The Best Denver Clubs to Open or Shut Down in 2016

It's no secret: Denver is changing. In 2016, some venues — Quixote's True Blue, Casselman's and the Armoury among them — closed their doors. New spots like the Black Box, Be On Key Psychedelic Ripple and Silver Spur Saloon opened. Here's our rundown of clubs we said goodbye to and new spots we're just beginning to know.

Black Box

After Quixote’s True Blue closed at the end of October, Sub.mission’s Nicole Cacciavillano took over the space at 314 East 13th Avenue, in Capitol Hill and turned it into the dubstep-centric club Black Box. The venue, which is painted completely black, sports a powerful, state-of-the-art Basscouch sound system and is quickly becoming the headquarters for the area’s bass-head community.
Be On Key Psychedelic Ripple

Although Jay Bianchi closed his twenty-year-old Quixote’s True Blue last October, he’s not entirely giving up his Grateful Dead-centric venue concept. He took over the former Denver Wrangler space at 1700 Logan Street and dubbed the venue Be On Key Psychedelic Ripple. The name of the new spot is a phonetic play on Bianchi’s (Be-On-Key) as well as a nod to the ripple effect that Quixote’s has had on the Denver music community.
Silver Spur Saloon

Eck’s Saloon in Lakewood was a haven for hard-rock fans for more than three decades before closing two years ago. A new owner took over the building last February and gave it a much-needed remodel before opening it as the Silver Spur Saloon in early December. The venue hosts rock and country acts four nights a week.
Voicebox

Since launching the first Voicebox in Portland in 2008, the company opened a second karaoke venue in the city before opening its third location in Denver’s RiNo neighborhood last summer. The 4,500-square-foot Denver outpost sports ten private karaoke suites that vary in size, as well as a full bar and restaurant.
Lumi Nightclub

Lumi Nightclub opened just before Halloween at 1416 Market Street, once home of 24K and Oak Tavern. The upscale club has lined up a number of guest DJs and guest appearances while its resident DJs spin a mix of popular dance cuts, whether it be hip-hop, electronica or pop. The club offers a VIP experience with bottle service, as well.
The Caribou Room

The Caribou Room, which opened in Nederland last March, was created (and is now run) by pro-audio professionals, engineers, musicians and music geeks, so the 500-person venue sounds amazing. The owners have brought in an assortment rock, Americana, folk and jam-band acts, as well as artists from the town’s longstanding bluegrass scene.

Read on to find out which venues closed in 2016.
Venues that closed in 2016

Casselman’s

Casselman's, the RiNo-based music venue and bar, closed in January after a six-year run. 10 Barrel Brewing, which was founded in Bend, Oregon, in 2006, opened a brewery and restaurant in the building in October.
The Armoury

The music venue and bar named after the Arsenal soccer team's fan store, the Armory, closed the Ballpark neighborhood-based spot after three years. Sidecar, the cocktail bar owned by Retro Room's proprietor, took over the space earlier this year.
Brendan's Pub

Brendan's Pub closed in January after Colorado seized the bar, restaurant and music venue for back taxes. Rory's Tavern recently opened in the location.
Quixote’s True Blue

Quixote's True Blue, which survived a few different locations over thepast two decades, closed in October to make way for the Black Box. Not long after Quixote's owner closed the space, he set up shop at the former Denver Wrangler location at 1700 Logan Street and opened Be On Key Psychedelic Ripple.