Ten Most Memorable Concerts at Red Rocks

Many consider Red Rocks Amphitheatre a treasure of outdoor music venues. The rock structure near Morrison, Colorado has been hosting concerts since 1906, when magazine publisher John Brisben Walker turned his vision of an acoustically perfect outdoor venue into reality. Since then, the Amphitheatre has hosted a number of legendary concerts:

Jethro Tull
Jethro Tull’s 1971 performance was memorable beyond the prog-rock group’s performance. Red Rocks’ acoustic range is noted by many, and that means that even those beyond the confines of the general audience can get a good listen of performances. For the Jethro Tull show, many concert-goers arrived without tickets, and they were placed behind the theater. That was enough for most, but some rowdy drunkards began charging the stage for a glimpse at Jethro Tull. It resulted in a riot of sorts, with tear gas. Rock concerts were banned at Red Rocks for the next five years as a result, and catered to soft-rock acts during that time. The ban was lifted five years later, and Red Rocks’ eclectic schedule was reborn.

U2
U2’s Red Rocks performance in 1983 is cited by many of their diehard fans as one of their best. They released a copy on home video a year later, to the widespread acclaim of critics. New York Times’ Jon Pareles wrote that the show “captures U2’s earnest intensity”, while the Philadelphia Daily News praised the six-camera camerawork. Although the band claims it was difficult to play in the night’s frigid temperatures, there was no sign of U2 freezing up. In fact, they were on fire.

America
Folk-rock trio America played one of Red Rocks’ most important gigs on August 7th, 1975. Denver concert promoter Barry Fey initiated a lawsuit against the city of Morrison because of the then-current ban on outdoor rock concerts, all because he wanted America to be booked there. He won out against the city, who called the previous ban “arbitrarily and capricious”. America’s set kicked off the venue’s return to its rocking past.

The Grateful Dead
It’s hard to pick one specific Grateful Dead show at Red Rocks as being the best, as the legendary jam band played a slew of classic shows at the venue. Their July 1978 is one notable instance, a summer set with highlights like “Dire Wolf” that delivered pure joy among attendees. Red Rocks was one of the Dead’s favorite venues, and it inspired other jam bands like Widespread Panic to follow suit.

Dave Matthews
Like U2, Dave Matthews loved playing at Red Rocks so much that they released a video of their 1995 performance. Live at Red Rocks 8.15.95 marked the group’s third consecutive year playing at Red Rocks, and represented DMB’s first official and professionally recorded live release. The popularity of their Red Rocks performance is a major reason for DMB’s continuing stream of live albums.

James Taylor
The lush folk of James Taylor has echoed throughout the rocky surroundings of Red Rocks for decades. He has become a trademark of the Amphitheater, his songs perfectly complemented by the Colorado atmosphere of cavernous hollows and crisp moonlit skies. Taylor has said more than once that Red Rocks is one of his favorite venues, so you can add him to the list of U2, Grateful Dead, and Dave Matthews that absolutely adore Red Rocks.

Neil Young
Legendary songwriter Neil Young is also particularly fond of Red Rocks, releasing a live DVD Red Rocks Live in 2000 with his live album Road Rock Vol. 1. That was a memorable show, as was his recent 2012 gigs at Red Rocks with Crazy Horse. He played back-to-back gigs in two nights in August, with Alabama Shakes opening. It was truly one of the most memorable concerts that summer.

John Butler Trio
A 2010 performance from this Australian jam band continues to talked-about among attendees, who witnessed a stunning performance at a venue known for its jam band greatness. Taking the same stage as influences like Grateful Dead and Phish did in the past, John Butler Trio unleashed their superb musicianship in a setting that beautifully resonated their rootsy appeal.

Phish
A venue can only be a legendary jam band venue if one of Grateful Dead or Phish played there. Fortunately for Red Rocks, they have hosted both legendary groups on numerous occasions. Frontman Trey Anastasio used excerpts from Phish’s 2005 Red Rocks performance on the DVD that came with his 2005 solo album Shine. This is despite Phish being banned in 1995 from Red Rocks for ten years, due to a huge mass of fans that swarmed upon Morrison. Talk about a huge following.

Kenny Chesney
Although Red Rocks has usually catered to more folk and rock acts than country artists, Kenny Chesney has drawn acclaim for his Red Rocks performance in 2012. His #1 country album in 2012, Welcome to the Fishbowl, includes a live performance of “You and Tequila” at Red Rocks, accompanied by Grace Potter: