Denver Is Dancin’ In The Streets Anew

by Mark Smiley | Jul 22, 2022 | Main Articles

Soloist Odell Stroud Has The Cory-Merrill Neighborhood Dancing In The Street ‘Feeling Good’ As They Learn To Chill Out

by Glen Richardson

Sunset Serenade: Music fans stand or sit on lawn chairs adjacent and across the street at Cory-Merrill sunset pop-up musical series.

For decades Denver was a boom town. More people were moving in than out. Deep-pocketed investors were everywhere. Each month, everybody and everything seemed to be breaking records. But as inflationary pressures reach neighborhoods through the gas pump and grocery store, the unstoppable metropolis has suddenly put on the brakes.

Every time there is a report of good news and citizens begin to think the city is recapturing its footing, a flood of bad news follows. As a result, ordinary citizens are beginning to realize things are still unpredictable, erratic, and volatile. In Denver’s Cory-Merrill neighborhood families are learning to chill out a little, as they simply take it day by day.

With summer here, the time was right for dancing in the street. For the last couple of years Frank Baier and his wife Christine have treated the neighborhood by entertaining them with his band Groove Machine on their front lawn. The group includes Tim Greenhouse on keys, Doug Banbridge on percussion, and Baier on base. Odell Stroud — lead singer for Denver’s Montage Band — belts out songs for the sunset series.

Swayin’ In The Hood

There’s something different about the little Cory-Merrill neighborhood street concert of summer. It has become a communal block-party that connects people without overwhelming them. First reported on by the Chronicle in August 2020, it has attracted families for the last couple of years.

Neighbors, sightseers, and dogs congregate to enjoy the jam session and musical gig that has increasingly become a blast and a ball. A summer enticement for the crowd to party down.

When singer Stroud — an unforgettable vocal talent — launched into “Feeling Good” as the mid-July evening was winding down, people began swingin’ and swayin’ and it be

Singer Stroud: Unforgettable vocal talent Odell Stroud had the crowd “Feeling Good,” thus the economy and inflation were forgotten.

came an invitation to dance in the street. As Stroud belted out, “It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life,” the crowd went wild and started dancing in the street. The economy and inflation no longer mattered; families were laughing, singing and swaying to the music as they danced in the street.

A Sense Of Freedom

A feature of the history of Street Dance, is that it offers opportunities for creative expression. It also gives people a sense of freedom and gives a “voice” to the unrepresented and their communities through the means of music and dance.

Movement and dance are extremely expressive, which allows you to escape and let loose. Moreover, it helps boost your mood. Barbara Ehrenreich, author of 21 books asks, “Why is so little left?” She suggests the ecstasy of the rituals are nearly as inherent as the quest for food and shelter.

Dancing connects us to a society or culture in many universal and personal ways that deepen our understanding of our world and ourselves, according to experts.

Upbeat Signs

As Denver rewires, there are encouraging signs the new economy is working in ways the city can take advantage of for years to come. The metro Glendale-Denver area is thriving in amazing ways. The Cherry Creek Valley has become one of the nation’s leading examples for economic vitality.

Based on 28 key indicators, our economy ranks 5th in startup activity, 6th in high-tech jobs, and 7th in annual median household income. Especially encouraging, we’re cultivating a flourishing workforce:

• Finder, an Australian fintech company, has selected Denver to be its second U.S. hub. The company’s new Denver hub will house about 198 net new jobs, with an average wage of $84,222.
• FileInvite, a New Zealand-based SaaS startup, has selected Denver over Texas, Illinois, and Utah for its U.S. headquarters. The company plans to create 144 jobs in Denver, with an average annual wage of $102,000.
• Datadog Inc. has chos
  

  Rich And Raucous: Band includes Odell Stroud on vocals, Frank Baier on bass, and Tim Greenhouse on keys. Hidden from the camera is Doug Bainbridge on percussion.

  en Denver for its new Western U.S. hub, a move that will bring 433 jobs that will pay an average annual wage of $122,194.

Moreover, the number of homes and condos available for sale in metro Denver surged by nearly two-thirds between May and June, and nearly twice as many properties are now on the market compared to a year ago, according to the Denver Metro Assn. of Realtors.

Disturbing Signs

Regrettably, the Mile High City is losing ground in key areas that are equally troubling:

• People counted in a 2020 Denver city limits survey, revealed 24% were unsheltered. Fact: Colorado’s chronically homeless population grew by 266% between 2007 and 2021, more than any other state.
• Denver is averaging more than 450 violent crimes per month this year. More: Colorado has 2022’s 7th biggest drug problem.

Moreover, more than 27,000 automobiles were stolen last year, up from 13,000 in 2019.

Tourism Troubles

Back in 2019, Denver’s tourism industry was booming, with 1,026 conventions, 17.7 million overnight visitors, and $7 billion in revenue. By 2020, the city was on track to break records in the tourism industry, before the pandemic obliterated it. Today the industry is

Moving To The Music: Summer street concert in the Cory-Merrill neighborhood had people swingin’ and swayin’ to the tunes of Groove Machine.

slowly crawling back.

Explains Visit Denver CEO Richard Sharp: “Tourism is 100% dependent on Denver being a clean, safe, humane, and inviting city,” he says. “One of the top complaints we get is about the number of people sleeping downtown, especially on our No. 1 tourist attraction, which is the 16th Street Mall.”

The Bottom Line: Denver’s reputation is suffering and the outlook remains dim!

Finding The Groove

The soft, smooth, gentle, mellow, rich, raucous, and loud Groove Machine performance and Stroud’s singing were masterful performances. The street song-dance concert is a signal for the entire Cherry Creek Valley to chill out, and take it day by day.

Expanded social and cultural interaction can only improve the Valley’s feeling of well-being and togetherness.

Hopefully, the Mile High City can begin to control the stage, capture the attention of the its audience, and take command of the metropolis. Then Denver will increasingly flourish, making our region an even better placed to live and work.