Symphonic Tribute to Comic Con: The Tetralogy.
**Some restrictions apply. Subject to availability. Discount only on Price Levels 2 or 3 seats. No discount on Price Level 1 or 4. Expires 3/10/17.
Service fees will apply. A 10% Facilities Development Admissions Tax (Seat Tax) will be added, per ticket, to this transaction. This tax is assessed by the City and County of Denver. Discount not good for Templars, Cardassians (OR Kardashians), Lawful Evil Magic Users , Daleks or Droids (They'll have to wait outside).

​Every year the month of October rolls around, and thank goodness for that. Being my favorite month to watch movies, mostly because there are horror movies on 24/7, and closing out with Halloween in grand fashion, there is nothing not to like. But over the past couple of years I have started to notice something else going on during the month of October and that is many artists putting their ink to paper for a wonderful event called Inktober. At first I thought that this was just something that would only happen for a year or two, but now I see that it is much more than that and it is a time to shine for artists everywhere. With a drawing or painting a day, it has filled up my social media feeds with magic once again and even though the month is over, it is definitely something that will stick in my head for months to come and here is just a taste of what you get when you start following artists during this epic month.

Anybody that knows Kevin knows two things about him, one, he will sign anything at a con, as he demonstrated by signing an onion this year at DCC, and two, the man has an incredible love for Metal. Even though I am still learning about this type of music, Kevin has put it front and center this year for Inktober, forcing me to take note at how awesome the music really is and how passionate fans of this music genre are as well. Kevin’s Metal Inktober is nothing less than awesome, with some familiar faces and some album covers that I will need to pick up.

​Kevin on Inktober:  'To me, Inktober is just a fun excuse to practice inking. I do my comics digitally and I don’t have a lot of spare time to just screw around and draw for the hell of it. Inktober allows me that time and focus to just screw around.'

You can follow Kevin on Twitter and Instagram and on Deviantart.com.

I have never backed down from the work that Robert Elrod has brought to the table, making a point to own many of his originals and I continue to watch as his art gets better with age. I guess you can say that Robert is like a fine wine when it comes to artists, since he seems to be able to create so many great visions in his mind and turn them into reality when putting his ink to the page.

You can follow Robert on Instagram and make sure check out his website. 

Having traveled to a number of cons, I always find myself walking by Phil Spaulding’s table in awe and I never know where to start in building a collection of his work. With his taste for the macabre, I have always loved seeing his new creations and what made his contributions to Inktober such a treat, is that not only was this his first year participating in the event, but what he brought to the table was absolutely amazing and I can't wait to see what he has in store for us next.

​Phil on Inktober:  'This is actually the first time I did Inktober, but for me Inktober is about challenging yourself to not only become better in the medium, but to advance your creativity. Challenging yourself to draw something every day allows you to break free of the normal routine of whatever you normally are working on and see what other creative ideas you can come up with.'

You can follow Phil on Facebook and on Instagram.

Don’t ask me how I have missed Ron Root at all of the shows I have gone to, but I have and it is just a shame because I have been missing out by not having his work in my art collection. Connecting with him late this year, I have been privy to seeing some of his fantastic pieces and if you are like me, you need to see more. I will just let a taste of his work do the talking, since I have been left speechless this Inktober by his art.

Ron on Inktober:  'Inktober to me is 30 days of practice. A lot of the time it can be hard to find time to practice for practice sake. Inktober is a time for me to practice working with ink. I really enjoy inking. The tranquil and stoic art of it gives me a chance to think. Not just about inking and art, but a chance to think about life (and sometimes death if you look at my work). As artists, we get enamored with projects that consume us. Inktober is a great opportunity to stop and smell the roses. Or in this case, the ink.'

You can follow Ron on Facebook and on Instagram.

​One of the greatest things about having several artist friends is that they are willing to introduce you to their artist friends and that is how I met Skylar at Denver Comic Con this past year and what a joy it was to meet her. Not only is she fun to talk to, but she's extremely talented with the brush and being able to watch her create for several months now, I am most definitely a fan. Her unique take on the macabre, (if you can’t tell, I like that style) shows just how talented she is at bringing haunting images to life.

Skylar on Inktober: 'I would say that Inktober is a really a month of drawing for myself. I've always gravitated to the macabre. Inktober is a perfect excuse to swim around in the melancholy and really attempt to evoke an emotional response from the viewer (and myself)!'   

You can follow Skylar on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. 

I know that a lot of my favorite artists have a little bit of a dark side, but I am not stuck only on that, especially when it comes to Jason. The Tykes Style of art that he has perfected is refreshing and fun and I have really grown to love it. The light heartedness of his artwork is never lost on me, actually most of the time it puts a big smile on my face. This year Jason did an 80’s Toons Inktober bringing back all of our favorite cartoon characters from the finest era of cartoons, the 80’s!

Jason on Inktober:  'This Inktober my theme of 80's cartoons was so much fun for me and really brought back so many fond memories of the shows. In year's past with cons or work I just wasn't able to keep up. So this year I really wanted to stick to it and challenge myself. I picked a theme that I hoped my love for would make it easier to power through. It was definitely a challenge but so much fun and so worth it. I'm planning to take all those pieces from my Inktober and combine them into a book with my rough sketches for each to kind of show a bit more of the process in creating them.'

You can follow Jason on Facebook and on Instagram.

This is just a taste of what you can see during the month of Inktober when you follow an artist during October, and really you should follow these artists period because there is much more to see year round. If you are an art junkie like I am, you see all of these wonderful drawings and wonder how to get your hands on them. I will not lie, there is a long list of these that I would love to add to my collection and hopefully over time I will be able to collect just a small amount of originals from all of these great artists. But until that day, I will be happy in just admiring their art and watch as they continue to grow in their craft, because this is the stuff that dreams are made of.

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. 
​
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!