Lisa Cook of the Emmas Was 86’d From the Lion’s Lair

“A few days before the show, I tried to pull a gag on the bartender. When he stepped away, I pretended to drink beer from the taps, like in the film Barfly. The bartender had either not seen the film or didn’t appreciate my humor. I got thrown out. Later, when Karen (the drummer) and I were loading in to play, I was told that I was 86’d. We were still allowed to play, but I wasn’t allowed to drink. Of course. I was bummed, but agreed.

“I get nervous before shows. I went outside to get fresh air and found myself at the liquor store next door. Got a few beers, slamming two in the alley. The doorman found the rest of my beers as I came back in. Our show was then canceled. I begged and pleaded, and our gig was back on. We played, had lots of fun, and more bands played after us.

“Karen started double-ordering at the bar, sneaking me drinks. After three rounds, I started thinking that I was invisible and started reaching for Karen’s drink. She yelled at me about drinking all of her beer. Five minutes later, we were both 86’d.”

Editor’s Note: The Denver Bootleg is a series chronicling the history of local music venues by longtime Denver cartoonist Karl Christian Krumpholz. Visit Krumpholz’s website to see more of his work.