As DIve Bars Disappear, Denver Is Losing Its Character…and Characters

The Carioca Cafe, known simply as “Bar Bar” for its bright-red neon sign, has had a tumultuous year. The beloved dive at 2060 Champa Street was forced to pause its live-music offerings last year after the city learned that it didn’t have a cabaret license, even though it had hosted shows for decades. Denver made the discovery after an underage, undercover cop was allowed entry with an under-21 ID, then allowed to purchase alcohol. Bar Bar reached a settlement with the city and closed for fourteen days; when it reopened, no live music was allowed.

To cover the cost of the closure and the loss of live music, Bar Bar launched a GoFundMe back in May while it applied for a cabaret license. Now that license is almost in hand, and another GoFundMe is trying to raise funds to keep the lights…