17 Shares
Sancho’s Broken Arrow, in April 2020. The address is the site of a sexual assault investigation, Denver Police said. (Beth Rankin, The Denver Post)
A group of Denver musicians plans to boycott establishments affiliated with local businessman Jay Bianchi following sexual assault and abuse allegations against the longtime, and former, jam-band bar owner.
The Colorado Musicians Union on Thursday released a flyer for a June 12 picket and protest, which will take place at noon at 918 W. 1st Ave. The address is the site of So Many Roads, a bar owned by Tyler Bishop that features Bianchi’s collection of Grateful Dead memorabilia.
The Beginning of the End
As February bled into March, COVID-19 started making headlines in Colorado, but nobody had any idea how bad things would get. On March 12, concert-promotion giants Live Nation and AEG suspended tours through April (Post Malone managed to squeeze in one last show); over the next few weeks, those concerts were all canceled or pushed to the fall and, ultimately, 2021. Workers were laid off, musicians canceled tours, fans mourned their lost summer plans. A few venues like the Lion’s Lair shut down early of their own volition, but soon the State of Colorado issued a stay-at-home order that turned off the entire live-music industry. While some limited-capacity shows took place over the summer and early fall as restrictions were loosened, those are again forbidden, and some venues have closed permanently.