Pearl's Launches Indiegogo Campaign to Stay Open

Nearly a year ago, Pearl’s opened at 603 East 13th Avenue, in the space that had been the Beauty Bar for the past five years and the longtime home of the Snake Pit before that. Mike Barnhart, who was a co-owner of the Beauty Bar, and Tucker Schwab, a Beauty Bar bartender and manager, opened Pearl’s with a dance club in one room and a neighborhood bar in another. But now they're trying to keep the venue afloat with an Indiegogo campaign to raise $60,000 over the next twelve days.

“Many of the employees at Pearl’s are former customers and employees of the aforementioned venues, and wish to continue the culture and traditions attached to this unique space,” the campaign page states. “Pearl's will be financially viable in the near future, but is currently experiencing setbacks which compromise its ability to remain open and available to its devoted clientele."

“As Denver residents," the statement continues, "we have experienced the loss of many of our most beloved venues. Extended members of the community think back tearfully on such locations as the Cricket on the Hill, Gabor's, the Lancer Lounge and Club 404, and together we regret the loss of these businesses that have contributed to the aesthetic and culture that helped to form our memories of the city that we love. If we wish to preserve the unique personality of our local neighborhoods, we need to show support for the businesses that have helped form and characterize our city.”

The Indiegogo campaign, which has currently raised $2,698 by 22 backers, asks people to donate between $25 and $100, with a $100 donation garnering a Pearl’s T-shirt and a $20 gift certificate.