"As we listened to our neighbors, it became clear they weren't just missing the music; they were missing the experience." Jackie Glenn, a surgeon who plays bass, said that this summer about the building at 7401 E. First Ave. She bought it for $3.5 million after the Soiled Dove Underground closed in May 2024.
That one sentence explains most of what has changed in Lowry's evenings this year. While Lowry United Neighborhoods asks residents what would make them spend more time at Lowry Town Center, and lists live music and food events among the options, a single building on First Avenue is already scheduling both, several nights a week.
Same Basement, New Wiring
Plenty of longtime Lowry residents remember the building's first version. Frank Schultz built it about twenty years ago. The Lowry Tavern was on the ground floor, and the Soiled Dove Underground was a 300-seat live music room below. Over the years that room hosted the Avett Brothers, Big Head Todd & The Monsters, B.B. King and Hazel Miller.
Glenn kept the layout and gave each floor a new name. Upstairs is now Rising Phoenix, a restaurant run by longtime Denver chef Daniel "Chef D" Young. Downstairs is The Dove Underground. Westword reported that the basement room is largely unchanged, apart from a new sound system from Listen Up, new lighting, new upholstery and a new bathroom off the green room. General manager Joseph Augusto said the calendar would cover all genres, plus comedy, karaoke and poetry. Talent buyers Jesse Wehling and Patricia Duncan are booking local, regional and national acts, and comedian Terri Barton Gregg is booking comedy.
The name is still being discussed. Schultz now runs Soiled Dove Live at Choppers, an occasional music venue at 80 S. Madison in Cherry Creek. He told Westword the Dove name wasn't part of the Lowry sale. Glenn has registered "The Dove Underground" federally, and her team considers its use aboveboard. In July, Westword reported that Schultz was talking about a cease-and-desist order. The two are separate venues.
A Week Upstairs at Rising Phoenix
The restaurant soft-opened over the summer. By mid-July, Westword reported it was already serving and that the staff had heard from Lowry diners who wanted it open more often. Here is how the restaurant's own site lays out the week this fall:
| Day | Posted hours | Recurring on the schedule |
|---|---|---|
| Monday–Tuesday | Dinner, 4 to 9 p.m. | Weekday Power Hour |
| Wednesday | Dinner, 4 to 9 p.m. | Karaoke night, Power Hour |
| Thursday | 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Music Bingo, listed at 9 p.m.; Power Hour |
| Friday | 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Live music at night, Power Hour |
| Saturday–Sunday | 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. | Buffet-style brunch with live music; live music Saturday night |
The site has a few loose ends. The homepage lists Music Bingo "Every Thursday," but the FAQ calls it rotating programming. The menu lists Power Hour from 2 to 6 p.m. on weekdays, while Monday through Wednesday service starts at 4 p.m. Check before you plan a Monday afternoon around it.
Each Power Hour special is $10, and each weekday has its own:
- Monday: nachos
- Tuesday: queso and chips
- Wednesday: jerk wings
- Thursday: smash burgers
- Friday: shrimp po'boys
The full menu covers a wide range. It includes the 16-ounce ribeye "Phoenix Cut" at $65 and Bayou Seafood Pasta at $35, along with Colorado Steak Poutine at $18, Jamaican Beef Sliders at $12, the Phoenix Rising Pizza at $14 and the Billie Holiday brisket burger at $16. The restaurant describes itself as "not a restaurant you save for one special occasion a year," which explains why the price range runs from $10 bar snacks to a $65 steak.
The Downstairs Calendar Through November
The Dove Underground held an open house on July 4. Its grand opening went ahead on August 15 with Hazel Miller and the Collective, bringing back a headliner tied to the room's earlier years. Since then the room has hosted Braiden Sunshine on August 21, with Brave Hollow and Friendship Garden opening, Bullet the Blue Sky on September 26, and Issac Points and the Jakarta Band last night, October 3.
These four shows are on the venue's ticketing calendar as of today:
- October 17: The Long Run. Doors at 6 p.m., show at 7 p.m.
- October 24: Lavender Jones EP release party, with Jewel House and Dunk Maxwell. Doors at 6:30 p.m., show at 7 p.m.
- November 6: Lies or Lullabies, a Colorado band playing songs associated with Bryan Adams, Bruce Springsteen and John Cougar Mellencamp. Doors at 6 p.m., show at 7 p.m.
- November 21: DaeDai. Doors at 6 p.m., show at 7 p.m.
No December dates are posted yet, and the comedy and poetry nights from the summer announcement don't have dates on the calendar. Most shows start at 7 p.m., so you can have dinner upstairs and still be home at a reasonable hour on a weeknight. The restaurant's own site suggests that pairing.
The Fountain Plaza Is Still in Design Review
Lowry Town Center at 200 Quebec St. is going through a slower kind of rebuild, with more people involved. In a March 4, 2026 report, Westword said the center's vacancy rate was 31% in late 2025. The report noted that Smashburger closed in May 2025, Petite Gateaux left that November, and the central fountain wasn't working. Kimco, which owns the center, said it had brought in a new leasing team and was seeing interest from restaurant and service businesses.
A redesign of the fountain plaza went before the Lowry Design Review Committee on August 6, 2026. The committee voted unanimously to continue the review instead of approving it, and asked for changes on several points:
- Star points in the design that visitors may not easily recognize, plus a request to embed the stars in the platform material instead of painting them on
- A physical sample of the artificial turf
- Trees drawn at full maturity, which the design team said would take about ten years of growth, and which may not shade the plaza during the hottest part of the day
- Metal tables that would likely be too hot to use in summer
- Updated construction documents, with more detail on the fence and the size of the trees at planting
The project was back on the committee's agendas after that, with a materials viewing on September 17 and a review of construction drawings on October 1. The agendas list those reviews but don't record what the committee decided.
What the Town Center Conversation Is Asking For
On August 3, Lowry United Neighborhoods posted about a Summer Pop-Up Party at the Town Center that had drawn families and new faces. The group is working with local businesses, the Lowry Business Alliance, the LCMA and Kimco on the center's future. Their question to residents is direct: what would encourage you to spend more time there? Live music, a farmers market, fitness classes, seasonal festivals and food events are all listed as options. Ideas go to [email protected].
The Town Center is still busy day to day. Kimco's current directory lists Baekga Korean Kitchen, Chop Shop, Delectable Egg, Einstein Bros. Bagels, Starbucks and Walter's303 Pizzeria & Publik House for food. Shops and services include Savory Spice Shop, Timbuk Toys, Kismet Jewelry & Accessories, Lyman & Brown Leather Goods, Club Pilates and Lowry Liquors. Kimco told Westword that some of the vacancies came from tenants such as Timbuk Toys and Kismet moving into smaller spaces, and both are still open.
The two efforts move at different speeds for structural reasons. A plaza owned by a landlord, governed by design guidelines and shaped by several community partners has to go through review meetings. A single building with a single owner can set its own calendar. Rising Phoenix and The Dove Underground show that Lowry residents will turn out for the formats on the neighborhood group's list.
Two October Saturdays to Plan Around
October 17 works well for a full day in the neighborhood. Wings Over the Rockies, at 7711 E. Academy Blvd., is holding Hauntings in the Hangar from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with trick-or-treating, science demos, crafts and open cockpits. That evening, The Long Run plays The Dove Underground, with doors at 6 p.m.
The following week, Lavender Jones holds an EP release downstairs on Saturday, October 24. Then on Monday, October 26, at 5 p.m., the Lowry Beer Garden at 7577 E. Academy Blvd. hosts its Annual Pumpkin Carving and provides the pumpkins and carving kits. If you'd rather spend the afternoon outdoors, Denver Parks & Recreation estimates that five new pickleball courts at Lowry Sports Complex will be finished this fall.
Julie Winger pays attention to the changes that shape a neighborhood week by week, like a building on First Avenue opening again or a plaza redesign moving through review. If you'd like to talk about how places like these figure into a move, in Lowry or elsewhere in central Denver, schedule a neighborhood consultation.
