Rockin’ the Phoenix

It was a Saturday night at Phoenix Bar in Golden.

Since the weather has been so cold lately, the headlining act, a rockabilly band called The Wind Up Boys, started their set off with a surfing song.

“We like to have fun,” said George Mu oz, band booker for Phoenix Bar. “We start with the bartenders and it goes all the way to the music.”

The revamped venue, which opened Aug. 19, works with Anubis Productions to host live music every Saturday night. It’s a variety of music, but includes rockabilly, acoustic sets and singer/songwriters. And because the venue boasts an acre of property behind it, Mu oz is excited for summer and the outdoor concerts the venue will host.

Saturday night’s opening act, solo performer Craig Spader of Littleton, has been performing live for about three years. But it was his first time performing at Phoenix Bar.

He had a blast. “If it wasn’t fun,” he said, “we wouldn’t be doing it.”

After every song, the crowd of about 25 people applauded loudly.

“You pour your heart into this stuff,” Spader said, thanking the audience. “It makes a difference when everybody appreciates it.”

Since drummer Bee Vaz and upright bassist T.J. Miller joined vocalist Chris Alexander and guitarist Andrew Johnson about a month ago, The Wind Up Boys are “up and running” and “having a great time,” Alexander said.

Johnson and Alexander have been performing since 2014, but this show was the first time the entire band performed together live.

“They did awesome,” said show-goer Crystal Campbell, who came with her friend, Chanell Gustafson. “They have a special thing going.”

The two traveled from Fort Collins. Gustafson is a photographer with Luna Moon Photography, and she came to take pictures because she is a long-time friend of The Wind Up Boys. And Campbell decided to join her. “It was definitely worth the trip,” Campbell said.

In November, Ryan Burkle of Arvada, who recently moved to Colorado from Virginia, saw The Wind Up Boys perform with Vaz’s other band, The Healz, and became an instant fan.

“That show was kind of my introduction to the local music scene,” he said.

Bryan Preciado of The Healz came to the show Saturday night to support his bandmate.

The Wind Up Boys “bring back a style that is kind of lost,” Preciado said. “That old-school rock-and-roll.”

But it’s not just the music that makes Phoenix Bar a fun place, said bartender Sandra Reynolds.

“I love the clientele. We get a variety of people who always have a great attitude and they have a good time,” Reynolds said. “It’s a great neighborhood bar.”

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