Life & Work with Sage Grey of Capitol Hill

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sage Grey.

Hi Sage, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to today?
Growing up in a small Four Corners town that didn’t even have a stoplight at the time, I didn’t even start coming to terms with who I am until after starting college at 16. The term gay had a little context to me, except that it was a cuss word and something terrible. I finally came out at 18 when the first guy I closet-dated had a severe overdose that ended his life. I immediately changed almost all of the wiring in my brain and started a path of growth created by challenging myself and helping others. Over the next couple of years, I helped co-found the Four Corners Pride festival (now Durango Pride), volunteered for the Sexual Assault Services organization as a resource advocate for survivors, as well as sitting on the board of directors/volunteered for several other amazing nonprofits such as the Alexander Foundation and ONE Colorado. During this time, I graduated college, began a sales and marketing career, and finally found myself drawn back to the service industry. I had an incredible 9 years bartending and managing at some amazing places in Denver and Breck. My longest stretch was at Tracks nightclub, and I had the opportunity to make a career out of meeting amazing people and creating an environment that made them feel special. I made more friends than I could have ever imagined and learned many necessary leadership skills.

COVID was hard on everyone, and finally, I left Tracks and began managing and designing a new project called LUCID above Kyu Ramen on Colfax. After several months I had the opportunity to buy into the business and take the LUCID concept over as owner. We opened a second room upstairs, and PRIDE 2021 was our first big event. Since then, we’ve created a constantly increasing name for ourselves in this fantastic community. “All walks of life are celebrated, and there’s absolutely no discrimination allowed.”

Seeing as my free time had disappeared on this project, I began looking back at my volunteer work and realized I needed to make giving back a large priority for the business. One of our most successful weekly events blossomed from this concept, and now Samora Kash hosts “Glow Up” every Thursday night. We raise money for local nonprofits with an open stage drag show that brings in some of the most amazing fresh faces of drag and spotlights some of Denver’s Premier Performers. So far, in less than a year, we’ve raised over $7,000 for amazing organizations such as Conservation Wild (Women created and operated) and Healthy Denver Inc (LGBTQ+ and BIPOC created and operated).

That’s just one example of how we are giving back as a business. I believe that communication and conversation are essential to correcting many societal errors. We have to come together and stop avoiding complex topics to move forward. I invite influential leaders from different discourses to direct and participate in open forum panel discussions where groups and individuals can try and formulate better approaches we can take to gather momentum and create positive change. If you know of any organizations that want to get involved with our fundraising or panel discussions, please send them our way! Our main criteria are that the organization actively participates in our local communities and improves the way of life for others and our environment.

Let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The road has been long and rough, but I’m grateful for every lesson along the way. My background was not always pleasant, and both abuse and suicide had heavy impacts along the way. Luckily, I have some amazing family members and friends who helped me get to today. Buying and building a bar concept during COVID was a gamble. It’s been the most complex challenge of my life so far, and I am glad that I decided to go for it. I can only hope we continue to grow and develop beautifully over time. Thank you, everyone, for all of your support!

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I guess I’m most proud when people hug me and thank me for creating a unique space where everyone feels celebrated and welcomed. I’ve worked all around this city, and hearing that makes me realize all the hard work is worth it. I’m lucky to enjoy being creative because I got to design the space and bring in local artists to produce amazing murals, but I also get to spend part of my time creating our flyers and playing with graphic design. Music is my passion, so being in an environment where I get to direct the vibe by bringing in amazing DJs is an absolute joy.

So maybe we end by discussing what matters most to you and why?
I think what matters most is personal growth. I’m an adrenaline junky, but I also know that I need to set boundaries for myself so I don’t distress my body more than I already have. I’m an optimist, but I also always see the bluntness of reality around me. I want to live life to its fullest and work to be a better version of myself every step. I’ll make mistakes forever, but so long as I acknowledge that and try harder, I will always feel alive.

Contact Info:

• Email: sage@luciddenver.com
• Website: https://www.luciddenver.com
• Instagram: @Luciddenver
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/luciddenver
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/lucid-denver?osq=lucid+denver

Image Credits
Koltan Patrick Jon Krunk