Quixote’s west side
What a long, strange trip it’s been, indeed. Quixote’s True Blue will close at the end of this month, according to a Facebook announcement that owner Jay Bianchi posted. The venue that began twenty years ago “as a sort of refuge for Deadheads who needed a place to gather and celebrate the life of Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead,” as Bianchi writes, will host a few last shows, including Melvin Seals and JGB on October 28-29, and Pink Talking Fish on October 30-31.
The iconic Denver bar and venue originally opened at 9150 East Colfax in Aurora, before moving into various locations, including its latest incarnation in the former Bender’s Tavern at 314 East 13th Avenue in Capitol Hill. Quixote’s has continued to host local and national jam- and Dead-centric acts most nights of the week, and Bianchi cites the venue’s role in building up Denver culture, even beyond the music scene. It “created Sancho’s Broken Arrow, Dulcinea’s 100th Monkey, Owsley’s Golden Road, Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom, Dancing in the Streets, Lazy Summer Days and the Summer of Serendipity,” he writes “…The music revolution created a social incubator that also allowed the legalization of weed.”
Westword will post updates as they receive them about the exact closing date and future plans for the building.
According to Bianchi, the spirit of Quixote’s will live on: “I have put my heart and soul into this place and I consider it a colorful and exuberant success, but I think the time has come for it to transcend its physical location.”
By Westword Staff
http://www.westword.com/music/quixotes-true-blue-is-closing-8388199
[Thank you to Alex Teitz, http://www.femmusic.com, for contributing this article.]