Here are 8 moments that helped define Denver’s pop culture profile this year.

Andrea Gibson, memorialized

Former Colorado Poet Laureate Andrea Gibson finally received some of the mainstream acclaim they deserved thanks to the documentary “Come See Me in the Good Light,” a nuanced look at terminal illness produced in part by former Denver resident, comedian and actor Tig Notaro. While Gibson collaborated on the award-winning doc, they died on July 14 — exactly four months before the film hit streaming services. It stands as a testament to hope and love in the face of staggering suffering and loss. —ÌýJohn Wenzel

‘South Park’ redux owns the airwaves

After more than 25 years on the air, comedy cartoon “South Park” debuted its latest season in July, generating headlines and increased viewership in the U.S. and beyond for its skewering of the Trump administration — which even responded to some of the show’s barbs. Created by Colorado natives Trey Parker and Matt Stone (owners of Casa BonitaÌýand creators of “The Book of Mormon”), the Colorado-set “South Park” also featured Denver as the backdrop for some of the federal government’s recent actions, including immigration enforcement and deportations. —ÌýTiney Ricciardi

Denver’s ‘Love is Blind’ makes history — in a bad way

The Mile High City got its moment on Netflix’s national stage when the popular reality dating show “Love is Blind” came to town, although it wasn’t all sunshine and wedding bells. Denver made history as the series’ first franchise to produce zero successful marriages. —Ìý°Õ.¸é.

Colorado-shot movies

This year included the family drama with a $15 million budget, “The Man Who Changed the World” (which was shot along the Front Range), and the already-released “Rebuilding,” a drama starring in-demand actor Josh O’Connor that was shot in the San Luis Valley, and which examines the complicated aftermath of a wildfire. That follows late 2024’s “Elevation,” shot in Boulder and Golden and starring Anthony Mackie (the MCU’s new Captain America), plus several other titles that bode well for the future of Colorado’s still-developing film industry. —Ìý´³.°Â.

The Oscars, and Colorado creatives

Colorado-reared filmmakers and subjects helped fuel some of 2025’s most visible titles, including Scott Derrickson’s sci-fi-romance hybrid “The Gorge,” Rian Johnson’s “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,” screenwriter Nora Garrett’s “After the Hunt,” and the John Elway documentary which just premiered on Netflix. At the Academy Awards, the Best Picture, Best Director and Best Animated Feature nominees were led by Colorado natives, with former Glenwood Springs native Brady Corbet and partner Mona Fastvold winning for Best Original Screenplay for “The Brutalist,” and even more acclaimed, Oscar-nominated titles making a splash at festivals and on streaming (such as “Porcelain War,” “The Wild Robot,” and “Anjua” — all of which were also Oscar nominated but didn’t win). —Ìý´³.°Â.

Sundance Film Fest chooses Boulder

A gaggle of grinning politicians and Sundance Film Fest officials in March said the tastemaking industry event would relocate from Park City, Utah, to Boulder starting in 2027. That’s led to lots of preparation and private/public fundraising on Boulder’s part, but also global attention and projected spending that will lift the Front Range city in the lean months of January. —Ìý´³.°Â.

Farewell, Bowen Yang

Aurora comedian Bowen Yang’s run on “Saturday Night Live” ended this year on a Dec. 20 episode hosted by Ariana Grande, Yang’s pal and the co-star of the “Wicked” film series in which Yang has a supporting role. The 35-year-old had broken ground in 2019 when he became SNL’s first-ever Chinese-American cast member, and the first-ever Chinese-American nominated for an acting Emmy. His sharp yet malleable presence will be sorely missed on a show that’s going through a major cast transition. —Ìý´³.°Â.

Concerts writ large

The Front Range has long been a top concert market, and it only got bigger during this up-and-down year for the industry. As ticket prices and fees continued to rile fans, Empower Field at Mile High hosted massive events such as a two-night run from Metallica, and Denver’s own The Lumineers with Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats. In Boulder, Folsom Field welcomed its first July 4 run from Phish, and Paul McCartney played a shockingly great set at Coors Field. With Red Rocks Amphitheatre’s calendar already filling up and new venues such as Project 70 debuting in Denver, there’s plenty to look forward to in 2026. —Ìý´³.°Â.

As someone who was born and raised in Denver and is a local business owner and the president of the Broadway Merchants Association, I am actively engaging with the Summit¶¶Òõap ownership on a Community Benefits Agreement that will ensure South Broadway and the surrounding neighborhoods receive positive impacts from the stadium for years to come.

The team’s ownership has worked with all surrounding Registered Neighborhood Organizations (RNOs) over the past four months to forge a deal that offers millions of dollars in community support, beautification and improvements.

Among the Broadway Merchants, there is palpable excitement that the Summit stadium project could bring increased foot traffic and sales to our storefronts. The Broadway Halloween Parade takes more than five months of planning and more than $100,000 in sponsorships to bring 45,000 people to our street. The stadium will bring a lesser amount, roughly 14,000 people to each event, but won’t cost our small businesses any dollars or time. Not to mention that the stadium will hold sold-out events more than 20 times per year, bringing potentially 280,000+ people to our business district. Small businesses on Broadway need the boost in foot traffic from this stadium.

The value of building a stadium like this in Denver is that the Summit won’t be building a culture on SouthÌýBroadwayÌýso much as becoming a key part of one that already exists. Iconic bars like The Skylark Lounge (owned by Nathaniel Rateliff), Irish Rover, Adrift and Punch Bowl Social are a stone’s throw from the proposed stadium site.

Restaurants like the Michelin-mentioned Mak Fam, Moxie and Maria Empanada already serve as the kind of attraction you won’t find anywhere else in our Mile High City. It would be hard to duplicate the culture density and these magnetic, diverse small businesses in a place like Lone Tree or Commerce City. The team knows that.

I understand the need for due diligence and applaud the City Council for its analysis of the deal. As a fiscal conservative, I appreciate the magnifying glass on how taxpayer dollars are spent. That being said, this dirt lot has been a blight on the community since the Gates Factory closed in 1991.

Given the stigma of past contamination at the site and massive public infrastructure investments needed, I don’t think we will see these parcels reimagined into anything without some taxpayer dollars. If we do not take advantage of the stadium proposal in front of us, we risk going through the same exercise in 10 to 20 years where the taxpayer cost will be exponentially higher.

Having met with the Summit team, I believe they truly want to be in Denver. We as a city also have to get out of our own way sometimes. I hope that the City Council realizes that their approval means the team elects to carry hundreds of millions of dollars in debt to fund the project; without their decision to carry debt, this land will continue to be a place that does not generate taxpayer dollars for our communities or consumer dollars for the small businesses surrounding it.

Tell me again why we are contemplating not letting someone else carry debt to give us (the taxpayers) millions of tax dollars in perpetuity? All of this, and the city still gets to keep the land and the stadium when the team is done using it decades from now.

City leaders, residents, sports enthusiasts, and small businesses have pushed for this project for nearly 24 months, and I ask that City Council vote yes to finalize a brighter future for our little slice of Denver.

Luke Johnson is the founder and CEO ofÌýLuke & Company, a fine pet supply and outfitter on Broadway. He is also the president of the Broadway Merchants Association.

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That’s the name of country star Tyler Childers’ new tour, which is scheduled to visit the roughly 50,000-capacity home of the University of Colorado Buffaloes’ football team on July 18, 2026.

It will be Childers’ second concert at the venue, following an Aug. 17, 2024 show there. That sold-out show, which was part of his Mule Pull ’24 Tour, proved his draw at one of the state’s biggest outdoor venues amid an already sold-out global tour. (Childers also tapped Denver’s Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats to open two tour-ending shows on that largely sold-out tour — though they took place in Washington and Montana, not Colorado.)

Former “Late Show” band leader and Grammy-winning musician Jon Batiste will open the 2026 Folsom show, along with acclaimed indie rock act Wednesday.

An artist pre-sale for Folsom tickets will begin on Wednesday, Dec. 10, according to CU Athletics, which manages the stadium, with a public on-sale starting on Friday, Dec. 12. Fans must sign up for the presale at by 10 a.m. on Sunday, Dec. 7. The public on-sale will be available via . Prices were not immediately available.

One dollar from each ticket sale will go toward both , which supports philanthropy in the Appalachian Region, and , which reduces environmental impacts “in live music, (engages) fans and fund(s) carbon impact programs to address the impacts of the tour that cannot be eliminated,” according to a statement.

Childers’ is just the first of several Folsom announcements, CU Athletics said.

“Tyler Childers’ return to Boulder continues a string of stellar concerts at the University of Colorado’s venerable Folsom Field over the last few years, including Dead & Company, Phish, Odesza, John Summit, and more,” officials wrote. “Next year promises to be another busy year for concerts, with more announcements likely after the New Year.”

Folsom Field over last summer’s Fourth of July weekend held Phish’s first-ever run of shows at the venue, following its years of Labor Day concerts at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City.

The 21st century in particular has seen an explosion of mainstream acts from the state, taking cues from high-visibility trailblazers such as Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Hot Rize, and Big Head Todd and the Monsters. The overall vibe? Easy listening folk-rock, soul and bluegrass; bittersweet melodies; incredible musicianship; and communal catharsis.

Here are Colorado’s top 5 biggest acts of the moment — plus a few you may not have heard of.

The Lumineers

Winsome songwriters Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites set out for Denver from New York in 2009, and have since grown into standard bearers for stomp-and-holler music. That Americana genre is loosely defined by rousing, singalong anthems and tender ballads that prize acoustic tones, with singles such as 2012’s “Ho Hey” proving the band’s ability to tease out joy and wistfulness, and a live show that reinforces its energetic reputation.
Also check out: DeVotchKa, Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, Heavy Diamond Ring

Illenium

Electronic dance music producer and DJ Nick Miller has collaborated with some of the biggest names in pop since moving to Denver in 2013 and getting sober, including Lana Del Rey, The Chainsmokers, Halsey, and Travis Barker. He broke ground at Empower Field at Mile High in 2023 when he played the biggest-ever concert from a Colorado-based artist, having already conquered global stages and festivals. His aesthetic is malleable, veering from sharp beats and tight samples to gauzy synths that locate hidden corners of brilliance in remixes of Taylor Swift and Nirvana.
Also check out: Pretty Lights, CloZee, Said the Sky

Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats

Husky-voiced Rateliff made an early splash in his soaring 2000s rock band Born in the Flood, and as a melancholy solo artist, before hitting it big in 2015 with the furiously catchy single “S.O.B.” His soul/blues revival outfit, which features musicians vital to Denver’s modern indie-rock scene (see Pat Meese, Joseph Pope III and Mark Schusterman), has been progressively growing in fame with huge, sold-out tours and Rateliff’s wide-ranging collaborations, leading to film and TV exposure, opening spots for the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan, and praise from Paul McCartney, Mavis Staples, Willie Nelson, Robert Plant and many others.
Also check out: Hazel Miller, The Velveteers, Rootbeer Richie & The Reveille

OneRepublic

Colorado music fans may not always realize that this polished, pop-rock act is one of our own, with the group having launched from Colorado Springs in 2002 before finding success in monster hits such as “Apologize,” “Secrets” and “Good Life.” Grammy-winning front man Ryan Tedder has also written for and produced artists such as Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, and Adele. He advocates for speaking openly about mental health struggles, having gone through many of his own, with a concurrent knack for winning over ears and hearts with his acrobatic voice.
Also check out: Wildermiss, Tennis, The Mańanas

Gregory Alan Isakov

This pensive, poetic songwriter is living his best Front Range life as an organic farmer in Boulder while churning out heartbreaking, Grammy-nominated albums that evoke the dusty southwest better than any globe-trotting Coloradan. He’s long collaborated with Colorado Symphony at his annually sold-out, back-to-back Red Rocks Amphitheatre shows, and his U.K. and European tours are nearly always sold out, too. (And boy, can he wear a hat.)
Also check out: Wovenhand, Elephant Revival, The Still Tide, Porlolo ]]> 7194260 2025-10-08T06:00:34+00:00 2025-10-08T13:15:25+00:00 /2025/10/02/radio-denver-live-music-in-studio-concerts/ Thu, 02 Oct 2025 12:00:32 +0000 /?p=7192949 ÌýOn any given day or night, one of several radio stations in Colorado could be airing a concert live to its listeners.

It could be Indie 102.3 (102.3 FM) recording a ferocious performance by a British rock band at their studios in Centennial. Or KGNU (88.5 FM), where a guitarist might be softly strumming next to the on-air host at the Boulder studio. Or maybe it’s an evening concert by the East High School jazz band taking place at the KUVO (89.3 FM) studios in downtown Denver.

Radio has served as a medium for live music since its inception. In Colorado, radio stations have featured bands big and small over the decades, through in-studio performances and regular sponsored shows at local venues.

“It’s just part of the fabric of what you do,” said Indra Raj, the music director at KGNU, an NPR-affiliated community radio station.

But live music on the radio is at risk of disappearing following President Donald Trump’s executive order in May to withdraw federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR, PBS and other public radio stations. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced in August it would shut down after losing federal funding.

With public radio stuck in political limbo, Colorado Public Radio, the owner of Indie 102.3, has paused studio sessions in Centennial indefinitely, said Indie host and local music director Alisha Sweeney.

“It’s a big production, and with public radio right now, we just don’t have the capacity to do it, even though we would love to and bands would love to,” Sweeney said.

Indie’s archival catalog of studio recordings is available online and stretches back to 2011; it includes remote performances streamed on Zoom and YouTube following the pandemic. The most recent live session on its channel is from April 2024.

Sweeney, who started DJing 25 years ago at the University of Colorado in Boulder, has favorite live moments. Shakey Graves recorded an early version of “Dearly Departed” at the Indie studios in 2014 that left people in awe, she said. Denver troubadour Nathaniel Rateliff once came in with nothing but an acoustic guitar and his boisterous voice. And she’s seen singer-songwriter Father John Misty perform three times for the station. (The first was recorded in her co-worker’s tiny apartment.)

And then there was the British rock group Idles, which arrived in Centennial in 2022 between dates at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California and the Mission Ballroom in Denver. “They blew the roof off our studio,” Sweeney said.

At the end of every month, Sweeney puts on the Local 303 meetup, a free concert by at least one Colorado band or artist. The shows are a way for local artists to come together and for Indie listeners to familiarize themselves with Denver venues, she said. The most recent meetup was at Skylark Lounge in Denver.

“I feel very lucky to be an ambassador of Colorado music and to have worked my career into this role to represent Colorado artists on the radio,” she said.

As a community radio station, KGNU has 150 DJs volunteering their time at its Denver and Boulder studios. While mainly known for its bluegrass contingent, bands of all genres visit the studio regularly to record and play on air, Raj said.

The station regularly sponsors shows across the Front Range and broadcasts live from the Louisville Street Faire and the RockyGrass Festival in Lyons in late July. The latter draws in livestream listeners from around the world, Raj said.

Kabaret, a weekly KGNU show Tuesdays at 7 p.m. that has aired for more than 20 years, has brought in local bands to play one hour live on air, Raj said.

“We have a smaller share of the market as a community radio station, so we rely on local artists as much as they rely on us to get the word out,” Raj said.

At the end of this year or early the next, KGNU will relocate its Boulder studios to a larger, more prominent space with its own black-box theater downtown, Raj said.

It’s not the only radio station making moves. Indie will leave its longtime studios in Centennial and join its parent nonprofit, Colorado Public Radio, at its planned Denver headquarters as early as next year, Sweeney said. (Editor’s note: Miguel Otarola is a former employee of Colorado Public Radio.)

Early design concepts included a stage where bands could play live over the airwaves and in front of an audience. By then, Sweeney hopes Indie’s shows will be rolling again.

Commercial radio stations owned by iHeartMedia in Denver, such as KBCO (97.3 FM) and Channel 93.3 (93.3 FM), also stream live performances occasionally.

KUVO, a public radio station owned by Rocky Mountain PBS, has hosted bands in its studios for decades, according to station spokesperson Ayana Contreras. Its archive of performances dates back to 2018, she said.

Its stage at the Buell Public Media Center was graced in recent months by modern jazz luminaries The Bad Plus and Daniel Villarreal. The station also invites local high-school jazz bands to its studios.

Jazz, a genre that thrives on spontaneity and improvisation, is the lifeblood of the station, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. As long as the station remains on the airwaves, live music will continue to be a part of it.

The biggest venues — those with a capacity of 2,000 or more — were constantly booked during the summer and early-fall concert seasons, with homegrown artists such as Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats and The Lumineers joining touring biggies like Billie Eilish, Sabrina Carpenter, Keith Urban, and Metallica.

While metro area stadiums and arenas aren’t purpose-built for music, they host enough concerts (and music fans) to justify inclusion here; anyone who’s seen Denver-based electronic headliner Illenium, The Rolling Stones or Taylor Swift, for example, can recall the giddy throngs at Empower Field at Mile High.

Here are Colorado’s 20 biggest live music venues, in order of size.

Empower Field at Mile High

Capacity: 76,125
Opened in 2001, the home of the Denver Broncos is also is also the largest concert venue in Colorado. The Eagles played the first concert there, but Mile High has gone on to host dozens more. This year, it has already welcomed Post Malone, Coldplay, the Weeknd and two nights of Metallica. As with most sports venues, concert capacity can rise or fall with field seating, or the closure of certain sections to maximize audience views. If you’re U2, you can even play in-the-round (as they did in 2011).

Coors Field

Capacity: 50,398
While concerts at the Colorado Rockies’ 30-year-old baseball stadium are rarer than at Empower Field, the capacity at Coors Field ensures big names and turnout — see recent shows from Billy Joel, Green Day, Kane Brown and Def Leppard. Booking has been relatively light so far this season.
Still to come: Chris Brown (Sept. 24), Paul McCartney (Oct. 11)

Dick’s Sporting Goods Park

Capacity: 27,000
As Commerce City’s largest venue, the home of the Colorado Rapids also hosted the annual Phish run on Labor Day weekend for many years (this year it’s at Folsom Field in Boulder) and the gigantic Mile High Music Fest (with Tool, Tom Petty, Dave Matthews Band and others). Opened in 2007, its concerts these days are fewer, but the airy layout of the 18,000-seat stadium lends itself to party-heavy events and dancing, with recent performers such as Imagine Dragons, Weezer and Bassnectar. Field seating adds a whopping 9,000 capacity — or just under the entire capacity of Red Rocks.

Ball Arena

Capacity: 21,000
The home of the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and Colorado Mammoth since 1999, Ball Arena, is a year-round concert venue that hosts the biggest names in touring. Floor seats and section closures put concert capacity around 20,000 or below, but in-the-round shows can make it feel less cavernous; see past visits from Metallica, or Tim McGraw and Faith Hill.

Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre

Capacity: 17,000
The state’s largest-capacity amphitheater tends to book artists who are too big for a single night at Red Rocks, but who might also fit comfortably in Ball Arena, depending on the time of year. In 2025, that has included Earth, Wind & Fire, Keith Urban, Wu-Tang Clan, and AJR. Having opened in 1988, the Greenwood Village venue also specializes in presenting live orchestral movie scores, package tours and themed throwback nights.
Still to come: Haim (Oct. 3)

Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Capacity: 9,525
Arguably the most famous amphitheater in the world — and, since the pandemic, inarguably the best-attended and most lucrative one — Red Rocks is a unique historical wonder in the Morrison foothills that’s a must-visit for music fans. have graced its outdoor stage, which peers up at a wide bowl between the towering formations of Ship Rock and Creation Rock, offering ideal natural acoustics and stunning vistas. Since it officially opened in 1941, notables have included The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead, Bonnie Raitt, U2, Fleetwood Mac, Widespread Panic, Radiohead, Daft Punk and Blues Traveler’s legendary Fourth of July run. This year, there are shows through October, and then some.
Still to come: Lorde (Oct. 15)

Ford Amphitheater

Capacity: 8,000
Not to be confused with Vail’s more modest Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater (a.k.a. The Amp, which opened in 1987), this luxury-minded Colorado Springs newcomer has since 2024 soaked up performers looking to turn their Denver or high-country visit into a lucrative Front Range run. Colorado pop-rock juggernauts OneRepublic opened the venue last summer, and it’s since hosted a crowd-pleasing mix of country, hard rock, hip-hop, pop and other acts.

Broadmoor World Arena

Capacity: About 8,000
The multi-purpose event center opened its doors in 1998 and has hosted classical music, bull riding, circuses, the Harlem Globetrotters, religious gatherings and, of course, tunes from acts such as Carrie Underwood, Alan Jackson, and Elton John.
Still to come: Alice Cooper and Judas Priest (Oct. 10), and A Day to Remember and Yellowcard (Oct. 28)

Blue FCU Arena

Capacity: 7,200
Northern Colorado residents are well served by this venue, which opened in 2003 as the Budweiser Events Center, and which is part of Loveland’s growing Ranch Events Complex, thanks to investments from Larimer County and others. It’s taken on more stature since FirstBank Center closed in Broomfield in 2023, having already hosted entertainers like Nate Bargatze, Weezer, Salt-N-Pepa, and even David Bowie.
Still to come: Cole Swindell (Oct. 2), and Brantley Gilbert (Oct. 12)

Levitt Pavilion

Capacity: 7,000
Situated in the otherwise quiet Ruby Hill Park, Levitt is a nonprofit outdoor venue that hosts more than 50 free, high-quality concerts each year for all ages. Its bookings since 2017 have developed into an even mix of rock, pop, hip-hop, metal, soul, R&B, country, folk and impressively diverse acts from outside the U.S., with an emphasis on supporting local and up-and-coming artists.

Bellco Theatre

Capacity: 5,000
This perky venue inside the Colorado Convention Center arrived in 2005 as part of a larger renovation, but it stands alone with its booking, which has included one of the city’s most winning mix of musicians, big-name comedians, lecturers, and hybrid movie screenings.
Still to come: David Byrne (Nov. 6-7)

Mission Ballroom

Capacity: 2,200-3,950
The flexible stage at this high-tech, artist-favorite venue allows owner AEG Presents Rocky Mountains to customize the space to different acts’ audience draw, whether that’s Jack White, Olivia Rodrigo or Devo. The layout for in-venue bars, bathrooms, and accessible seating is state-of-the-art and a welcome change from most crowded theaters with mediocre sight lines to the stage.

Dillon Amphitheater

Capacity: 3,656
This high-country amphitheater with gorgeous views first opened in 1993, with a major renovation in 2018, and has, since the pandemic, been supercharged with acts that would normally just play Red Rocks. That includes Bob Dylan, Alison Krauss, String Cheese Incident, Modest Mouse, Pretty Lights and Cypress Hill. Some shows are even free.

Fillmore Auditorium

Capacity: 3,600
Longtime Denverites will recall the long, curved-roof building at East Colfax Avenue and Clarkson Street as the Mammoth Events Center. Owned by promoter Live Nation, it has for most of the time since its 1999 rebranding been the Mile High City’s premier mid-size venue hosting rock, hip-hop, metal, electronic music and drag shows (at least until rival promoter AEG Presents, owned by Colorado billionaire Philip Anschutz, built Mission Ballroom to compete against it.) A note for music historians: it was redesigned in the style of promoter Bill Graham’s seminal Fillmore venue in San Francisco.

Buell Theatre

Capacity: 2,839
While the 34-year-old Buell — full name Temple Hoyne Buell Theatre, after the prolific and influential Colorado architect — mostly welcomes touring Broadway productions for the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, the city-owned theater also books musical artists.
Still to come: Morrissey (Oct. 2)

Boettcher Concert Hall

Capacity: 2,679
Music lovers continue to debate the acoustics at the Colorado Symphony’s home in the Denver Performing Arts Complex, but the mainstream profile of acts there has helped diversify the symphony’s audiences in recent years. That includes collaborations in-the-round with Denver’s Nathaniel Rateliff and DeVotchKa, as well as indie firebrands The Flaming Lips, in addition to standard orchestral fare and familiar classical-crossover acts such as Andrea Bocelli and Lindsey Stirling. Did we mention live movie scores from “Jurassic Park,” “Star Wars,” “Home Alone 2” and others?
Still to come: Latin Beats: Sonidos de las Américas (Sept. 25)

Ellie Caulkins Opera House

Capacity: 2,200
One of Colorado’s oldest venues is also its most majestic, hosting thousands of dancers, touring comedians, musicians, theater productions, and celebrity speakers since opening in 1908. Along with the Buell (next door), it’s the biggest venue in the bustling Denver Performing Arts Complex and a beacon of classic Denver style.

Grizzly Rose

Capacity: About 2,000
Since 1989, the Rose has been one of metro Denver’s only dedicated country music venues with a rich history of launching huge performers (see Taylor Swift’s first-ever Denver concert) and bagging acts that would normally play larger venues. Rough-hewn wood, line dancing, cold bottles of beer, barbecue and mechanical bulls bolster the estimable list of country, hard rock, roots and crossover acts that regularly play on Friday nights.

Macky Auditorium

Capacity: 2,036
The University of Colorado’s handsomely renovated Macky Auditorium, which held its first concert in 1923, hosts music festivals, ballet, circus performers, musical theater, symphonic tributes and more — and has been floated as a primary screening venue for the Sundance Film Festival when it moves to Boulder in 2027.
Still to come: Ballet Hispanico (Oct. 9), and Cirque Kalabante (Oct. Nov. 7)

Pikes Peak Center

Capacity: 2,000
Comics such as Jerry Seinfeld and Marlon Wayans, and musical acts including Dream Theater, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Lyle Lovett and Hauser, find a cozy reception in this stately venue in downtown Colorado Springs, which opened in 1982, and which can feel much bigger depending on who’s on stage.

But did you know that Nelson has rekindled his love of Denver over the last decade thanks to Colorado songwriter Nathaniel Rateliff? The latter has played, written with, recorded, and released music by Nelson, even as he leads his own revered soul outfit, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats.

Countless tidbits like that swirl through the Colorado music scene, showing that the state has an impact on well-known musical artists — and not just the other way around.

Here are a few notable ones:

You may know that The Beatles played its only Colorado show to a less-than-full Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Aug. 26, 1964, having escaped the 10,000 fans who showed up to greet them at Stapleton Airport. But did you know that 8 days before the show, promoter Verne Byers received a letter threatening violence at the concert? The threat prompted Byers to contact Denver police, who alerted the FBI. “If you know what¶¶Òõap good for you, cancel Denver engagement,” the letter read. “I’ll be in the audience and I’m going to throw a hand grenade instead of jelly babies,” it said, referring to the British candy fans threw during concerts. The show went off without any grenades, fortunately.

You may know that a violent riot at a 1971 Jethro Tull concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre led to a years-long ban on rock ‘n’ roll at the Morrison venue. But did you know that rock only returned because a judge forced the issue? A U.S. Circuit Court ruling in 1975 faulted the city for enforcing the ban “arbitrarily and capriciously,” , and compared it to thought-policing. One year later, rock ‘n’ roll was officially back at Red Rocks, and it’s safe to say that other historic music riots in Denver (at shows from Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, Pantera, DJ Quik, etc.) never had the same negative impact on the overall scene.

You may have heard that grunge icon Nirvana played the Gothic Theatre in 1991 its landmark album . But did you know that leader Kurt Cobain considered it one of his favorite gigs of all time? “Every time I look back at the best times in this band, it was right before ‘Nevermind’ came out,” he said in the 1993 book “Comes as You Are,” written by music journalist Michael Azerrad. “That’s when the band is at its best — they’re really trying hard and there’s so much excitement in the air you can just taste it.” And it wasn’t even a headlining show (Dinosaur Jr. was billed above Nirvana).

You may know that acclaimed British rocker RadioheadÌýplayed a pair of its best-ever concerts at Red Rocks in 2001 and 2003. But did you know the band’s rental trailer was stolen outside of a Ramada Inn on East Colfax Avenue in 1995 during its tour for “The Bends,” just before opening for Soul Asylum at the Ogden Theatre? Guitarist Jonny Greenwood was eventually reunited with at least one of the guitars (an Ebony Frost Fender Telecaster Plus) but the band has been quoted as saying they’d never let their equipment out of their sight again after the incident. (Their last show here was an underwhelming 2012 performance at the now-demolished FirstBank Center.)

You may know that Grammy-winning singer and songwriter Marc Cohn (“Walking in Memphis”) loves playing Colorado, given his frequent visits over the years. But did you know that in 2005 he was shot in the head in an attempted carjacking in Denver? He’d just played a sold-out show at Denver Botanic Gardens with Suzanne Vega when the incident occurred near the 16th Street Mall. Even though the bullet lodged in his skull, he was released from the hospital eight hours after checking in. The fact that he continued to play Colorado after the incident is a testament to his relationship with his fans.

You may know that several musicians have been jailed in Colorado over the years for alleged infractions such as indecent exposure (punk band Nig-Heist, in 1984), assault (Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes, 1991), and disorderly conduct (Depeche Mode’s Martin Gore, 1993). But did you know Puddle of Mudd singer Wes Scantlin was arrested at Denver International Airport in 2015? Not only did Scanlan continue to do it after being warned, according to police reports, he even rode it through the wall and into the supposedly secure area closed to the public. Scantlin had been scheduled to play that night (Jan. 16) at Casselman’s — and just barely made it after a fan bailed him out of jail.

You may know that fans of former One Direction member Louis Tomlinson were pummeled by hail from a fast-moving storm at Red Rocks in 2023, leading to cuts, broken bones, and dozens of other injuries. But did you know that weather-related cancellations in Colorado are a regular event? Several shows at Red Rocks have been canceled or postponed in recent months due to weather, following a quartet of nixed shows in 2024. Just this year, weather has snagged Sublime, Hippie Sabotage and L’Impératrice due to forecasts of snow and wind. The cancelations are relatively rare, but not unheard of.

Watcher, who succeeds Mark Cantrell, served on the Colorado Symphony board starting in 2023, including his ongoing term as co-vice chair. Before that, he worked for five years at Colorado Springs’ Chromatic Technologies, Inc., serving as CEO for the past year or so.

“Music has always been a powerful joy and force in my life – an art form that connects, inspires and unites us in ways that transcend words,” Wachter said in a statement. “The Colorado Symphony is not just an orchestra; it is a vibrant cultural institution that brings people together through the universal language of music. It is a place where artistry meets innovation, and where tradition blends with bold pioneering ideas.”

Cantrell’s two-year tenure saw “significant achievements in artistic programming, community engagement, and financial growth,” leaders wrote. “Under Cantrell’s leadership, the symphony expanded its partnerships, strengthened its financial position, and reached new audiences across Colorado, leaving the organization well-positioned for continued success under Wachter’s leadership.”

Indeed, the symphony has a couple of high notes lately: in September, veteran conductor Peter Oundjian was named music director — starting in the fall-to-spring 2025-2026 season — and popular conductor Christopher Dragon nabbed a new appointment with the Philly Pops. (He’ll continue to serve as Colorado Symphony’s resident conductor, its leaders said.)

This week, the organization announced the return of its Mozart at McGregor Square program (July 25), following a season lineup announced in early March that listed visits from piano star Lang Lang, former Kennedy Center artistic adviser Ben Folds, singer Ingrid Michaelson, and Broadway’s Sutton Foster and Kelli O’Hara (see for the full list).

The symphony is also barreling forward with its regular classic program, including scores set to live screenings of movies (“Star Wars: Return of the Jedi,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” etc.); pops tributes to John Denver, The Bee Gees, David Bowie, and Dolly Parton; and a concert with Pink Martini and Bruce Hornsby. Single tickets for those are on sale starting June 9 via .

The symphony is also in the midst of a collaborative streak that includes Denver’s , as well as upcoming shows at Red Rocks Amphitheatre backing Beck, The Beach Boys and others. ]]> 6956158 2025-03-17T14:39:10+00:00 2025-03-17T15:40:07+00:00 /2025/02/14/lumineers-empower-field-denver-tickets-automatic-tour-jimmy-fallon/ Fri, 14 Feb 2025 18:03:59 +0000 /?p=6922233 Platinum-selling Denver act The Lumineers is blitzing Denver.

The group, composed of Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites, is marking the release of new album “Automatic” with the announcement of its biggest Colorado date yet: a headlining concert at Empower Field at Mile High, at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2.

On top of that, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats will open the show, uniting two of Denver’s biggest musical acts on the same field. (Rateliff is no stranger to Empower, either, having opened for The Rolling Stones there in 2019).

Tickets for the show — part of the band’s newly announced Automatic World Tour — are on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, Feb. 21. Fans can sign up for an artist pre-sale at . Prices were not immediately available.

The date is one in a massive list of shows unfurled today, starting in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. on July 3 and finishing in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 14. The tour focuses on stadiums, amphitheaters and arenas, with the Lumineers having already played Denver’s Coors Field in 2022.

Check out this performance of “Same Old Song,” from the new album, on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” last night.

But within those confines are wildly divergent experiences for rock stars, drag queens, comics, authors and other stage performers at the area’s best indoor and outdoor venues.

At the Hi-Dive, layers of graffiti and spare, ratty furniture give the South Broadway club a punk-rock authenticity and sense of history. By contrast, Red Rocks Amphitheatre’s green rooms offer sprawling hangout spaces for world-famous artists, with on-site catering and accommodations for both bands and their crews (or fans, as the case may be after shows), as well as unique natural sandstone formations.

New spots try to shake off their paint and construction dust by starting traditions. That often includes signing autographs on a wall to mark an artist’s visit, as Dazzle jazz club has been doing since it reopened in a custom space at the Denver Performing Arts Complex last year.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, only a few them actually have green walls — and those tend to be the less rock-ready spaces. Think the Tattered Cover on East Colfax Avenue, with its calming, low-light green room for touring authors about to read from their work. At Comedy Works downtown, local and national stand-ups, including Dave Chappelle and Sarah Silverman, mingle before shows and mentally work their routines. But those are color-coded exceptions.

David Weingarden of Z2 Entertainment, which books Chautauqua Auditorium, 10 Mile Music Hall and other venues, prides himself on his company’s upgraded and well-maintained green rooms, as has long been the case at the gorgeous Boulder Theater and modest but powerful Fox Theatre, as well as Fort Collins’ busy Aggie Theatre (which just received its own upgrade).

Perks often lead to positive press: When mega-comic Bret Kreischer visited Loveland’s Blue FCU Arena in February, he was treated to a golf simulator and whiskey tasting, which Kreischer praised on his social media accounts.

We surveyed metro area venues to get a sense of what Denver looks like from the inside — when artists have only a few hours in town, and their main impression of the Mile High City is a windowless room, however well appointed. Here are just a few.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Simply playing the venue is a career-high achievement for many artists, and the backstage experience is similarly epic. Side-stage “barn doors,” carefully guarded, lead to underground tunnels that break off into green rooms, a dining room (complete with rolling popcorn machine and snow cone dispenser), and other spaces.

Water seeps through rocks in the largest green room into a tiny gutter, which can create surprising tableaus. When Macklemore and Ryan Lewis headlined a Winter on the Rocks event there, all they cared about was getting their picture taken next to it, said venue manager Tad Bowman.

“The water had seeped in and it turned into this frozen waterfall, and it was beautiful,” Bowman said. ” I remember them saying ‘We’ll never play anywhere else where there’s a frozen waterfall in our dressing room! ‘ ”

When James Taylor visits, he’s known to hang out in the egalitarian dining room where crews and local stagehands also eat from a small catering kitchen. It’s a safe, subterranean space.

Paramount Theatre

This 94-year-old gem in downtown Denver has a well-preserved, Art Deco look that contrasts with its utilitarian backstage. However, up the stairs and through a narrow hallway, the green rooms are comfy havens that can also be easily reached through the alley (where most performers enter, and fans wait after shows) while crews load in.

They’ve been recently updated, according to Kroenke Sports Enterprises, which owns and operates the venue. Wall-mounted film reels that mark its history as a classic movie house are joined by modernist fixtures, deep blue walls and perks like a Pop-A-Shot machine.

That contrasts with other KSE venues, such as Ball Arena, which feature handsome but generic dressing rooms that cater to both sports-league and artist needs, from the Denver Nuggets to the Eagles and Bad Bunny, with puffy couches, a bar and a wall-sized photo of downtown Denver’s 16th Street Mall.

Fillmore Auditorium

The Fillmore’s green rooms are beautifully moody and old-school, with the feeling of cloistered backstage space — or, in this case, under-stage space.

The Capitol Hill venue has a long history, formerly as Mammoth Events Center and as a skating rink that took advantage of the building’s wide, wooden floors. Major refreshes over the last decade have brought more bathrooms and slicker styles to the green rooms, which general manager Joe Petrie was proud to show off recently to a Denver Post photographer.

In its warm and womb-like design, the red walls, murals, chandeliers and stuffed couches are joined by a wall with the names of past performers, ranging from Bob Dylan to Ms. Lauren Hill, Denver’s Nathaniel Rateliff and Troye Sivan. Any recent visitors have also had access to backstage table tennis and pinball to pass the time.

Sunset Amphitheater

Colorado Springs’ newest, biggest concert venue is set to debut Aug. 9-11 with shows from Colorado’s own OneRepublic. But owner JW Roth said his upscale dressing rooms will go beyond the usual perks.

“We’re calling it an artist compound,” he said. “They’re broken out individual rooms with showers, there’s a beautiful kitchen, outdoor patio with grills and flattops, and they can order off the menu at our seafood restaurant and chophouse — which isn’t open just yet.”

Views make a difference: As with the main venue, the green rooms include outdoor spaces that look upon Pikes Peak and the U.S. Air Force Academy. Artists tend to remember that, Roth said, and it helps to lure them back for more shows.

Ogden Theatre

As one of Denver’s most revered theaters, the 1,600-capacity Ogden Theatre has welcomed thousands of touring acts, locals, famous actors and directors into a backstage space that, until recently, needed more than a little love and care.

Now, brick walls, rugs and a classic Galaga cabinet, as well as a flatscreen TV, immediately jump out, as do the handsomely askew lampshades that seem to be a signature of any green room. It was recently renovated to account for a boiler that loomed over the room, owner Doug Kauffman has said, and is in its best shape yet.

Herman’s Hideaway

This legendary South Broadway venue has changed hands a couple of times since the pandemic, but also enjoyed major upgrades to lighting, sound and other necessary features. That includes a trio of brand new green rooms, which owner Mike Roth is happy to crow about.

“We moved them from the nasty dungeon-basement to upstairs,” he said. “Only two bands could really fit down there, but now we have three rooms and two bathrooms, which cost probably as much as the new sound system.”

Indeed, Herman’s green rooms are tidy and cozy, with soft couches, refrigerators, coffee and tea machines, flatscreen TVs and even a safe for valuables. And, hey — actual green walls!

Mission Ballroom

One of the country’s most technologically advanced venues also boasts one of its best green-room setups.

Opened in 2019, the AEG Presents-owned, RiNo-located venue is an artist’s dream with state-of-the-art dressing rooms that include TVs, record players and curated LPs (courtesy of nearby vinyl manufacturers Vinyl Me, Please), navy blue walls, natural wood, pop-art paintings, mid-mod fixtures, and mirrors with lighted strips on either side. It’s a hip addition to a hip neighborhood, and one that may herald more sponsorships and brand placements in green rooms.

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