Home > Denver Bars & Clubs > Bar Review > Inside: DC10

Ever since the TSA required everyone to remove their shoes before going through security, airports have become that much more un-sexy. There was a time though, when air travel was considered desirable and exotic. On the runway, the DC-10 is a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a conventional tail. In the Golden Triangle, DC10 is an unconventional club attempting to bring sexy back to aviation. They’ve created an atmosphere that embodies the privilege associated with first class lounges minus the free muffins and business men reading The Wall Street Journal.

Drinks: You’ll find the bar cut out of a side wall serving bottles, wine and a wide array of liquors. DC10 offers bottle service with different specials and promotions going on each month. Depending on the night, the fairer sex receives free champagne between certain hours.

Décor: DC10 is hard to miss. Besides the Denver Coliseum, it’s the only hanger-shaped building east of DIA. Walk through the gangway inspired entrance and board Flight 940 (conveniently, also the street address). Once “aboard” you’ll notice a Spartan whiteness reminiscent of Superman’s Fortress of Solitude. A superior light rig softens and warms the space though, bathing the interior in gentle shades of red and blue. The hanger motif extends to the walls, which curve upwards drawing your attention to the arrival/departure screens that form a multi-media chandelier in the center of the venue. The streamlined space ends with a giant projection screen that lifts to reveal a sizeable stage. Alabaster VIP tables line the front of the performance area and a similarly hued sofa extends the length of the club. Despite the creative lighting, the sheer whiteness of DC10 can be slightly disorienting. When taken in tandem with the austere almost camouflaged furnishings and shape of the space, you get the sense that you’re attending a futuristic warehouse party for clinicians, albeit a really fancy, technologically advanced, warehouse party for some pretty hip physicians. 

Crowd: The crowd is trendy and looking for an opportunity to join the jet set without the financial commitment of private plane ownership. More lounge than dance club, DC10 clientele come to mingle and actually converse, though, depending on the DJ, there can be some bumping and grinding. However, unlike some clubs where you need sign language to tell the bartender your drink, the music level is kept at a reasonable decibel.

Entertainment: Most nights at DC10 revolve around a central theme and the club has gained a reputation for throwing upscale parties. Open three days a week, Tuesdays and Fridays have been dedicated to hip-hop in the past though genres change month to month. New for Saturdays is FlyGirl, an all-girl alternative night geared towards what they tout as the “The L Word” crowd. Intermixed are fashion shows, burlesque acts and, since the space is an ideal music hall, live acts in the near future. The calendar on their Web site is kept up to date and offers a decent idea of what each night is about.

Service: Similar to the in-flight experience, service is amiable and speedy, though tipping is encouraged. During big events, flight attendants in kitchy stewardess uniforms maneuver drink carts through the crowd.

Dress code: As with most clubs, guys suffice in button down shirts, fashionable jeans and nice kicks, while the girls are more inclined to embrace the slinky side of “clubwear.”

DC10
940 Lincoln St.
Denver, CO 80203
720-771-3500

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