DENVER – For decades, there has been a familiar roar after dark between Race and Vine streets on downtown Colfax Boulevard in Denver.
“It’s been Lion’s Lair for 63 years,” said Lion’s Lair co-owner Doug Kauffman. “A long period of time.”
The history of the intimate concert venue dates back even further.
“As far as I know, since the 1940s,” Kauffman said.
It was first a jazz club.
“There were an endless number of jazz artists who played here,” Kauffman said. “Including Dexter Gordon and Clark Terry.”
The location has hosted legendary musicians and now some modern bands.
“The Black Keys, the Decemberists, Ozomatli, Mojo Nixon,” Kauffman said.
Kauffman believes that this monarch of the Denver music scene could have only the oldest liquor license of all the concert venues in the city.
“With the closure of El Chapultepec, I can’t think of anywhere else,” he said. “Alcohol licenses are numbered and it was one of the oldest alcohol licenses on Colfax. They didn’t have records that exceeded that much, so they couldn’t figure it out at the Excise and Licensing Office. “
And boy – history is taking place. Some even believe that this hiding place is haunted.
“Ghosts of old jazzmen, ghosts of old regulars,” Kauffman said. “You come here and you get some drinks in you, you might start to evoke them, you never know. It could be real. “
Like any other live music location, the COVID crisis silenced the Lion’s roar until late.
“It’s been closed for eight months,” Kauffman said. “It simply came to our notice then. Indeed, it is. It’s not like his old self. “
While the owner of the place was patient, with such great uncertainty, Kauffman and one of his employees decided to launch a GoFundMe campaign a few days ago.
“A lot of people came out of the woods,” Kauffman said.
He and his business partner are absolutely amazed by the support.
“He surprised us all by surprise,” Kauffman said.
Over 350 donors and starting Wednesday night.
“Small sums, big sums,” Kauffman said. “It was a move that the place means a lot to a lot of communities here.”
They’ve raised nearly $ 16,000 so far. People in our community who appreciate this cultural icon. The “king” of Colfax, if you will.
“We are very grateful to everyone who participated,” Kauffman said. “He will return. I’m confident it will be. “