Who needs the corporate life? Bobby Collins left it more than three decades ago to become a national comedy headliner.

Bobby Collins never meant to be a comedian. As a young, fast-talking jewelry designer he caught the eye of a Calvin Klein executive in New York’s Garment Center. Within a few months he was a sales manager, then vice president of the company. He lived the high life and relished its perks, but comedy was in his blood.

“Once I got to the big paying job as a headliner comedian in a comedy club, that’s when I really started doing comedy,” he said.

The Queens, N.Y., native gave up the corporate life and worked to become a headliner at clubs around the country, eventually opening for musicians such as Frank Sinatra, Cher and Julio Iglesias and playing the White House. We spoke with the Grammy-nominated Collins in advance of his shows at Comedy Works South tonight-Saturday (Feb. 26-27) about his beginnings, his longevity and what bugs him the most about his fellow comics.

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Are we in San Diego or Denver? Hard to tell at Gaslamp, one of LoDo’s newest upscale watering holes.

“Do my bangs look cool?”

It’s Saturday night in LoDo, in a women’s restroom. Because the ’80s are long gone, one can assume that the person asking this question probably does, indeed, have cool bangs. And because the restroom is located at Gaslamp (1437 Market St.), it’s practically guaranteed that those are some super-cool, totally sweet bangs.

The crowd at Gaslamp is almost disturbingly attractive. Walk through its doors, and it suddenly feels like a pricey hangout in SoCal or Scottsdale. It seems like everyone is young and well-dressed, with sparkling white teeth and expertly groomed hair. The clothes look expensive, the shoes even more so. The music is a perfectly selected mix of classic party-rock and more sensitive, semi-indie tunes. Think Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll” and “Dashboard” by Modest Mouse.

Saturday night is just getting started.

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“It’s all good, Denver, I got this one.”

Brian Regan had already developed a loyal fan base with his clean, observational comedy before the economy went south and our political infighting turned into something resembling a schoolyard gang war. But his relatable style of stand-up has become all the more popular the past couple years because it offers a respite from the hail of bad news swirling around us.

We spoke with Regan over the phone in advance of his headlining gig at the Wells Fargo Theatre on Saturday, Feb. 20 about his rising popularity, his restless creativity and how he avoids being pigeonholed by critics.

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Denver burlesque queen Vivienne Vavoom helped kick off the grand opening party at Jezebel’s Juke Joint & Brothel on Tuesday.

It’s somewhere around 11 p.m., and Jezebel’s Juke Joint and Brothel (3862 High St.) is jumping. It’s Mardi Gras. Purple, green and gold streamers festoon the brick walls, and a giant Mardi mask overlooks the festivities from a perch above the crowd. Most of the crowd is wearing feathery masks, too, and draped with beads.

Jezebel’s is getting packed as Fat Tuesday fades into Ash Wednesday, and the revelers are rowdy. Loud blues music pounds through the old building — it’s been around more than 100 years — and the dance floor is filling up. The bar is slammed with happy customers celebrating both Mardi Gras and Jezebel’s grand opening.

Some buildings are just meant to be what they are. After decades of saloons filling its space, and maybe a real upstairs brothel back in the day, Jezebel’s is one of those buildings.

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Rocky River Bar & Grill chef Chris Cole partners with local Colorado growers. Photo by Kristen Browning-Blas.

In addition to boasting the largest ballroom between Denver and the Canadian border (take that, Wyoming!), the nearly one year-old Embassy Suites in Loveland has its own herb garden.

The chefs who run the vast hotel kitchen already have deep roots in the area. Executive chef Chris Cole and executive sous- chef Florian Wehrli have created a menu that reads — and tastes — more like a fine local bistro’s than a hotel restaurant’s.

Wehrli, a founder of the northern Colorado’s Cache La Poudre chapter of Slow Food, achieved a local following when he ran Chimney Park Bistro and, later, Chef’s Basket in Windsor. Cole, a Johnson & Wales culinary graduate, spent 10 years at the Fort Collins Hilton. They both have young children and plan to raise their families in the area.

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