On Sept. 19, crowds gathered outside the Federal Theatre and gazed up at a glowing marquee for the first time in decades. The Sunnyside landmark, which had sat vacant for years, reopened with a free show from local bands Los Mocochetes and iZCALLi, drawing in Denver’s northsiders and the Chicano community in particular.
The Federal’s whirlwind transformation from north side oddity to fully operational music venue began in January 2024, when Scott Happel, Andy Bercaw and Peter Ore, the owners of the Oriental Theater and HQ, received the keys to the building and began renovations. This was not the Federal Theatre’s first change in ownership — the building operated as a movie theatre from its construction in 1923 to sometime in the 1970s, when it shifted to an on-again-off-again music venue before going dormant. In the 21st century, it was operated as a church for about a decade, a legacy referenced in the music venue’s religious iconography and stained glass décor.
The timeline of the Federal Theatre’s renovation was so short as to be a buzzer-beater, with some interior lights installed only an hour before opening and the smell of paint still potent in the air. Happel admitted that the theatre’s rough edges were still being touched up in some places, but felt proud of the work done so far and optimistic for the public’s reaction. He especially emphasized the venue’s accessibility to neighborhood residents, explaining this as the motive for making opening weekend tickets totally free…