Best Place to See Vampires on a Night Out Milk Bar 1037 Broadway coclubs.com/milk Even though Twilight came out nearly fi fteen years ago, vampires are still all the rage. If you want to fi nd one in Denver, Milk Bar is the place to go. Inside the cavern-like club, it’s easy to trade your sense of direc- tion for a sense of the supernatural. Goth Wednesdays and Techno Thursdays are free, while Fridays and Saturdays see a ro- tation of musical styles and performers for a $5 cover before 11 p.m. Neither milk nor garlic are on the menu, but costumes, danc- ing and fantasy can be found in abundance. Best Place to Meet Vinyl Lovers ESP HiFi 1029 Santa Fe Drive 720-921-5502 instagram.com/esp.hifi It sometimes seems like the people working at this vinyl listening bar were hired solely for their taste in music — though their serv- ing skills aren’t bad, either. Owners Mitchell Foster and Will Minter took inspiration from Japanese jazz kissas (a jazz tea of sorts; the two went on a ten-day trip to Tokyo to soak up the aesthetic) as well as other listening bars to create a unique spot in the heart of the Art District on Santa Fe. As Denver’s fi rst kissa-style record bar, ESP HiFi plays a vari- ety of genres, from ambient and jazz to funk and soul, all through high-class Garrard 401 turntables, Line Magnetic 518ia tube amps, and Klipsch Cornwall and Klipschorn speak- ers. You’ll be shazamming the whole time. Best DIY Venue Beacon 2854 Larimer Street be.thebeacon.co Robert Champion and Mario Nocifera wanted to create a Tulum/Burning Man- inspired immersive venue — and wow, did they succeed. They hired a core crew of twelve local artists to design immersive hubs throughout the venue, including a beehive-themed geodesic dome called “En- ter the Hive Mind,” by Aleesha Anderson. Even the bar is a work of art: Jon Medina’s “The Willow Weave Bar” is enveloped in vines and forestry. The venue doesn’t an- nounce its DJs, in the hopes that people will come to experience the art and high- quality performances rather than solely to see a star. Meow Wolf is great, but this place purrs. 94 Best DIY Production Label The Pond/The Salt Lick Denver 720-443-2533 thesaltlickdenver.com The Salt Lick Denver dates to the summer of 2020, when Andrea Hoang, Jason Edelstein and a group of their friends started fi lming held their fi rst events last year, including an interactive, immersive arts and music event called Organic Dystopia that included six local musical acts, visual-art displays, cre- ators selling their wares, tarot card read- ings and nail painting, all in a forest-like setting inspired by Meow Wolf. The collec- tive’s goal is to advocate for musicians by creating concerts that save them time and money so they can focus on making music. The Coastless crew curates and promotes each show, and also records video of each act’s set for free. Keep an eye out for more Coastless Creatives productions this year. Best Indoor Venue Mission Ballroom 4242 Wynkoop Street 720-577-6884 missionballroom.com The Mission is essentially an indoor version of Red Rocks, with its wide, step-like seating ural beauty to spare. On a clear night, you can see the lights of Denver in the distance from your seat on the steps as you marvel at Ship Rock and Creation Rock to either side of you and get that feeling of being part of something larger than yourself. A Red Rocks show is one of the quintessential mo- ments in the Colorado experience, and this venue deserves every award that could be heaped upon it — including, perhaps, Most Expensive Lemonade Outside a Ballpark. Best Indoor/Outdoor Venue Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom and Other Side 2637 Welton Street 303-297-1772 cervantesmasterpiece.com Cervantes’ really provides the best of both worlds with its art-splashed outdoor patio and two indoor spaces, the Masterpiece Ballroom and the more intimate Other band performances in the soggy basement of a house they were renting. The series of shows, aptly called Songs From the Pond, still broadcasts online and is produced to- tally in-house. From that start, the group launched a record label, and its fi ve-artist roster — Bear and the Beasts, John Baldwin, mlady, Silver Screen Fantasy and Sponsored Content — often help with and appear in the collective’s well-produced music videos, even venturing out into a burn scar for a good visual narrative. This year, the Salt Lick also opened a cozy, affordable recording stu- dio to further nurture Denver’s music scene. Best DIY Concert Collective Coastless Creatives instagram.com/coastlesscreatives Founded by fi ve ex-DIME (Detroit Insti- tute of Music Education) students, Coast- less Creatives had a rough start, launching its collective just as the pandemic hit. But these DIY creatives powered through and and phenomenal acoustics. It checks off on everything an indoor venue should have: multiple bars with quick bartenders and a good selection of booze; plentiful bathrooms resulting in fewer lines; a top-notch lighting setup that can suit any band’s needs; and a stunner disco ball. Outside, murals abound, showcasing the venue’s taste in local art. The Mission has become a Denver staple in the three short years since it opened, with people coming from all over the country to see the national acts that swing through. Best Outdoor Venue Red Rocks Amphitheatre 18300 West Alameda Parkway, Morrison 720-865-2494 redrocksonline.com Yes, Red Rocks is a repeat winner, but come on! This venue is on the performance bucket list of almost any band you can think of, for many reasons. Its acoustics and its history are both legendary, and it’s got nat- Side. Bringing in funky acts both local and national, it’s a cool place to see a wide vari- ety of bands, especially jam, bluegrass, funk and DJ acts like GRiZ or CloZee. Cervantes’ has held its own as an independent venue in Denver for nearly twenty years, and it’s be- come an essential part of the city in that time. Best Disco Ball at a Venue Mission Ballroom 4242 Wynkoop Street 720-577-6884 missionballroom.com When the Mission Ballroom opened in 2019, everyone was impressed with the incredible acoustics, the incredible murals and the incredible disco ball...that failed to spin on opening night. Since then, though, we’ve been able to see the shimmering orb in all its glory. Emblazoned with a fl ower- of-life pattern, the colossal disco ball turns as LED lights illuminate it to the beat of the music. It’s the cherry on top of an already sweet venue, and the Mission just wouldn’t be the same without it. Best Food at a Venue Marquis Pizza, Marquis Theater 2009 Larimer Street 303-292-2829 marquispizza.com When we stumble out of a show at the Mar- quis Theater, sweaty, ears still ringing from the music and (probably) a little buzzed, there’s only one thing we want: a hot slice. Fortunately, you don’t have to look far. The literal hole in the wall that is the Marquis Pizza window is a beacon in the night, call- ing to all who crave a late-night fi x of thin- crust, New York-style pizza. Slices are cheap, tasty and ready fast, and that’s exactly what a post- (or even mid-) show bite should be. Mile High Spirits 2201 Lawrence Street 303-296-2226 drinkmhs.com Best Drink Deals at a Venue The Mile High Spirits Tasting Room boasts a wide array of acts and fun activities week in and week out; it’s also a pretty good place to get drunk (there’s even an event here called Blackout Brunch). But you’ll defi nitely want to pay attention to the drinks menu, because while almost all of the cocktails here are $10 a pop, they’re all double pours. If you want to listen to music while on a budget, MHS is the move. Just be sure to keep Uber on speed dial. Best Bathrooms at a Venue Ball Arena 1000 Chopper Circle 303-405-1100 ballarena.com They may be no-frills, but the bathrooms at Ball Arena are clean and, most important, abundant. With a capacity of 20,000, it’s es- sential that the venue continued on page 96 APRIL 7-13, 2022 WESTWORD | BACKBEAT | MUSIC & VENUES | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SHOPPING & SERVICES | CONTENTS | westword.com GETTY IMAGES
