The Lion’s Lair on Colfax (photo by Gary Isaacs from the LL website)
By Katie Eastman and Allison Sylte, 9News | The signs on theaters in Denver have said “see you soon” for months, as live music slips into nostalgia. According to a Colorado Creative Industries report, it’s estimated more than 31,000 Colorado jobs were lost in the performing arts industries between April and July, accounting for more than $800 million in lost revenue. Public health measures have put shows at traditional venues on pause, though others continue in a non-traditional way.
One example is Dazzle Jazz in Denver, where General Manager Matthew Ruff pays musicians with donations as they perform for nearly empty rooms amid new regulations.
“When we first re-opened in June – horn players were not allowed and that was because whoever made the regulations assumed that there was spittle coming through a horn when somebody plays it even though that’s not actually the case,” he said.
Part of the donations from the live stream also go toward a food pantry, created when musician Cass Clayton learned a fellow musician was saving half of their sandwich for dinner to get by.
“They weren’t getting three meals a day, you know, there were a lot of musicians who were not doing well and that continues,” said Clayton. “And so Dazzle immediately took up the cause, and said, ‘well we can just turn our entire bar area into a food pantry for musicians’ and that’s how it started.”
At the Boulder Theater, silence was once a reprieve. But after months of it, it’s lost its welcome.
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The iconic Lion’s Lair on East Colfax Avenue in Denver hasn’t seen a band since March.
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