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Mutiny cafe4/6/2023 “Jack bent over backwards to make sure we got this place cause he wanted it to go to the right people,” Norris recalled. Unaffected, Jenson said, “We’ll work it out.” They had little money, and Norris was looking at $20,000 in court costs. He called up Megyesi - they used to hop trains together and once collaborated on a zine called THE - and Megyesi jumped on board. Do you want it?’ And I’m like, ‘Fuck yeah I want it.’” Then Jack waved me in and was like, ‘I’m done with this shit. It was the lowest I’ve probably been in my whole life. “I was walking back after getting out of jail, walking up the street to do my deposits. While running 3 Kings Tavern, he’d hit a new low. Norris, having been immersed in the bar industry for decades, had developed struggles with alcohol. ![]() ![]() That opportunity came in a serendipitous moment about five years back. “I’d put on my Buddy Holly glasses, I’d grow my hair out, I’d flip everyone off, and I’d sit there and run it by myself forever.” “I told Jack when he was done, I’d take over,” Norris said. “to make sure he wouldn’t have to deal with any customers at all,” that edginess appealed to Norris, and the two developed a close, trusting relationship centered around appreciation for culture, from Beat literature to local music. Though Jenson was “not very friendly,” preferring to open Mutiny at 11 a.m. With this population density, we have a real strong chance to build community and character here.”īefore Norris took over with his old buddy Matt Megyesi, Mutiny was owned by Jack Jenson, a long-haired guy wearing Buddy Holly glasses whom Norris described as “one of the first punk rock guys in Denver.” Norris, working as co-owner of 3 Kings Tavern down the road, would pop into Mutiny when he’d walk down Broadway to do his deposits and shoot the shit with Jenson. “That’s why they go to LoDo or weird places like that. “Maybe they don’t know what’s cool yet,” Norris said. While he initially feared places like The Punch Bowl would upset the “flavor of the neighborhood,” which he described as “a spirit of radical independence,” Norris now sees Mutiny as a way to help open these new residents’ minds to what’s cool. You’ll also realize he’s open-minded to the changes. If you talk to Norris, however, you’ll quickly notice his approachability, his warm compassion, his Buddha smile. “I’ve always enjoyed sticking it to the man,” Norris admitted. He’s vagabonded and train-hopped through the country, pissed off every fraternity on his college campus by publishing an op-ed arguing frat behavior perpetuated destructive masculinity and worked decades in the bar and music industry, holding positions from bouncer to manager. He’s a tatted-up, cig-smoking, Beatnik-inspired legend of the region with a gruff voice and a wild past. One look at Norris and you’d expect him to loathe the changes. New apartments are being constructed, abandoned buildings are being repurposed and gentrified, and establishments like The Punch Bowl - a “super uber hipster bar” in Norris’ eyes - are popping up amidst the many independent businesses that give the neighborhood its unique character. You’ll find Mutiny on South Broadway - though co-owner Jim Norris refers to it by its proper name, “the Baker Neighborhood.” (Don’t call it “SoBo” around him.) As with countless parts of Denver, people are flocking to live in the Baker Neighborhood. In Mutiny, you get to experience that story walking through the densely-stocked aisles. The massive collection of things tells a story too large for any human to tell. From pinball machines to comic books to Adult Swim posters to movie theater seats to classic literature to old board games to typewriters on pianos to records and cassettes and old cereal boxes arranged on a shelf, no element of culture gets shortchanged. The wide array of stuff creates a sense of celebration to Mutiny. ![]() Stroll through with a friend, and you’re bound to notice entirely different things. Walking into Mutiny Information Cafe is like walking into a physical version of that abstraction called “Pop Culture.” The last several decades of American pop culture surrounds in diverse forms, overwhelming in all the best ways. Mutiny Information Cafe, seen from its entranceĪnd Mutiny’s definition of “cool” is as vast as its outrageous collection of memorabilia.
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