Backyard Hero: Tim Nevadomski and Susan Olsen of Rupert’s at the Edge Host Touring Musicians at Their Home
by Tim Wenger
Tim Nevadomski and his wife Susan Olsen are not skiers. They also are not mountain bikers or avid race fans. And unlike so many here in Denver, they do not appear to be Broncos fanatics, either. Instead, they focus their time, energy and money on something not quite as common as the hobbies of many of their suburban neighbors- they host touring musicians, live, in their living room.
They have been doing this since before they moved to Denver from South Dakota shortly after getting married. “We met Angie Stevens when we lived in Rapid City, South Dakota,” Tim says proudly. “She opened for (country singer) Jalan Crossland. She came up to Rapid and did some show at a college. Susan had gone to the show and talked to her, and she said “When I’m coming into town, maybe you guys could do a home show.’ We thought, ‘Oh, that’d be cool!”
“That was three years ago,” says Susan.
“She came up and had a gig for the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally,” Tim explains. “We hired her the day after her gig so she could get a couple gigs in one run.” Stevens performed a well-attended show inside their house. The event was a success, and the couple kept their eyes open for more similar opportunities.
A few months later, Tim and Susan came across a Kickstarter campaign from the lead singer of the band Cracker, Johnny Hickman, to fund his solo record. “One of the prizes, if you contributed so much to his album, you could get a home show from him,” says Tim. Him and his wife gleefully made the required donation. “So that was the second one.”
“We hired Jim Dalton (The Railbenders) also,” says Susan. “They are buddies, they have the Hickman-Dalton Gang. We flew them both to Rapid City and they did a gig at our house and had a home party there.” By that point in time, the seed had been planted- Tim and Susan were hooked, and had found themselves a hobby.
Together, the couple has five kids, Tim’s with roots in Denver. Following a string of trips from Rapid City to catch concerts in Denver, the couple decided to make the move to the Mile High City. They purchased a home in Lakewood that is perfect for hosting concerts- a large living room upstairs with a bar and social area downstairs. Through hosting groups such as Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers, I’m With Her, and The Band of Heathens, they now are experienced in hosting these special events and even provide a full food spread and open bar for these invite-only evenings of music.
The couple also purchased Rupert’s at the Edge breakfast restaurant after their move, providing them with not only a day job but the chance to fulfill their dream of owning their own restaurant. “How we came into finding it was pure serendipity,” says Susan. “Tim had been working for Whole Foods for a while and we had stopped looking. I was searching on the internet for a tutor for my son, a very specific kind of tutor, and the ad popped up.” They were intrigued by Rupert’s because of the early closing time, allowing them to get home by time their kids are home from school. “We can be home to have dinner with our three young kids every night. We’ve been together about five and a half years now, and we’ve been talking about running our own place.” Now they are doing just that while still being able to take care of their family.
Most recently, the couple hosted country rockers the Jalan Crossland Band from Ten Sleep, Wyoming on August 14, and hope to host The Band Of Heathens again near Christmas this year. As far as problems, they have been minimal- a neighbor inquired about a tour bus being parked in front of the house but the call led to nothing more than a check of the neighborhood ordinances. “We’ve had a few little issues, but no one has called the cops yet,” Susan says with a laugh.
A good thing, because Tim and Susan have no plans to stop hosting these events in their home. “Denver, and Colorado in general, is such a friendly community,” says Tim. “Our first party, we hadn’t lived here that long, and we had fifty people here.” Cheers to that, as this city will never complain about having too many intimate concert settings. Stop by Rupert’s on the Edge, 2045 Sheridan Blvd, right across from Sloan’s Lake.
Category: Buzzworthy2
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