– Researched & written by Mike Hamers
1) RED ROCKS PARK & AMPHITHEATER, 1927 / MORRISON, CO
Back at the turn of the last century, John Brisben Walker realized that the 200-million-year-old formation of red rocks southwest of Denver provided the ideal acoustic environment for live performances, and began producing concerts there in addition to offering a thrill ride. In 1911, opera singer Mary Garden became the first nationally-recognized act to perform on a makeshift stage at what was then known as the Garden of the Angels. It was not long before the natural amphitheater was recognized as a Natural Wonder of the World. In 1927, the City of Denver purchased the area; construction of the amphitheater began in 1936. The project required the removal of 25,000 cubic yards of rock and dirt and used 90,000 sq. ft of flagstone, ten carloads of cement, 800 tons of quarried stone, and 30,000 lbs of reinforced steel. This was not a “steam shovel” job – but was mostly done by hand labor. It is one of the grandest achievements of the Civilian Conservation Corps completed by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal programs. The amphitheater was opened to the public in June 1941. The first Easter Sunrise service – a yearly tradition – was in 1947.
The earliest rock performance at Red Rocks was the Beatles in 1964. It was the only venue on the band’s first U.S. tour that did not sell out. Many legendary acts followed. But during a Jethro Tull performance in 1971, an incident between concertgoers and police resulted in a 5-year ban on any rock acts performing at Red Rocks. That ban was lifted well before U2’s renowned show at Red Rocks in 1983. The performance was filmed, and later released as the band’s concert film U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky. Other acts include the Dave Matthews Band, The Samples, The Moody Blues, Incubus, Blues Traveler, Widespread Panic, Neil Young, the Zac Brown Band and Train have all filmed music videos at the venue. For Colorado-based acts, performing at Red Rocks has become a rite of passage. John Denver; Earth, Wind & Fire; The Lumineers; OneRepublic; and Judy Collins have all done shows there.
• 18300 W Alameda Pkwy, Morrison, CO 80465
• (720) 865-2494
• https://www.RedRocksOnline.com
2) CHAUTAUQUA AUDITORIUM, 1898 / BOULDER, CO
Amazingly, the Chautauqua Auditorium was built in 53 days by 75 men and their draft animals in 1898. More than 4,000 people gathered there on Opening Day, July 4, 1898. People sat on hard benches and endured clouds of dust from the sawdust-covered floor as wind blew through the open walls. The walls were enclosed the following year, the benches were slowly replaced by opera seats, and the dirt floor was covered with concrete. Many visitor comforts have been added since, but the history of this landmark structure remains a key part of its magic. The superior acoustics of the all-wood building made it the most-favorable venue for the Mormon Tabernacle and the preferred venue for the Colorado Music Festival!
Although the Auditorium was mostly intended for lectures and live musical performances and variety acts similar to vaudeville, it was also a venue for motion pictures. In 1898, the film industry was in its infancy. “Edison’s Genuine Projectoscope, Colorscopic Diorama and Wargraph, with Music, reproducing scenes of the war with Spain.” was shown on July 21, 1898 In those early years, the exhibitor traveled with his own projection equipment. In 1918, the Chautauqua Auditorium acquired its own motion picture projection equipment for silent films. Talkies began in 1926, and all-talking pictures in 1929. The equipment was update in 1937 as Technicolor movies became available. The Chautauqua Auditorium is open from May thru September and is heated and cooled by Mother Nature. This means there is no air-conditioning or heating in the venue.
• 900 Baseline Rd, Boulder, CO 80302 • (303) 440-7666
• https://www.chautauqua.com
3) BOULDER THEATER, 1906 / BOULDER, CO
Built in 1906 as the Curran Opera House, the theater was initially a place for live music and stage shows as well as silent film from 1915. By 1929 it had been renamed Isis Theater. Following the boom in motion picture exhibition, the theater was remodeled in with an Art Deco façade in 1936 and reopened as the Boulder Theater – this façade is designated as a Colorado Historic Landmark. By the time of its rebirth in 1936, the Boulder Theater had became a venue for the movies only—a format it maintained until 1978 when movie going alone could no longer pay all of the Boulder’s bills. In 1981, the theater was converted into a concert hall, but once again, The Boulder Theater could not remain viable.
In 1988, it underwent yet another renovation to incorporate a more concert-friendly seating and acoustic makeover. The theater has hosted an average of 250 events each year that have featured some of the most well-respected artists performing at local, national, and international levels including: Stanley Jordan, the Subdudes, Herbie Hancock, Joan Baez, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Arlo Guthrie, the String Cheese Incident, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Crash Test Dummies, Leftover Salmon, Jefferson Starship, Hot Tuna, Elephant Revival and many more. The theater also shows occasional movies.
• 2032 14th St, Boulder, CO 80302 • (303) 786-7030
• https://www.z2ent.com/boulder-theater-venue
4) MACKY AUDITORIUM CONCERT HALL, 1909 / BOULDER, CO
No one would have imagined that it would take 13 years to finish Macky Auditorium. When President Baker commissioned the architects, he asked them to harmonize an assortment of elements, but to design “something different”. Ground was broken in 1909 after Andrew J. Macky (1834–1907), president of the First National Bank, left $300,000 to build an auditorium. When Macky’s will was contested, construction halted. The magnificent shell of an auditorium stood empty for years, without doors or windows, victim to the howling western winds. After the will was settled, Macky’s amber glass windows and carved plaster ornamentation required several years for completion. Wooden planks served as benches until seats were installed in 1922.
In 1985, a major renovation turned the old auditorium into Boulder’s premiere concert hall, home to the CU Artist Series and the Boulder Philharmonic Orchestra. Macky Auditorium has been the site of appearances by performers such as Harry Belafonte, Benny Goodman, Herbie Hancock, Yo Yo Ma, Robin Williams, Wynton and Branford Marsalis, Eddie Izzard, Tori Amos, REM, Chick Corea, and many others. Macky has also featured talks by the Dalai Lama, Dr. Jane Goodall, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Richard Dawkins and others.
• University of Colorado Boulder Campus, 1595 Pleasant Street #285ucb, Boulder, CO 80309 • (303) 492-8423
• https://www.colorado.edu/macky
5) FOX THEATER, 1926 / BOULDER, CO
Built in 1926, the building that now houses the Fox Theater was called the Rialto Theatre before changing owners and taking on many different identities throughout the years. The building has served multiple purposes in its near century of use, from dance club to movie theater to “Boulder’s most modern eating house” when it operated as a cafe back in 1954.
The building was tragically ravaged by a fire in 1960, but it bounced back and was remodeled into a movie theater that largely resembles the Boulder venue beloved by Coloradans today. It’s a perfect place to hear burgeoning Colorado local musicians open for exciting national and international headliners. In fact, Rolling Stone loved this venue so much that it voted it the “4th Best Club in America” in 2013.
• 1135 13th St, Boulder, CO 80302 • (303) 447-0095
• https://www.z2ent.com/fox-theatre-venue
6) FILLMORE AUDITORIUM, 1907 / DENVER, CO
The Fillmore is a concert venue located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood in Denver. Since opening in 1907, the venue has hosted numerous functions. It holds the title of the largest indoor venue for general admission seating in Colorado. In 1907, it opened as the Mammoth Roller Skating Rink. Next, in 1910 the Fritchle Automobile & Battery Company owned it and produced nearly 500 vehicles, the first being purchased by Titanic survivor Molly Brown. In 1917 it became the city’s first recreational center known as Mammoth Garden Roller Club which offered ice skating, hockey, basketball, ice polo, boxing, and wrestling. It also hosted the US National Indoor Figure and Speed Championships in 1950, 1952 and 1954.
In 1960, the venue hosted its first concert by soul singer James Brown. In 1968 concert promoter Stuart Green converted the space into a nightclub. Although only in business for 8 months, the club hosted concerts by leading artists including Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, The Who, The Grateful Dead and Joe Cocker. In 1985 the venue became the Mammoth Events Center. During this reinvention, the venue became the main site for Denver’s Latin music scene and various other touring acts. During its 12-year run, the venue hosted various concerts, with such names as, Beastie Boys, Fishbone, Murphy’s Law, Ozzy Osbourne, Cyndi Lauper, Pantera, Slayer, Club Nouveau, Rick James, Cypress Hill, Jane’s Addiction, Fugazi, Sublime, Butthole Surfers, Oasis, Coldplay, Green Day and many others. It also hosted various sporting events including the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Pro Wrestling America and World Championship Wrestling.
Due to its many physical changes and uses over the years, some promoters saw the venue as a failure and were not easily persuaded to host a concert at the venue. Promoter Barry Fey, who preferred not to use the venue, stated the unpopular opinion that “Hell had better accommodations than the Mammoth”. Despite its challenges, the building was heavily renovated and reopened as the Fillmore Auditorium in 1999. It has grown to become a prominent force in Denver’s music scene. The auditorium has hosted concerts by Bob Dylan, Widespread Panic, NOFX, Morrissey, Foo Fighters, Bad Religion, Umphrey’s McGee, Marilyn Manson, Nelly Furtado, James Blunt, Owl City, Armin van Buuren, Erykah Badu, Paramore, Ghost, as well as Five Iron Frenzy’s final performance. Since then the venue has hosted over 1,900 acts including a visit by President Barack Obama and all together attended by 2,700,000 patrons. The Fillmore annually ranks as one of America’s top 10 grossing and most-attended clubs in both Billboard and Pollstar magazines.
• 1510 N Clarkson Street, Denver, CO 80218 • (303) 837-0360
• http://www.FillmoreAuditorium.org
7) OGDEN THEATER, 1917 / DENVER, CO
The Ogden Theater was built in 1917 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In the early years, it was used to host weekly dances, recitals, and vaudeville acts. It was converted into a movie theater in 1937 and showed classic to avant-garde films. In the 1980s it was a revival house that featured the cult movie classic, The Rocky Horror Picture Show every Saturday night. The Ogden Theater has been renovated many times throughout the years. In the late 1980s, ownership of the theater changed hands numerous times until the theater was closed in 1990. It was marked for demolition until Doug Kauffman of the independent live music promoter Nobody In Particular Presents purchased the building in 1992. Kauffman’s vision was to turn the Ogden Theater into the top music venue that it is today.
The Ogden Theater re-opened in 1993 and currently hosts approximately 150 concerts per year. Colorado bands that played here include Prince, The Fray with OneRepublic, Iggy Pop, Smashing Pumpkins, Flobots, Pretty Lights, and The Lumineers.
• 935 E Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO 80218 • (303) 832-1874
• https://www.OgdenTheatre.com
8) BLUEBIRD THEATER, 1913 / DENVER, CO
The Bluebird Theater was built in 1913 and originally named after the prominent Denver grocer and druggist, John Thompson. The Thompson Theater was rechristened as the Bluebird Theater in 1922 and became an important part of the community. The two-tiered theater was also initially a movie house and went through various phases over the years. In 1994, Chris Swank and Evan Dechtman invested in the Bluebird and it re-opened as a live music venue, as it remains today. Bluebird Theater hosts concerts for a wide range of genres from artists such as DeVotchKa, Silver and Smoke, Maroon 5, Modest Mouse and Bass Physics. It was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
• 3317 E Colfax Avenue, Denver, CO 80206 • (303) 377-1666
• https://www.BluebirdTheater.net
9) GOTHIC THEATER, 1920s / ENGLEWOOD, CO
The Gothic Theater is a living art piece. Built in the 1920s, the Art Deco design makes every show just that much more special. It was the first location in Denver to show talkies. Even during its 1988 remodel, it kept true to its original grandeur with a new wrap-around balcony. The Gothic’s distinguished art decoration and architecture also provided a scene of interest to many people. The rounded walls and recessed inlets are still present today. In the 1940s, the Gothic experienced a change of ownership. As a result, the exterior was changed to conform to modern times. As time passed the Gothic had many different owners, each struggling to gain success with the theater. Eventually the place was shut down.
In 1998, two friends who had a passion for music restored the Gothic, surpassing its original design and entering the venue to the ranks of the most renowned theaters in Colorado. They bought the building out of bankruptcy (for $2 Million), ultimately saving it from demolition. Deciding to keep the historical interior, they rebuilt the theater from the foundation to the roof. The Gothic has hosted many distinguished shows since its opening. A few of the more noteworthy musicians and bands that have played at the Gothic are Slayer, Beastie Boys, Violent Femmes, Skinny Puppy, David Tipper, Phish, Death Cab for Cutie, The Fray, Broken Bells, Dr. Dog, Pat Benatar, Cold War Kids, The Wallflowers, Rise Against, Blue Öyster Cult, The Black Keys, Nirvana, and King Crimson.
• 3263 South Broadway, Englewood, CO 80113 • (303) 789-9206
• https://www.gothictheatre.com
10) TABOR OPERA HOUSE, 1879 / LEADVILLE, CO
High in the Colorado Rockies stands the Tabor Opera House, where you can still sense the spirit of the Silver Rush. Set in Leadville, the highest-elevation city in North America (10,152 ft), the Tabor hosts world-class performances each summer. This remnant of the wild West—deemed a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation—celebrated its 140th anniversary in 2019. Yet the decades have taken a toll on the Tabor, named one of “Colorado’s Endangered Places”, by Colorado Preservation, Inc. Today, a spirited effort led by the Tabor Opera House Preservation Foundation, Inc. is underway to revitalize this historic opera house and create a center for diverse arts and culture in the heart of Leadville. Performances resumed in 2022.
Mining magnate Horace Tabor built the opera house in 1879 in just 100 days in one of the West’s rowdiest silver boomtowns. Tabor brought the building materials by wagon over some of Colorado’s highest, rockiest mountain passes. Among the bars and brothels, the Tabor Opera House stood for civilization, arts, and culture. Ticket sales on opening night were disappointing, as the evening’s comedy competed with a hanging across the street. And yet, over the years, luminaries such as Oscar Wilde, John Philip Sousa, and Buffalo Bill graced the stage.
• 308 Harrison Avenue, Leadville, CO 80461 • (719) 486-8409
• https://www.taboroperahouse.net
11) THE ORIENTAL THEATER, 1927 / Denver, CO
The Oriental Theater opened on Christmas Eve in 1927 and showed films daily for decades, but hit a rough patch in the 1950s as folks started flocking to the suburbs. In an effort to boost attendance in the 1960s, the theater was given a facelift with plush seating, new carpeting, fresh paint and a bigger projection screen. But the screen eventually went dark, and over the next few decades, the Oriental slid into disrepair.
After 45 years of inactivity, it was purchased in 2005, and turned into a live music venue. It eventually closed again due to a partially collapsed ceiling. After closing its doors in 1960 due to little interest from the Denver community, the Oriental Theater sat dormant for nearly half a century before re-opening its doors in 2005. New owner LaBarbera brought in an eclectic selection of acts, including blues legend Johnny Winter, the Grateful Dead, drummer Mickey Hart, jazz guitarists Bill Frisell and Nels Cline, Little Feat, Ivan Neville, Fleet Foxes and comedians Doug Stanhope and Todd Barry, among others. It is currently used as a live music venue and is registered with the National Register of Historic Places.
• 4335 W 44th Ave, Denver, CO 80212 • (720) 420-0030
• https://theorientaltheater.com
12) ARMORY PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, 1921 / Brighton
The Armory Performing Arts Center is the premier venue for entertainment and cultural arts in the northeast metro region of Denver. The Armory was built in 1921 and served as a munitions storage facility; the building also served as the headquarters for Company K, 157th Infantry of the Colorado National Guard. When the Guard transferred in 1928, the American Legion moved in and hosted community events and celebrations. The Armory lay dormant for several decades, then in 2008, the facility underwent a major renovation made possible through funding from the CO Dept. of Local Affairs, and Brighton Urban Renewal Authority.
Now, the Armory is a state-of-the-art cultural arts venue in the heart of historic downtown Brighton, within walking distance of numerous shops and restaurants. The Armory hosts and produces many events, including plays, concerts, receptions, private parties, and more.
• 300 Strong Street, Brighton, CO 80601 • (303) 655-2026
• http://www.brightonarmory.org
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