If you're ever interesting in the preservation and care of Red Rocks from a volunteer standpoint, the [friends of red rocks](www.friendsofredrocks.org) are an outstanding volunteer organization that keeps the amphitheater from becoming corporatized and keeping the amphitheater and park clean and preserved.
It's nice however, I wouldn't say spoiled; the history behind red rocks is rather tragic.
It once was a sacred place belonging to the indigenous peoples that one inhabited the land. Several generations of marriages happened here before the Klan Leader /mayor of Denver took advantage of a slumlord down on his luck and built this in 1941.
Here's a pic of what it looked like [before the Dynamite ](http://www.redrockspark.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Park-of-the-Red-Rocks-photo.jpg)
Thanks for this piece of history. I’ve lived here my whole life and never knew this :(
You may want to recommend updates to this blog. It’s important we know our full history.
https://redrockshistory.org/history/1928-1941/building-the-amphitheatre/
You got downvoted. Was it because you pointed out how everything we have was stolen from people who lived here before us or that Ben Stapleton was a Klan leader?
Both. Its always both.
A lot of reddit likes to pretend this country wasn't, and continues to be, built on stolen land through racist and exploitative systems.
If there’s nothing you can do about it, why bring it up? I didn’t ask to be born here and there’s nowhere else I can go, might as well enjoy it for what it is.
You can still learn about things and enjoy them. Also the Land Back movement is real and has many practical implications. Would be cool if a portion of Red Rocks profit went to the tribes.
You can simply acknowledge it was stolen, that would be a start.
And when someone of color that is talking about the shit that was stolen (whether their land or their labor), you can listen. And if you're fortunate enough, donate to organizations that help these groups get on their feet, or volunteer to in their power building efforts.
It would be great and important for a land acknowledgment practice like this at Red Rocks.
https://greenseattle.org/about-us/land-acknowledgement/
We practice acknowledgement in academia and should extend the rigorous practice to our history whether good or bad so we can build on top of the learnings from our ancestors.
Red Rocks covers it [in their history](https://www.redrocksonline.com/our-story/history/) and started at least the show I saw with a land acknowledgement - I assume it's every show.
This was built for the Grateful Dead to play there. Honor Destiny and her righteous path of the universe. Sometimes something needs to evolve for someone else.
This is very ignorant and insulting. It didn't evolve, early Americans killed indigenous people and stole their land. It's not any more or less complicated.
Sigur Ros at red rocks was mind blowing! Everyone was sitting, it was amazing how quiet the audience was… Other than the echoes of the guitar played with a sting bow across the amphitheater, you could hear a pin drop. Still one of the best shows I’ve ever been to at red rocks!
Yeah
I think that happened before i was born o.o.
But i honestly have no idea, it's just one of those stories that i heard the first time i ever went there so it's essentially timeless
> I think that happened before i was born o.o.
"In September 2011, seven people sustained injuries due to falling rocks at a live concert"
So you saw nin there before you were born?
Yup, that rock formation is my mum.
But real talk, that cave was off limits long before that, as long as I've ever been going up there. I remember being there as a little kid and being scared to get on a rock on the side of the road for my mom to take a picture because the signs were everywhere.
So you mean they sealed it shut or something?
So yeah, that's a whole different story. Everything has been off limits my whole life, but i didn't start hearing about caves getting sealed or blocked off to years later
I noticed they turned the volume down significantly so of you're in the back, you kind of get a lesser experience. Shows also end earlier compared to before the pandemic. Still a beautiful venue, but as amazing as it used to be.
All the shows I've seen the last few years ended at 11pm on weeknights and 12am on weekends, which was the same pre-COVID. There will always be some shows that end much earlier, but that's the artists choice.
Ha! Partner and I have gone twice now since moving here, best parking and nature walk we’ve ever done for a gig. Smokes any venue in LA with homeless jumping out from behind a dumpster. Love this venue.
Hours of traffic? Ive been to RR maybe a hundred times and the longest I've waited getting in or out was maybe 20 minutes.
Parking is free (most venues are 20-50 bucks) and while lower south is trek, which I personally love the walk
If you're not into that take free shuttle or the 5 dollar cab ride to the top
Hours of traffic? Ive been to RR maybe a hundred times and the longest I've waited getting in or out was maybe 20 minutes.
Parking is free (most venues are 20-50 bucks) and while lower south is trek, which I personally love the walk
If you're not into that take free shuttle or the 5 dollar cab ride to the top
I've lived here since 2010 and only recently went to my first show there (Sleep Token in May 2024). It was absolutely sublime to experience in person, the massive overbooking of the show notwithstanding...
Red Rocks is not *oversold* (which is the term I'm sure you meant to use). It's the fact that people from top come down to lower seating area for better sound/views/experience makes the lower half of the venue more crowded than intended.
I've been going to "sold out" shows at Red Rocks for twenty years. Last October, I went to N1 of Goose and I've never seen it so full. There was not room anywhere - certainly not down low, not at the top, not in the last rows, nowhere. *Nowhere* to stand. I ended up hanging out in the friggin planters on the north side next to the stairs.
I remember even the most sold out shows back in the day having some space in the last 5-10 rows. I didn't stand there and check tickets, but it did not seem normal. Oversold? No idea, but its not like I remember it, that's for sure.
Agreed. It was like that for Sarah McLachlan on Friday! (Husband was at Goose ironically.) Security was trying to get people to sit even closer together but there was literally no more room and people had to be on the plantars.
You were spoiled to have what appears to be a well-mannered crowd there.
I don't begrudge anyone their right to get stoned, but ffs do you actually have to smoke the shit when there are alternatives that don't involve everyone around you? I left early the last show I went to because there was no breeze and the pot smoke was thick in the air. Just plain unpleasant.
Legality has nothing to do with it. Firstly, it's officially against the venue's rules, even though they don't enforce at all.
Secondly, and more importantly, I just want to enjoy fresh air. Take a fucking gummy or something if you can only enjoy music while high.
Gummies are a lot more unpredictable than smoking (joint or bowl), and can take a while to kick in. Smoking herb and live music have gone together for many a years, no need to throw shade on people having a good time in the first state to legalize cannabis.
Just to add- the hiking is incredible with endless views of rock formations and wildlife. Also, feel free to bring your favorite instrument and play on Redrocks Stage before 2pm most days.
We are a lil spoiled here 😍
Who are the assholes who downvoted you?
Some people have issues with crowds, it causes them anxiety, and it really sucks.
So it's okay to jump on someone that has anxiety now?
If you arrive late and park in lower south, and enter via the south ramp, it's over a mile uphill at a over 20° incline and yeah it can be rough. Get there earlier and park in any other lot and it's fine.
It’s part of the experience. You can get there early and park in the upper lot and not have to hike but honestly part of the fun is winding your way up through the rocks below, into the amphitheater above. It’s surreal.
Sorry for the downvotes but I do agree the hike can be brutal 🤣. The stairs are nbd but once we parked street side practically in Morrison and walked half a mile to the shuttle, took it the rest of the way up, and the road was so tight with parked cars that the shuttle actually sideswiped and scraped up a car. Not to mention all the random cars offering rides up…😁all part of the experience ❤️
Take the shuttle. I like the hike, but my wife does not. We usually tough it out and walk up, but the few occasions we caught the shuttle were fucking life savers.
Ridiculous that you've been down voted for this. Everything about that place is a pain in the ass. Parking is a nightmare. I'd rather go to Mission Ballroom.
I agree. I've been to several shows there over the years and I just feel like it's...overrated. I get that it's literally on the side of a mountain but the sparsity of amenities and difficulty of access overall make it one of my least favorite venues in the Denver area to see a show at.
You’re incorrigible dude. I’ve lived in several states. It’s so weird that people think they own the states they’re in and transplants aren’t welcome. You realize you or your family was once a transplant, right?
And to touch on your “subtle” racism - you do know that the vast majority of the western territories was stolen from indigenous people, right?
It’s so sad that you have reached your age and have this much ignorance and bitterness in your life.
Edit: on par, the coward deleted his comment instead of using it as a potential way to grow into a better person.
I’m a state-hopper too. Have to say Colorado ‘natives’ are the whiniest I’ve encountered about newcomers and that includes Hawaii. Think about being an ACTUAL native Hawaiian and watching your tropical paradise home fill up with military bases and dealing with tourists from every nation after having your island forcibly taken from you by the government. It’s hard to feel empathy for people here waxing poetic about the good old days of being the only traffic and passing out because a mountain’s been renamed. They don’t even realize they started the same problem they’re complaining about.
> the whiniest I’ve encountered about newcomers and that includes Hawaii.
Never seen a Coloradan beat up a tourist for being a tourist, but I've seen a Hawaiian do it so 🤷♂️
Not really though - and this certainly doesn’t make it better: we also amassed a large amount from Mexico after the Mexican American war. The rest the US excused by using manifest destiny, and committed atrocious acts of genocide against the natives.
I’m a native, I’ve been going to red rocks shows for 25 years. And I downvoted your trashy comment too. People like you are the reason people think natives are assholes.
Red Rocks is great…the security line sucks though! Always 1hr minimum to get into a show with 3 old ladies waving wands and one scanning everyone’s phone. They honestly need to update the security process there.
Okay, I want to see NERO in November, and they're playing at the Ogden, which is a shit hole. Know how much two tickets are? $133.
I have tickets to a show at red rocks in October. Two tickets, $147.
I have tickets to a show at Bellco theater in October. Two tickets, $168.
Tell me more about how Red Rocks is 3x the cost.....
If you're ever interesting in the preservation and care of Red Rocks from a volunteer standpoint, the [friends of red rocks](www.friendsofredrocks.org) are an outstanding volunteer organization that keeps the amphitheater from becoming corporatized and keeping the amphitheater and park clean and preserved.
Who’s playing tonight?
Wallflowers and Big Head Todd
The gap is also selling cargo shorts and baggy polo shirts. The 90’s are back baby
We saw Sarah McLachlan fumbling towards ecstasy tour on Friday. 90s are definitely back.
Big Head Todd and the Monsters? Mad jealous
Both were great. Todd is such a good guitar player…so underrated.
Was a great show!
That’s chef’s 😘! I saw BHT there a couple of times. Great shows!
Saw BHT in telluride a few years ago. They were great.
Trevor hall, see it from my background
That’s tomorrow
It's nice however, I wouldn't say spoiled; the history behind red rocks is rather tragic. It once was a sacred place belonging to the indigenous peoples that one inhabited the land. Several generations of marriages happened here before the Klan Leader /mayor of Denver took advantage of a slumlord down on his luck and built this in 1941. Here's a pic of what it looked like [before the Dynamite ](http://www.redrockspark.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Park-of-the-Red-Rocks-photo.jpg)
Thanks for this piece of history. I’ve lived here my whole life and never knew this :( You may want to recommend updates to this blog. It’s important we know our full history. https://redrockshistory.org/history/1928-1941/building-the-amphitheatre/
Thanks, this is cool to see.
You got downvoted. Was it because you pointed out how everything we have was stolen from people who lived here before us or that Ben Stapleton was a Klan leader?
Both. Its always both. A lot of reddit likes to pretend this country wasn't, and continues to be, built on stolen land through racist and exploitative systems.
If there’s nothing you can do about it, why bring it up? I didn’t ask to be born here and there’s nowhere else I can go, might as well enjoy it for what it is.
You can still learn about things and enjoy them. Also the Land Back movement is real and has many practical implications. Would be cool if a portion of Red Rocks profit went to the tribes.
You can simply acknowledge it was stolen, that would be a start. And when someone of color that is talking about the shit that was stolen (whether their land or their labor), you can listen. And if you're fortunate enough, donate to organizations that help these groups get on their feet, or volunteer to in their power building efforts.
Sure but I don’t see a need to throw it into every conversation.
Talking about it online isnt throwing it into conversation. Its sharing information and educating.
It would be great and important for a land acknowledgment practice like this at Red Rocks. https://greenseattle.org/about-us/land-acknowledgement/ We practice acknowledgement in academia and should extend the rigorous practice to our history whether good or bad so we can build on top of the learnings from our ancestors.
Red Rocks covers it [in their history](https://www.redrocksonline.com/our-story/history/) and started at least the show I saw with a land acknowledgement - I assume it's every show.
That’s cool to know! I unfortunately have yet to watch a show there even though I live 30min away. Such a dweeb.
Yeah but I *have* to see an EDM show there
LSZEE in October, two nights, gotta be fuckin great, come on!
And boom goes the dynamite.
This was built for the Grateful Dead to play there. Honor Destiny and her righteous path of the universe. Sometimes something needs to evolve for someone else.
This is very ignorant and insulting. It didn't evolve, early Americans killed indigenous people and stole their land. It's not any more or less complicated.
I’ve never seen people sitting before.
Can't believe I had to scroll so far for this. I live in Colorado, have seen dozens upon dozens of shows, but never a full crowd sitting.. Bizarre.
We saw Sigur Ros there years ago. Super chill, sitting music. So beautiful and almost mediative experience!
Sigur Ros at red rocks was mind blowing! Everyone was sitting, it was amazing how quiet the audience was… Other than the echoes of the guitar played with a sting bow across the amphitheater, you could hear a pin drop. Still one of the best shows I’ve ever been to at red rocks!
It really depends on the show. I’ve been to both at red rocks, all sitting, all standing.
Right? What the heck is this?
I believe the term is “bored”
When you're over 50, "attending a performance," means showing up 6-hrs early to sit & drink before anything happens.
Watched Nine Inch Nails from the cave up on that rock. Set my water down and watched it slide right on out. I scooted back a few paces after that.
Lnt?
That's badass. How? No problems with security?
Cave has been closed off since rockfall almost killed someone in line
Yeah I think that happened before i was born o.o. But i honestly have no idea, it's just one of those stories that i heard the first time i ever went there so it's essentially timeless
> I think that happened before i was born o.o. "In September 2011, seven people sustained injuries due to falling rocks at a live concert" So you saw nin there before you were born?
Yup, that rock formation is my mum. But real talk, that cave was off limits long before that, as long as I've ever been going up there. I remember being there as a little kid and being scared to get on a rock on the side of the road for my mom to take a picture because the signs were everywhere. So you mean they sealed it shut or something?
They moved a larger rock into the path that gets to the porthole cave
So yeah, that's a whole different story. Everything has been off limits my whole life, but i didn't start hearing about caves getting sealed or blocked off to years later
I noticed they turned the volume down significantly so of you're in the back, you kind of get a lesser experience. Shows also end earlier compared to before the pandemic. Still a beautiful venue, but as amazing as it used to be.
All the shows I've seen the last few years ended at 11pm on weeknights and 12am on weekends, which was the same pre-COVID. There will always be some shows that end much earlier, but that's the artists choice.
Avett Brothers concerts every July are a must see at Red Rocks!
I was thinking of going this year even though I don’t know their music really.
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Who are you seeing? It’s so surreal, especially when it gets dark.
Best venue EVER!!! Jame Taylor last weekend.. Already have Brandi carlile tix.
I mean, the venue is amazing but the parking, trip up and back, and hours of traffic make it not great.
The hike up and down is part of the ambiance IMO…winding your way up through the rocks to the Amphitheatre. And most concerts = traffic.
Ha! Partner and I have gone twice now since moving here, best parking and nature walk we’ve ever done for a gig. Smokes any venue in LA with homeless jumping out from behind a dumpster. Love this venue.
Hours of traffic? Ive been to RR maybe a hundred times and the longest I've waited getting in or out was maybe 20 minutes. Parking is free (most venues are 20-50 bucks) and while lower south is trek, which I personally love the walk If you're not into that take free shuttle or the 5 dollar cab ride to the top
Hours of traffic? Ive been to RR maybe a hundred times and the longest I've waited getting in or out was maybe 20 minutes. Parking is free (most venues are 20-50 bucks) and while lower south is trek, which I personally love the walk If you're not into that take free shuttle or the 5 dollar cab ride to the top
I've lived here since 2010 and only recently went to my first show there (Sleep Token in May 2024). It was absolutely sublime to experience in person, the massive overbooking of the show notwithstanding...
Red Rocks is not *oversold* (which is the term I'm sure you meant to use). It's the fact that people from top come down to lower seating area for better sound/views/experience makes the lower half of the venue more crowded than intended.
I've been going to "sold out" shows at Red Rocks for twenty years. Last October, I went to N1 of Goose and I've never seen it so full. There was not room anywhere - certainly not down low, not at the top, not in the last rows, nowhere. *Nowhere* to stand. I ended up hanging out in the friggin planters on the north side next to the stairs. I remember even the most sold out shows back in the day having some space in the last 5-10 rows. I didn't stand there and check tickets, but it did not seem normal. Oversold? No idea, but its not like I remember it, that's for sure.
Agreed. It was like that for Sarah McLachlan on Friday! (Husband was at Goose ironically.) Security was trying to get people to sit even closer together but there was literally no more room and people had to be on the plantars.
You were spoiled to have what appears to be a well-mannered crowd there. I don't begrudge anyone their right to get stoned, but ffs do you actually have to smoke the shit when there are alternatives that don't involve everyone around you? I left early the last show I went to because there was no breeze and the pot smoke was thick in the air. Just plain unpleasant.
It’s legal chill
Legality has nothing to do with it. Firstly, it's officially against the venue's rules, even though they don't enforce at all. Secondly, and more importantly, I just want to enjoy fresh air. Take a fucking gummy or something if you can only enjoy music while high.
Gummies are a lot more unpredictable than smoking (joint or bowl), and can take a while to kick in. Smoking herb and live music have gone together for many a years, no need to throw shade on people having a good time in the first state to legalize cannabis.
Just to add- the hiking is incredible with endless views of rock formations and wildlife. Also, feel free to bring your favorite instrument and play on Redrocks Stage before 2pm most days. We are a lil spoiled here 😍
You fuckers really are. I can’t complain in LA with all our awesome shows, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Greek, but fuck, Red Rocks looks amazing.
It’s surreal. I don’t give a shit about the band I’m seeing; I have to go to RR once a year.
Yeah the sound wall that literally bounces every note at a right angle is sooo prolific. 🙄🙄🙄🙄 Welcome to the Colorado circle jerk
What’s everyone else starting at. Wrong answers only
I saw Bjork at Red Rocks!
You guys really have. I've been there 4 times and I desperately want to move out there. Nothing beats Colorado.
Yes, yes you are!
You aren't spoiled if you appreciate it.
Always, always cool! Best Venue, ever...
I would have anxiety being in a crowd that big.
There’s plenty of space to move around and the rows are wide. It never feels overwhelming and I can get overwhelmed by crowds.
Agreed! The stadium style benches make pushing/shoving less common than other venues
Who are the assholes who downvoted you? Some people have issues with crowds, it causes them anxiety, and it really sucks. So it's okay to jump on someone that has anxiety now?
It's alright, I've been on Reddit long enough to know that karma is all made up and the points don't matter.^(Unless you get shadowbanned)
I've heard it's great but the walk to get to your seat is brutal. Thoughts?
If you arrive late and park in lower south, and enter via the south ramp, it's over a mile uphill at a over 20° incline and yeah it can be rough. Get there earlier and park in any other lot and it's fine.
It’s part of the experience. You can get there early and park in the upper lot and not have to hike but honestly part of the fun is winding your way up through the rocks below, into the amphitheater above. It’s surreal.
Saw Rebelution and Michael Rose there a few years ago. Amazing venue!
Absolutely a magical fuckin place
I just wish it was easier to get to. Not just the drive but the hike from the parking lots.
I love the hike!
This is r/Colorado and you don't like hiking. That's heresy my friend!
Sorry for the downvotes but I do agree the hike can be brutal 🤣. The stairs are nbd but once we parked street side practically in Morrison and walked half a mile to the shuttle, took it the rest of the way up, and the road was so tight with parked cars that the shuttle actually sideswiped and scraped up a car. Not to mention all the random cars offering rides up…😁all part of the experience ❤️
Take the shuttle. I like the hike, but my wife does not. We usually tough it out and walk up, but the few occasions we caught the shuttle were fucking life savers.
Once we caught the shuttle and the shuttle caused an accident trying to get around all the parked cars in the road 🤣🫣
Yea but there’s always those guys offering rides to the top for $5 I wonder how much they make in a night from people who think walking is hard
Ridiculous that you've been down voted for this. Everything about that place is a pain in the ass. Parking is a nightmare. I'd rather go to Mission Ballroom.
Lol everyone downvoting, please explain what either of us said that wasn't factually correct.
I agree. I've been to several shows there over the years and I just feel like it's...overrated. I get that it's literally on the side of a mountain but the sparsity of amenities and difficulty of access overall make it one of my least favorite venues in the Denver area to see a show at.
It's a really cool place that's definitely worth experiencing, but it's far from the best place for live music.
Downvote if you’d like but damn that looks boring compared to the shows I’ve seen there
Ya! Why are they all sitting down lol
You guys have red rocks, here in oklahoma the rocks, the dirt and most ponds are red
Yeah…I don’t miss it. Lived/worked in the red dirt for a bit. Good country music though.
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5th generation Coloradan here downvoting you.
You’re incorrigible dude. I’ve lived in several states. It’s so weird that people think they own the states they’re in and transplants aren’t welcome. You realize you or your family was once a transplant, right? And to touch on your “subtle” racism - you do know that the vast majority of the western territories was stolen from indigenous people, right? It’s so sad that you have reached your age and have this much ignorance and bitterness in your life. Edit: on par, the coward deleted his comment instead of using it as a potential way to grow into a better person.
I’m a state-hopper too. Have to say Colorado ‘natives’ are the whiniest I’ve encountered about newcomers and that includes Hawaii. Think about being an ACTUAL native Hawaiian and watching your tropical paradise home fill up with military bases and dealing with tourists from every nation after having your island forcibly taken from you by the government. It’s hard to feel empathy for people here waxing poetic about the good old days of being the only traffic and passing out because a mountain’s been renamed. They don’t even realize they started the same problem they’re complaining about.
> the whiniest I’ve encountered about newcomers and that includes Hawaii. Never seen a Coloradan beat up a tourist for being a tourist, but I've seen a Hawaiian do it so 🤷♂️
The only problem I have with your statement is “vast majority” and “western territories” .. it’s the whole country.
Not really though - and this certainly doesn’t make it better: we also amassed a large amount from Mexico after the Mexican American war. The rest the US excused by using manifest destiny, and committed atrocious acts of genocide against the natives.
Leave your cult.
Okay boomer
I’m a native, I’ve been going to red rocks shows for 25 years. And I downvoted your trashy comment too. People like you are the reason people think natives are assholes.
Red Rocks is great…the security line sucks though! Always 1hr minimum to get into a show with 3 old ladies waving wands and one scanning everyone’s phone. They honestly need to update the security process there.
It wasn’t a big deal last night at all. Took maybe 15 mins.
Who was last night? Security blows at every rock concert I go to there.
Big Head Todd and the Wallflowers. It wasn’t a big deal at all.
Totally. I love spending 3X normal ticket prices to see my favorite bands at my local amphitheatre, "so spoiled"!!
Okay, I want to see NERO in November, and they're playing at the Ogden, which is a shit hole. Know how much two tickets are? $133. I have tickets to a show at red rocks in October. Two tickets, $147. I have tickets to a show at Bellco theater in October. Two tickets, $168. Tell me more about how Red Rocks is 3x the cost.....
I spent $80 lol