A Swank Space for Soulful Sounds

Inside the heart of the Velvet Elk Lounge

Words and photos by Matt Maenpaa

At first glance, the entrance to the Velvet Elk Lounge almost blends in with the row of restaurants and storefronts on 13th Street, cozied up to its sister brewery, The Post. Music and conversation filter out into the street across the threshold, with a tease of neon spilling out with it when the streetlights come on.

The interior is unique and timeless, a space reminiscent of old-school diners stretching to the back to a set of double doors. Grab a seat in a booth to catch up with some friends, while local artists play intimate sets, from folk and Americana to modern blues and DJ sets. Scope out the memorabilia on the walls (along with some cool light fixtures) while you wait for a drink, carefully crafted by attentive staff. 

In a town known for closing down early unless you want to hit the college bars, the vibrancy of a music lounge is a vital addition to Pearl Street’s ecosystem of brewpubs and upscale fare. Outside of summer concerts and festivals at the bandshell, options for live music in downtown Boulder can be limited to expensive national touring acts. 

The Velvet Elk Lounge feels curated for a more mature crowd while still being a welcoming and accessible space for music lovers and cocktail aficionados alike. For Shelley Yates-Laguna, the lounge’s general manager, the venue is an opportunity to reinvigorate a version of Boulder she remembers from her college days at CU Boulder. 

“There used to be so much opportunity to see live music in Boulder and recently it’s sort of fallen away,” Yates-Laguna says. “For me there’s all this excitement for a resurgence of what Boulder used to be.”

It makes sense that a place like this comes from Dave Query, the self-proclaimed Chief Pot Stirrer of the Big Red F Restaurant Group and stalwart of Colorado’s food and drink community. Query has had a finger on the pulse of Pearl through Centro, Jax and West End Tavern, nevermind The Post itself. 

“The Query family is so embedded in Boulder, they’ve wanted a music venue forever,” explains John Boa, head of operations for the venue. “It’s really important to them, and us, that we do it right.”

The central location makes things easy, but that proximity also puts Velvet Elk Lounge right near both E-Town Hall and Boulder Theater. Boa says more music in the area makes it better.

“People come (to Boulder) thinking this is like Austin, that there’s just music everywhere,” he says. “It’s not really like that, but when all those folks need a place to go, we’ve got that lounge spot ready for them.”

What used to be just a hideaway listening room attached to The Post became a full-fledged venue in 2022, after the space was acquired from Silver Vines Winery. Bringing in the talent is the easy part, Query says, with the lounge booking local and national acts from all genres with the help of talent agent Roger Menell. 

The struggle is keeping everything affordable, Query explains, balancing out the desire to provide fair pay for musicians and cheap tickets to the public.

“The whole balancing act is well worth it when you have guests jamming out to a band they’ve never heard of before,” he says. “And when you see artists connecting with the crowd in such an intimate setting.”

On a Friday night in late August, Boulder-based The Sweet Lillies headlined a show at the lounge, along with Elle Michelle and Derek Dames Ohl. Yates-Laguna made a proper event of the evening, bringing in local vendors and hosting a voter registration booth with the League of Women Voters before the music started. 

A raucous and heartfelt blend of hip-hop, funk, Americana and fiddle-playing wizardry packed the bar and listening room until the venue was standing room only. It wasn’t some band playing on a battered monitor to the deaf ears of an unfeeling crowd. A proper lighting setup and sound system elevates the experience for patrons and artists alike. The crowd buzzed with energy, moving with giddy joy as music lovers young and old hit the dance floor. 

The staff matched the energy, slinging a shortlist of specialty cocktails like that night’s unique Pink Antlers, alongside well-made classics and a gracious smile. It’s always a good sign when you can tell the staff is having a good time.

Drop by the lounge Wednesday through Sunday, and it’s a guarantee that someone great is playing. Most events in the bar are free to the public, while the ticketed events on the main stage promise exciting touring acts without the price and fees of one of the big houses.

Check out the upcoming events and pick up tickets at velvetelklounge.com, or drop by in person at 2037 13th Street and discover it for yourself.