I'd been to Bushwacker's Saloon (1967 South Broadway) many times, but I'd never before noticed that the sunken bar was shaped kind of like a penis — or at least like half an erect one and a ball. The gal who pointed this out to me also explained that the place had been a strip club before Bushwacker's moved in about seven years ago. And all of a sudden, the comfy lounge chairs with wheels at the bar and the mirrored wall behind the bar made sense.
When I visited last Wednesday, Matt Spinks was running his weekly blues jam, and a guy wearing a "Colorado Is for Hustlers" shirt was tearing it up on guitar. (Michael Hornbuckle hosts some great blues jams here on Sundays, which is also a good time to drink with friendly bikers; on Fridays and Saturdays, the club brings in local rock and punk bands, and on Tuesdays, it's karaoke.) A guy and a gal were making out near the back; another guy was ordering a smothered burrito. Somehow I'd never realized that this place serves food. Hell, I was learning all sorts of new things about it.
Still, as I sat at the bar, right where the cock and ball connect, I thought about how every time I'm in Bushwacker's, it feels like it's been here for at least three decades. The cow skulls hanging over the front of the bar, the stickers on the beer coolers, the signs all over the place (one reads "No trespassing — violators will be shot, survivors will be shot again") make it feel lived-in and comfortable, kind of like that concert T-shirt you've worn since you were a kid, even though it now has a few holes in it.
Club scout: Rockstar Aaron is relaunching Cassette: 80s & Beyond on Fridays at Rockbar (3015 East Colfax Avenue), where he'll spin '80s dance, brit pop, indie rock, pop and more; there will be $2 Finlandia vodka specials as well.
On Thursday, February 26, the brand-new Lavish Restaurant & Lounge (1448 Market Street) will host Beautiful Distractions Model Search & Fashion Industry Night. Photographers, magazine reps, clothing designers, models and promoters will be on hand at this monthly fashion/art networking night. Also on Thursday, the Red Room (320 East Colfax) will start its weekly Thursday Night Live series showcasing local/regional bands. This week it's singer-songerwriter Dave Timkin; on March 5, Hot Cheeze Soup will infuse the spot with rock, soul and blues.
KGNU will broadcast another live installment of Dub Palace from the Meadowlark (2701 Larimer Street) on Sunday, March 1, from 10 p.m. to midnight. DJs Segue and Uplifter will spin dub, dubstep and future dub at the club the first Sunday of every month.
