Sober Sessions mixes mocktails and live music

Live music can place fans in a boozy environment, and now a movement is afoot for sober concerts. Sober Sessions and The Colorado Sound are teaming up to present a series of free live music performances.

After premiering earlier this year, the series continues on Sunday, Aug. 27 at the Mercury Cafe with a concert featuring Colorado Sound Music Awards nominee iZCALLi, along with Kaitlyn Williams and There’s an Ape for That.

Related: Meet the nominees of the 2023 Colorado Sound Music Awards

The Sober Sessions are a musical safe space without the societal pressures found in a bar. It is a judgement-free zone where emotional and substance recovery is par for the course, and fans can have a whole-self experience of live music.

Before the performances, an open panel discussion with the artists will kick things off, creating a bridge through shared stories and experiences. Hearing songs after this kind of discussion is sure to bring meaning, especially because music can play a key role in physical and mental health.

These concerts are a cultural shift, and everyone who attends is important. Sober Session music fans might be devout in their recovery or may have made a change in life to better themselves; some are there for support or are contemplating a change in how alcohol relates to their life. It’s an open environment and the doors are open to all.

Previous Sober Sessions performers include Alysia Kraft, El Javi, and Kayla Marque.

Mocktails will be available at all Sober Sessions.

This month’s Sober Sessions concert takes places Sunday, Aug. 27 at the Mercury Cafe, 2199 California Street in Denver, Colo. Doors open at 12:45pm. For more information and to RSVP, visit the Sober Sessions website. Sober Sessions are presented by The Colorado Sound.