After a fire displaced the residents on East Bijou Street near Cascade Avenue in December 2023, John Wolfe and Josh Franklin, the married co-owners of Icons nightclub, realized it could be their opportunity to walk away.
About three years into ownership of the gay bar, they had learned a lot about running the business. And one thing they learned is that it’s not easy.
But that’s when they say an outpouring of support came from near and far. “We had support from all over the country,” Wolfe says. “The community was showing up for us, and we had to show up for them.”
This far-reaching community showed up to the tune of $70,000 raised through a GoFundMe campaign — even Gloria Estefan pitched in. What was particularly encouraging to the couple was that the donations didn’t come from just one person with deep pockets, but from hundreds of people. Franklin says they all needed to be a part of insisting that Icons stick around.
“We don’t do anything halfway,” Franklin says. Wolfe and Franklin realized if they were going to re-open, they wanted to find a space they could own instead of rent. Through the Downtown Development Authority, they were able to secure a low-interest loan that helped them purchase a property just one block from their original location. They opened their doors at 16 E. Kiowa St. in November.
“We went back to the stresses of owning a small business,” Wolfe says. “But that’s better than the stresses of not having a business.”
Creating a Community Space
Wolfe and Franklin originally opened Icons nightclub after retreating to Colorado Springs when COVID-19 shut the world down. Colorado Springs is Franklin’s hometown; Wolfe was raised in West Virginia. The couple met while working on Broadway. And while they had discussed eventually moving to the Springs, the pandemic expedited that decision.
What they saw living here is the need for a gay space downtown. “Downtown didn’t have a dedicated space for the queer community,” Franklin says.
Opening during the pandemic they were afforded a bit of a learning curve as the restrictions on businesses and occupancy forced them to take it step by step.
The forced hiatus as they relocated and reopened after the fire offered them another opportunity to grow. “We kept the spirit of the small, special queer space,” Franklin says, though that space has now doubled.
A Change in the Springs
Franklin says he’s the same age as Matthew Shepard, the young gay man who was beaten, tortured and left to die near Laramie, Wyoming, in 1998. “I was literally scared to stay in Colorado Springs,” he says. “It’s interesting to have this full circle moment to come back to the city I was afraid to live in.”
As Wolfe and Franklin shared their plans to open Icons, they were advised by some to not call it a gay bar. “This is Colorado Springs,” people told them.
Though the city is no stranger to gay bars, Franklin points out that bars like the Hide and Seek or The Underground had a sense of shame attached to their names. “We’ve evolved and created a space that’s unapologetic and not hidden.”
It’s in that spirit that they provide a safe place for the queer community. “Our hope is that people who need a place like Icons know about us,” Franklin says.
Franklin sees others shifts in the city. One example he shares is that Mayor Yemi Mobolade was a judge for their annual Icon Idols singing competition this year. You don’t have to look far into the city’s history to realize that a major leader engaging with a queer space is a novel activity.
Following the shooting at Club Q, Franklin and Wolfe realized how important it was to be here and provide a space of support. Looking around downtown, they were lifted by the support they saw as storefronts all over downtown were hanging Pride flags.
What to Expect at Icons
You can’t talk about Icons without mentioning the caliber of talent they have recruited. “Every bartender is a world-class singer,” says Franklin. Despite being closed for 11 months, Icons was able to retain every employee.
Though it’s rare that they get to hire new talent these days, they say that they get submissions every week. Having grown up in the Springs and with the Colorado Springs Conservatory, Franklin recognizes that the local talent pool is deep, but they have also been able to attract people from all over.
The singing might take center stage at Icons nightclub with concerts and live music a few nights a week as well as DJ sets. But they also host trivia on Tuesdays and the raucous Drag Bingo on Sundays. Icons is a 21+ bar, but the Sunday bingo is open to all ages — though trust us, it’s an adult experience.
Outside of that age restriction, the only rule at Icons is be kind or be gone.
Josh and John x 2
Owning a business in downtown Colorado Springs with the names Josh and John is not lost on Josh Franklin and John Wolfe. They have talked about a collaboration with the OG Josh & John’s Ice Cream and promise it’s something they will get around to. We will leave that creation to the experts, but we do have one request: Add some glitter and make that ice cream shine.
