Cold Crush team opening new nightclub and restaurant concept in Ballpark neighborhood

Almost nine months after hip-hop club Cold Crush was evicted from its location in RiNo, its owners are finally ready to make their return to Denver’s nightlife scene.

In August, Cold Crush’s Brian Mathenge will team up with Curtis Club owner Scott Bagus to open Rock Steady, a new restaurant/nightclub concept set to take over Curtis Club’s spot at 2100 Curtis St.

Mathenge and Bagus signed a 10-year lease on the space on Monday, but it isn’t wasting time: Rock Steady plans to launch a soft opening on Aug. 9 and a grand opening Aug. 16.

Though it will serve as a spiritual successor to Cold Crush, Mathenge stressed that Rock Steady will be a true collaboration with Bagus, whose Curtis Club favors antler-wreathed overhead lights and an antique Wurlitzer jukebox over DJ decks and strobes.

“(Bagus) didn’t want a Cold Crush and I didn’t want a Curtis Club,” Mathenge said from a seat on the venue’s patio. “We decided to create a new concept to make both of us happy.”

“We want to create a multicultural, inclusive space that’s safe for everybody with a big focus on art,” Bagus added.

Cold Crush’s iconic murals will return to Rock Steady, along with Sunday parties and DJs. But during the day, the emphasis will lay on its soul-food restaurant, offering staples such as catfish, mac and cheese, fried chicken and meatloaf. The menu will resemble what’s offered at Tom’s Kitchen — “but better,” Bagus said.

Another big difference: According to Mathenge, Rock Steady will have roughly twice the usable space as Cold Crush had.

Much of Cold Crush’s staff will return to realize Rock Steady. Tessa Hibbard will serve as the club’s GM; Musa Bailey returns as the director of art; and Eric Cunningham will be the club’s talent coordinator.

The future of Cold Crush has been uncertain for the last year and a half. In October 2016, Mathenge signed a lease renewal on the club’s space at 2700 Larimer St. Days later, Denver rapper Tyrone Adair Jr. was fatally shot outside of the club, which spurred the city to temporarily suspend its liquor license and slap it with a public nuisance notice.

Last year, Mathenge discovered that his landlord, Poppyseed LLC, had not signed the lease renewal, voiding the contract. Mathenge successfully fought to extend Cold Crush’s lease in RiNo through November 2017.

“As far as any negative things anybody would like to say about me or Cold Crush, my biggest thing is learning from our mistakes,” Mathenge said. “Life’s about learning experiences and we’ve learned so much. If we take the positives and join them with Scott’s business knowledge to create a safer and better environment, we’re going to succeed.”

With a similar hug of an outdoor patio wrapping its corner location — Cold Crush was at 2700 Larimer; Rock Steady is located at 2100 Curtis St. – and most of its team still behind it, Rock Steady already has the look of Cold Crush. When it opens next month, it can only hope its fans will return to help it nail down the club’s feeling.

“As far as Cold Crush 2, I don’t think there can ever be such a thing,” Bailey said. “But it’s not the space that matters — it’s the people.

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