My intention is to play music full-time, not run a restaurant," says Johnny James Qualley. "But I love this place so much that when the opportunity arose, I just couldn't pass it up." It's a bright Monday afternoon between the lunch and dinner rush at Appaloosa Grill, an upscale but casual eatery housed in Denver's Masonic Building, at the corner of 16th and Welton streets. As Dub Side of the Moon tickles its way through the sound system, Qualley, is discussing how he evolved from waiter to bar manager to GM to primary owner of one of Mayor Hickenlooper's crown jewels. Seated beside him in a burgundy upholstered booth, disheveled and drinking a Red Bull, Adam Hill, Qualley’s bandmate and business partner, flashes a big smile. And why not? This summer has been something of a coup for the members of local roots rock outfit Oakhurst -- as both musicians and budding restaurateurs. Today the two are happily acknowledging their one-month anniversary of acquiring the Appaloosa from the Wynkoop Brewing Company. Despite the new responsibilities and high overhead, Qualley and Hill, along with Wynkoop Controller Tracy Gonzales and Chef Tim Erwin (bassist for the hardcore band I See Spies), are quickly adjusting as the Grill's new proprietors. In addition to a lunch and dinner menu that merges Asian and Southwestern fare with bar grub, steaks and seafood, Appaloosa boasts live music seven nights a week (Oakhurst takes the stage every Thursday evening). The colorful, ghostly history behind the Masonic Building, gutted by fire in the early '80s, adds mystique to the venue. "It's said that someone died here," Qualley says, referring to the building’s corner space. "The Archdiosese of Denver came in and did an exorcism with palm leaves and holy water and the whole bit."

However the tunes materialize, Oakhurst certainly gives a crowd ample reason to cut a rug in a live setting ("You gotta bring your dancin' shoes -- and your hollow leg," Qualley quips). For Hill, though, the straight dope is derived from the simple joy of the songs themselves. "Music should have been free from the get-go," he concludes. "Nobody's in this to worry about dollars. We just try to deliver the party every time. People clappin' and jumpin' and dancin' and hootin' and hollerin' -- that's all we ever asked for."

Well, that, and maybe a full house at the Appaloosa Grill every Thursday night.