An Incredible Concert Experience
Several years ago, I attended an educational plant tour in Colorado, which amounted to a few days outside Denver. Though my days were filled with long seminars, there was free time to fill in the hours after 5 pm. At this time, I sought out a recommendation as to what a visiting midwest tourist should do when visiting Colorado. Without hesitation, Red Rocks Amphitheater was offered as a must-see experience.
Red Rocks is located in Morrison, Colorado, roughly 15 miles west of Denver. It is a well-known venue for concerts for any music buff and is known for its excellent acoustics and incredible location. I quickly jumped on my phone to see who was performing that particular night, and to my utter surprise, both Spoon and The Decemberists were on the ticket. As these two bands consistently show up on my playlists, I took this as a sign, and off I went to the venue.
As I drove into the park, I was quickly overwhelmed by the scenery and elevation.
I was a little disappointed I didn’t have much time to do a little hiking and take in more of the surroundings. I was pretty focused on getting a ticket for a concert I wanted to see at this point. Parking was unique, with quite a few people parking along the road as you enter the park. I decided to park in the first opening and hike it on foot.
I reached the ticket booth with my expectations relatively low I would be able to get a ticket of any value. Much to my surprise, this single concertgoer was able to land a front-row ticket. I took this as yet another sign this whole experience was meant to be. Upward and into the concert I went.
I quickly made friends with the people around me, and it wasn’t long before Spoon took the stage. The sound was terrific, and the crowd was really into it. It is fair to say these people were real fans, and the band was catering to the public. The night started perfectly with only the threat of a “little” rain we might experience as the concert progressed. That “little” rain became a lot when Spoon left the stage.
By this point in time, I was just slightly damp, but then the monsoon hit, and it hit hard. We concertgoers in the front row had access to the front tunnel, taking immediate shelter.
Here we stood for what seemed like an eternity, and plenty of us had doubts the show would go on. Another sign this whole experience was meant to be came with a sudden rain-stopping. As quickly as it started, the rain ended, and we were soon greeted by the sight of Colin Meloy, lead singer of The Decemberists.
He thanked everyone for sticking around, there were no empty seats, and they played the setlist straight through.
The first thing that comes to my mind every time I think about this experience is how I felt when I arrived. It just felt special, and it all began with two bands I have a particular fondness for (even more so now). Getting a front-row seat catapulted my mood into the next stratosphere. As I entered the venue and took in the incredible view, I knew it would be a special night. The crowd sang in unison, both bands fed off the atmosphere, and it was apparent in each note that was played.
Today I view the rain as an intermission to punctuate what an experience this was. While it may have dampened the venue, it certainly did not dampen the mood, as the crowd was more determined to continue with the party.
During the experience, I snapped the following picture to remember Red Rocks. One day I hope to repeat the experience!
