| Bars in Aspen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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CLUB CHELSEA Club Chelsea is on at 415 East Hyman Avenue (on the mall) in downtown Aspen. (970) 920-0066. Yes, they have a website: www.clubchelsea.com. This is a genuine, upscale nightclub that has music nearly every night of the week, all-year round. The standard of musicianship is always high and a good dose of Aspen's musical legacy seems to have settled here. You can even hear some of Aspen's finest locals getting together for good old-fashioned rock 'n' roll. The intimate atmosphere and central location make Club Chelsea a favorite for the late night crowd. And you never know who will be on the ticket or come sit in. In addition to the main room at the club, you can enjoy the quiet fireplace room complete with cushy couches or retire to a small chamber and puff your fat Cuban cigars. If you run out of illegally imported cigars, the lounge has many varieties for sale, from the $2 Capa Caronas to the $60 Fuente Fuente Opus X Robusta. THE LITTLE NELL HOTEL The Little Nell Hotel is located at 675 East Durant Street at the base of Aspen Mountain. (970) 920-4600. www.thenell.com. The Nell is not famous for hosting live music, although if you catch the jazz show you'll be surprised at the quality. And it's pretty quiet here in the summer. In the winter the hotel lounge has a variety of musicians swing through. The bar at the Nell is a quiet place to enjoy a romantic, if somewhat expensive drink and the food at the Nell is among the best in town. It's also a great place to people watch. In fact, some locals admit they take their out-of-town guests to the Little Nell for that real dose of Aspen chic. THE DOUBLE DIAMOND The club is located at 450 South Galena Street (downstairs) in downtown Aspen. Call (970) 920-6905. Okay, this is Aspen's premier live rock venue. It's the big club in the little space and features mostly up-and-coming bands. Their track record reflects that they know what they're doing and visitors should consider trusting the club if you haven't heard of the band. Trust us: Your "saw them when" list will benefit. Some acts who have swept through on their way up before becoming really famous: Cheryl Crow, Bruce Hornsby, Bare Naked Ladies, Blues Traveller, Widespread Panic, Better Than Ezra, Freddie Jones Band, Lyle Lovett and countless others. Bands that sometimes like to come and play: Bonnie Raitt, Jimmy Buffett, Black Uhuru, Burning Spear, Violent Femmes, The Funky Meters, Billy Idol, George Clinton and Parliament, etc. The Double Diamond hosts live music during the summer and winter and usually takes a break during the off-seasons. The venue holds about 350 people and it can get pretty tight and smoky in there. If you are sensitive to loud music ear plugs are recommended. SYZYGY Syzygy is upstairs at 520 East Hyman in downtown Aspen. (970) 925-3700 Don't try to pronounce the name, just get to Syzygy for an elegant atmosphere and live jazz music. Unlike most of Aspen's bars this one is UPSTAIRS, thus providing a nice view of some of downtown. The nice bar and lounge is a comfortable setting for classy music and company. And the jazz is world class. . THE GROTTOS The Grottos is at the end of the Cooper Street Mall (320 South Mill) in downtown Aspen. Call (970) 925-3775 for the latest listings. This is the spot to check out local bands or sing karaoke (Wednesdays, blame the altitude). The mostly jam-rock music gets underway nightly at 10 p.m. right after they clear away the dinner dishes. One of the Grottos' most popular gigs is the "Night of the Living Dead" held Sunday nights. This is when local musicians relive the pageantry and spectacle of tripping to Dead music and local hippies come and chicken shuffle to seemingly endless guitar solos. COOPER STREET PIER Cooper Street is located at 508 East Cooper. (970) 925-4980. I wouldn't go to Cooper Street seeking fine acoustics or name acts. On the other hand it doesn't cost to get in, there's no dress code, and you can sometimes, on the weekends, hear a local live band or acoustic musician jamming above the din of one of Aspen's most beloved smoky dives. This isn't the only "locals bar" left in town, but its one of the few and one of the best. The two-level bar and burger joint has pool tables upstairs and highly competitive shuffleboard downstairs. Holding the table is a point of honor. You can find fair prices for pitchers and pub-fare food (if they have the ribs, get the ribs). Cooper Street is the place to go if all you got is ten bucks and a pretty face. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||