Red Rocks Amphitheatre (also colloquially as simply Red Rocks) is an open-air

amphitheatre An amphitheatre (British English) or amphitheater (American English; both ) is an open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. The term derives from the ancient Greek ('), from ('), meaning "on both sides" or "around" and ...

built into a rock structure in the

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

United States, near

Morrison, Colorado The Town of Morrison is a Colorado municipalities#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality in Jefferson County, Colorado, Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The population was 428 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Red R ...

, west of

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

. There is a large, tilted, disc-shaped rock behind the stage, a huge vertical rock angled outwards from stage right, several large outcrops angled outwards from stage left and a seating area for up to 9,525. In 1927, the City of Denver purchased the area of Red Rocks; construction of the amphitheater began in 1936, and was opened to the public in June 1941.Red Rocks Park Timeline
of the 1930s and 1940s, from Denvergov.org Since then, many notable performances and recordings for film and television have taken place there. In June 2015, the

Colorado Music Hall of Fame The Colorado Music Hall of Fame is a museum located in the Trading Post at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. The Colorado Music Hall of Fame inducted its first honorees in 2011, with songwriter John Denver and the Red Rocks Amphitheatre as its first honoree ...

opened in the Trading Post at Red Rocks. The

elevation The elevation of a geographic location is its height above or below a fixed reference point, most commonly a reference geoid, a mathematical model of the Earth's sea level as an equipotential gravitational surface (see Geodetic datum § Vert ...

of the amphitheatre's top row is approximately above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

, and the surrounding Red Rocks Park covers . The amphitheater is owned and operated by the City and County of

and is located in

Red Rocks Park Red Rocks Park is a mountain park in Jefferson County, Colorado, owned and maintained by the city of Denver as part of the Denver Mountain Parks system. The park is known for its very large red sandstone outcrops. Many of these rock formations wi ...

, part of the

Denver Mountain Parks The Denver Mountain Parks system contains more than of parklands in the mountains and foothills of Jefferson, Clear Creek, Douglas, and Grand counties in Colorado, west and south of Denver. Owned and maintained by the City and County of Denve ...

. The audience faces east-northeast, toward southern Denver, with the skyline of downtown visible to the left. In 1957, the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

selected Red Rocks to be Colorado's entry at the

National Gallery of Art The National Gallery of Art, and its attached Sculpture Garden, is a national art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, located on the National Mall, between 3rd and 9th Streets, at Constitution Avenue NW. Open to the public and free of char ...

for the AIA's Centennial Exhibition. In 1999, after ''

Pollstar ''Pollstar'' is a trade publication for the concert and live music industry. The publication was purchased by Oak View Group, a venue consultancy founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff, in July 2017. History and profile Founded in 1981 in Fre ...

'' magazine awarded Red Rocks the annual honor of being the best small outdoor venue for the eleventh time, the magazine changed the name of the award to the Red Rocks Award and removed Red Rocks from the running. Construction began in October 2020 to replace the existing stage roof and structure.

History

In the first decade of the twentieth century,

John Brisben Walker John Brisben Walker (September 10, 1847 – July 7, 1931) was a magazine publisher and automobile entrepreneur in the United States. In his later years, he was a resident of Jefferson County, Colorado. Biography Walker was born on September 10 ...

had a vision of artists performing on a stage nestled in the perfectly acoustic surroundings of Red Rocks, which likely were used by the

Ute tribe Ute () are the Indigenous people of the Ute tribe and culture among the Indigenous peoples of the Great Basin. They had lived in sovereignty in the regions of present-day Utah and Colorado in the Southwestern United States for many centuries unt ...

in earlier times. Walker produced several concerts between 1906 and 1910 on a temporary platform, and from his dream, the history of Red Rocks as an entertainment venue began. It took the natural amphitheater of Red Rocks over 200 million years to form. The city of Denver acquired Red Rocks amphitheater from Walker for $54,133 (equivalent to $ today), with a total area of . In addition to the platform, Walker also built the Mount Morrison Cable Incline

funicular A funicular (, , ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite en ...

railway which carried tourists from a base at what is today the parking lot of the amphitheatre up to enjoy the view from the top of Mount Morrison. The incline operated for about five years beginning in 1909. Geologically, the rocks surrounding the amphitheater are representative of the

Fountain Formation The Fountain Formation is a Pennsylvanian bedrock unit consisting primarily of conglomerate, sandstone, or arkose, in the states of Colorado and Wyoming in the United States, along the east side of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains, and a ...

. Originally, the place was known as the "Garden of the Angels" (1870s–1906) and then as the "Garden of the Titans" during the Walker years (1906–1928). The park, however, had always been known by the folk name "Red Rocks," which became its formal name when

acquired it in 1928. The amphitheater's rocks are named "Creation Rock" on the north, "Ship Rock" on the south, and "Stage Rock" to the east. Red Rocks Amphitheatre was designed by Denver architect Burnham Hoyt; and Stanley E. Morse. It's walls contain records dating back to the

Jurassic The Jurassic ( ) is a Geological period, geologic period and System (stratigraphy), stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The J ...

period of 160 million years ago, as nearby dinosaur tracks have been discovered as well as fossil fragments of a Plesiosaur. Red sandstone from

Lyons, Colorado The Town of Lyons is a Statutory Town in Boulder County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 2033 at the 2010 United States Census, up from 1585 at the 2000 United States Census. Lyons is located at the confluence of North St. Vr ...

, similar in texture and color to the Red Rocks sandstone, was used to construct seating, the stage, and other structural necessities. In 1927, George Cranmer, Manager of Denver Parks, convinced the City of Denver to purchase the area of Red Rocks from Walker for $54,133 ($ today). Cranmer convinced

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well a ...

Benjamin Stapleton Benjamin Franklin Stapleton (November 12, 1869 – May 23, 1950) was the mayor of Denver, Colorado, for two periods (comprising five terms), the first from 1923 to 1931 and the second from 1935 to 1947. He also served as a member of the Ku Klux ...

to build on the foundation laid by Walker. By enlisting the help of the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was a major part of ...

(CCC) and the

Works Progress Administration The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...

(WPA), labor and materials were provided for the venture. Construction of the amphitheater began in 1936, took five years to complete, and was formally dedicated on June 15, 1941.

Notable performances

Red Rocks Amphitheatre from top of amphitheatre

Public, organizational and private performances have been held at Red Rocks for over a century. The earliest documented performance at the amphitheater was the ''Grand Opening of the Garden of the Titans'', put on by publisher

on May 31, 1906. Featuring Pietro Satriano and his 25-piece brass band, it was the formal opening of the natural amphitheater for use by the general public after Walker purchased it with the proceeds of his sale of ''

Cosmopolitan Magazine ''Cosmopolitan'' is an American monthly fashion and entertainment magazine for women, first published based in New York City in March 1886 as a family magazine; it was later transformed into a literary magazine and, since 1965, has become a List ...

''. The amphitheater's largest-scale performance to date was the ''Feast of Lanterns'' on September 5, 1908. Commemorating the opening of the scenic road up nearby Mt. Falcon, it was patterned after the festival of

Nagasaki is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. It became the sole port used for trade with the Portuguese and Dutch during the 16th through 19th centuries. The Hidden Christian Sites in the ...

, Japan, and featured four military bands and fireworks off Mt. Falcon, Mt. Morrison and two intermediate hills. Renowned

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

singer

Mary Garden A Mary garden is a small sacred garden enclosing a statue or shrine of the Virgin Mary, who is known to many Christians as the Blessed Virgin, Our Lady, or the Mother of God. In the New Testament, Mary is the mother of Jesus of Nazareth. Mary ...

put Red Rocks on the world musical map with her performance on May 10, 1911. Having performed at many opera halls around the world, she pronounced Red Rocks the finest venue at which she had ever performed. Upon the full construction of the amphitheatre to its present form by the

, the venue was formally dedicated on June 15, 1941. It has held regular concert seasons almost every year since 1947. It was shut down temporarily for COVID. The first performance of each season is the ''Easter Sunrise Service'', a nondenominational service held on

Easter Sunday Easter,Traditional names for the feast in English are "Easter Day", as in the ''Book of Common Prayer''; "Easter Sunday", used by James Ussher''The Whole Works of the Most Rev. James Ussher, Volume 4'') and Samuel Pepys''The Diary of Samuel P ...

of each year. The earliest notable rock-and-roll performance at Red Rocks was by

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

on August 26, 1964, the only concert not sold out during their US-tour. When

Ringo Starr Sir Richard Starkey (born 7 July 1940), known professionally as Ringo Starr, is an English musician, singer, songwriter and actor who achieved international fame as the drummer for the Beatles. Starr occasionally sang lead vocals with the ...

returned to Red Rocks with his All-Starr Band on June 28, 2000, he asked if anyone in the crowd had been at the Beatles concert thirty-six years earlier. On August 26, 2004, the East-Coast-based Beatles-tribute band " 1964" was flown to Denver to re-enact the Beatles concert held at the site exactly forty years earlier. The unique setting has led to the venue's becoming a favorite for many performers:

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

played at Red Rocks on September 1, 1968, along with

Vanilla Fudge Vanilla Fudge is an American rock band known predominantly for their slow extended heavy rock arrangements of contemporary hit songs, such as their hit cover of The Supremes' " You Keep Me Hangin' On". The band's original line–up—vocalist ...

and Soft Machine.

Diana Ross & the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successful ...

performed there on August 14, 1969. An incident during a performance by Jethro Tull on June 10, 1971, led to a five-year ban of rock concerts at Red Rocks. Approximately 1,000 people without tickets arrived at the sold-out show. Denver police directed the overflow, non-paying crowd to an area behind the theater, where they could hear the music but not see the band. The situation seemed satisfactory until some of the people without tickets attempted to enter the amphitheatre by charging at, and breaking through, the police line. Some of those without tickets began lobbing rocks at the police, and the police responded by discharging

tear gas Tear gas, also known as a lachrymator agent or lachrymator (), sometimes colloquially known as "mace" after the early commercial aerosol, is a chemical weapon that stimulates the nerves of the lacrimal gland in the eye to produce tears. In ...

at the gate-crashers. The wind carried the tear gas over the hill, into the paying crowd and onto the stage. Following the "Riot at Red Rocks," Denver Mayor

William H. McNichols Jr. William Henry McNichols Jr. (April 11, 1910 – May 29, 1997) served as the Mayor of Denver, Colorado from 1968 to 1983. Biography Born in Denver, McNichols was the son of Cassie and William H. McNichols Sr. His father served as Denver's C ...

banned rock concerts from the amphitheatre. For the next five years, shows at Red Rocks were limited to softer acts, such as

John Denver Henry John Deutschendorf Jr. (December 31, 1943 – October 12, 1997), known professionally as John Denver, was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, activist, and humanitarian whose greatest commercial success was as a solo singe ...

Sonny & Cher Sonny & Cher were an American pop and entertainment duo in the 1960s and 1970s, made up of husband and wife Sonny Bono and Cher. The couple started their career in the mid-1960s as R&B backing singers for record producer Phil Spector. The pair f ...

The Carpenters The Carpenters (officially known as Carpenters) were an American vocal and instrumental duo consisting of siblings Karen Carpenter, Karen (1950–1983) and Richard Carpenter (musician), Richard Carpenter (born 1946). They produced a distinct ...

Pat Boone Patrick Charles Eugene Boone (born June 1, 1934) is an American singer and actor. He was a successful pop singer in the United States during the 1950s and early 1960s. He sold more than 45 million records, had 38 Top 40 hits, and appeared in mo ...

Seals & Crofts Seals and Crofts was an American soft rock duo made up of James Eugene Seals (October 17, 1942 – June 6, 2022) and Darrell George "Dash" Crofts (born August 14, 1938) They are best known for their hits " Summer Breeze" (1972), " Diamond Girl" ...

, and Carole King. The ban on rock and roll was finally lifted through legal action taken by Denver concert promoter

Barry Fey Barry Fey (1938 – April 28, 2013) was an American rock concert promoter from Colorado who was best known for bringing prominent music acts to the United States for the first time. Early life Music career Barry Fey's first concert w ...

, who tried to book the band

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

at the venue in 1975. After being denied a permit by the city, Fey took the city to court, and the court ruled that the city had acted "arbitrarily and capricious y in banning rock concerts at Red Rocks. Starting in the summer of 1976, the rock bands were once again welcomed at the venue. Jethro Tull played Red Rocks again on June 7, 1988, August 12, 2008, and June 8, 2011.

The Blues Brothers The Blues Brothers are an American blues and soul revivalist band founded in 1978 by comedians Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi as part of a musical sketch on ''Saturday Night Live''. Belushi and Aykroyd fronted the band, in character, respecti ...

performed at the amphitheatre on July 15, 1980. On June 5, 1983, U2 performed during their

War Tour War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular ...

, in front of only 4,400 in very inclement weather. The venue had been sold out, but the crowd size was affected by the weather, with attendees believing the show would be cancelled. The show was not cancelled, however, because the band could not get their money back for the outlay on filming crews and equipment set to work with them for the performance. Those who braved the weather and showed up were told, personally by

Bono Paul David Hewson (born 10 May 1960), known by his stage name Bono (), is an Irish singer-songwriter, activist, and philanthropist. He is the lead vocalist and primary lyricist of the rock band U2. Born and raised in Dublin, he attended M ...

, who came to the parking lot and into the crowd more than once, to ignore their seat assignments, and to move as forward as they wished to make the house seem full, since the show was being filmed for what became the group's concert film '' U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky''. he music video for "

Sunday Bloody Sunday "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is a song by Irish rock band U2. It is the opening track from their 1983 album ''War'' and was released as the album's third single on 21 March 1983 in the Netherlands and West Germany. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is noted ...

", shown in heavy rotation on

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

, was also fthe ruit of the filming effort. Some songs from the show appear on the group's 1983 live album ''

Under a Blood Red Sky ''Under a Blood Red Sky'' is a live album by Irish rock band U2, produced by Jimmy Iovine and released on 21 November 1983. The record's eight tracks were compiled from three concerts during the group's 1983 War Tour, including two songs fro ...

''.

Depeche Mode Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex, in 1980. The band currently consists of Dave Gahan (lead vocals and co-songwriting) and Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, co-lead vocals and main songwriting). Depeche ...

performed at the amphitheatre four times: the first time was July 1, 1986. The second and third were on July 11 and 12, 1990, during their

World Violation Tour The World Violation Tour was a 1990 concert tour by English electronic group Depeche Mode in support of the act's seventh studio album, '' Violator'', which was released in March 1990. It was estimated that by the end of the tour, Depeche Mod ...

. The fourth was on August 27, 2009, during their ''

Tour of the Universe Tour of the Universe was a Space Shuttle simulation ride located in the basement level of the CN Tower. Operating between 1985 and 1992, it was the world's first flight simulator ride. The ride was the idea of Moses Znaimer and designed by SimEx. ...

'', in front of a crowd of 8,679 people. The show was recorded for the group's live albums project ''

Recording the Universe ''Recording the Universe'' is the name of a project by the band Depeche Mode to record some of the concerts on their 2009-10 concert tour, Tour of the Universe. The recordings were made by London-based company Live Here Now and are available v ...

''. Red Rocks was one of the favored venues for

The Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, country, jazz, bluegrass, blues, rock and roll, gospel, reggae, world music, ...

and the venue has become a traditional stop for many subsequent

jam band A jam band is a musical group whose concerts (and live albums) are characterized by lengthy improvisational "jams." These include extended musical improvisation over rhythmic grooves and chord patterns, and long sets of music which often cr ...

Widespread Panic Widespread Panic is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. The current lineup includes guitarist/singer John Bell, bassist Dave Schools, drummer Duane Trucks, percussionist Domingo "Sunny" Ortiz, keyboardist John "JoJo" Hermann, and g ...

holds the record for the most sold-out performances at Red Rocks, with 66 as of June 2022. Blues Traveler has played the venue every Fourth of July since 1993, except 1999 when lead singer and harmonica player John Popper was unable to play due to heart surgery.

Phish Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band is known for musical improvisation, extended jams, blending of genres, and a dedicated fan base. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon ...

were banned from performing at Red Rocks after they played four concerts there in August 1996. Fans of the band who showed up to the concerts without tickets were accused of starting a riot outside the amphitheater on the second night, and the nearby town of

Morrison Morrison may refer to: People * Morrison (surname), people with the Scottish surname Morrison * Morrison Heady (1829–1915), American poet * Morrison Mann MacBride (1877–1938), Canadian merchant Places in the United States * Morrison, Colorad ...

was unprepared to accommodate the size of the band's following. Phish was not invited to perform at Red Rocks again until July 2009.

Geddy Lee Geddy Lee (born Gary Lee Weinrib; July 29, 1953) is a Canadian musician, singer, and songwriter. He is best known as the lead vocalist, bassist, and keyboardist for the Canadian rock group Rush. Lee joined the band in September 1968, at the re ...

of the rock band Rush said, "It's an amazing location." One of the most stunning concert venues in the United States... or anywhere. "I would hazard a guess that it's one of the most beautiful places in the world." Rush played Red Rocks on their R30 30th Anniversary, Snakes and Arrows, and Time Machine tours. In 2013, electronic musician

Bassnectar Lorin Gabriel Ashton, better known under his stage name Bassnectar (born February 16, 1978), is an American DJ and record producer. Biography Ashton grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and attended Bellarmine College Preparatory. He initiall ...

reportedly cracked and broke several pieces of the amphitheater walls, with bass. In 2015, he broke the city's sound ordinance laws, which caused the city and county of Denver to begin implementing rules on sound pressure levels and event end times so that the venue can’t exceed 125 decibels at the low-frequency levels of 25–80 hertz for one-minute averages after midnight on weekdays and 1 a.m. on weekends and holidays. These laws have effectively banned the Bassnectar music project from returning to the venue. Colorado musicians who have performed at Red Rocks include

in 1973,

Judy Collins Judith Marjorie Collins (born May 1, 1939) is an American singer-songwriter and musician with a career spanning seven decades. An Academy Award-nominated documentary director and a Grammy Award-winning recording artist, she is known for her ec ...

in 1973,

Big Head Todd and the Monsters Big Head Todd and The Monsters are a rock band formed by Todd Mohr, Brian Nevin, and Rob Squires in 1986 in Colorado. The band has released a number of albums since 1989 with their 1993 album '' Sister Sweetly'' going platinum in the United St ...

in 1994,

Earth, Wind & Fire Earth, Wind & Fire (EW&F or EWF) is an American band whose music spans the genres of jazz, R&B, soul, funk, disco, pop, big band, Latin, and Afro pop. They are among the best-selling bands of all time, with sales of over 90 million reco ...

(some members are from Denver) in 2002,

The Fray The Fray is an American rock band from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2002 by schoolmates Isaac Slade and Joe King. Their debut album, ''How to Save a Life'' released in 2005, was certified double platinum by the RIAA and platinum in Australia, ...

in 2006, DeVotchKa in 2008, 3OH!3 in 2012, Pretty Lights in 2012, OneRepublic in 2013,

The Lumineers The Lumineers are an American alternative folk band based in Denver, Colorado. The founding members are Wesley Schultz (lead vocals, guitar) and Jeremiah Fraites (drums, percussion, piano). Schultz and Fraites began writing and performing toge ...

in 2013, and

Strawberry Runners Strawberry Runners is an American rock band, and the primary music project of songwriter and artist, Emi Night. History The band started in Denver, Colorado and is now based primarily in Brooklyn. The narrative songwriting of Night's early son ...

in 2016. As of 2017, Colorado band String Cheese Incident has played at Red Rocks 35 times. In the midst of the 2020 pandemic, Red Rocks hosted the Colorado Symphony Strings, which played sold-out Acoustic on the Rocks shows in July and August, following social-distancing guidelines. In September 2020, virtual shows were streamed live. Despite Denver Arts and Venues announcing the closure of all its venues (including Red Rocks) in September, in-person shows did occur. Other events included drive-in movies for mainstream films and the Denver Film Festival's red carpet movies. In 2021, Red Rocks Amphitheatre was named the top-grossing and most-attended concert venue of any size, anywhere in the world. On August 9 and 10, 2022, ''

South Park ''South Park'' is an American animated sitcom created by Trey Parker and Matt Stone and developed by Brian Graden for Comedy Central. The series revolves around four boys Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Eric Cartman, and Kenny McCormickand th ...

'' creators

Trey Parker Randolph Severn "Trey" Parker III (born October 19, 1969) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, and composer. He is known for co-creating ''South Park'' (since 1997) and '' The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his creative partner Matt Stone. ...

and

Matt Stone Matthew Richard Stone (born May 26, 1971) is an American actor, animator, filmmaker, and composer. He is known for co-creating ''South Park'' (since 1997) and ''The Book of Mormon'' (2011) with his creative partner Trey Parker. Stone was interes ...

held a live concert alongside rock bands Primus,

Ween Ween is an American rock band from New Hope, Pennsylvania, formed in 1984 by Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo, better known by their respective stage names, Gene and Dean Ween. Generally categorized as an alternative rock band, the band a ...

, and Rush at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, commemorating ''South Park''s 25th anniversary. Besides a few original songs from the supporting bands, the concert mainly consisted of Parker and Stone performing music from the series.

Notable recordings

Red Rocks has been a popular venue for live recordings, particularly videos, due to the visual uniqueness of the setting. During the 1970s and 1980s, local folk-rocker

recorded several world-televised concerts at Red Rocks. U2's 1983 concert video, '' Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky'', became a best-selling long-form concert video and the performance of "

" was played frequently on

Fleetwood Mac Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the line-up for their epony ...

singer

Stevie Nicks Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist. After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasi ...

released a 60-minute-long DVD of her August 1986 concert at the amphitheatre, towards the end of her

Rock a Little ''Rock a Little'' is the third solo studio album by the American singer and songwriter Stevie Nicks. Released in late 1985 while Fleetwood Mac were still on a lengthy hiatus following their album ''Mirage'' (1982), ''Rock a Little'' hit the top ...

tour. In 1992,

The Moody Blues The Moody Blues were an English rock music, rock band formed in Birmingham in 1964, initially consisting of keyboardist Mike Pinder, multi-instrumentalist Ray Thomas, guitarist Denny Laine, drummer Graeme Edge and bassist Clint Warwick. The g ...

performed live for the first time with a symphony orchestra for the PBS special "

A Night at Red Rocks with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra ''A Night at Red Rocks with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra'' is a live album by The Moody Blues, recorded from a live performance at the Red Rocks Amphitheatre on 9 September 1992. This performance was the first time The Moody Blues performe ...

". The concert also was released on CD and DVD, along with a companion DVD, ''The Other Side of Red Rocks'', which documented show rehearsals and preparation, as well as concert excerpts. Aerial view of Red Rocks Amphitheatre, January 2013

Aerial view of Red Rocks Amphitheatre, January 2013

Other Red Rocks material on CD and DVD includes

Dave Matthews Band Dave Matthews Band (also known by the initials DMB) is an American rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1991. The band's founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer and bac ...

's albums ''

Live at Red Rocks 8.15.95 ''Live at Red Rocks 8.15.95'' is an album by the Dave Matthews Band, released on October 28, 1997. It was recorded live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado on August 15, 1995. The album is known on the Internet by the abbreviation ...

'' and the CD/DVD ''

Weekend on the Rocks ''Weekend on the Rocks'' is a live album by Dave Matthews Band. It contains highlights of the four shows in four days the band performed at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado on September 9–12, 2005. The set is packaged on two CDs ...

'', which is a compilation of the band's four-night run in 2005, their last performances at the venue. Also recorded are

The Samples The Samples is an American rock band formed in Boulder, Colorado in 1987. The band's name came from the members' early sustenance of food samples from the local grocery store. The music has been described as "reggae influenced rock/pop" and a ...

live album ''Live in Colorado'',

John Tesh John Frank Tesh (born July 9, 1952) is an American pianist and composer of pop music, as well as a radio host and television presenter. He hosts the ''Intelligence for Your Life'' radio show. In addition, since 2014, he has hosted ''Intelligen ...

's ''Live at Red Rocks'' and ''Worship at Red Rocks'', the

Incubus An incubus is a demon in male form in folklore that seeks to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women; the corresponding spirit in female form is called a succubus. In medieval Europe, union with an incubus was supposed by some to result in t ...

DVD ''

Alive at Red Rocks ''Alive at Red Rocks'' is a live DVD and bonus CD by the American band Incubus. It was recorded in Red Rocks, Colorado on July 26, 2004. It was the first DVD showing new bassist Ben Kenney (Dirk Lance's replacement). It was also the first DVD ...

'', Blues Traveler's '' Live on the Rocks'' album,

Steve Martin Stephen Glenn Martin (born August 14, 1945) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He has won five Grammy Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and was awarded an Honorary Academy Award in 2013. Additionally, he was nominate ...

's comedy album '' A Wild and Crazy Guy'',

's ''

'', and

Boukman Eksperyans Boukman Eksperyans ( en, Boukman Experience) is a '' mizik rasin'' band from the city of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Grammy nominated for their debut album '' Vodou Adjae''. The band derives its name from Dutty Boukman, a '' vodou'' priest who led a ...

' album "Live At Red Rocks".

's DVD ''The Earth Will'' ,''Swallow You'' features a 15-minute segment on Red Rocks. The

Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, Folk music, folk, country music, country, jazz, bluegrass music, bluegrass, ...

performed at Red Rocks 20 times. 7/7/78 and 7/8/78 have been released in their entirety on '' July 1978: The Complete Recordings'' and '' Red Rocks: 7/8/78''. The live

Neil Young Neil Percival Young (born November 12, 1945) is a Canadian-American singer and songwriter. After embarking on a music career in Winnipeg in the 1960s, Young moved to Los Angeles, joining Buffalo Springfield with Stephen Stills, Richie Furay ...

album ''

Road Rock Vol. 1 ''Road Rock Vol. 1: Friends & Relatives'' is a live album released in 2000 by Canadian / American musician Neil Young. The "friends and relatives" include Ben Keith, Chrissie Hynde, Duck Dunn, Young's then wife, Pegi Young, Pegi, and his sister, ...

'' and its accompanying DVD, ''Red Rocks Live'', were filmed and recorded at Red Rocks in 2000 during the "Silver and Gold" tour. Local Colorado band

released a DVD and live album of a 1995 performance in 2003, capturing what has become a local annual early season tradition. In 2009, they followed the original recording with a two-CD/1DVD set from their June 2008 performance. A two-volume 2003 album
Carved In Stone
– Volume 1, featuring live recordings of 10 artists including

R.E.M. R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...

Ben Harper Benjamin Chase Harper (born October 28, 1969) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Harper plays an eclectic mix of blues, folk, soul, reggae, and rock music and is known for his guitar-playing skills, vocals, live perfo ...

Coldplay Coldplay are a British rock band formed in London in 1997. They consist of vocalist and pianist Chris Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and creative director Phil Harvey. They met at University Col ...

The Allman Brothers Band The Allman Brothers Band was an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman (founder, slide guitar and lead guitar) and Gregg Allman (vocals, keyboards, songwriting), as well as Dickey Betts (lead guita ...

, and

, with proceeds benefiting �
Preserve The Rocks Fund
” a donation-driven reserve dedicated to the rehabilitation and preservation of the historic Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Erik Dyce, Trevor Pryce of Outlook Music Co. and Jeff Giarraputo of Factory Labs were the executive producers, making it the first venue to first release a CD, to first-ever commercial releases of these live songs. Phish frontman

Trey Anastasio Ernest Joseph "Trey" Anastasio III (born September 30, 1964) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter, best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Phish, which he co-founded in 1983. He is credited by name as composer of 152 Phish o ...

included excerpts from his 2005 performance at Red Rocks on the DVD that accompanied his album ''Shine''. Country musician

Gary Allan Gary Allan Herzberg (born December 5, 1967) is an American country music singer. Signed to Decca Records in 1996, Allan made his country music debut with the release of his single " Her Man", the lead-off to his gold-certified debut album '' U ...

filmed the music video for his song "

Watching Airplanes "Watching Airplanes" is a song written by Jim Beavers and Jonathan Singleton, and recorded by American country music singer Gary Allan. It was released in July 2007 as the first single from Allan's 2007 album '' Living Hard'' and as the twelfth of ...

" during a live, sold-out concert at Red Rocks in August 2007. A portion of British rock band Oasis's

rockumentary A concert film, or concert movie, is a film that showcases a live performance from the perspective of a concert goer, the subject of which is an extended live performance or concert by either a musician or a stand-up comedian. Early history Th ...

film ''

Lord Don't Slow Me Down ''Lord Don't Slow Me Down'' is a rockumentary film, looking back on British rock band Oasis' ''Don't Believe the Truth'' world tour which took place from May 2005 to March 2006. The film is directed by Baillie Walsh. It went platinum in th ...

'' was filmed at Red Rocks.

A Perfect Circle A Perfect Circle is an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1999 by guitarist Billy Howerdel and Tool vocalist Maynard James Keenan. A Perfect Circle has released four studio albums, the first three during the early 2000s: ...

also included one live video recording on the CD-DVD ''

AMotion ''Amotion'' (stylized as ''aMOTION'') is a DVD– CD set released by American rock band A Perfect Circle on November 16, 2004, only two weeks after the debut of the band's third album, '' eMOTIVe''. The DVD consists of music videos for singles s ...

''. Insane Clown Posse played with

Twiztid Twiztid is an American hip hop duo from Detroit, Michigan, known for both their horror-themed lyrics and rock influenced sound. Formed in 1997, Twiztid is composed of rappers Jamie "Madrox" Spaniolo and Paul "Monoxide" Methric. Spaniolo and ...

Blaze Ya Dead Homie Chris Rouleau, also known as Blaze Ya Dead Homie or simply Blaze (born April 27, 1976), is an American rapper from Mt. Clemens, Michigan. A representative of the hip hop subgenres gangsta rap and horrorcore, his stage persona is a resurrected ...

Boondox David Hutto (born September 4, 1975) is an American rapper from Covington, Georgia. A representative of the hip hop subgenres rap rock, horrorcore and country rap, Hutto is most commonly known as Boondox, whose stage persona is a killer scar ...

, the

Axe Murder Boyz Axe Murder Boyz are an American hip hop duo from Denver, Colorado, United States best known as representatives of the horrorcore and gangsta rap subgenres. It consists of brothers Mike and James Garcia, who perform under the names Bonez Dubb a ...

, Grave Plott, The ROC, and Motown Rage in May 2008 at Red Rocks at perform the 'first annual' Hatchet Attacks Super Show, for which they released a video later that year.

recorded their show at the amphitheatre on August 29, 2009, for their live album project, ''

''. Country singer

Kenny Chesney Kenneth Arnold Chesney (born March 26, 1968) is an American country music singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He has recorded more than 20 albums and has produced more than 40 Top 10 singles on the US ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Hot Coun ...

included a live version of " You and Tequila", a duet with

Grace Potter Grace Evelyn Potter (born June 20, 1983) is an American singer-songwriter and musician who formed Grace Potter and the Nocturnals in 2002. Potter released her debut solo record ''Original Soul'' on 2004 via Grace Potter Music. Potter and her b ...

, on his album '' Welcome to the Fishbowl''. The recording has a segment with audience participation singing the chorus "You and Tequila make me crazy, run like poison in my blood, one more night could kill me baby, one is one too many, one more is never enough".

recorded the DVD portion of their '' A Perfect Circle Live: Featuring Stone and Echo'' box set on August 2, 2011. Also included in the box set is a CD of the audio from the show. On August 29, 2012,

Mumford & Sons Mumford & Sons is a British folk rock band formed in London in 2007. The band currently consists of Marcus Mumford (lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, drums), Ted Dwane (vocals, bass guitar, double bass), and Ben Lovett (vocals, key ...

recorded their live performance of their first single, "

I Will Wait "I Will Wait" is a song by British rock band Mumford & Sons. The track was first released in the United States on 7 August 2012 as the lead single from the band's second studio album, ''Babel'' (2012). The song sold 153,000 copies in the United ...

" from their new CD '' Babel'' at the amphitheatre. The performance was released on September 9, 2012, as the band's official video for the song. The band released a full-length DVD of their show at Red Rocks, recorded on August 28 and 29, 2012, entitled ''The Road To Red Rocks''. On September 1, 2014, OneRepublic, a band hailing from

Colorado Springs Colorado Springs is a home rule municipality in, and the county seat of, El Paso County, Colorado, United States. It is the largest city in El Paso County, with a population of 478,961 at the 2020 United States Census, a 15.02% increase since ...

, announced they would be heading back to Red Rocks for a special performance to close out the North American leg of their Native Summer Tour. While performing the song "

I Lived "I Lived" is a song recorded by American pop rock band OneRepublic. It was released as the fifth and final single from the album, ''Native'' (2014). It was originally planned to be released as the fourth single in January 2014, but was shelved in ...

" they recorded the band, the audience, and one of their fans (Bryan Warnecke) for the "I Lived" music video. The video also featured several aerial views of the venue during the day as well as during the concert itself. This performance of the song was done to help spread awareness for

cystic fibrosis Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a rare genetic disorder that affects mostly the lungs, but also the pancreas, liver, kidneys, and intestine. Long-term issues include difficulty breathing and coughing up mucus as a result of frequent lung infections. O ...

and to share Bryan's journey with the disease. The music video was released on September 25, 2014. On June 10, 2015 Barenaked Ladies performed at Red Rocks on their Last Summer on Earth 2015 tour. The performance was aired on

AXS TV AXS TV is an American cable television channel. Majority-owned by Anthem Sports & Entertainment, it is devoted primarily to music-related programming (such as concert films, documentaries, and reality series involving musicians) and combat spor ...

, then later released on May 20, 2016 as a live album titled '' BNL Rocks Red Rocks'' and in 2017 the English

hard rock Hard rock or heavy rock is a loosely defined subgenre of rock music typified by aggressive vocals and distorted electric guitars. Hard rock began in the mid-1960s with the garage, psychedelic and blues rock movements. Some of the earliest hard ...

supergroup

Bad Company Bad Company are an English rock supergroup that was formed in 1973 by singer Paul Rodgers, guitarist Mick Ralphs, drummer Simon Kirke and bassist Boz Burrell. Bad Company ''AllMusic'' Peter Grant, who managed the rock band Led Zeppelin, a ...

. Opeth released a live DVD and Blu-ray of their May 11, 2017, performance at Red Rocks on November 2, 2018. Gojira performed the same night and released the full concert, titled ''Live At Red Rocks'', on YouTube on May 20, 2020. The American pop-punk band Nofx released a live recording of their full 18-minute song "

The Decline (EP) ''The Decline'' is an EP by NOFX. It was released on November 23, 1999. The CD version consisted of only the 18-minute title track, but the vinyl included a different version of "Clams Have Feelings Too" (from '' Pump Up the Valuum'') on the B- ...

" featuring Baz's orchestra in a 2019 performance at the venue. Comedian

Bill Burr William Frederick Burr (born June 10, 1968) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, filmmaker, and podcaster. He has released multiple stand-up comedy specials, most notably ''Why Do I Do This?'' (2008), ''Let It Go'' (2010), '' You People Are ...

filmed a comedy special at Red Rocks in September 2021.

In film and television

In 1987, former Colorado Senator Gary Hart announced his campaign for president with a press conference at Red Rocks. Part of the 1990 film ''

The Adventures of Ford Fairlane ''The Adventures of Ford Fairlane'' is a 1990 American action comedy mystery film directed by Renny Harlin and written by David Arnott, James Cappe, and Daniel Waters based on a story by Arnott and Cappe. The film stars comedian Andrew Dice Cl ...

'' was filmed at Red Rocks. Opening sequences feature the fictional rock band "Black Plague" playing at Red Rocks Amphitheatre where lead singer Bobby Black (played by Vince Neil) makes a grand entrance hanging from the rock face of the landmark red rocks above the crowd swooping on stage via

zipline A zip-line, zip line, zip-wire, flying fox, or death slide is a pulley suspended on a cable, usually made of stainless steel, mounted on a slope. It is designed to enable cargo or a person propelled by gravity to travel from the top to the bott ...

. The place was featured in ''

The Amazing Race 9 ''The Amazing Race 9'' is the ninth season of the American reality television show ''The Amazing Race.'' It featured eleven teams of two competing in a race around the world. The season premiered on CBS on February 28, 2006, and concluded on Ma ...

'', which aired in 2006. The place was used as the show's Starting Line and also the Finish Line.

Colorado Music Hall of Fame

In June 2015, the

opened its doors in the Trading Post at Red Rocks.

Gallery

File:Red Rock Amphitheatre Seatings.jpg, Red Rocks Amphitheatre seating File:Red Rock Amphitheatre.jpg, Red Rocks Amphitheatre stage File:Orthomosaic of Red Rocks by DroneMapper and Falcon UAV.jpg, Red Rocks Aerial Photogrammetry mission File:Denver Downtown view from Red Rock Amphitheatre.jpg,

Downtown Denver Downtown Denver is the main financial, commercial, business, and entertainment district in Denver, Colorado. There is over of office space in downtown Denver, with 132,000 workers. The downtown area consists mostly of the neighborhoods of Uni ...

view from Red Rocks Amphitheatre in 2011, with the control tower for Denver International Airport and the peaks of its Jeppesen Terminal building in the distant background

References

Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre History and Geology. (n.d.). Retrieved November 16, 2017

External links

* {{Authority control Amphitheaters in the United States Landmarks in Colorado Music of Denver Music venues in Colorado Fountain Formation Rock formations of Colorado Tourist attractions in Jefferson County, Colorado Civilian Conservation Corps in Colorado Buildings and structures in Jefferson County, Colorado 1906 establishments in Colorado Cultural infrastructure completed in 1906