Club Scout

The Blue Mule won't be alive and kicking much longer -- it's soon to go Underground. Yes, the Mule, which took over the lower-level space at 1624 Market Street that once held Brendan's, will give up that spot; taking its place will be a hybrid venue called the Velvet Underground, brought to us by Pourhouse Pub owner Jeff Arnold. In fact, Arnold's already started renovating the still-open Mule, and while he calls the transition "tricky," he thinks his luxurious live-music lounge will be ready to debut a week after the Mule closes, perhaps as soon as November 19.

Some of the changes are already visible, including the first (women's) bathroom in a bar that I've ever heard a user call "beautiful." (Remember that old song "Skip to My Loo"?) And the club will have other amenities designed to draw in downtown Denver's regular crowd as well as tempt suburbanites to take a trip: custom cozy booths in a dark-blue prism design; brushed-steel tabletops; azure crushed-velvet curtains; dark-gray walls with a suede-like texture and light-gray trim. But Velvet Underground isn't all about a chic, sophisticated vibe; also on Arnold's agenda is a full music lineup, starting with a sing-along happy hour called "Keys and Cocktails," complete with baby grand piano and player. Wednesday night will be "Blues and Brews," while a variety of local bands will turn weekend nights into Underground parties. And never fear, one popular Mule trademark will remain: bandaoke!

Longmont lost a performance-scene landmark when Cheers announced in a September 30 e-mail that the bar would be closing the next night -- no further explanation offered. The darkened doors at 301 Main Street took many locals and live-music supporters by surprise, and Club Scout's attempts to contact the owners -- or anyone who has the scoop on what happened -- have thus far been unsuccessful.