Walking down 13th Ave on Capitol Hill, The Black Box glows humbly in its stark black paint from the outside. In perfect resemblance to its name, the building literally looks like a black box on the corner of 13th and Grant St. The deep black exterior (and interior) is intentional, and symbolizes the sense of community that is formed within the dark walls of The Black Box.
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Both adorned in black to match the venue’s walls and leather cushions, Nicole Cacciavillano and Corey Pfaff are co-owners of The Black Box. Before the venue became coated in its numerous layers of black paint, it was the home of Denver’s first Piggly Wiggly in 1944, which a comic strip found in the back pays homage to. It then became office buildings, a goth club, a punk club, a Grateful Dead bar, and finally the present-day Black Box. Cacciavillano and Pfaff took over the spot in October 2016, working with an extremely quick turnaround time, and opened in November 2016.
The purpose of the black paint signifying the name “The Black Box” comes from the venue’s emphasis on sound, community and the importance of moments being created within its walls. “I was thinking about how in an airplane they have the black box which holds the most precious moment and that was it. It just makes sense. This is where we’re gonna create those moments, and this is where they’re going to live and die,” Cacciavillano said. Twenty-nine gallons of black paint later, and the name stuck.
Cacciavillano came from a previous company that centered around bass music and dubstep, which is what The Black Box focuses their artists around. “My other company is called Sub.Mission, and I’ve been throwing dubstep events in Denver for almost 20 years,” Cacciavillano said. “Sub.Mission started the dubstep culture in America and also in Colorado so [bass music] is what we’re known for.”
Their mission was to blend great sound quality with a space for the community to enjoy it. “That’s the biggest thing that I see over and over again for people. It’s the sense of community, which is what music’s built on,” Pfaff said. “Every genre of music is built on that.”
Both Cacciavillano and Pfaff said that the crowd that frequents The Black Box is respectful and looks out for each other, and they rarely see fights break out, if any at all. “We were able to open this place and have a foundation of people who come in here who kind of govern themselves and they keep each other safe,” Cacciavillano said.
The two co-owners reciprocate a mutual respect with their crowd, and want to signify that this is a safe space for everyone to enjoy music. “People have good days, they have bad days, and we understand that completely,” Pfaff said. “We’re not the type that if you act like an idiot, you’re gone. We want to know why and how, so you can come back here and enjoy it.”
The Black Box refurbished many parts of the building to make sure the music quality has the best translation. The sound system and all the precautions that they built into the Black Box all lend to an overall physical experience of sound that brings people together. “Music heals and those vibrational frequencies that we get from our sound system, they do something to your body, and they do something to your soul,” Cacciavillano said. “And when you’re out there in a dark room, you don’t have to worry about people looking at you or judging you.”
Upon entering The Black Box, the matte black walls are the first thing noticeable, amidst the dim lighting. Then the massive sound system off to the left room and the smaller stage in the lounge with a pool table and booths to sit in. There is intricate yet simple white artwork on the walls, that pops magnificently with the black, and two bars featuring local brews and an extensive non-alcoholic menu. They have an extensive smoking patio outback with another small stage and DJ booth for pop-up shows.
Both the art, music and their bar menu coincide with their mission of highlighting community as they focus on working with local breweries and artists across the board. “I think the biggest thing is that we are literally about the sound and the music, and that is our priority. That is the focus,” Cacciavillano said. “We strip out all the extra stuff, all the flashy lights or LED walls. Sometimes we have visuals, but we really focus on the community. Sound not hype, that’s our motto. And we are most definitely about a big sound system.”
They’ve also taken other measures to ensure that the sound can be as amazing as possible, like hollowing out the floor and installing 12 inches of soundproof foam into the ceiling. “It sounds like you’re in a studio where it’s not deafening, but it’s not quiet, it’s a physical experience,” Pfaff said. “Blood, sweat and tears doesn’t even begin to define what we put into this place. I think people feel that when they walk in here, not only from us, but from our staff and the artists.”
With sound, music and community at their core, the goal at The Black Box is to create a lasting positive experience. “Sometimes you go to places to forget. Sometimes you go to places to create a memory,” Pfaff said. “And somewhere in between those lines is what I think I would desire for people to feel.”
The crew at The Black Box aim to create an overall experience where visitors can leave with a sense of gratitude and belonging. They want to create a safe space where visitors can come enjoy music, sound frequencies and no feelings of judgment. “It is about coming in, leaving everything outside and having those physical experiences with the sound system, the frequencies that it creates, and being able to clear your mind and open your heart and just be,” Cacciavillano said.
The Black Box keeps its mission — “moving people through sound, not hype —” close to its core and demonstrates it through the way that Cacciavillano and Pfaff run their venue. The building may be humble but the sound system and community formed within its walls is mighty. “We can honestly say that from the day I started Sub.Mission until today, our mission has stayed the same. It has never changed, no matter who we are,” Cacciavillano said. “While we became a hell of a lot busier and we have a lot more responsibilities, who we are and why we’re here has never changed. I think that is something that I’m the most proud of.”