Birdman’s comin’ to our party

January can be a slow month for retail sales. That’s why we decided to give our second annual Awards Issue a lift this month. And who better to facilitate said lift than one of the biggest personalities–both physically and otherwise–in all of Denver, Nuggets stud Chris “Birdman” Andersen? Fashion models normally dominate our covers, but as Tom Robbins once wrote, “If you can’t break your own rules, whose can you break?” And so we flipped the script, changed it up. Birdman is our first bona fide celebrity cover model. Inside, discover why we christened him “Person of the Year”. 303 Editor Laura Standley also talks mohawks, Dick’s, Skynard, Santa and philanthropy with the inked B-baller. Get to know the man behind the “Bird”. The rest of our Awards Issue is dedicated to, well, awards: a salon, a designer, an artist, a boutique, a band, a venue, a restaurant, an interview, fiction and surprise, surprise, models. Who and what takes home the honors? Snag your copy at Whole Foods or Tattered Cover to find out. The issue just might fly off the shelves–pun intended. And if you’d like to score a complimentary copy, not to mention mingle with Birdman and other award winners, join us for the Awards Ceremony after-party at 11 p.m. this Saturday, January 8 at The Denver Press Club. Fifteen bucks gets legal drinkers hors d’oeurves, dancing and shwag.