Best Food at a Music Venue 2019 | Ophelia's Electric Soapbox | Best of Denver® | Best Restaurants, Bars, Clubs, Music and Stores in Denver | Westword
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Best Food at a Music Venue

Ophelia's Electric Soapbox

Following the success of urban eateries Root Down and Linger, restaurateur Justin Cucci went on to open Ophelia's Electric Soapbox, dubbed a "gastro-brothel" in a nod to the building's history as a house of ill repute and peep-show parlor. These days, the super-hip spot, decked out in boudoir-style decor, serves a varied dinner menu that includes burgers, sliders, flatbreads, skillets and small plates. Downstairs, the music venue has gradually ramped up the quality of its bookings, bringing in such national acts as the Dandy Warhols, Son Volt and the North Mississippi Allstars while hosting local acts and wildly popular dance parties.

Best Rock Club

Globe Hall

Since AEG talent buyer Scott Campbell, owner of the Larimer Lounge and Lost Lake Lounge, took over Globe Hall two years ago, the venue, dive bar and barbecue joint has steadily brought in a dazzling assortment of national acts that might normally be found playing bigger stages. Recent shows at the 250-person venue include Gang of Four and Helio Sequence; both had played the Gothic Theatre on previous stops in town. This no-frills intimate club is great for seeing bigger acts up close and catching lesser-known bands on the rise.

Readers' Choice: hi-dive

Best Facelift of an Established Venue

Fillmore Auditorium

Michael Emery Hecker

Celebrating its twentieth anniversary as a concert space under the Fillmore name, Live Nation's mid-sized Colfax Avenue auditorium — once a skating rink and an electric-car factory — received a stunning upgrade. The Fillmore's wide-open space was graced with three new elevated tiers of seating, creating vastly improved sightlines to the stage. Upgrades to the sound system deliver bright acoustics to every seat in the house, and added doors have created a smoother entrance and exit for the crowds. The most crucial improvement — which came after years of complaints about endless lines — is the addition of more restrooms, so concert-goers can spend less time doing the pee-pee dance and more time enjoying the show.

Best Photo Booth in a Venue

hi-dive

Courtesy of the hi-dive

It's difficult to explain what makes the photo booth at the hi-dive so wondrous. It's sort of magical, in that it consistently spits out better photos of your face than you imagined anyone could take. It's a very straightforward, no-bullshit photographic endeavor: two strips, full color, no dumb frames to choose from. Plus it's intimate in a clown-car sort of way, spitting distance from the bar, and allows just enough time between shots for maximum spontaneous creativity. There's little you can't do in front of that camera's lens: Abandoned strips around the venue demonstrate patrons' love of getting a bit naked, pulling faces and — of course — making out inside. Say cheese.

Best Live-Recorded Music Series

Head Room Sessions at ReCreative Denver

Courtesy ReCreative Denver Facebook page

The idea behind Head Room Sessions is simple: Local musicians perform live within an intimate gallery space, and the set is filmed. But these mini-concerts documenting the best of the local music scene are so much more, providing participating musicians with a video and audio recording of their work, professional photographs and a write-up — all components needed to pitch their work to booking agents. Curator Elle Naef is also set on bringing together Denver's many music scenes so that artists can meet, mingle, and maybe one day collaborate.

Best Live Music With a Horror Film

Sie FilmCenter's Scream Screen

Theresa Mercado doesn't take horror movies lightly. The slasher-film guru has programmed the Scream Screen series for more than a decade, delighting and horrifying audiences along the way. But her cultural expertise goes beyond film, as Mercado brings Denver's best experimental musicians in for pre-show, mood-enhancing sets at the Sie FilmCenter. Acts like Blood Loss, Echo Beds, City Hunter and DJ Sara Splatter have set the tone for events like the Scream Screen Scream-A-Thon, when Mercado played all four Scream films back to back, or the weeks-long Birthday "Slash-ebration" series honoring Tobe Hooper, director and producer of such classics as Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Poltergeist, The Funhouse and more.

Best Free Local Music at a Surprising Location

BarFly

Courtesy of Alamo Drafthouse

Some of the best venues pop up in unlikely places, and BarFly, at the Alamo Drafthouse Sloan's Lake, continues to be a nice surprise on West Colfax. The bar has built a fine reputation in a short time, creating a space for local musicians to play to both all-ages and 21-plus crowds. In addition, BarFly hosts live comedy, drag-queen bingo and a vaudeville-esque revival show, and it's the home stage for the Black Actors Guild's famed monthly "Show Ya Teef" improv showcase. The best part? The programming is free, complemented by a cordial bar staff, and the spot offers plenty of seating that includes ridiculously comfortable couches.

Best Open-Mic Night — Music

Syntax Physic Opera

Hosted by local singer-songwriter and musician Anthony Ruptak every Tuesday night, the Syntax Songwriter's Open Mic is both impressive and approachable — no small feat for a popular event at one of Denver's premier independent venues. The event allows musicians of all stripes to perform, backed by some of the sharpest sound engineers in town. Put yourself out there or join others in the supportive Syntax crowd while some of Denver's brightest musicians — both old and new — try out new material and take big risks.

Readers' Choice: Freak Train at the Bug Theatre

Best Place to Learn to Play the Ukulele

Swallow Hill Music

Swallow Hill Music

The folks at Swallow Hill Music, which celebrates its fortieth anniversary this year, cannot get enough of the ukulele. For the past decade, they've hosted Denver Ukefest, a three-day festival showcasing all things uke, including workshops, master classes and performances from some of the country's top players. While the annual shindig is a top-notch gathering of uke players, Swallow Hill's music program celebrates the instrument year-round, with classes and workshops that teach everything from basic chords to improvisation. On the third and fifth Saturdays of every month, Swallow Hill also hosts Denver Uke Community, a gathering open to all levels of players.

Best Music Store

Wildwood Guitars

Wildwood Guitars in downtown Louisville is relatively small, particularly compared to a big-box retailer like Guitar Center. While there's a decent selection of guitars, amps and effects in the main shop, a good portion of the store's stock is in its warehouse next door. The shop boasts the world's largest inventory of Fender Custom Shop handcrafted guitars, including ones made specifically for the store, like the Dealer Select Wildwood "10." Peruse the website to see the dozens of new, used and vintage guitars Wildwood carries before going into the store to try them out.

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