That’s why well-known indie club promoters Scott Happel and Peter Ore feel the time is right to open an ’80s-themed speakeasy called the Delorean. Yep, that’s right — it's named after the famous car featured in one of the decade’s blockbuster films, Back to the Future, and it's set to open at 1753 South Broadway on Friday, August 9.
The idea started when the duo considered opening an ’80s bar in the basement of HQ, the club they launched in the former 3 Kings Tavern space after it went out of business in 2020. But the venue didn’t have sound insulation between the basement and main floor, and it would have been too costly to build.
Kessel Run Punch is one of the group drink options at the Delorean.
The Delorean
When they were notified about an available space from their friends at FashioNation, who are relocating their South Broadway store a couple of blocks farther south, they jumped at the chance.
Fortunately, says Ore, the space was in good shape and didn’t require a lot of renovation aside from transforming it into an ’80s time capsule.
Ore has been in the nightclub business since the late 1990s and currently owns and books bands along with Happel at HQ, and with Happel and Andy Bercaw at the Oriental Theater. But, he says, the ’80s bar is a labor of love. “I’ve always done concerts and had concert venues, but I wanted to do something creative in a different way that still ties into music and pop culture and the stuff I grew up on," he notes.
The space is a reflection of Ore’s love for the decade, with blown-up replicas of ’80s album covers from his personal collection and a case filled with memorabilia. Under the bar glass are pages ripped from 1980s music magazines, stickers, trading cards and other ephemera of the period. The bathrooms feature wallpaper with horror films and popular toy of that time. From the ceiling emerges an ’80s vortex of items sure to bring back a few memories as neon Pac-Men munch across the walls.
They call it an ’80s speakeasy, with the speakeasy part referring to the entrance, which looks nondescript from the outside, the nostalgia factor only revealed once someone steps through the double entrance. There will also be a signature drink menu with an ’80s twist.
But it’s the music that Peter is focused on: “I collect vinyl from the late ’70s to about ’89. Whether it’s new wave, goth, industrial stuff, or punk rock from the ’80s. That’s the decade for me that has the best music. It’s just a cool decade.”
He says the music in the bar will focus on ’80s new wave, but it’s tough to narrow it down when the decade featured so many genres, from pop to punk to hair metal.
“You could do the entire decade, but then it doesn't become unified in the vibe,” says Ore. “If you’re playing Poison, then you play Duran Duran and then you play Whitney Houston, it just doesn’t capture the right continuous vibe. Scott wanted Guns N’ Roses on the playlist, so 'Sweet Child O’ Mine' will be in there occasionally, but just as an accent.”
As far as timing and whether people are ready to bring back the ’80s, Ore points to the latest crop of dark-wave bands that have come on the scene, including Boy Harsher, Gunship and Urban Heat. There’s also the Cruel World festival celebrating new wave, post-punk, gothic rock and alternative rock genres that's been taking place in Los Angeles the past couple of years. Lineups have included the Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Adam Ant, Gary Numan, Soft Cell and Tones on Tail, and the festival has launched reunion tours by many of the acts.
“I think COVID gave people a taste of mortality. So they’re thinking, ‘I gotta see some of these bands before they’re no longer with us,’” Ore says. “So kids are getting into these heritage bands, and it’s quite obvious there’s a resurgence in that style of music.”
Ore says he’s excited for the opening and to be doing something he loves, which is a little different than booking bands at other venues. “I try to book as much of the music as I love," he notes, "but as a promoter, I can't just book bands I like. I have to book anything I think can make money. With this, I don’t care what the world thinks, I’m ready for this bar."
He admits, though, that after putting so much of his love of the ’80s into the space on a personal level, he kind of wants to keep the place to himself. “It's so perfect," he concludes. "I don’t want to let people in to mess it up! But I'm super excited. It's been an absolutely awesome project to work on."
The Delorean is located at 1753 South Broadway and will be open from 5 p.m. to close August 9-11 for its grand-opening weekend. For more information, visit denverdelorean.com.
