MUSIC PLAYLIS T Tick-Tock BY JON SOLOMON Before COVID-19 restrictions went into place nearly a year ago, the Clocktower Cabaret, in the basement of the Daniels & Fisher Tower on the 16th Street Mall, could host 140 people. When the venue, which celebrates its fi fteenth anniversary this month, reopens over Valentine’s Day weekend, only 32 cus- tomers will be allowed in under current state guidelines. The room will look different, now that 70 percent of the seating has been removed to allow for social distancing. Excess tables and chairs have been stored away; out on the fl oor, stuffed animals in seats gently remind patrons where they can and cannot sit. Until pandemic protocols ease up, the venue will only allow a couple of performers on its small stage at a time. Selene Arca, who handles sales and marketing for the Cabaret, says that because of its limited square foot- age, the venue won’t be hosting live music in the near future. “It’s simply not safe to have that many people on stage,” she says. In the meantime, the club will continue to bring in burlesque, circus, drag and comedy acts. Those have contributed to the venue’s success ever since singer and Colorado Mu- sic Hall of Famer Lannie Garrett, artist Lon- nie Hanzon and Selene’s husband, Jefferson Arca — who’s emceed the venue’s popular burlesque shows as his alter-ego, Naughty Pierre — opened the Cabaret in 2006 after Rattlebrain Theater, a comedy club, moved out at the end of a three-year run. Selene says that Garrett sold out every show for the fi rst ten years. National acts including Judy Tenuta, Christina Crawford (daughter of Joan Crawford), Leslie Jordan, Raul Malo, Joe Piscopo, Jill Sobule, Julia Sweeney, Roseanne Barr and locals such as the Freddi-Henchi Band, Ron Ivory, Mary Louise Lee and the Jerseys performed. Al- though Garrett stepped down as a co-owner and manager fi ve years ago, Jefferson has continued to bring in similar acts. “One of the things that we’re really proud of is that over the fi fteen years, we’ve re- ally found our niche with various kinds of performers, like the circus performers, aerial performers or burlesque — and our drag performers,” Selene says. “Those are the kinds of acts we can put on stage now, so we’re getting creative with different scenes and with different ideas on how to still make that space for people to be able to come down and feel their feelings and do all the things that you can’t do watching a show on your laptop. We’re working within the boundaries of having one to two [per- formers], and we’re very blessed to have a The Clocktower Cabaret is back. community of solo artists that can pull it off.” The club reopens this week with Cupid’s Delight Valentine Burlesque & Comedy, which runs from Thursday, February 11, through Sunday, February 14, with two seat- ings per night; tables are limited to six people, and masks are required. Each night includes a different bouquet of burlesque acts and comedy cordials, sealed with a fully masked and socially distant kiss from emcees Bender Flames and Selene. The following two weekends, Boolesque 2: Halloween Re-Do will pick up where the Clocktower Cabaret left off (it closed right after Halloween). “We have a lot of people — not only in our audience, but on our stage — who are either themselves needing to be concerned about their safety, but also [worried about] people at home,” Selene says, explaining why the venue closed in late October, before Level Red COVID restrictions went into place. The Cabaret also opened briefl y in July, before Denver’s coronavirus case numbers started to go up. Selene is looking forward to a time when things are a little more normal — when people can live without fear and restric- tions, and she and Jefferson can bring live music back. “Music is important,” she says. “Human- ity’s been dealt a lot of trauma from various places for various reasons, and I think music is your heartbeat, your brain waves. And if you can’t experience that live, I think we’re really, really suffering — not just our mental health, but our physical health, too. And places that allow you to just feel that and hear the horns and feel the beat, I think that’s important — and people haven’t had that in almost a year. We’re excited to bring that back to our room, for sure.” While the venue has hosted its share of legendary musicians over the past fi fteen years, what’s not widely known is that Prince once spent a night at the Clocktower Caba- ret, following a show at the Ogden Theatre in 2013. Selene recalls getting a call from Prince’s security people, who had a lot of demands but didn’t immediately say who they were booking the room for. “We were used to demands, but the demands were very high,” Selene says. “I thought it was Prince Harry — but it ended up being Prince. He came out for his show at the Ogden and used the club for a couple of hours with his band and his friends to just de- compress after their show. It was awesome.” Until live music returns, the club will continue to cater to the nostalgic arts, which people love, says Selene. “People love a time when things were better, a time when things were fancier.” Over the years, the club has stayed true to the origins of vaudeville and burlesque. The Clocktower is one of the few spots in town to see regular burlesque acts, particularly in an underground, Moulin Rouge-like setting with a speakeasy vibe. “Burlesque originally wasn’t just a strip- tease,” Selene says. “It was more about making fun of politics; it was vaudeville. It evolved into what it is now, but I think that’s why it really struck a chord, and I think it’s only going to get bigger after the pandemic. I think there are going to be so many more opportunities.” The Clocktower Cabaret reopens Thursday, February 11, at 1601 Arapahoe Street. For more information, visit clocktowercabaret.com. FAVORITE TEAMS EVERY DAY! WATCH YOUR Enjoy the game on one of our 20 HDTV’s and sip on a craft brew! HAPPY HOUR MON-FRI 3pm to 6:30pm We will be seating the dining room at 25% capacity, in accordance with state, Federal, and CDC regulations as well as adhering to social distancing guidelines. 195 S UNION BLVD, LAKEWOOD (303)-986-2200 MUSIC EMAIL SIGN UP FOR OUR MUSIC EMAIL LIST Keep your thumb on the local music scene with music features, additional online music listings and show picks. www.westword.com/newsletters go to 19 westword.com | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | WESTWORD FEBRUARY 11-17, 2021 SELENE ARCA Scan for Menu!
