As Colorado podcasts have grown in number — with more than 100 series by our count — the options have become dizzying. Should I listen to this science podcast or that one? Is our state’s history grim, funny, weird or all three? And what’s up with the ascendant romance/fantasy genre that’s quickly gaining an international cult?
Here are 10 new and ongoing podcasts that will give you a sense of Colorado’s audio-only auteurs. Listen with care, and an open mind.
Fantasy Fangirls
This six-month-old podcast harnesses the excitement (and sales bonanza) surrounding Colorado author Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean series, which has clung to best-seller lists around the world for the past couple of years. Sisters Nicole and Lexi, and their 57,000 Instagram and 72,000 TikTok followers, go chapter-by-chapter and sometimes page-by-page through Yarros’ work (currently “Iron Flame”), digging into fan theories and favorite characters from the fast-growing “romantasy” (romance + fantasy) genre. Their passion is contagious — but beware of spoilers.
The High Roller Heist
With a Denver-based producer and Pueblo-based subject, this podcast and documentary straddles Colorado and Las Vegas in its subject matter. “This is the wild, ‘only in Vegas’ true story of the guy who robbed the house, returned to the house and began living in it, like a king, for free,” host and co-producer Kris Simms wrote. The subject is Anthony “Tony” Carleo, who lives in Pueblo. In 2010, he burst into the Bellagio Hotel “adorned in a full motorcycle jumpsuit, gloves and helmet and pull(ed) a pistol, robbing a high stakes craps table of 1.5 million dollars in casino chips.”
The Longing Lab
This Boulder podcast takes a deeper look at “the science of longing and the culture that drives us to long for what we don’t have,” hosted by journalist, author and TEDx speaker Amanda McCracken. “The goal of the Longing Lab is to inspire individuals to make positive changes in their lives,” she writes, via interviews with doctors, sociologists, grief experts, athletes and more — including McCracken herself, who opens up about her “addiction to longing.” Something tells me we can all relate.
City Cast Denver
City Cast Denver, part of a national network of city-based podcasts, stands out with daily, thoughtful dives into subjects both fun and harrowing, as well as a curated list of experts, journalists (including Denver Post reporters) and others who add vital context and perspective. It feels truly “Denver” in its institutional knowledge and range, from city politics to local farmers and food, racial justice, Indigenous issues, A&E guides and a youthful energy lacking in most podcasts. Props to host Bree Davies, producer Paul Karoli and their crew for keeping the momentum going and their eyes on regular folks.
Dyketopia
What started as an interactive comedy showcase at Denver’s X Bar has blossomed into a wildly popular stage show that’s always sold out and, now, a podcast that humorously explores queer culture. Hosts and creators Lee Robinson and Kate McLachlan never take their eye off the jokes, even as they engage with serious topics, with a rotating list of funny guests and their own roving takes on culture, popular or otherwise. It’s conversational but not aimless, and cheeky but not smug. A unicorn, in other words. Sample: “Acoustic guitar has to be consensual for me.”
Off the Walls
Getting your arms around Denver’s mural and street-art scene can be intimidating, given the proliferation of new works, moneyed art-district marketing, social clashes and under-appreciated Chicano roots. Denverite and Colorado Public Radio delve into the people and stories behind the scenes with the weekly “Off the Walls.” Hosts Kibwe Cooper and Emily Williams connect the dots between public art, civic identity and the evolution of local communities in a way that feels sorely lacking anywhere else, here or nationally.
Black Millennial Mom Podcast
You’d be forgiven for thinking this is a niche podcast, given the title, and certainly it focuses on the challenges of being a marginalized person trying to raise kids in this society. But it also focuses on “the struggles and the authentic beauty of a generation of mothers and fathers who share their parenthood journeys,” and who can’t relate to that? Hosted by Mercedes of 104.7 The Drop, it’s loose and conversational (and not always appropriate to play around kids) but its value lies in its relentless insights.
Stoned Appétit
Food and cannabis go together like … cannabis and anything. So when a podcast is hosted by stoners from the South who transplanted themselves to Colorado, we can’t wait to hear what they’re grazing on. With smart/funny guests and a wide range of topics, this long-running show never seems to run out of ideas or lose a step from hosts Kip Wilson and Chris Byard. It’s unabashedly pro-small-business, and in today’s climate, that’s a good thing. It’s also invested in destigmatizing cannabis use and culture, which is a growing national topic.
The COnnect with Graffiti
Leonard “Graffiti” Johnson hosts this honest and enlightening show that often feels like you’re listening in on old friends who rediscovered each other. Johnson is open and exploratory, with uplifting messages and a community-centric focus that touches on successful musicians, athletes, comedy, politics, self-improvement gurus, social-justice leaders and more.
The Get More Smarter Podcast
Provided by Get More Smarter
America’s two dominant political parties have not only failed to see eye-to-eye in recent years, they’re also living in completely different versions of reality. With an openly progressive bent, this show with a Homer Simpsonesque title takes on topical issues from a factual-if-spun standpoint and includes interviews conducted by Jason Bane of ColoradoPols.com and Ian Silverii (a former Denver Post guest columnist). It’s sarcastic at times but also genuinely informative, looking at school board clashes, Gov. Jared Polis’ actions and other subjects you may have missed.
