Part of May 2011 by

Red Rocks: The Coolest Pain-in-The-Ass-Venue in the World

I totally love Red Rocks as a venue because it has the prestige of Madison Square Garden and it’s plunked down at the very beginnings of the Rockies, where the more sensible pioneers said….”uhhh, yeah you guys go….we’ll catch up.”

The reason Red Rocks the venue is so majestic and beautiful and sonically perfect as a concert-going experience is that it has to be.  If it wasn’t one of the coolest places in the entire world to see a show, nobody would otherwise deal with it.  My first show at Red Rocks–right after I moved to Colorado from ‘Sconsin (please do the accent when you read that)–was in the 90’s with No Doubt when they were rocketing, and most of the show entailed the openers being electrocuted and roadies with mops trying, and failing, to prevent the torrential rain pour from reaching the musicians electrical equipment. The rain was actually horizontal, and one of those:  “Please-god-if-I-make-it-out-o- this-alive-I-promise-to-never-buy-an-8-dollar-beer-again!” kind of nights, as a concert goer. The kind of night that we all survived, ultimately enjoyed, and wrote in blogs 20 years later.

Yeah I know I’m complaining about the weather.  Oh well, that happens with advanced age and general road weariness.  Now even though I have basically dissed Red Rocks for its weather, prices, and “Don’t hit your knee on that seat edge made of freakin’ rock!,” Red Rocks is a completely rad place to see basically anything.  Even if it is just hiking there in the morning before a shows start.  With the launch of the 2011 season just days away here are some of the 2011 early season highlights.

The Moody Blues will start the season on May 7th.  They are the Moody Blues; everything that could be said about them has been said about them, unless they suddenly invent cold fusion on stage.  On May 28th is Bisco Inferno, which only makes sense if you know that the electronic jam fusion band Disco Biscuits is the headliner, with Rusko and Big Boi backing them up.  After that freakin’ Jethro Tull with Kansas on June 8th.  In all sincerity I am totally looking forward to that one.  I’m not much of a retro guy, but, “Carry on Wayward Son” sounds just about perfect right now.

 

 

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  1. Camurai says:
    May 3, 2011 at 4:14 pm

    Awesome ! I don’t think I could of said it any better. All I know Red Rocks is such an amazing beautiful placeit makes fans to make you wanna come back it’s the kind of place where when you put up with the rain, or wind or cold summer nights in the hills you still leave the show with a big Silly grin on your face just because!…

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  2. Rus Tha Docta Cordova says:
    May 3, 2011 at 5:25 pm

    Good article! I’ve had the best of times and the worst of times at Red Rocks, even before I started going to shows there!

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  3. Matthew says:
    May 24, 2011 at 7:17 pm

    I totally think red rocks is worth the hassle, I’ve seen Santana, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Slayer, and Pantera there and all of them blew me away. Always have to remember to watch how much I drink, it’s a long treacherous trip to the lot, lol…Nice read Groovey, did you take that amazing shot Stu?

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