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Nightlife Lower Downtown’s continually growing number of restaurants, bars and brew-pubs ensures that the area is vibrant and alive during the week and positively jumping at the weekend. Live music can be found there most nights, as well as at Cherry Creek. Country music is prevalent, as is jazz and blues and, with a bit of searching, you’ll also find venues offering folk, bluegrass, hard rock and pop. In the clubs, you can expect to dance to everything from 60s and 70s tunes to hip hop, house and jazz. Dressing is informal and anything goes, provided it is tidy and clean. Under state licensing laws alcohol can be served 0700-0200 but only to people over the age of 21 years old. The price of a drink depends on what you are drinking and where you are drinking it. Prices generally range between US$3.50 for a beer in an inexpensive bar to US$8-10 for a glass of wine or a cocktail at a club. People younger than 21 years may not engage in gambling of any kind. Licensing and gambling laws are strictly enforced and young people may be asked to produce proof of age with photo ID to gain entry to casinos, bars and clubs. The most comprehensive nightlife listings can be found in the weekly free newspaper, Westword (website: www.westword.com). Bars: There are numerous brew pubs and micro breweries in Denver (see Further Distractions). Nallen’s Pub, 1429 Market Street, at 14th Street, is the quintessential Irish bar – the genuine article, complete with Irish owner – and the place to drink Guinness. Brendan’s Pub, 1625 Market Street, is also a good bet, serving great food and beer, as well as doubling up as a popular live blues venue. For something a little more sleek and stylish, try the Purple Martini, 15th Street, a jazz bar with dozens of martini-type drinks on offer, or the nearby Blue 67, 15th Street and Lawrence Street. Churchill’s Bar, located in the famous Brown Palace Hotel, 321 17th Street, is Denver’s most fashionable cigar bar with a fine range of single malt scotches available. Many good bars in Denver can be found within restaurants, such as Wazee Supper Club, Wazee Street, or Redfish, Wynkoop Street. Wazee is open late and has an informal, bohemian diner atmosphere, with beers from the Wynkoop Brewing Company, while Redfish has an enormous, popular bar and live blues bands from Thursday to Saturday. Casinos: All the gambling is out of town in the historic mining communities of Black Hawk and Central City, some 56km (35 miles) west, or at Cripple Creek, 129km (80 miles) south. Casinos are strictly controlled – only blackjack, poker and slot machines are permitted and stakes are limited to a maximum bet of US$5. The age restriction in casinos is 21 years and proof of age, such as a valid ID or passport, is often required for entry. There is no dress code. Colorado Central Station Casino, Black Hawk, on Highway 119, is one of the largest casinos in Colorado and the most popular in Black Hawk. It features three floors of tables and gaming machines, as well as a restaurant and entertainment facilities. Famous Bonanza Lucky Strike, 107 Main Street, Central City, is one of the last small, family run casinos. Situated in a Victorian building, there are 175 slot machines, three blackjack tables and a poker table, plus a restaurant serving a prime rib dinner for under US$3 and some of the best Mexican food around. Clubs: La Rumba, West Ninth Street and Acoma Street, is a sexy dance club for all ages, with salsa music. Rock Island, 15th Street, has rock and alternative music. Club Sanctuary, 21st Street and Larimer Street, has the hottest new global house music from Thursday to Sunday. Snake Pit, 608 East 13th Avenue, is open nightly and rotates house, Brit pop, garage, retro and breakdown nights. Not so young, cool or trendy but seriously good fun nonetheless, Poly Esther’s Culture Club/Dance Plex, 2301 Blake Street, is a 70s and 80s-style nightclub, complete with disco balls and coloured squares that light up on the dancefloor. Live music: Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson and The Beatles all have played Denver’s most spectacular venue, the Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Red Rocks Park (tel: (303) 640 2637; website: www.redrocksonline.com). Audiences of 9000 come to listen to symphony orchestras, jazz ensembles and pop groups against the magical sunlit glow of the 70-million-year-old red rocks. The Pepsi Center, Speer Boulevard and Auraria Parkway (tel: (303) 405 1111; website: www.pepsicenter.com), also stages large concerts with international artists. Likewise, major concerts are also held at the Paramount Theatre, 16th Street and Glenarm Place (tel: (303) 892 7016; website: http://historicparamounttheatre.netfirms.com), a fabulously restored Art Deco theatre. The Ogden Theatre, 935 East Colfax Avenue (tel: (303) 831 9448), is an old vaudeville theatre and movie house that is now a venue for local and national bands. The Bluebird Theater, 3317 East Colfax Avenue (tel: (303) 322 2308), and the Fillmore Auditorium, 1510 Clarkson at Colfax Avenue, are other historic venues. Herman’s Hideaway, 1578 South Broadway, is probably Denver’s top venue for live rock music. This is where to see the up-and-coming stars of tomorrow, at the Tuesday and Wednesday night New Band Showcase. Soiled Dove, 1949 Market Street, is another popular venue, with music from rock to calypso. If you’ve read Kerouac’s On the Road (1957), you’ll be familiar with the legendary jazz joint, El Chapultepec, 1962 Market Street. Crowded and smoky, this blast from the past still has the best jazz in Denver. Jazz @Jack’s, 1553 Platte Street No 202, is another hotspot for live jazz. For country and western, the Grizzly Rose Saloon & Dance Emporium, 5450 North Valley Highway, offers nightly live music and free dance lessons. |
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