Opening Day for the Colorado Rockies is just a week away, and LoDo bar owners are preparing for the bounty of baseball season.Crowds of fans will flock to bars for pre- and post-game drinks, basking in the spring sunshine and kicking back with a brewski or six.
Places like LoDo’s, Jackson’s, the Sports Column and Tavern Uptown are perennial favorites, but some new spots are joining the scene for 2011.
Located steps away from Coors Field, The 1Up (1925 Blake St.) will offer games of a different type: totally awesome vintage video games, plus Skee-Ball and pinball machines.
The idea is an exciting departure from the typical sports-bar setup, though fans will undoubtedly be lured inside by the promise of old- school gaming. At press time, the 1Up was preparing for a soft opening today. Take a peek if you’re in the neighborhood.
It’s a bit of a walk from the ballpark, but The Matchbox (2625 Larimer St.) is fixing to be a fine place to escape the usual game-time madness. The just-opened bar is a relaxed little joint that occupies the space of the former Orange Cat Studios.
The Matchbox will come as a pleasant surprise to former Orange Cat lovers. Though the room is greatly spiffed up, it still retains the Cat’s historic charm.
The changes are immediately obvious: The overgrown backyard has been razed to create a spacious concrete patio. A brand-new bathroom and jukebox stand where the stage used to be. A long bar takes up most of the northern wall, with high-top tables scattered around the fixed-up floor. Smoke damage from a 2009 fire is still faintly visible in some areas, but the smell of smoke — which lingered for months after — blessedly is gone.
Best of all, the new owners kept the old ghost-sign that served as the Orange Cat’s main decor: A large advertisement for a shoe store that covers the south wall. The ad even looks a little cleaned up.
Two flat-screen TVs hover on either end of the bar, signaling that the Matchbox is a place to simply chill out and drink. And, perhaps, catch up on sports scores after an afternoon with the Rockies.
Feel the buzz.
The 11th annual Caffeine Music and Arts Festival takes over the 1stBank Center (11450 Broomfield Lane, Broomfield) on Saturday.
Presented by Triad Dragons, the dudes behind July’s Global Dance Festival, Caffeine boasts five booming stages of dance music. This year’s headliners include Infected Mushroom, DJ Micro, Showtek, Baby Anne and Mark Instinct.
Tickets start at $35 and go up to $160 for VIP admission. Buy tickets at or call 866-461-6556. Doors open at 8 p.m. Saturday.
Get psyched for the party tonight at The Church (1160 Lincoln St.), when the Dragons throw a Caffeine preparty with DJ John Debo, starting at 9 p.m. Just, you know, keep it together if you’re heading to Broomfield on Saturday.
Sundays will never be the same.
Starting this week, Beauty Bar (608 E. 13th Ave.) hosts a weekly “Dance Your Brunch Off” shindig on Sunday afternoons.
Starring DJ Gary Givant, the free dance parties will bring in local gay DJs to spin the day away. Dancing, obviously, is encouraged, even though the sun will be shining bright.
Of course, traditional brunch beverages are on the menu: A bloody Mary and mimosa bar will be available for your afternoon-drinking pleasure.
“Dance Your Brunch Off” runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays — leavng plenty of time to recover and show up fresh and extra-cheerful to work on Monday.
