After nearly five years of constantly being at each other's throats, I'm proud (and relieved) to say that our beef is over.
This story is a long and twisting one, but it bears a moral that I think has import for anyone who has ever held a grudge...especially one lasting for almost half a decade.
____________________
I'm Bret Dallas.
I play guitar on the 16th Street Mall. I've been at it for something like 12 years. Honestly, I've lost count.
I'm loud; I get it. But, there are more people who enjoy the music I make than there are who dislike it. At least, it has always seemed that way.
Back in 2017, my go-to performance spot was at 16th and Champa, right in front of what was then the Rialto Cafe (RIP). This is a highly trafficked area of the Mall, which makes it prime real estate for street performers. So, I shouldn't have been surprised when a brass band began playing their music on the corner next to the Chili's restaurant.
Now...I don't know if you've ever experienced the sonic throttling that a 6- or 7-piece brass band can produce. It's *impressively* loud. But, you know, when the music is actually good, it kind of doesn't matter how loud it is, does it?
Well, it does if you're vying for the same performance space like I was.
When the Brothers of Brass first hit the scene in Denver about five years ago, they pissed me right the fuck off. And, I got pretty damn vocal about it. There was a Westword write-up on the situation, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't fan the flames on Reddit more than a few times.
In the throes of all this rifting, I began to get downright exhausted. I takes a lot of energy to keep hating all the time, and when COVID hit last year and the crowds along the mall began to thin out, I found myself wondering why the hell I kept allowing this nonsense to eat away at me.
Fast forward to a few months ago. The COVID hullaballoo had started to abate, and I found myself enjoying an open mic jazz show at the Mercury Cafe with some friends when who should take the stage but the venerable Armando Lopez himself—one of the frontmen for the Brothers of Brass.
He ripped it proper as is his MO. Dude is a beast on clarinet and sax, though it's taken me this long to admit that without doing so through clenched teeth.
After he stepped off the stage, I decided it was time to place my hat firmly in my hands gulp down my pride, and offer up an olive branch.
"Armando. What's up, man," I said.
"Bret Dallas. How are you?" he replied.
"I'm alright. Look, man. What would you think about all this fighting becoming water under the bridge?" I said, extending my hand.
"Man, we've always wanted that," he said, shaking my hand.
...and that was pretty much it.
To give even more credence to the character of these guys, the sousaphone player I had an especially hard time with went out of his way just a few days ago to approach me and offer an apology of his own. I was shocked. So shocked, in fact, that I didn't get the chance to respond with an apology of my own.
So, Khalil, if you're reading this, I'm sorry, too. I did and said some shit that was way out of line, and I apologize for it.
...which brings us to today.
Love it or hate it, the 16th Street Mall is a staple of the Downtown Denver experience. As it continues to evolve (hopefully for the better), I hope the musicians who bring their magic continue to do so alongside each other instead of as adversaries.
I know I've learned a lot about myself and my craft these past few years. And, I'm now genuinely happy to see the BoB enjoying their hard-won success.
Keep it funky, my dudes.
Thanks for reading.
