“Divine feminine” is certainly feminine, questionably divine

An attendee gets creative, using a hula hoop and shimmering shirt.
Photo: Genessa Gutzait · *The Sentry*

Your mom’s house event is still a good start

Putting on an event billed as the “Divine Feminine” at a venue called Your Mom’s House is an odd combination, borne out by the event itself. The “female creative experience,” as it called itself, was an interesting mixture of performers, artists, and agendas of entertainment, social change, or perhaps both.

Gauzy lavender curtains and vines draped from the ceiling helped set the mood for the cozy performance space. Its walls were lined with paintings, lit with colored stage lights and disco ball reflections, faintly wafting incense. As the event got started, some attendees checked out the paintings, most featuring sacred geometry, animals, women’s faces and symbols, in psychedelic colors and blacks.

A few live painters were also part of the performers, including a CU Denver alum, Arleigh J Art. He’s a regular at the life painting nights held at Your Mom’s House and was exhibiting a selection of female nudes painted from there.

The sultry electronic stylings of River kicked the night off, husky vocals floating over heavy bass lines rumbling through her listeners as they nodded along. Background psychedelic kaleidoscope visuals underscored the mood of low-key chill but danceable beats.

Introducing her second song, about her mother and friend who passed away, River explained that her own songs have more emotion to a “roomful of musicians, they get me.” Her self-deprecating but confident stage presence helped create a friendly rapport with the audience as they nodded along to her tunes. Explaining that she’d played clarinet and saxophone and always wrote poetry, she eventually made the jump to be a singer; “collaging experiences together—I guess that’s songwriting!”

She continued telling stories about her inspiration between songs—one about an ex-boyfriend who asked her to marry him as he was joining the navy, so that he could make some more money (“I considered it, but my morals—nah”).

The dance floor got busy, including a glowing hoop performer, as local DJ SIXXXD’s set mixed shifting beats, vocals, and instrumental layers while she danced as well, mistress of an irresistible sense of fun in her dance party. Her set was some of the most cohesive, seamless DJing this writer has ever had the pleasure of getting down to. Some DJs patch together a medley of songs; SIXXXD went far beyond, transforming elements and whole songs into a gestalt better than its original ingredients. The room’s energy felt instantly ignited, perhaps latecomers joining at an opportune time, but nearly everyone dancing and having fun.

After SIXXXD came a group of white leotard clad performance artists, The Kinetic Spinners. They danced to a heavy beat, using light-up hula hoops in alternately innovative and somewhat odd ways. While the dancers seemed to be enjoying what they were doing, and it’s certainly an original idea, their level of artistry didn’t stand up to the preceding act in sheer skill or in audience engagement.

As further acts (Dozier, Denver’s own Sassfactory, and A Hundred Drums) carried on the dance floor feel, River and Sea Handmade had high quality jewelry pieces available for purchase, and paintings by Corinne Bee Bop and Laura McGowan were for sale as well.

Top shelf art prices, while warranted, were perhaps not the kind of thing that an event attendee might impulse purchase to support a charitable cause; event proceeds supported The Delores Project, a shelter for women and trans people who’ve experienced homelessness. This type of mismatch was endemic of the event overall: talented female artists, a light veneer of pop spirituality, proceeds donated to a charitable cause, and good fun. If one intends to smash the patriarchy, one might as well enjoy some good music while doing so.

Your Mom’s House
608 E 13th Ave
(303) 860-4516