This Longtime DIY Institution Is Hosting Concerts Again

Mutiny Information Cafe may have moved locations down to Englewood and taken the name Mutiny Comics & Coffee, but its cultural ethos has stayed the same. And for this local institution, that means books, comics, vinyls and live music.

Local musician and teacher Aaron Betcher has started a free, all-ages concert series at the venue, with at least two shows each month in the art-splattered basement that feature bands that normally wouldn't share the same bill. "I usually get about two to three weekends a month," he says, noting it's up to Mutiny's "awesome" co-owners, Jim Norris and Matt Megyesi.

Betcher has known Norris for a long time, stemming back to when Norris was a co-owner of 3 Kings Tavern, which is now HQ. Betcher moved to Colorado in 1994 and dove into the music scene, helping to book at Club 156 at University of Colorado Boulder. "I've been able to make great connections," he says. "I've been in a lot of bands, played a lot of shows and now I teach high school English. ... When Mutiny used to be down on Ellsworth, I would do shows there."

He's also currently in the shoegaze band Owosso, which will be playing at Mutiny on Saturday, September 13, alongside the Picture Tour, which Betcher says has "an awesome Jesus and Mary Chain vibe going on." Following that show, Hooper will perform with Dulled Arros on September 20, Almanac Man and Burning Sister on September 27, Flutter and the CDs on October 4, and the Old Men on October 18. Owosso will be back with National Wire on October 25, before Denver band Moon Pussy takes over on November 1 with National Wire.

After Mutiny moved to 3483 South Broadway, Betcher would stop in with his son to browse comics and chat with Norris. The idea to bring more concerts there came from some casual conversations, and Norris was naturally game. "He's been in the music scene in Denver for forever, so it's been a nice time for him, too, to catch up with people," Betcher says.

The concerts kicked off in the spring with the bands Thee Retcons and Margot Looney. Denver psych band Pale Sun has also performed, marking one of Betcher's favorite shows. Danny Pound of Vitreous Humor even came by for an acoustic set.

The concerts take place during the day and are all-ages to be as inclusive as possible. Betcher says he was inspired by a pre-pandemic series started by Ginger Conly at the Ross branch of the Denver Public Library, sponsored by Voodoo Donuts. "My old band, Modern Goon, was one of the first bands to play there, and all the parents could show up with their kids — it's hard when you have a one or two or three-year-old to get out to shows," he says. "You get to see people you haven't seen in a long time...and I was thinking it would be really cool to have a place where bands could play in the afternoon, people could come and see them and then go home and make dinner and hang out with their families."

It's been a success so far, and Betcher loves seeing seemingly incongruous bands come together. He says "the stage is open to anybody," and he means it: He encourages musicians to reach out to him on Instagram to get on the bill.

He hopes to grow it to include "a workshop space where people could come in and talk about the music they're writing and share ideas with each other," he says. "And then I'd love to find younger bands that need a stage and play with somebody who's a little more established in town."

Free, all-ages shows have been an integral part of the music community for as long as Betcher's been a part of it, and he is sure to emphasize their importance. "I remember moving out here and there was a lot of house parties in Boulder; I'd go to great shows all over the place. And then up in Denver, there used to be a lot of really cool DIY spots, and there's some popping up again, which is great," he says.

"My feeling is, the more stages the better," Betcher concludes. "If we get people access to more shows, then everybody wins. ... That ethos, that attitude in music, will never die."

Find more events at mutinyinfocafe.com.