128 APRIL 6-12, 2023 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | Best Venue With New Ownership Gothic Theatre 3263 South Broadway, Englewood 303-789-9206 gothictheatre.com The Gothic Theatre has been a Denver landmark for nearly a century. It de- buted in the 1920s as a movie theater and hosted community gatherings like Easter egg hunts during the Great Depression. It ended its fi lm career for good in the ’80s af- ter a stint as a porn theater, but that’s when its musical history began, with scattered rock shows from bands like Nirvana, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the Beastie Boys, Soundgarden and more. The Gothic of- ficially became a music mecca in 1998 when it was bought by Steve Schalk and his business partner for $175,000. And in November 2022, Schalk sold the Gothic to AEG, which had already been managing its bookings for a decade, for $2 million — which was clearly money well spent. Here’s to another century of music at the Gothic! Best All-Ages Club Town Hall Collaborative 525 Santa Fe Drive townhallcollaborative.com Lauren Beno and Denise Day have been best friends for a decade, and in May 2022 they put all their love into Town Hall Col- laborative, an event space at the heart of the Santa Fe Art District. The gathering space, which includes a full bar and food trucks, is also a venue for live music, the arts and more. Pop-up markets, DIY workshops, community-oriented learning events, book clubs, open-mic nights, creative writing classes, speed dating and even Shabbat din- ners are options on Town Hall Collabora- tive’s calendar, which is fi lled with events that the whole family can enjoy. Best Sound System 1STBANK Center 11450 Broomfi eld Lane, Broomfi eld 303-410-0700 1stbankcenter.com It can be hard to get the sound just right in a 6,500-capacity space like 1STBANK Center, but the sonics have been right on the money at every concert we’ve at- tended there. For many years, it was the traditional spot for Colorado jam staple String Cheese Incident to ring in the New Year with a three-night run, and last year, jam-band breakout act Goose moved its annual Goosemas event from its hometown in Connecticut to 1STBANK Center. But no one has demonstrated the excellent sound quality better than king of bluegrass Billy Strings, who played a series of shows there in February. Best Bathrooms at a Venue Red Rocks Amphitheatre 18300 West Alameda Parkway, Morrison 720-865-2494 redrocksonline.com Colorado is variously known for its moun- tains, skiing, wildfl owers and countercul- ture, but there’s one landmark everyone knows about when it comes to the state: Red Rocks Amphitheatre. However, not everyone knows about the best bathrooms to use at the venue. Sure, the all-gender stalls below stage left are your best bet for fast-moving lines, or you can venture to the clean bathrooms found inside the Visitor Center at the top. (And if you fi nish up before your bathroom buddy, you can peruse the Red Rocks Performers Hall of Fame.) Our favorite, though, is at the top, on the far side of the Visitor Center, where you’ll fi nd stairs that lead to what could be the least-used facilities at Red Rocks — and that means fewer lines and more time to enjoy the show. Best Karaoke Bar Meadowlark 2701 Larimer Street 303-293-0251 meadowlarkbar.com The Meadowlark, a basement bar in RiNo, boasts a small and dimly lit interior reminiscent of a speakeasy, but without the typi- cally hushed atmosphere. The bar has an impressive events calen- dar, with shows every night that spotlight local DJs and bands, in- cluding Monday jazz nights. But Tuesday is karaoke night, when wannabe singers and even the self-proclaimed tone-deaf are not shy about claiming the stage. Two mics, two lyrics screens, plenty of song options and a host who’s happy to make it a duet add to the fun of a drink-infused night out. Although the offi cial start time is 9 p.m., plan to arrive a little later, as the karaoke crowd takes time to get settled. Best Open-Mic Night Mercury Cafe 2199 California Street 303-294-9258 mercurycafe.com The Mercury Cafe, with its twin- kling fairy lights, intricately painted tables, fresh fl owers and shimmer- ing disco balls, is a legendary local hot spot for poets, authors, musicians and coffee afi cionados. The Merc does it all and does it well, but one of its biggest draws is the weekly open-mic night on Wednesday, where you’ll find diverse, soulful, often gifted aspiring musicians holding down the stage. This open-mic night has all the ingre- dients for a one-of-a-kind evening out: local talent, a friendly audience, drinks, desserts and, of course, the welcoming vibes of the Mercury’s inclusive atmosphere. Best Unpretentious Yet Legendary Venue Herb’s 2057 Larimer Street 303-299-9555 herbsbar.com Herb’s turns ninety this year, but it’s never been one to put on airs. It is what it is: a mu- sic venue and a watering hole. The drinks are good, and the live music, usually jazz or blues, can be life-changing. But that’s just an average night at Herb’s, no biggie. Drink up and get down, as folks have been doing here for almost a century, including the infamous Jack Kerouac. Lots of places in Denver claim to be one of Kerouac’s old haunts, but Herb’s is the real deal. Legend- ary, even. But as we said, no biggie. Best Legendary Recording Studio The Blasting Room 1760 Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins 970 — 416-9292 theblastingroom.com The Front Range is filled with cultural history and institutions, and the Blasting Room has established itself as an integral facet of the music scene. The studio was founded in 1994 by members of the punk group ALL, including current owner Bill Stevenson (who played drums for ALL as well as Descendents, Black Flag and Lemonheads), when the band relocated to Fort Collins and was looking for a studio where it could record. The Blasting Room has stayed booked steadily for almost 29 years now, and has worked with thousands of bands, including Rise Against, Alkaline Trio and As I Lay Dying. Keep an eye out for upcoming documentary The Blasting Room, by local fi lmmaker Aaron Pender- gast, due out later this year. Best Free Classical Education El Sistema Colorado 2980 Curtis Street 303-284-3639 elsistemacolorado.org Based on a model program created by Venezuelan economist and musician José Antonio Abreu, El Sistema seeks to even the playing fi eld for economically chal- lenged kids by way of an immersive after- school orchestral string music curriculum. Students from kindergarten through high school age can choose violin, viola, cello or bass, while the preschool set can attend once-weekly Early Childhood Music ses- sions. Best Summer Camp for Young Mariachis Latino Cultural Arts Center at Rocky Ridge 465 Longs Peak Road, Estes Park 970-586-4031 rockyridge.org While Denver has a few options for school kids wanting to learn to play in a mariachi ensemble, true musicians will want to head for the hills. Rocky Ridge, which already hosted summer jazz and classical-music camps for all ages and levels, now offers Nuestras Raíces: Música Mariachi, a six- day beginning program for kids ages ten to fi fteen, taught in a mountain setting at the foot of Longs Peak. Presented in collabo- ration with Denver’s Latino Cultural Arts Center, Música Mariachi offers a full summer-camp experience and a valuable fundamental learning opportunity. Best Evolution of a Music Nonprofi t Youth on Record 1301 West 10th Avenue 303-993-5226 youthonrecord.org Youth on Record was founded in 2008 as Flobots.org by the mu- sicians/activists of the Denver band Flobots. In 2010, Jami Duffy, YOR’s current executive director, was brought on board; the name was changed and the mission ex- panded. While it began as a tiny nonprofi t, Youth on Record now operates programs at nine high schools and middle schools five days a week, linking students with musicians, and last year it bought into the Underground Music Showcase. Youth on Record also has a recording studio in its head- quarters, where students and local musicians make music today. YOR music ambassadors have included big names and community leaders, includ- ing Big Gigantic, Molina Speaks, Melissa Ivey and more. Best New Band BTTRFLY Quintet facebook.com/bttrfl yquintet In a music community as tight-knit as Denver’s, it’s only natural for a super- group like BTTRFLY Quintet to form, cre- ating a unique brand of music infl uenced by funk, jazz, neo-soul, R&B and swing. The group comprises Grammy-nominated drummer Adam Deitch and Grammy- winning trumpeter Benny Bloom, both from Lettuce; Pretty Lights collabora- tor and Break Science keyboardist Bo- rahm Lee; Break Science bassist Hunter Roberts; and Big Gigantic producer and saxophonist Dominic Lalli. BTTRFLY Quintet released its debut album, Coast, in November 2022, but because all of the members have their other projects and tours, the band’s concerts will be rare… and certain to fl y! Music and Venues continued from page 124 continued on page 130 GETT Y IMAGES
