Real Estate performs on the Main Stage during the Underground Music Showcase on July 26, 2014 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Seth McConnell, heyreverb.com.)
By Matt Miller and John Wenzel
As the fertile summer-concert season fades into the shadows of downtown clubs and arenas, we thought it only right to look back on 2014 s festival lineup, given that it was one of the most crowded and controversial Colorado has seen.
Many festivals improved upon previous showings; others stirred the ire of their planned staging grounds.
Byers residents voted out the punk-leaning Riot Fest, which finished up earlier this week at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. City Park area residents raised objections to the brand-new Chive Fest, which shut down part of the public park and charged up to $70 for tickets. In the wake of Winter Park kicking out the Snowball Festival last year, it felt like a quorum on community tolerance, art and commerce.
Were they all warranted and worth the price? What was it like to be on the ground? Read on for a representative (but by no means comprehensive) wrap-up of the 2014 summer festival season.
Denver Day of Rock
Location: Downtown Denver (May 23-24)
Target market: Subaru drivers, aging rock fans
Price: Free, with donations encouraged
Headliners: The Hold Steady, The Wallflowers, Black Joe Lewis
Did it work? Yes. The improved (if necessarily broad) booking and efficient outdoor stage-running helped make this mix of 25 local and national acts feel vital and energetic. More importantly, the fifth annual Concerts for Kids fundraiser made live music accessible to the masses, with families and middle-aged rock dudes alike crowding the stages to the tune of 115,000 (a Visit Denver number that includes pretty much anyone in proximity to the 16th Street Mall).
Telluride Bluegrass Festival
Location: Telluride Town Park (June 19-22)
Target market: Festivarians, hippies at heart, (increasingly) younger crowds
Price: $70-$205
Headliners: Brandi Carlile, Leftover Salmon, Steve Winwood
Did it work? Yes. As the legacy event that it is, TBF stayed true to form, sold out immediately and appealed to festivarians who have made the trek to the San Juan Mountains for decades. What this year was missing, though, was a major draw for younger fans, like Mumford & Sons, who have landed on the lineup in the past.
Westword Music Showcase
Location: Golden Triangle neighborhood (June 21)
Target market: Local music fans, party kids
Price: $40-$50
Headliners: Diplo & 2 Chainz, Cherub, Man Man
Did it work? Yes. Westword s one-day showcase of 100-plus local bands and dance-friendly national headliners always seems to run smoothly, despite the inevitable lines and boozy crowds (this year attracted 11,000, according to Westword). While the neighborhood lacks the cohesive character of RiNo or South Broadway, the proximity of venues and sheer number of acts is a pleasantly overwhelming wave, and a great value for the price.
Snowmass Mammoth Fest
Location: Snowmass Village and Town Park (June 12-14)
Target market: Stoner snowboarders, beer/chili lovers
Price: $45-$225
Headliners: Chris Robinson Brotherhood, Leftover Salmon, Xavier Rudd
Did it work? Yes and no. The gorgeous scenery and good vibes were abundant, but the 11th annual event seemed to have trouble deciding whether or not it was a chili and beer competition (it was formerly the Snowmass Chili Pepper and Brew Fest) or one of countless high-country jam band/folk events. Going all-in on either side would lose a few devotees but help define the soul of this festival.
The Ride Festival
Location: Telluride (July 12-13)
Target market: Vacationing indie-rockers, young mountain dwellers
Price: $87.50-$165
Headliners: Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Spoon, the Hold Steady
Did it work? It s getting there. For the past two years, the Ride Festival has brought a considerable helping of indie-rock acts to Telluride. In a festival scene that focuses on folk and classic rock, it s built a unique niche in that mountain town. With some better marketing and a bit more bang for fans bucks, the Ride Fest will almost certainly warrant the six-hour drive from Denver.
RockyGrass Festival
Location: Planet Bluegrass Ranch in Lyons (July 25-27)
Target market: String music fans, bluegrassers, the bearded
Price: $60-$145
Headliners: Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Sam Bush
Did it work? Yes. RockyGrass was the 2014 Colorado festival season success story. After its home of Planet Bluegrass Ranch was destroyed by the 2013 floods, festival organizers were able to rebuild in time for the event nine months later. Despite the tribulations, it drew a strong lineup of iconic and young bluegrass acts to its beautiful and improved festival grounds.
The UMS
Location: South Broadway (July 24-27)
Target market: Local music fans, hipster fashion victims
Price: $35-$75
Headliners: Real Estate, Blonde Redhead, Unknown Mortal Orchestra
Did it work? Yes. As Denver s answer to the massive Austin, Texas, party known as South by Southwest, the boutiques and bars along South Broadway come alive like no other time of the year with 18,000 cumulative attendees, according to director Kendall Smith. The value for the 14th annual Underground Music Showcase was considerable, as more than 400 acts entertained thousands for the price of a single headliner at some concerts. Better booking and a smoother layout also helped make this Denver Post Community Foundation event the slickest yet.
More of the 2014 Colorado music festival season analysis >>
