124 APRIL 6-12, 2023 westword.com WESTWORD | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | The club was founded by Nicole Caccia- villano, who had already been fostering Denver’s underground electronic scene for a decade with her Sub.mission event, which occurs at the Black Box every Tuesday to showcase the best of the Mile High City’s DJs. Sub.mission, which cel- ebrated its fi fteenth anniversary in 2022, is the oldest active dubstep promoter in the country, and was the fi rst to bring an inter- national dubstep DJ to the United States. The event’s success is how the Black Box came to be, and the club has continued to deliver only the cream of the crop to its dedicated audience. Best Hip-Hop Club Nativ Hotel 1612 Wazee Street 720-485-6450 nativehotels.com Are hip-hop clubs an endangered species in Denver? For decades, they’ve been the subject of complaints from neighbors and cops alike, subject to shutdowns that last days, weeks...and sometimes forever. Over the past year or so, Roo-Bar Lounge has been slapped and LoDo’s legendary Beta Event Center was closed altogether, mak- ing other clubs reluctant to take on the genre. All that makes the hip-hop parties and events that (shh!) pop up in the lobby and subterranean space at Nativ Hotel a real reason to celebrate. Fight for your right to party! Best Latin Club Stampede 2430 South Havana Street, Aurora 303-696-7686 stampedeclub.net With its country-Western vibe, the uniniti- ated might take one look at Stampede and assume it’s a honky-tonk where bluegrass and country reign supreme. And while it does offer line-dancing lessons, Stam- pede has become known for championing Latin bands on the several nights a week that it hosts live music. The stage has been graced by the likes of Pesado, Duelo de Acordeones, Bertín y Su Condesa and Frank Reyes. In addition, every Wednesday is ladies’ night, when the cover charge is only $5 and women drink for free until 11 p.m. Ándele, pues. Best Place to Learn Salsa Dancing La Rumba 99 West 9th Avenue 303-572-8006 larumbadenver.com La Rumba celebrated 25 years in business in October 2022, but for its fi rst two years in business, it was a swing-dance club called Ninth Avenue West. We’re grateful that owner Chris Swank decided to change the club’s musical direction, as La Rumba has established itself as the preeminent salsa and cumbia club in the city. There are classes in salsa, cumbia and bachata daily, and the music ranges from Domini- can dembow to merengue, reggaetón and more. Best Jazz Club Nocturne 1330 27th Street 303-295-3333 nocturnejazz.com One of the sweetest aspects of Nocturne is its supper-club atmosphere, something owners Scott and Nicole Mattson wanted to create when they opened the club in 2015. But the live music — exclusively jazz and showcasing the best local talent Wednesday through Sunday — is the real star here. The club also has an artist-in-res- idence program, with musicians typically honing their craft for six to eight weeks, giving them a distinct introduction to Den- ver jazz fans and helping to establish fl our- ishing careers. Nocturne is serious about its artists, and your prepaid “dinner and a show” tab includes a percentage that goes directly to the musicians. Best Free Jazz Night Bar 404 404 Broadway 720-379-3141 bar404broadway.com When Bar 404 opened in December 2021 in the former home of Rory’s Tavern, owners Kerry O’Brien and Marty Varela were eager to start a music program. Enter jazz veteran Ron LeGault, who had played in the build- ing before and had experience in curating programs. After a test run of a weekly jazz series that consistently fi lled the room, ev- ery Wednesday since has been dedicated to free jazz performances from 7 to 9 p.m. You’ll find some of the same musicians you’d see at dedicated jazz clubs around town, but for free and in a neighborhood- bar atmosphere, with cheap but delicious bar food and drinks. Best Neighborhood Options at a Venue Bluebird Theater 3317 East Colfax Avenue 303-377-1666 bluebirdtheater.net The Bluebird stands out for its diverse booking practices, multi-level layout, ex- cellent acoustics and support for local talent. But another great attribute is its location, which provides concert-goers with lots to do before and after a show. A Bluebird concert can turn into a day of East Colfax adventuring: Fill up on brunch at Denver Biscuit Company, get some spur- of-the-moment ink at Certifi ed Tattoo Stu- dios, then grab a pre-show drink across the street at Goosetown Tavern. And after a night of dancing to top-notch music, you’ll be grateful for the late-night dining options within walking distance of the venue. Best Venue in a Historic Structure Ogden Theatre 935 East Colfax Avenue 303-832-1874 ogdentheatre.com You already know the Ogden as one of Denver’s top music venues, but if you’re a Gen Xer, you probably remember it as the place you went on Saturday nights to see The Rocky Horror Picture Show. And if you’re a Boomer — or even older — you might recall its first-run-flicks heyday, which the Ogden enjoyed from its opening day in 1917 through most of the twentieth century. It’s only been a music destination since the mid-’90s, so the next time you’re listening to your favorite new band there, take a moment to think about the kids who once gathered for the Saturday serials, the lovers coming to see Cleopatra on the silver screen, even the proto-goth Rocky Horror fanatics with their lingerie and bags of un- cooked rice. You’re in good company. Best Country Venue Grizzly Rose 5450 Lincoln Street 303-295-1330 grizzlyrose.com Considering that Tay- lor Swift is embarking on a tour that stops at the 76,000-capacity Empower Field, it’s all the more impressive that the Grizzly Rose provided her a platform years ago, when she was less pop and more country. The venue has been Denver’s country- music stalwart since it opened in 1989, and consistently hosts fi ve boot-stomping events a week, including con- certs from both local and national country bands, with Denver- based acts allotted several nights a week to allow for a residency of sorts. The Grizzly Rose is pure honky- tonk, with not one, but two mechanical bulls, a 2,500-square-foot raised dance fl oor, a pool room with fi ve tables, an indoor smoking area and line- dancing classes — so pull on your dancing boots and mosey on down. Best Venue for Music, Comedy, Circus and More Oriental Theater 4335 West 44th Avenue 720-420-0030 theorientaltheater.com The Oriental was erected in 1927 and has remained a cultural hub for the Tennyson corridor ever since. While the location at- tracts badass bands like itchy-O, Alestorm, the Reverend Horton Heat, Black Flag and more, it’s also known for a swath of other entertainment, regularly hosting film screenings and comedy acts, both local and touring, as well as more eclectic offer- ings such as lucha libre wrestling. It’s also home to the annual Carnivale de Sensuale variety show, and welcomes similar events that showcase burlesque, circus arts, aerial performers, magicians and more. Best Venue for Deadheads So Many Roads 918 West 1st Avenue 720-277-3211 somanyroadsbrewery.com With its rock-and-roll memorabilia and psychedelic paraphernalia, So Many Roads is dedicated to keeping the spirit of the Grateful Dead alive. Deadheads gather here weekly to check out Dead cover bands, Phish cover bands and Jerry Garcia Band cover bands, and to listen to original jam bands during its open-mic nights. So Many Roads is also a brewery, and its beers are all named after Dead tunes, such as the Iko Iko IPA, the Midnight Moonlight Porter and the Nut Fade Away Nut Brown Ale. The venue had to close for a spell last year because of city code violations, but it reopened in December with a concert featuring the Cosmic Charlies that even attracted fans from out of state, showing how important Deadhead bars are to the psychedelic community. Best Venue With a Sexy History Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox 1215 20th Street 303-993-8023 opheliasdenver.com At this time last year, Denverites were eagerly awaiting the second coming of Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox, which was making use of the pandemic downtime to renovate. The revamped Ophelia’s opened at the beginning of April 2022, welcoming the public back into the unique spot, where musicians play on a stage on the lower level while diners on the restaurant level watch from above. But Ophelia’s is known for more than its music and its food, as good as they both are: For many years, the Victorian brownstone Airedale Building was home to a hotel, brothel, peep show and sex shop. Owner Justin Cucci described the spot as a “gastro-brothel” upon opening Ophelia’s there in 2015, and the slogan says it all: “If these walls could talk, they’d moan!” Music and Venues continued from page 122 continued on page 128 GETT Y IMAGES
