Venues Archive
Great Venues: Red Rocks, Denver CO, USAGreat Venues: Red Rocks, Denver CO, USA
Last week I was lucky enough to see The Goo Goo Dolls and Counting Crows at Red Rocks. Neither is what I'd call one of my favorite bands (they both put on good shows) and I was mostly excited to check out the venue. From their Web site:
Nestled in the Rocky Mountain Foothills fifteen miles west of Denver, there stands a symbol of nature's unparalleled majesty. Red Rocks is a geologically formed, open-air Amphitheater that is not duplicated anywhere in the world. With Mother Nature as the architect, the design of the Amphitheater consists of two, three hundred-foot monoliths (Ship Rock and Creation Rock) that provide acoustic perfection for any performance.
It was impressive both visually and aurally. Red Rocks is a great venue with probably the best sound I've heard at an outdoor site. But what made Red Rocks special to me was the atmosphere. The views are amazing and there doesn't seem to be a bad seat in the house. On a warm summer night, with a bright moon descending behind Creation Rock...well, it's got to be seen, and heard, to be believed.
It's not large, seating about 9,000, so you won't be seeing many festival style shows there, but it's perhaps the perfect venue for smaller arena-type gigs.
If you're ever in the Denver area and have a chance to check it out, make a point to do so.
