Saturday night, Tony took the stage at Denver’s historic Lion's Lair, one of the last true dive bars on Colfax. He opened with a solid set of originals that set a gritty, blues–rock tone and kept the bar buzzing. The crowd leaned in, a mix of regulars and veterans who once packed Cricket on the Hill, nodding along to every riff and lyric.
Mid-set he broke out a new song that debuted only at recent WFAN rehearsals. The tune landed hard, and you could even the most hard core was said to be in tears. Well, I said that and while I didn't see it happen, I'm 1000% sure it did happen.
A quick shout-out to the bartenders, a swig of “water”, and Tony slid into the closer, a raw cover of Man In The Box. No backing tracks, just guitar, voice, and plenty of volume. By the last chorus the whole front row was singing, and it was said that even the doorman left his post to catch the final notes. Well, I said that too and while I didn't see it happen, I'm 1000% sure it did happen.
After the amps cooled off, the Lion’s Lair crew pulled Tony aside and asked him to stop back in the next day for their podcast, 'Laxin at the Lair. They spent time talking songwriting, Denver’s music history, and what it takes to keep original music alive when a cover charge barely buys “coffee”.
The episode is slated for release in August, and we’ll share the link as soon as it drops. Until then, you can explore past episodes and subscribe on your favorite platform here:
https://laxinatthelair.podbean.com/
Stay tuned for more shows and more stories.
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