Beta, LoDo’s newest nightclub, highlights it in bold, purple letters on its tasteful flyer: “Our mission is simple: Create the best nightclub in North America.”
Calling Beta (1909 Blake St.; 303-383-1909) ambitious is an understatement. But if there’s one man in Denver who could do it, it’s Brad Roulier.
The former booker for Regas Christou‘s SoCo clubs and a founder of online music store , Roulier’s got pull in this town. And right now he’s using it to create a mecca of cool in the heart of beer-soaked LoDo.
Last Friday, the club’s first night open, was promoted quietly. The cover charge was steep at $50. Only serious music fans — or the desperately curious — would venture inside to check out DJ Sharam, of Deep Dish fame. A fierce drag queen kept watch at the door.
“We were very intentional and deliberate about what we did,” said Roulier. “The first month we want (the drag queen) at the front door just because if you have a problem with her, you can’t come into the club.”
It makes a strong statement on Beta’s block of Blake Street, where sports bars thrive and testosterone drifts on the breeze.
“We’re not a gay club but we come from the club culture,” Roulier said. “The traditional dress with the striped shirts and the pointy shoes and the jeans — we’re kind of the opposite of that.”
Last Friday’s crowd was certainly an attractive, colorful one, but the atmosphere was loose. The wide open interior, in Rise’s former space, kept clubgoers mixing and moving between two levels.
Designed according to feng shui principles, Beta is big on its luxurious finer points: a separate VIP entrance, top-of-the-line sound system and, later this spring, “The Garden,” a giant, flower-draped patio.
But despite the recent high prices and careful opulence, Beta’s not supposed to be a snooty club for esoteric music connoisseurs.
“We don’t want to be tagged as just an electronic-music club,” says Roulier. “Our crowd on Thursday is different than our crowd on Fridays is different than our crowd on Saturdays.”
Fridays will feature mash-ups by DVDJ Unique, plus mainstream spinners like DJ A.M. or DJ Jazzy Jeff. Thursdays and Saturdays are the night to shine, with future headliners Kaskade, Benny Benassi and Paul Van Dyk on the way.
Denver’s niche for electronic music is relatively small, but Roulier thinks there’s plenty of room for another temple of boom.
“With our relationship with Beatport we think most of the DJs will want to play for us,” he said.
This Saturday, Beta hosts a St. Patrick’s Day party, then on Wednesday DJ Z-Trip mans the decks for the club’s official grand opening celebration. Advance tickets for both events are $15, and are available on groovetickets .
Green days.
Button up your beer pants, drinkers. Everyone’s favorite day has arrived. It’s St. Patrick’s Day, when red noses, twinkling eyes and impromptu sentimental warblings are encouraged and rewarded.
There’s no shortage of shamrock-y stuff to do in the coming days. With St. Patrick’s Day on a Monday this year, it means a whole weekend of smiling Irish eyes. Here are a few ideas:
Slim 7 (in the 1400-block alley between Larimer and Market streets; 303-359-8273) transforms into “The Emerald City” tonight, starring — appropriately — DJ FunkieGreenie. From 8 to 10 p.m., $15 buys all you can drink, plus other drink specials like $5 Guinness and $2 Apple Pucker shots.
The epicenter of Irish fun is Fado (1735 19th St.; 303-297-0066), of course. The party starts tonight and goes all the way through Monday. Bands, bagpipers and dancers will perform almost constantly on Saturday and Monday, and the Guinness will flow freely. What better place to raise a pint to St. Patrick?
Kathleen St. John: 303-954-1568 or kstjohn@gmail.com.
