Venue Voices is a new monthly series shining a spotlight on all the incredible venues Denver has to offer and the people who keep them running. Denver is one of the greatest music cities in the country, having become a mandatory destination for some of the biggest names in music while fostering a vibrant, thriving local scene made up of artists of all types. The over 30 venues that exist in Denver and the surrounding areas make this fact possible for there would be no music scene without places to dance with those you love the most and strangers alike. From massive stadiums to intimate rooms, Venue Voices will take a deep dive into a different Denver venue each month, speaking to the people who run them in order to learn each venue’s history, challenges and triumphs while also taking a look at what the future holds.
For the next installment of Venue Voices, 303 Magazine spoke with Gwen Campbell, CEO of Globe Hall, Larimer Lounge and Lost Lake. Each space holds its own unique offerings for Denver but 303 will be focusing on Globe Hall for this Venue Voices feature.
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Globe Hall is located in historic Globeville, off Logan and 45th, just West of the Platte River. Campbell has always held this area close to her heart. Her mother grew up in Park Hill near Globeville which sits north of RiNo, another favorite area of Campbell’s. The area is rich in history, art and culture, which is represented beautifully through the murals found all over Globe’s walls. Globe Hall has changed hands, names and purposes over the years. It was previously known as the Sidewinder Tavern and was once the home for the Slovenian and Croatian VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) in the early 1900s. Today, it is a small but mighty music venue that serves and smokes some of the best BBQ in Denver. Their mission is to place customers’ happiness and performers’ positive experiences at the forefront.
Campbell was born in Omaha but grew up in Oklahoma. When she moved here in 1998, she immediately began to seek out Denver’s best music venues. Campbell and her husband have always had a deep love for the music scene. They met at a quintessential venue vital to Denver’s past, 15th Street Tavern, which is now long gone. But the Campbell’s have carried pieces of it into Larimer Lounge, Lost Lake, and Globe Hall. They’ve both always had a love for supporting local music and a knack for working in the industry.
“When I was younger, every time I went and saw live music, I just felt a part of it. I felt a part of a group, a part of the music, I’ve always enjoyed seeing live music. It was a huge part of my life growing up and still is to this day. It’s a part of me and it’s not about what the artist plays, it’s more about the feeling of the crowd and belonging and hearing what a musician has to say or what the band has to say with their music. Feeling the togetherness of all the components is so special. There’s no other feeling like that.”
Campbell is now the CEO and owner of three of Denver’s favorite venues but she didn’t always see her life going in that direction. When she was younger, she wanted to become a pilot, and she began flying planes at just 17 years old. Although she enjoyed it, she realized it was not what she wanted to do by the time she was 20. She re-routed her life and decided to enter the realm of Environmental Science Engineering at Ohio State and attended Colorado School of the Mines for her graduate degree. She dedicated 19 years to the environmental industry and some of those years were spent in tandem with her time in the music industry. Campbell has found ways to marry those two loves, such as partnering with Excel’s Renewable Connect program to make Globe Hall fully solar-powered. It takes a lot of energy to run a venue and a restaurant, and Campbell is proud to be fueled by clean energy.
When a couple loves music as much as the Campbells, purchasing a venue just makes sense. Setting up the bar at Larimer Lounge in 2002 was a big moment for Campbell. They were building the bar from scratch and deciding what kind of booze to carry based on her bartending expertise. This allowed the somewhat daunting reality of going from bartending to bar-owning to finally set in. She and her husband were embarking on a new journey of owning something special that could impact their community, not an endeavor to be taken lightly. Once they settled into the groove of owning Larimer Lounge, they purchased Lost Lake in 2013. Lost Lake was the perfect middle child to their family, but it had always been a dream of the Campbell’s also to own a restaurant.
Four years later, when they heard Globe Hall was for sale Campbell went to go take a look. She sat at the bar and instantly fell in love with the space. She said, “It was just immediate. I felt the same way about Lost Lake. When I walked into the place, I looked around and sat down and asked for a drink. This place just had a feeling, a great feeling. This place has good vibes. We’ve changed it a lot since then and it’s still a place where you can take someone and they’d feel comfortable.”
Campbell has seen Denver’s music scene grow over the years both as a business owner and a live music fan. A lot of that growth can be credited to Denver’s wide variety of venue sizes. It’s great for attracting nationally touring bands who then get local artists to open for them. It’s a win-win for all. Campbell knows talent when she sees it, and the feeling has become bittersweet. She’s grateful to have acts like Lane 8 and Sierra Ferrell on her stage but knows that there comes a point when they won’t be back. They will expand to larger venues and Campbell will be cheering them on every step of the way.
“The biggest benefit for Denver is the variety venues of various sizes. From venues that hold 100 people to Ball Arena — we have a lot of special venues. If you don’t have those incubator venues, you don’t get that organic growth. Charlie Crockett came here 5 or 6 times and then he got huge. I knew he’d get huge. It was just a matter of time. The smaller venues are a necessary part of Denver becoming a music hub. We can get those bands passing through, but it also helps develop our music community.”
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Being a powerhouse female CEO in such a male-dominated industry is not something just anyone can jump into but Campbell makes it look effortless. Her team is very inclusive and balanced with all types of people wearing different shaped hats and wearing them well. “Seven years ago when I started full-time, it was way more male-dominated than I thought it would be, but that has completely changed over the years. Everyone is very accepting and our workforce is diverse. A lot has changed over the years.”
Campbell has been excited about running a venue since their first purchase twenty-two years ago but she never imagined she would love it this much. When it became her full-time job in 2017 and she took over all three clubs, she found her rhythm and has never looked back. “I’ve been burnt out before, but not at this job. It’s exciting. There’s always something new and different and there’s always time to rest. I don’t want to say balance– I think it’s more about a love of the job and a love of what you do. When you have a job that you like, you like what you’re doing and you like the results. You can withstand the unexpected.”
As a manager of multiple teams, Campbell offers independence, flexibility and a lot of respect to her staff. The music business is sometimes known for tension and emotions running high. “Things happen every day that we don’t expect. We’re a live music venue. We throw a new event every day, and things happen that we don’t expect all the time. You have to take the emotional explosions out of the equation to run the business efficiently.”
If you ask Campbell who her favorite band is, she’ll smile and say “Whoever is playing tonight.” And she’s genuine in that. It’s not about the band or genre, it’s about the music. Extending a hand of hospitality to artists is important to Globe Hall. An old airstream trailer was converted into a green room complete with heating and air conditioning, and a private patio for the artist to recharge and get ready to play. They feed all of their touring performers because they know nothing fuels a band like a belly full of barbeque.
Campbell spent a lot of time in Texas and fell in love with BBQ and how well it goes with live music. “There’s a good feeling you get when you have a BBQ sandwich, some okra and you go and watch music. It’s all very satisfying and goes so well together.”
You’ll find plenty of gluten-free and vegan options on the menu and they offer a great happy hour to indulge in while you’re grabbing tickets from the box office. The crispy and tender brisket is a favorite amongst meat lovers, and the Mac ‘n’ Cheese and Jackfruit tacos pair perfectly with the Spicy Thai chili margarita. Happy hour is on Thursdays and Fridays from 4-30-630 where you can snag half-price sandwiches and a $5 beer.
The Globe Hall team is excited about their February lineup and their Valentine’s Day special. Buy tickets for all upcoming Globe Hall events here.