Past the bar to the left is a sizeable outdoor patio for smokers; to the right is the enormous dance hall, aglow with energy and extremities. Alternating lights bounce their beams across the steamy room, keeping time with the synthetic rhythms and briefly illuminating the faces of jubilant partygoers.

Great DJs but Don’t Request Prince

The DJ booth is located in the far corner of the ballroom, where you’ll see house DJs Michael Trundle and Tyler Jacobsen cultivating the vibe and constantly concocting fresh musical inventions. These mash-up magicians keep the playlists as irresistibly unpredictable as the crowd that turns out every Friday night. Don’t be surprised if you hear songs by Pixies, James Brown, Daft Punk, Rolling Stones, MIA, and The Cure in a half-hour span. Do be surprised if you aren’t shakin’ your moneymaker while Trundle and Jacobsen are deftly working these hits into their own tailored electronic house beats. Feel free to make your way to the booth and make a request – just make sure it’s not Prince or Madonna (it’s kind of a rule). 

The merry spinsters’ mixes are pumped out through massive speakers at every corner of the dance floor. The bass is deep and the volume is right where music fans love it: loud as Hell. There’s a lengthy bar next to the dance floor in case you need to refuel your groove tank, and the large bathrooms are located conveniently between both bars. In an all-too-appropriate move on the organizers’ behalf, an impressive candy stash is located on the countertop next to the sinks. Dig in, rave kids.   

It’s not out of the ordinary for a prominent musician or DJ to show up for an impromptu guest throw down – members of Joy Division, the Bravery, Interpol and the Smiths have spun guest sets in the past, and you never know who will show up on any given Friday.

 

Your Path to Self Actualization

Also, be sure to check Lipgloss’ website for updates on their listening parties, which showcase new albums released by a diverse variety of cutting edge independent artists. They usually start at 9 p.m. and wrap up whenever the album ends, to be promptly followed by the aural rapture that Trundle and Jacobsen bring. 

By no means is Lipgloss a well-kept secret, but there are a couple secrets that wouldn’t hurt to know if you’re hurting for cash. One: if you have a motorized scooter and you ride it there, you’ll get in for free. Two: get there before 10 p.m. and you get in for free, even if you don’t own a Vespa. Finally, if you want to drink cheap, you’d better like cheap gin and Pabst Blue Ribbon. Also, don’t worry about what to wear. You’ll see sweatpants, band shirts, flat-brimmed New Era caps, little black dresses and leather jackets clad with safety pins. Wear whatever you want – just make sure you can dance in it.  

If you affiliate in any way with the underground scene, you’d be remiss in not going to Lipgloss. It’s the penultimate hipster haven in Denver, a mecca where the city’s alienated masses gather to get down, to celebrate alternative lifestyles, and to have a few drinks on their way to self-actualization.