Blow Pony Offers Acceptance, Delivers Phenomenal Parties

Airick Redwolf is in the business of making people feel comfortable. Everything about him is welcoming; from how he greets strangers with a hug, to his soft spoken voice that dances from behind his giant, ginger beard and tattooed chin, Airick radiates acceptance.

It’s that heavy, 10 letter, three syllable word that inspired Airick to start Blow Pony. Blow Pony is a monthly queer party originating in Portland and slowly making it’s presence known in Denver. Full of music, dancing, performances, and beautiful people, the only requirement to attend is to be 100 percent accepting of everyone.

Acceptance: the action or process of being received as adequate or suitable, typically to be admitted into a group.

It seems simple, especially in a community that has been attacked from all angles. But, we are living in the age of outrage, where we are attacking each other within the community. And segregation is a very real thing among popular nightlife venues.

“I’ve been fighting this segregation for a while,” Airick said.

Airick, a colorado native, is the self proclaimed originator of the club kid scene here in Denver. Every Wednesday, they would fill “the old Tracks” with people of all shapes and sizes. From bears, to twinks, to lesbians, to trans people, queers would come and dance to an array of music ranging from, punk, to dance, to top 40.

“It was huge to fill up a bar on a Wednesday night in Denver,” Airick said. “When I left Denver, I hoped it would continue, but unfortunately it didn’t. That’s what we are trying to change, and why we brought Blow Pony to Denver.”

Bow Pony threw its first party more than seven years ago, not knowing that it would still be the go-to queer party in Portland nearly a decade later. The mission was simple, create a space where queer people can go, appreciate queer art, and be accepted by everyone in the room.

That mission hasn’t changed, and is strictly enforced. Airick has no problem telling people to leave his party if they stray away from that goal. For example, at one Blow Pony a bachelorette party came in to have a good time. But, when they saw a trans person they walked up to him and said, “are you one of those women who wants to be a boy?” in a condescending tone. Airick asked them to leave, and they asked for their money back.

“I told them no, but rather I would take the money from their tickets and give it to the person they made feel uncomfortable,” he explained. “They ruined that person’s night, and I had to do whatever I could to make them feel comfortable again.”

Perhaps it’s that compassion that has 600 plus people flooding the doors in Portland each month. But, it could also be the queer artists he books to entertain. Or the cheap price of admission, which has never exceeded $10. Whatever the reason may be, Blow Pony is one hell of a party.

Lucky for us, it’s not just Portland that gets to dance their asses off and celebrate their queerness. Slowly but surely, Blow Pony is solidifying its place here in Denver. Over the years, it has brought acts like Raja, Katey Red, Zebra Katz, Will Sheridan, Laganja Estranja, and numerous DJs to Denver.

Blow Pony is celebrating Pride with Trade this year, inviting special guests Laila McQueen on Saturday.

“Come out and dance,” Airick said. “Meet new people. Try new things. Be accepting.”