Rich Lopez Jr: “It was bright and sunny when the world’s first Dungeons & Dragons tribute band headed to Bishop Castle. When they arrived, they donned their costumes and proceeded up the stairs. People stood and listened as they played and shot their video. In the main hall, an old man in a weathered hat mopped the hardwood floor. He peered inquisitively from the corner of the hall at the Bards. The man was none other than the castle’s builder, the legendary Jim Bishop himself. As their music and voices carried off the stone walls and beautiful stained glass of the castle, the old man cracked a small smile.
“They explained who they were and what they were doing. Jim has a reputation for being a hardened curmudgeon who dealt with many adversities in building his beautiful castle. But after meeting the Bards and hearing their music in his castle walls, he cracked a rare and curious smile. Before they left, he posed with them for a photo and told them that he had his own Medieval moniker bestowed upon him by his wife. ‘She calls me Sir Farts-a-lot,’ he said. The Bards left that day with a new friend, some amazing video, and inspiration from meeting a man who did what many said could not be done.”
The Bards of Greyhawk will play at KoboldCon in Colorado Springs on April 27.
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.
