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. — John 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 Bonita and 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. — Tiney 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. —����.��.

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. —����.��.

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). —����.��.

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. —����.��.

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. —����.��.

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. —����.��.

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 /2025/09/23/colorados-biggest-music-venues/ Tue, 23 Sep 2025 12:00:12 +0000 /?p=7186099 Colorado’s music scene thrives because people love seeing concerts here. Our venues range from the world-famous Red Rocks Amphitheatre to the independent clubs that are growing the next generation of musicians, with plenty in between.

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.

Or it’s at least new. Again.

The Broncos’ turf and facilities team put down fresh sod between the end of the stadium’s summer concert series and Saturday night����ap preseason opener against Arizona.

They did it in record time, according to director of turf and grounds Chris Hathaway.

After The Lumineers performed at the stadium on Aug. 2, Hathaway and his team got to work. They put down 462 rolls of Kentucky Bluegrass turf grown at Green Valley Turf in Platteview over the course of three days — a total of 55 hours end to end — replacing the entire grass surface in the process.

The grass has had about 10 days between when it was installed and Saturday night’s return to football action.

“In the fastest installation to date, it takes an incredible amount of teamwork to complete a project of this size,” Hathaway said. “Our facilities team works quickly to transition from hosting concerts to football games, creating a safe, playable surface for everyone on gameday.”

It may be a big undertaking, but Hathaway’s team has experience on quick turnarounds. The Broncos have replaced the grass playing surface at Empower Field in the middle of each season since the Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group bought the team in August 2022.

The team wouldn’t confirm the price tag on the replacement but it cost an estimated $250,000 for a slightly smaller project in 2023 and this year’s version is expected to check in between $300,000 and $400,000.

Denver’s most historic music venues are also some of its most impressive, ranging from the city-owned Red Rocks Amphitheatre to the gilded prosceniums of the Ogden and Paramount theaters.

The Bluebird Theater may not immediately spring to mind. It’s not that fancy, nor that big. But its history says reams about the Mile High City. The gorgeous, blue-neon sign jumps out from its perch at 3317 E. Colfax Ave., topping a marquee that’s always popping with headliners — a sign of mega-promoter AEG Presents’ nonstop bookings at the 500-capacity theater.

It’s a wonderful place to see a show, intimate yet big enough to feel like a much bigger venue when it’s packed with screaming fans. And yet, the Bluebird is an example of the scrappy, not-always-pretty evolution of Denver at a street level. It as a movie house called The Thompson, according to History Colorado, and immediately made for a handsome addition to East Colfax, the city’s longest east-west corridor. Its multihued brick accents and spires are still intact, however weathered, and one gets the sense standing in line for a show that countless thousands have done the exact thing on that exact spot.

It’s fulfilled many uses, of course, and the 1970s downturn saw the venue transform into a porn theater, which lasted until its temporary closing in 1987. Seven years later, Chris Swank and Evan Dechtman bought it and fixed it up — just in time for location scouts to nab it for 1995’s “Things to Do in Denver When You’re Dead,” where Andy Garcia and Fairuza Balk shot scenes on the sidewalk out front.

Before the Hi-Dive, Larimer Lounge or any of Denver’s other top indie clubs replaced the 15th Street Tavern, Climax Lounge and much-missed gems, the Bluebird acted as a reliable mid-sized spot to catch local and touring acts before they got big (hint: it still is). Certainly, it’s good to get there early to stake out spots against the railing, or press against the wooden stage as you cram earplugs into your head.

Illenium and the Lumineers — both multiplatinum-selling, Denver-based acts — have namechecked it among their favorites to both play (when starting out) and see shows. The layers of stickers and bathroom graffiti, groaning wood structures, relatively narrow sides, and eclectic design touches give it an underdog feel despite frequently having some of the .

Fans will likely never forget seeing huge names there before they were big — Adele, Vampire Weekend, Billie Eilish, The White Stripes, Ed Sheeran. I won’t forget seeing my own favorite artists there (Guided by Voices, Tortoise, Beth Gibbons, Spoon, Low) not long after moving to Denver in 2000. I loved showing up after a few beers on the town and getting turned onto locals such as Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, DeVotchKa and Maraca 5-0, and their lacerating live shows. I met lifelong friends there after a freak-accident discussion made us realize we were all from Ohio. I interviewed bands such as the Shins and Pinback backstage when I ran an indie rock fanzine. And once or twice I’ve even climbed on stage there myself.

I can’t imagine a Colfax without the Bluebird, just as I’d rather not look in the mirror and see any missing teeth. The venue has watched over a particularly colorful stretch of the city through cultural up- and downturns, demolitions and new construction, and it’s found ways to come out on top every time. It’s a neon beacon, a sticky-floored altar of rock, and one of the best arguments for the decades-long continuity of Denver’s music scene I’ve yet heard.

Well, every artist does. But while multiplatinum-sellers such as The Lumineers (headlining Empower Field at Mile High on Aug. 2) and DJ-producer Illenium (who headlined Empower Field in 2023) have no shortage of stages, gear and entertainment at their disposal, being based in Denver means tapping local services.

We asked several artists — The Lumineers, Illenium, jazz pianist Annie Booth, hip hop’s Trev Rich, Denver trailblazer Big Head Todd and the Monsters, Grammy-nominated Yonder Mountain String Band and more — about their favorite places to work and play in the metro area.

Whether you’re taking notes on their career success or just want to see the city through their eyes, now you can eat, play and rock out like your favorites. (Answers have been edited for length and clarity — and to prevent too much repetition.)

The Lumineers

Venues: “Red Rocks would be the preferred venue to play,” said singer-guitarist Wesley Schultz, “but I also love the Bluebird Theater, which is probably my favorite to see shows. I used to go to a lot of shows at the Hi-Dive, and when I saw Dope Lemon at the Ogden Theatre a few months back, it reminded me of the great vibe and fond memories of playing it. Also the Boulder Theater — that’s where my wife and I got married.”

Restaurants: “Marigold in Lyons is run by one of my dear buddies, Theo Adley, who I went to high school with. And my phenomenal buddy Kelly (Whitaker) runs Wolf’s Tailor, and I love Annette Scratch to Table. Caroline (Glover) is amazing. As far as dives, it’s Satchel’s on 6th, where you feel like you’re at Cheers — just with food.”

Bars: “For best drinks, it’s the PS Lounge, Steuben’s and the Thin Man, because I used to live over by there.”

Gear: “I’ve always used Denver Folklore Center. When we moved here in 2009 (from New York) I brought in an old Nippon Yamaha, an FG-350 — they call them the poor man’s Martin — which needed a fix because the tuner wouldn’t tighten. The guy who worked there took out a toothpick and ground it into the back of the tuner and was able to get traction. He didn’t charge me. So I’ve got classical guitars, mostly acoustic, from them and always go there to get (instruments) fixed. I even got my son a little starter guitar there.”

Studios: “Colorado Sound Studios is an unassuming place and we’ve done some producing and writing there. Jeremiah (Frates) and I have recorded some last-minute stuff there when we couldn’t fly out to do it. They’ve got some amazing sound engineers.”

Worthy cause: “My wife, Brandy, runs the nonprofit. Typically every show we play we take a dollar off per ticket and donate it to charity, and a lot of bands are doing that. Right now they’re focusing on funding regenerative farming as well as kelp restoration along coastlines and farmland restoration.”

Illenium

Venues: “Red Rocks is one of my all-time favorites,” said producer-DJ Nick Miller, a.k.a. Illenium. “It����ap such an awesome setting that I don’t think can be beat. For a small venue, I’d say the Bluebird Theater. It was my first ‘big’ sellout in Denver and is such an intimate space that holds a special memory for me.

“Colorado has some amazing outdoor venues but I think a lot of people aren’t familiar with Mishawaka Amphitheatre up near Fort Collins,” he added. “It’s right alongside a river and just a super cool spot that combines music with nature. When I was just starting out, I played it a couple of times. I haven’t been back since 2018 but would love to do it again one day!”

Restaurants: “I love Guard and Grace, and Temaki Den or Sushi Den.”

Worthy causes: “I have been working a lot with . They provide free naloxone, test strips, and overdose response training and education to people. At almost every show of mine, we supply Narcan (and) teach fans how to use it in an emergency.

Annie Booth Trio

Venues: “Dazzle for its intimacy and Boettcher Concert Hall for (big shows),” said award-winning composer, arranger and jazz pianist Annie Booth. “I also love playing at Nocturne for its great energy, and I’ve always loved playing the Mercury Cafe, because I’ve been going there since I was 15.”

Restaurants: Cart Driver and Potager

Gear: I love Classic Pianos of Denver down on South Broadway. I bought my Yamaha U1, this gorgeous upright, there and I’ve been playing their (on-site) pianos at different venues for years and years.”

Studios: “It’s absolutely Mighty Fine Productions. I’ve made seven albums with tons of different projects over the past 10 years and they’ve all taken place at Mighty Fine. The owner, Colin Bricker, is truly a world-class engineer with people coming in from all over the world to make albums there.”

Worthy cause: “. I participated as a high schooler and it totally changed my life. I would not be making music at the level I am today if it weren’t for this nonprofit, which provides mentorship and connection for young people and adults who are interested in learning to play jazz. I’m a board member and donor and they’re really close to my heart.”

Big Head Todd and the Monsters

Venues: “Of course Red Rocks is the finest large venue in the land.  It would be my favorite to both see and perform shows,” said leader Todd Park Mohr. “The Mission Ballroom is exquisite. For small venues, I will always be partial to (the now-closed) Herman’s Hideaway and the Soiled Dove.”

Restaurant/bars: Potager and The Cruise Room, respectively.

Gear: “My go-to for shopping would be Wildwood Guitars. I also love the Olde Town Pickin’ Parlor in Arvada, especially for repairs.”

Worthy cause: “I like a lot and have done work for them throughout my career.”

DeVotchKa

Venues: “The Bluebird and the Gothic are still my two favorites,” said drummer and multi-instrumentalist Shawn King. “Can’t deny the mighty Mission (Ballroom) though — I was at the Smile and Thee Sacred Souls and both sounded perfect.”

Restaurants: “Pochito’s Tortilla Factory — pick up rice and beans and tortillas, and then go to Carniceria La Guadalajara and pick up something to grill.”

Gear: “My go-to fixer is Al Scholl, who works out of Mighty Fine Productions. He really cares about anything with strings. And Rupp’s Drums has always been helpful, never trying to push anything on you, just there to help your situation.”

Yonder Mountain String Band

Venues: “Probably the Fox (Theatre) or the Boulder Theater if I were to tally the numbers up, Red Rocks for large venues,” said guitarist Adam Aijala.

Restaurants: “You can’t go wrong with Sushi Den. I really love the food at the Gold Hill Inn … and Bagel Deli!”

Gear: “For repairs, I go to Woodsong’s Lutherie in Boulder. Those guys are awesome folks.”

Studios: “Yonder Mountain has recorded our last four records at Cinder Sound Studio with John McVey in Longmont.  For mastering, we work with David Glasser at Airshow Mastering.  Some of the best dudes in the business.”

Worthy cause: “. They put on concerts and festivals and the proceeds provide things like musical instruments and art supplies for Colorado schools.”

Trev Rich

Venues: “My favorite venue big would have to be Red Rocks and smaller would be Gothic,” said the Grammy-nominated rapper, songwriter and producer Trev Rich. “That’s where I had my first headline and (sell-out) so that will always be my favorite.”

Restaurant: “That’s a tough one but right now Nola Jane has a hold on me.”

Studios: “For rehearsal, it’s RocketSpace and recording it’s DreamSpace Studios. Every now and then Side 3.”

Worthy cause: and both do really good things in the city, especially when it comes to the kids from the neighborhoods we come from — but open to all kids for sure.

bellhoss

Venues: “The Hi-Dive. It feels like home, and (my husband) and I finally live within walking distance,” said singer-songwriter and guitarist Becky Otárola. (Full disclosure: Her husband is Denver Post restaurant/food reporter Miguel Otárola.) “It feels really cozy, and really cool, like some of the venues that I grew up around in L.A.”

Restaurants: Ohana Island Kitchen

Bars: “If I want to be fancy and have a nice drink, it’s Hudson Hill.”

Worthy cause: and

While acts like Coldplay, Chris Stapleton, Post Malone, Metallica and The Lumineers will headline the major arenas and amphitheaters around Denver, smaller venues along the Front Range and in the high country are growing their nationally headlining roster at an astonishing rate — even if they will never match the calendar at Red Rocks Amphitheatre (more on that below).

But there are also plenty of questions for music fans about the future. Here are 6 of those questions, along with some answers, for the 2025 concert season, which is just around the corner as shows start at Red Rocks on March 8 with , featuring Gramatik.

1. Will promoters get bots under control?

Probably not. Malicious bots that snatch up large numbers of tickets the moment they go on sale — then drive up prices for the re-sale market — , with new ones sprouting up the moment another disappears. Industry professionals are skeptical they can tame them, though they’re trying, said AEG Presents Rocky Mountains president Don Strasburg.

Ticket seller AXS — a spin-off of AEG that was also founded by Colorado billionaire Philip Anschutz — says it fights bots with its virtual waiting room, “where fans can join before an event goes on sale, allowing the platform to filter out automated bots and randomly select users to access tickets …” It’s a fairness issue, said the company, which sells most of the concert tickets at Red Rocks and all the tickets at city-owned venues.

The Federal Trade Commission and state lawmakers continue to investigate bots and re-sellers as well, leading to progress such as Colorado’s transparency-in-pricing bill, which as of August allows buyers to see fees before they click “purchase.”

2. Has country overtaken jam bands as Colorado’s hottest music?

Yes. With the proviso that country has always been more mainstream than jam bands in terms of ticket sales, radio play, industry profile, and booking. They may not always dominate Red Rocks’ calendar, for example, but the number and size of country concerts in metro Denver is growing, with major shows from Morgan Wade (Feb. 23 at Mission Ballroom), Post Malone and Jelly Roll (June 15 at Empower Field), Keith Urban (July 17 at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre), and Chris Stapleton (Aug. 22 at Ball Arena) and dozens more this year.

Grand Junction’s Country Jam also returns June 26-28 with Luke Bryan, Bailey Zimmerman, Cody Johnson, Tracy Lawrence and more. That’s not even mentioning the artists in the sweet spot of the country-jam-band crossover, from Americana and bluegrass to the twangy singer-songwriters populating theaters and clubs. We’re also likely getting a new country bar in LoDo, as plans have been filed for a mechanical bull in the space . And the TouchTunes digital jukebox company reports that many of the most popular songs played in Colorado are by artists like Morgan Wallen, Zach Bryan and Toby Kieth.

3. Have we reached full festival fatigue?

Yes. Promoters and artists have said there’s little room for new, multi-day events in the metro area, given that Colorado mountain towns are already bursting with them (see blues, folk and jazz fests through the summer in Telluride, Snowmass, Lyons, Vail, etc.).

Denver’s Underground Music Showcase, which returns July 26-28 along South Broadway, already features more than 100 local and national acts, while local mini-fests (see the excellent ) and packed bills have filled the demand for multi-performer events. That includes Civic Center’s returning Outside Festival (May 31-June 1), with Lord Huron, Khruangbin, Sylvan Esso, Trampled by Turtles and more.

On top of that, long-running fests that went on hiatus haven’t returned, such as the Westword Music Showcase, Arise Music Festival and Meow Wolf’s Vertex — not to mention the canceled Grandoozy, SnowBall, Velorama, and Mile High Music Festival of years past. The demand just isn’t there anymore.

“Festival fatigue is real,” said AEG’s Strasburg. “And one thing that’s been said before, but it’s true, is that Colorado already hosts the greatest festival in the world each year with its season of Red Rocks shows.”

4. Will Phish ever play Dick’s Sporting Goods Park again?

Maybe. The band this week confirmed a trio of dates at Folsom Field, July 3-5, marking its debut at the Boulder venue that typically hosts University of Colorado football games. Strasburg told The Denver Post that AEG Presents, which is handling the shows, works on a year-by-year basis and wouldn’t commit to a 2026 return.

So, it’s possible. But if the Folsom shows go well — and there’s every reason to believe they will, given Phish’s slick operations, constant sell-outs and fan loyalty — it would make sense for them to play a Colorado venue with fewer shows and more tickets than their annual Labor Day run at Dick’s in Commerce City, which has been going since 2011 (minus the 2020 off-year).

Phish is also well positioned to take over the regular Dead & Co. runs at Folsom, which ended in 2023, and make their multi-night stand a new summer tradition.

5. Has Red Rocks hit full calendar capacity?

Yes. For the first time, promoter AEG Presents, which books most Red Rocks shows, said the venue cannot fit any more events, minus the occasional rescheduled show or yet-to-be-announced booking. That bucks years of growth at the venue, which now hosts about 150 concerts each year through October and early November.

That’s a good thing for music fans seeing their favorite artist at arguably the world’s best venue. The revenue it generates for the city of Denver, which owns the historic amphitheater, ensures its upkeep and improvements, according to Denver Arts & Venues. But even as its calendar has expanded to winter months in recent years, there’s still a hard, seasonal wall that prevents most shows from reaching into December or February, promoters said.

There’s warm-weather room to grow at other amphitheaters, however, with bookings increasing in stature and number at Dillon Amphitheater, Buena Vista’s Meadow Creek, Ford Amphitheater, Levitt Pavilion Denver, and various high-country outdoor stages.

6. Will Ford Amphitheater and its neighbors ever come to terms?

Likely, but there’s no guarantee. Disagreements over noise levels at the luxury outdoor venue in Colorado Springs have pitted some neighbors against Venu, which owns the amphitheater that debuted in a big way just last year. But despite contentious city council meetings, constant emails from the Ford Hurts Families group, and public appeals, its owner, as well as promoter AEG Presents, are optimistic about putting a lid on it with new sound retention walls, tunnels, neighborhood noise-sensors, and other negotiated efforts.

“We recognized that we needed to bring this to a conclusion, and we have worked diligently with the city and residence of Colorado Springs to come to a resolution,” Venu owner JW Roth said via email this week. “We are jazzed about the upcoming season, and we feel great about the resolution that we accomplished!”

“We hope to see Venu make good on their promises …” critics wrote in the latest Ford Hurts Families newsletter, while noting that their current agreement could allow mitigations promised for 2025 not to be built until after the coming season, and attendant disruption, as they put it, has already occurred.

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.

Why is that? Especially when Colorado is getting concerts from undisputed heavyweights such as Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Madonna, Zac Brown Band, Olivia Rodrigo, Foo Fighters and Morgan Wallen?

Fans and critics have . U2 hasn’t played Colorado , skipping us with its last couple of tours despite previously playing here regularly. As a colleague of mine pointed out, they used to love us, having filmed “Under a Blood Red Sky” (at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in 1983) and part of “Rattle & Hum” (at McNichols Sports Arena in 1987) in Colorado.

How ridiculous is it that Drake and 21 Savage, three days before their Sept. 8 show at Ball Arena, bailed “due to the distance the road crew has to travel along with the magnitude of the production,” promoters wrote, making it “logistically impossible to bring the full experience of the show to Denver … .” They promised a rescheduled show, but one would’ve thought they figured out production details before putting tickets on sale and prompting more than 10,000 people to schedule their lives around it.

Of course, waiting is part of being a fan. In 2016 and 2018, Denver wasn’t anywhere to be found on the cities announced for Beyoncé’s tours, The Denver Post’s Dylan Owens reported. And yet, her blockbuster Renaissance Tour managed to skip us again this year. At this point, she hasn’t played Denver since 2007.

As Red Rocks and other major venues put tickets on sale for 2024 concerts this month, and calendars continue to fill at all major venues, it’s worth wondering what’s behind these decisions.

The answers vary by artist, management and promoter. Fans will travel to see their favorite bands — my wife is in Las Vegas as I type this, seeing U2’s residency at the whiz-bang Sphere — and they should. We celebrate Red Rocks Amphitheatre as a global icon, and a recent report found that nearly half of all concert-goers there came from out of state last year, spending $305 million in the metro area before and after shows. We all benefit.

But when artists are banking on 18,000-seat amphitheaters in nearby markets (we have one that size in Fiddler’s Green), fans are justified in asking why Colorado got snubbed. Yes, it costs money to drive equipment to, or fly in and out of Colorado’s isolated Front Range, the biggest population center for a 560-mile radius. The next, closest big city is Phoenix.

The upside of these business decisions is that Denver more frequently secures artists who might seem outsized for our sparsely populated Rocky Mountain region. That’s thanks largely to tour routing, which is a bottom-line financial concern that forces most big artists to play Denver in order to pay for their gas-guzzling Western treks. One has to wonder if carbon-footprint concerns are the reason “Hail to the Thief” show there, as singer Thom Yorke has hinted. (The band hasn’t played Denver in general since its 2012 show at the now-defunct FirstBank Center.)

But tour routing is also bringing biggies like SZA (Oct. 18), Doja Cat (Nov. 19) and Mariah Carey (Nov. 21) to Ball Arena. We’ve hardly been skipped on “last-ever” shows and reunion tours. Heritage acts, as they’re called in the industry, enjoy built-in recognition and audiences everywhere they go — see farewell concerts from Elton John, the Eagles, 50 Cent, Aerosmith, KISS, Dead and Company, Ozzy Osbourne, etc. (all at Ball Arena).

We even got two nights of Taylor Swift in July, whereas some markets only saw one. And if you miss certain rising musicians, you’ll likely see them again, provided fortune smiles upon your VIP section.

Denver is one of the biggest and best concert markets in the U.S. when it comes to ticket sales, attendance and the number of venues, promoters such as Live Nation and AEG Presents have said over the years. We’re a global epicenter for EDM and bass music. Platinum-selling acts that have come up here and call Colorado home, such as Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats and The Lumineers, are constantly doing their hometown proud with sold-out stints around the world.

We even got to see the last-ever Colorado show from The Rolling Stones to feature founding drummer Charlie Watts before his 2021 death, which packed Empower Field in August 2019. The band has been , Mick Jagger said from the stage, but hadn’t graced us since a 2005 visit to the Pepsi Center.

Our musical cornucopia overflows in part due to mega-promoter AEG Presents Rocky Mountains, founded and owned by Colorado billionaire Philip Anschutz. The company’s aggressive business practices (some local artists have called it a monopoly) and festival experiments have been overall good for music fans, even if ever-inflating ticket prices continue to keep many of us from attending any artist’s or promoter’s concerts, anywhere.

We may be oversimplifying for the sake of the bigger picture, but the disappointment is real, especially when a bottom-line decision forces us to choose between a mortgage payment and traveling out of state to see what could be, for example, Beyoncé’s last big tour.

There’s still plenty to see here, and we’re lucky in most ways. But it’s hard to consider Denver one of the best live music cities in the U.S. when some of the biggest artists in the world have been snubbing us for a decade or more.

Follow The Denver Post’s music coverage at denverpost.com/things-to-do/music for the latest concert announcements, news and interviews.

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Bryan, 27, is headlining the massive venue for the first time, following in the footsteps of The Eagles, Taylor Swift and, most recently, Ed Sheeran. That English singer-songwriter on Aug. 19 played what is believed to be the biggest concert in Colorado history from Empower Field, drawing 85,233, according to the venue, and edging out of 84,000 from 2019.

Bryan’s announcement comes four days after the Aug. 25 release of his new, self-titled album on the Warner label. Tickets for his North American tour — including the June 15, 2024, Denver concert — are on sale to the general public on Sept. 8. Fans can register for presale access, beginning at 11 a.m. on Sept. 6, by visiting , promoters said.

Ticket prices were not yet available on.

The show is Bryan’s first at Empower Field since May 2022, when he opened for Luke Combs. Sierra Ferrell and Levi Turner are currently scheduled to open the summer 2024 Denver concert, and the rest of the tour features appearances from Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Sheryl Crow, The Middle East, Turnpike Troubadours, and Matt Maeson.

Bryan’s new album also features collaborations with Denver folk-pop stars The Lumineers, as well as Kacey Musgraves, Ferrell, and The War and Treaty. Last year, he released the live album

In June, Bryan sold out his pair of shows at Red Rocks Amphitheatre; his Cheyenne Frontier Days show in July was also sold out. His last tour set venue records for attendance, promoters said, with dates selling out months in advance.

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