George McKelveywas the biggest man in Denver comedy before he moved to Albuquerque.
He was involved with opening the Comedy Works, Wit’s End and his eponymous Comedy Club. He is one funny guy, married to former longtime Rocky Mountain News reporter Carole McKelvey. And he gets a nice shout-out in Steve Martin‘s new memoir, “Born Standing Up.”
Seems McKelvey and Martin had an act together for about six months. And it was McKelvey who broke his leg skiing and had Martin take a gig for him in Aspen in 1967 — a gig that changed Martin’s life.
Martin explains that was when he met his first heckler — at the Abbey Cellar on Galena Street. A man stood up and threw a glass of red wine at Martin in the middle of his act. “See if you think this is funny,” the man shouted — before the bartender threw him out.
Martin also had a memorable sexual encounter with an older woman in Aspen, as well as his first toke of amyl nitrate — which flattened the comedian.
But it was after hours in a house outside town that changed Martin — long talks into the night with roommates John McClure and Jonathan Moore about Flower Power and the Age of Aquarius, “an age when, at least astrologically, the world would be taken over by macrame.” It was the stoning of Steve Martin.
Martin called McKelvey a few months ago to go over their history together to be sure he had it right.
“He always had a very powerful stage presence,” McKelvey recalls, not surprised that Martin made it so big.
Another opening.
Wolfgang Puck‘s Spago opened with much hoopla at the Ritz-Carlton in Bachelor Gulch last week. OK, the buttermilk pancakes are $16 at breakfast, the pumpkin soup is $17 at lunch and the prime NY steak is $59 at dinner — but the food is over-the-top delicious.
Charlie Huang and Michael Ditchfield‘s Jing restaurant has opened at Landmark.
Kevin Taylor‘s Limelight Supper Club is now open at the DCPA where the Theatre Cafe languished for years.
So’s your old lady.
The Glendale Cherry Creek Chronicle’s headline this month touts: “The Cougar Bars of the Cherry Creek Valley — Watering Holes Where Older Women Hunt for Younger Men.”
Author Laura Lieff claims the top Cougar Bars are Elway’s, North, Cherry Cricket, Cruise Room and Cool River. What about Del Frisco’s? Sullivan’s? And what’s the male equivalent of a Cougar? A Weasel? A Slug? An Old Goat?
City spirit.
Denise Rich, Ivana Trump and Aspen Peak publisher Jason Binn host a New Year’s Eve party at the St. Regis Sightem @ Mort and Edie Mark’s holiday party: Jane and Tom Norton, former Interior Secretary Gale Norton, Sharon Magness and Ernie Blake @ Town party: NYC drag queen Lady Bunny spinning discs Sez who: “I can live for two months on a good compliment.” Mark Twain
Bill Husted’s column appears Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Husted also appears Tuesdays and Fridays on “Good Day Colorado” on Fox 31. You can reach him at 303-954-1486 or at bhusted @denverpost.com. Take a peek at Husted’s next column at .
