Comedy, community space draws crowds on S. Broadway

Western Sky Bar and Taproom brings music, stand-up to Englewood

By Emily Baker

“Community,” said Harrison Garcia, co-owner of Western Sky Bar and Taproom, when asked what the best part of owning a bar was. “Absolutely, that’s the best part,” added co-owner Whitney Bradford. “I’ve made a lot of friends who I think I’ll have forever. I’ve seen people make friends.”

Though it is a highlight today, building community was only one of many reasons why Bradford and Garcia set out to build the dream that has become Western Sky. Fundamental to that dream was having a hub for local comedy talent on South Broadway in Englewood.

Upon opening in November 2021, Garcia - who has a career of hosting, performing in, and producing comedy shows - launched with a regular comedy night. “We did a show every Thursday night from November 2021 to August 2022,” Garcia recalled. They dubbed it the South South Broadway Comedy Show.

Following a rotating schedule on Thursdays, they have featured live comedy shows, Quiplash interactive comedy, and Comedy Saved the Video Star, in which comics do live sets and then riff over music videos. Also, every Friday is a Variety Show open mic night. Some folks come in to try out their comedy skills, but there’s also musical performances, and starting at 9 p.m., karaoke.

Hoping to breathe new life into the neighborhood, “our goal was to do a lot of events that didn’t really exist down here,” Garcia said. “Most bars do live music. Less do comedy because it’s harder to put it on.” Both Garcia and Bradford had the perfect background for that, however, and the shows are worth the price of a $5 admission ticket.

“Harrison is good at using his connections to get really great people in here,” Bradford noted. “People that you’d see at Comedy Works, people that tour the country. People that normally you’d pay a lot more money to see.”

Moving forward, Garcia wants to do “less comedy shows better.” They plan to have monthly or bi-monthly shows centered around a theme. Look for a ‘90s-themed party on Friday, March 29.

Of course, as Garcia joked, “We’re not the Gothic, we’re not a full-time venue. We’re a bar with a ton of beer taps, where people hang out, with events on top of that. But, as attendance grows we hope to go back to doing more comedy shows again.”

While comedy is the heart and soul of the bar, they have countless other events. Wednesdays are Trivia Nights beginning at 7 p.m. “Get here early!” Garcia said, because Trivia Nights are very popular. 

Western Sky co-owners Harrison Garcia and Whitney Bradford.

The second Saturday of each month is Shop Small Saturday, a vendor market for local businesses. They host live music every Saturday and an open jam the last Sunday every month. Keep an eye out for their SoFar Sounds ticketed events too, and the Book Coven book club the last Monday of every month.

Garcia and Bradford host many events centered around giving back to the community they cherish as well. There have been a number of Period Kit events, a recent pet pantry drive, and election-themed events attended by local politicians who answered questions about state and local ballot initiatives.

Longtime patrons of Englewood’s South Broadway scene may recognize the bar from its former life as Barnhouse Tap. When Bradford and Garcia bought the bar they thought they would merely continue the life of the local establishment. Having known each other since college, Bradford said “I always thought we had a business in us. We had an entrepreneurial spirit.”

So instead of continuing Barnhouse Tap, they decided to make the space their own. Inspired by the recognizable mural on the side of the building, and their Broadway musical roots, they designed the bar around the line from the song “Defying Gravity” in the musical Wicked: “If you care to find me, look to the western sky.” 

“With Colorado being the gateway to the west, we liked the tie in there, and ‘if you care to find me’ had kind of a neighborhood bar kind of feel,” Bradford said.

Western Sky has a full weekly lineup of events, local comedy and music talent, and more than 30 rotating beer taps (along with signature cocktails and wine). 

To buy tickets, or see a full lineup of upcoming events follow Western Sky, 4361 S. Broadway, on Instagram or check out their website.

Emily Baker is a Denver native and lifelong resident of Colorado. In her spare time you can find her reading, riding horses, hiking with her two dogs, and working on her novel.