Denver pop rockers Rubber Planet will be heading off to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, in October to party with Sammy Hagar. The band won the regional finals for “A Shot at the Cabo Wabo,” Hagar’s national unsigned-band competition. Rubber Planet beat out the other two finalists, Denver’s Zen Barons, and Salt Lake City’s The Street, in the final regional round Aug. 25 at the Ogden Theatre.
The competition kicked off in June, with 10 weeks of competitions at venues like Herman’s Hideaway and the Toad Tavern. The finalists were chosen from an original list of 54 hopefuls, judged on originality, musicianship and crowd participation. Now Rubber Planet will join the finalists from seven other U.S. cities for one last high-profile battle onstage at Hagar’s huge birthday bash at the Cabo Wabo Cantina. Let’s hope they do Denver proud.
Shazzam! It’s like the ’60s and ’70s
Fans of Friday night’s Lipgloss dance party at La Rumba now have a new weekly event to enjoy. Tyler Jacobson from Lipgloss has teamed up with DJ Sidewalk to start a Tuesday-night party called Shazzam, which just kicked off earlier this week at La Rumba (99 W. Ninth Ave.). This new weekly is built around the same hipster vibe as Lipgloss, but with a retro focus on tunes culled exclusively from the ’60s and ’70s. “We’re trying to imagine what Lipgloss would sound like if it existed on Dec. 31, 1979,” says Jacobson of his Shazzam playlists.
If another throwback night sounds like a tired idea, don’t discount this too quickly; rather than the typical ’80s pop at most retro parties, Jacobson’s inaugural set mixed up songs by the likes of The Doors, The Kinks, Abba, Nancy Sinatra, the Beatles, the Commodores, Rick James and Barry White.
Lingerie show with Dollhouse Revue
Pinup legend Bettie Page is the inspiration for a super-sassy fashion show Wednesday at 5 Degrees (1475 Lawrence St., 303-260-7505). The gals from the Dollhouse Revue burlesque troupe (think Broncos cheerleaders channeling the Pussycat Dolls) will get dolled up like the naughty-but-nice ’50s icon with trademark black bangs for a Betsey Johnson and Loungewear Betty lingerie show. The summer fashion series always brings out the beautiful people, but this one is sure to pump the glamour factor even higher.
Join the clubbing, Boulder to Denver
Members of the People’s Republic now have a better way to beeline to Denver’s hot spots. Boulderites can jump on the Denver Party Express, a charter bus service that makes weekly trips to Denver clubs and lounges for special events – like the college-friendly back-to-school party at Lotus last week – and for regular Thursday and Saturday club tours.
The bus service picks up at five Boulder locations between 9 and 9:30 p.m. and heads to participating clubs (Rise, Lotus, Mynt, Monarck and 5 Degrees) for drop-offs, where participants can skip any cover charges and get front-of-line privileges. Drivers schedule pickups at the end of the night at each location, and haul the tipsy revelers back to Boulder. For $20 per person, it sure beats a cab ride, and the 21-and-over buses come stocked with ice, glassware and mixers for the trip down from Boulder. The service also makes regular rounds for comedy club tours, and can be booked for private tours and parties as well. Call 303-547-6987.
High Street Speakeasy closes
Last week I wrote about the series of “Save the Speakeasy” parties that the High Street Speakeasy hosted all summer in an attempt to keep the financially unstable business afloat. Sadly, the little dive bar that couldn’t finally shut its doors for good.
Staffers tell me that on Aug. 24 the building’s owners stopped by unannounced to change the locks and clear the space. It was always a tough location for a hipster hangout, hidden as it was in an obscure corner of the Cole neighborhood north of LoDo. Still, I’m sure I’m not the only one sad to say goodbye to the cool little watering hole.
Kat Valentine writes about night life Fridays in 7Days. Reach her at kat@kingproduction.com or call 303-820-1568.
