Beacon Owners Tease Opening of New RiNo Immersive Art Venue

"We don't normally dress like this," admits Robert Champion.

He and fellow Beacon co-owner Mario Nocifera are definitely donning some head-turning looks — think late nineteenth-century dandy meets 1920s Art Deco. Nocifera, who is wearing black lace leggings and a blazer with a red rose in the lapel, and Champion, who also has a rose in his black velvet duster with elaborate cord trimmings and is carrying a gentlemanly cane, are walking through large empty rooms with brick walls and hardwood floors. The space is a blank canvas for their next immersive, art-filled club, which they signed the lease on a little over a month ago and anticipate opening in about eight months. Until then, the duo is brimming with ideas.

Their outfits, they explain, reflect the vibe of the new space. In an application for artists interested in creating installations there, the creative owners write: "Imagine a loungey space that is primarily brick & hardwood, has warm lighting, and is known for class but majorly loaded with quirks. The story begins with: Welcome to our 1920's dream house, where when you enter via the chimney, or a fluffy cloud, you’ll find that everything in this house has gone terribly…. right."

Nocifera and Champion are keeping the club's address and name under wraps for now. They can say, however, that the new club will align with the innovation, messaging and overall vibe of Beacon, the immersive art bar they opened in December 2021 that went on to receive several Best of Denver awards.

"It's the same principle in terms of how people treat each other and how authentic we want people to feel free to be. The sound will be perfect, the lighting will be highly intentional, and that gives people a draw to connect with each other," Champion explains. "But some of the major thematic differences will be that it'll be more of a lounge, something that offers a little bit more warmth, and more caters to a broader range of audiences, especially in the earlier hours."

Beacon is known as the late-night haven in RiNo, and there's often a line spilling out the door. But that "doesn't exactly create access for everyone," Champion explains. "It's a great problem to have, obviously. That's why we're creating another spot — we've got our eyes on more of the RiNo community and foot traffic, people going from place to place, as opposed to Beacon, which turned out to be more of a destination. ... All the things that we know work really well are coming with us. But we're also going to be doing a lot more that we don't do [at Beacon]."

"We're capturing the daytime opportunity to connect," Nocifera adds.

Not that Beacon hasn't engendered a great community, as well. Known for its embrace of Burning Man culture and always-innovative owners, the club has become an absolute stalwart for upcoming and established artists and musicians, not only with its permanent and rotating collections of immersive art, but through art markets and mini festivals. Nocifera is taking it even further with his podcast, Heroic Hospitality, in which he interviews industry and community innovators, including Youth on Record's Jamie Duffy, musician Brandon Theis (aka the Orchestrator) and chef Troy Guard. And Champion and Nocifera will use their new space to spotlight local artists even more.

The new club will have two art rooms of installations, as well as a lounge room with a dance floor, a main bar and a smaller bar. The ample space will be made warm and engaging through lighting and artwork, creating more of a conversational cocktail date atmosphere than the festival vibes at Beacon. And while there will be two different doors, no matter where visitors enter from, "you're going on a journey that includes immersive art spaces," Champion says. "If you want to dance, you can dance. If you want to sit and drop into conversation and see each other, well, you can do that, too. It's kind of a choose-your-own-adventure. There's just so many different things you can do within the place. That's true of the Beacon, and it'll be super true here."

The owners note that the club will host dance parties as Beacon does, but "they'll be curated differently musically," Champion says.

"We've been thinking about having more game-like activity, but not just cornhole," he adds. "Maybe some games that we even create that offer more intention and direct people to connect with each other, like Truth or Dare."

"Something that anchors someone into their reality, as opposed to being a human behind a computer or a human body in your home," Nocifera adds. "We want to get people out of their shell."

"We're not trying to convince people to, like, dive into their trauma while they're trying to have a drink," Champion clarifies. "But that sweetness and silliness and playfulness, and those subtle reminders of  'I'm a human on this earth.'"

As Nocifera notes, one of their favorite sayings is: "Alcohol is a social lubricant meant for checking in, not checking out."

Champion just got back from the Big Burn, and is taking inspiration from Black Rock City in the creation of the new club. In the meantime, Beacon will be hosting a "Welcome Home, Dust Off" event for those coming back from Burning Man (and others!) on Sunday, September 24, which will feature DJs, fire performers, art vendors and more.

It's events like these that have made Beacon such a unique and valued venue in Denver. And when it comes to the new endeavor, Nocifera promises, "The secret sauce is coming with us."

Beacon's Welcome Home, Dust Off event will run from 3 to 11 p.m. Sunday, September 24, Beacon, 2854 Larimer Street. Tickets are $15.