In Da Club

Quixote's True Blue is on the move again. And Jay Bianchi, one of the three brothers behind Quixote's, as well as Sancho's Broken Arrow, Dulcinea's 100th Monkey and Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom (notice a theme?), promises that this third incarnation of the live-music club will be "what we always wanted to do." Although he'll always fondly remember Quixote's first spot, at 9150 East Colfax, which opened the day after Thanksgiving 1996, he admits that it "wasn't the right location." The second space, at 7 South Broadway, where Quixote's hurriedly opened in October 2001 after leaving Colfax, wasn't right, either, he says. Quixote's left there last November, and that address has proved to be just the right spot for the hi-dive.

Now the third time could be the charm for Quixote's. Set to open June 22, Version 3.0 will share Cervantes' address at 2637 Welton Street. The former Casino Cabaret has room to spare, and a portion of the building is being converted into a home for Quixote's that will be bigger and more open, with taller ceilings and "a good flow," Bianchi says. There will also be a cool bar and a stage that allows drinkers a clear, close view of the performers -- live bands, mostly jam bands, seven days a week. And once again, the Grateful Dead will dominate the decor.

Count on Quixote's to have three times the groovy vibe Denver's been digging from the start, because Bianchi vows that it's "not going to move again."

Fort Collins has suffered too many club closings in recent years. So while Mackey's Grill & Still at 2439 South College Avenue isn't shiny new, the fact that it's finally holding an opening celebration on June 13 is reason to applaud -- and to drive north. Although Vicki Feekan says she's spent twenty-plus years in "all kinds of bars," this is the first one she's owned. Initially, she intended to open a smaller place, but things just grew. Since Mackey's opened, its crowds have been growing, too. Consider that the upcoming celebration isn't even Feekan's doing: members of the bands she's booked came up with the idea and are doing all of the work involved. "We write on walls," says Feekan, explaining her place's "quaint, easygoing" charms. Sounds good to me. I'm grabbing my crayons and heading to Fort Collins. Who wants to carpool?