When Wicked Garden (1403 Larimer St.) opens next week, it’ll be another salvo in Jet Entertainment Group’s battle to win over Denver, bit by bit.
Occupying the space that once housed Open Bar and Hush, Wicked Garden is the latest hot spot from the burgeoning Jet empire. This time, the new place promises to bring a blast of rock to upscale Larimer Square.
“It’s going to be a lavishly decadent rock ‘n’ roll club,” says Jet’s vice president of marketing, Jordan Bullock.
“Lavish” is right — with bottle service, leather and animal prints everywhere, Wicked Garden is more “Pour Some Sugar on Me” than “Gimme Shelter.”
“It’s really high-end, but with a rock ‘n’ roll chic feel to it,” says Bullock. “It’s just going to be so over the top.”
To that end, live bands will occasionally play the room, and Jet is trying to book guest appearances by real rock stars. Bullock is keeping mum for the moment, though, on whom they’re luring to Denver.
Wicked Garden wants to be “where rock ‘n’ roll lives,” but Bullock is hoping for a healthy mix of clientele.
“Larimer Square is such a popular destination for the locals downtown, and then people from everywhere on the weekends,” she says. “I think we’re going to have an interesting (group) — tattooed people with their own bands and 22-year-old girls who get dolled up for a night out. . . . I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of whiskey poured there.”
Wicked Garden came together quickly. Bullock says work started in early October after Jet swooped in and took over the old Open Bar space.
It’s just one of many projects that Jet is working on at the moment. When word got out that Golden Triangle neighborhood restaurant nine75 was closing in late September, Jet scooped it up within days and reopened it.
Jet also took over two Purple Martinis: They’re going to turn the Denver Tech Center Martini into “Jet South” and slowly revamp the Purple Martini at the Tabor Center.
In December, Jet opens XO at the Jet Hotel, an organic, affordable Asian noodle house. Next up is Pizza Republica, a Neapolitan pizza joint in the Landmark development in Greenwood Village.
“Then we’re all going to take a vacation,” jokes Bullock.
“We’re diversifying our portfolio instead of having the same club everywhere,” she says. “Were really trying to do different things with all of our venues.”
Mission accomplished, at least so far. Jet’s properties are indeed eclectic, from the pizza parlor to Wicked Garden to 20, their members-only nightclub. It’s a strange brew — wait and see how it works.
Wicked Garden’s opening night party on Oct. 30 is by invitation only, but Bullock hints that wannabes may be able to “sneak backstage” at some point in the evening. On Oct. 31, the doors will be wide open for the Garden’s “Rock Stars and Groupies” Halloween party.
Cinch up your corset.
Here we go: It’s the Victorian Fetish Ball, Kevin Larson’s signature annual party. Now, in its ninth year, there’s something new to celebrate: the party has its very own venue this time around.
Larson’s nightclub, Wish (511 W. Colfax Ave.), will be the headquarters for all sorts of naughty shenanigans on Saturday. And get this: Wish is partnering with its neighbor, Diamond Cabaret, to make the Ball even bigger. That also means, yes, there will be nudity.
There’s more — the Ball goes on the road this year. Another Victorian Fetish Ball will be happening simultaneously in Minneapolis, full of randy Minnesotans.
The catch is you must wear a costume. No plainclothes observers here. The party starts at 9 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $21.50 at blacktie-colorado.com.
