Twenty years in a room somebody wants to sell.

0:00AYeah, yeah, what’s up? I, um, I was taking video. I didn’t even know you all were like trying to fundraise and shit.

0:07BInterview Tamayo, he’s always friendly.

0:08AOh, I already interviewed him. Well, you guys were playing, I was interviewing him. It’s like loud in the background and I got -- he’s like this. But you know, that’s how he’s -- that’s how you know it’s important. Um, but I just wanted to let you guys introduce yourselves as well. I got some footage of you all performing and shit like that. Anything you want to say about the venue? I definitely would love, uh, Mr. Waylon.

0:29CFirst Fridays of every month. You guys been going here, what, 15 years, 20 years? Long time. Timmy O, this lovely lady, owns this place.

0:39AOh yeah.

0:40CAnd this lineup here, we just get together the first Friday of the month, so we all play with different bands. We got Cheeky’s Ayala on the bass.

0:49AOkay.

0:50CWe got Dave Miller on the drums.

0:53AAnthony Aleman, Medicine, on the harmonica and Yeah, I was like, is that a harmonica? I’d never seen one quite like this. I said, oh, it’s a horn. I said, wait, no, it’s a mouth.

1:06CYeah, it got me.

1:09BYeah.

1:09AOh, you made that?

1:09BYeah, it’s like a 1910 amplifier.

1:11AOkay, sick. I like that madness.

1:16BYeah, walnut wood and the cornet. The Pops, Louis Armstrong.

1:21AOkay, okay, the Pops. I like that, I like that. And what inspired you to make this?

1:26BI was playing at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and they don’t want you to amplify, and so playing over like 30 banjos and mandolins with a harmonica. So I had, uh, I got this from a music store. They had a busted cornet. They were like, you know, they talked about my idea, and so I just had the horn bell. And then a woodworker right around the corner, I gave him some drawings and some harmonicas. There it is.

1:52ABoom. Okay, okay.

1:55CThey just slot right in there.

1:56BYeah, I can change every key.

1:59AI like that, I like that. Unbound. And so what can you say about the venue? I heard y’all are fundraising and -- or he’s fundraising and stuff like that.

2:08BPlaying here, man, I’ve been playing here almost 20 years now. Mr., uh, Chickies here, Anaya, So when I first started, it was the Alex and I experience. He has since passed. And then our other drummer over here, Raul, like, it’s just been a whole family thing.

2:31AOh, hell yeah.

2:32BWas welcomed in.

2:34AOh, that’s beautiful.

2:36BWhen, uh, he passed away, he had always set a microphone up for me, and I just kind of kept it going.

2:42DYeah, yeah.

2:45Afamily.

2:45BSo yeah, it’s quite a history.

2:48AYeah, that’s what I’m hearing. That’s what I’m hearing. I was like, oh, let me, let me, let me do my due diligence and ask the right questions at least. This is going to be like a blink of my -- oh, I was just at First Friday in Denver. I said, oh, I was somewhere historic and they’re trying to fundraise. I said, let me go out and let people really know.

3:05BHe, uh, yeah, they’ve owned it since ’72.

3:09AReally?

3:10BBack in the day it was all Mexican movies, you know, like total -- like neighborhood was all Mexican neighborhood, but they just kept it going and had like the Red Hot Chili Peppers play there when they were in their socks, like before they were --

3:27AThat’s crazy.

3:28BSo yeah, man, you’re in a historic spot, man.

3:32ASo welcome. Yeah, thank you. Yeah, tell everybody welcome. It’s not just me, man.

3:37BFeel at home. Up at the Aslan Theater, man. Aslan.

3:42ASo this was a -- you said all Mexican area?

3:45BIt used to be. I mean, well, now it’s just, you know, now it’s just Denver. But like, if you look at the posters, it was geared toward Mexican movies. Like, the theater would just play all the new hits, you know. Like, when I was a kid, I saw La Mama in a Mexican theater where they -- I spoke English, so I totally understood Of the movie, but Spanish subtitles. Subtitles for everybody else.

4:11ASubtítulos. Okay.

4:12BYeah. So that’s just that their history.

4:16AOkay. Sick. Well, I appreciate it.

4:18DYeah, man.

4:18BHave a great night.

4:19AYeah, you too, man. Can I? Can I?

4:23ECan I get you on camera?

4:25AOh yeah. So what do you know about this place?

4:28ENot much.

4:29AOkay. Well, how’s your night been tonight? Okay, what’s what’s what’s your review?

4:35EThey’re fantastic. I love them. I don’t know anything about this.

4:42AOkay, what do you know about First Fridays in general? Anything? Are you from Denver?

4:47EYeah, but I have. I went to First Friday like ten years ago, and I haven’t been since.

4:52AOkay, so what brought you back out tonight?

4:54EI’m dating the drummer.

4:55AOkay, okay. They did a good job. I like that. I like that. Shout out to them. You got a good one. Talented. I was on the street and I said, what’s going on over there? And I’m still here.

5:09EYeah, they’re fun to watch too. You’ve got good vibes.

5:12ANah, definitely. What’s your name?

5:14EStephanie.

5:14AStephanie. Hell yeah. If you could ask people around the world one question, what would you ask them?

5:19DOh God.

5:22EI can’t be on the spot like that.

5:24AStream of consciousness. Stream of consciousness.

5:29EPut me on the spot, I go blank, man.

5:32AI get that, I get that, I get that.

5:35EI’ll come back, come back.

5:39AI like that, I like that. It’s a recipe. Can I ask you some questions for my video?

5:53DAbsolutely.

5:55AOkay, sick. So I’m just here kind of documenting my trip to Denver, and I’ve learned I’m at a very historic place. Can you tell me who you are and tell me what you know about this place and just like --

6:05BAbsolutely.

6:06DI’m Chiquis Ayala, and I’ve been here in Denver for about 40 years. I’ve been performing here in Astlan Bar for about 20 years, and we experimenting in excellent music. Not just me, but it’s been so, for so many through throughout the years. Too many Latinos. He’s been a lot of hip-hop musicians, a lot of rock musicians. So it’s been a very traditional establishment. And as a matter of fact, we were talking just about with the owners that they want somebody to, to buy it and to keep it as a historical place. But I don’t know if it’s going to happen or not. And, uh, but anyway, uh, yeah, it’s been a, it’s been a great, uh, great time here in Aslanbey.

7:02AWhy should someone buy it? Yeah, why? No, but like, I’m actually -- make the sales pitch, you know?

7:08DYeah, yeah, yeah.

7:09AYou could be biased.

7:11DAbsolutely.

7:11AYou gotta be.

7:12DYeah, it’s just, uh, I mean, nowadays the developers want just a place. Just a lot to build apartments. What they wanted somebody to keep the tradition, to keep Astlan. It’s been since nineteen, I believe nineteen oh nine, nineteen twenty one or so or so. But I mean, this place is is a jewel. You know, it’s it’s been for so many years. As a matter of fact, it was right here La Causa. What is what means? When the Mexican American, it was Cesar Chavez, there was Maria Huerta. They’ve been here in this establishment for to equal, you know, back in the day Hispanics, they’re not allowed in universities or nothing like that. But Astlan Bar was one of the places where a lot of Mexican Americans Mexicans, they, they what they call la causa. They want rights. They want so many things for for the Hispanic community, and that’s what it was here. So yes, it is amazing. It’s been historical events that have been happening here, and that’s what they want: the owner, somebody to buy it, but to keep the tradition that I don’t think is going to happen.

8:44AHow much is the building?

8:48DFrom what I hear, they want probably about three million. But again, I don’t know.

8:54AYeah, yeah, yeah. But no, I hear that. It’s an investment in culture now.

8:59DAbsolutely. I mean, this has been you know like.

9:03AHabla bien español.

9:04DSo, en español.

9:05BSí.

9:05DSeguro. Este no, este establecimiento fue fue hecho en el en el diecinueve mil novecientos diecinueve y este hubo muchas muchas causas que fueron aquí hechas. Este, César Chávez, María Huerta, este, Jorge González, todos esos grandes, este, gentes que quisieron hacer lo mejor para la ciudadanía de mexicano, americano, mexicanos, latinos. Este, hicieron muchas, muchas Muchas causas para el beneficio de nuestra comunidad.

9:48A¿Y usted? ¿Eres un cantante?

9:53DSoy bajista, bajista de blues, toco jazz latino y toco flamenco.

10:02APues háblame sobre eso.

10:04DEste, el flamenco es una de las músicas traídas de los españoles y los gipsies. o los gitanos fueron inventados allá en Europa, este, y fue traído para acá, para Estados Unidos, para México, se fue para muchas diferentes áreas latinoamericanas. Entonces todo lo que hicimos aquí fue establecer una comunidad de flamenco, este, que por cierto hay bastantes flamencos Este, músicos de flamenco que tocan. Este, inclusive ahorita tenemos 3 buenos músicos guitarristas flamencos en Casa Bonita. Pueden ir a escucharlos allí. Y este, también hay unos conciertos de flamenco que vienen más adelante para el verano.

10:59A¿Y usted naciste para acá?

11:03DNo, yo soy de Juárez, Chihuahua.

11:05AJuárez, Chihuahua.

11:07DY vine aquí como músico. Me trajeron, este, un dueño de unas cantinas que me trajeron para acá desde México, este, para establecer, este, música latinoamericana, mexicana, y, este, salsa, este, y en general todo lo latino.

11:29APues Puedes pedir unas preguntas a Timo para que podemos incluir su historia en ese video. Perfecto.

11:42DTimo.

11:43BTimo.

11:45DAquí están estableciendo un programa. Oh, sí.

11:50ASí. Tengo una página de YouTube y ahí estoy documentando mis viajes y lo que estoy haciendo. Está aquí en Denver ahora como cinco semanas.

12:04DPues es inteligente el hombre, muy inteligente este caballero.

12:07AAh, gracias. Pues qué es una pregunta importante preguntar ese hombre?

12:14DTimo, una entrevista.

12:17B¿Qué me dices?

12:20AI didn’t know that you all are trying to get this place purchased and stuff like that when I talked to you earlier. I was told outside before I left, so I came back in so I could have more context for my video. And hopefully you can use this in what you’re up to. So anything you want to say to people out in the world? I know before you were competing with the music, which was wonderful.

12:41DWell, the theater’s for sale, and anybody wants to buy it, have them call me.