![]() The tumult started an hour before the concert was scheduled to begin, when a number of the “hill people” started to climb over the outdoor venue’s back area in an attempt to get closer to the show they swarmed the perimeter, walking over the bluffs and into the top parking lot. Jerry Kennedy, told the fans they would be allowed to sit on the hill behind the theater where they could hear the music, but not see the show. At 5:30, the police, under orders from Lt. On that Thursday, an estimated 2,000 people who had not been able to get tickets went peacefully to Red Rocks to situate themselves on the surrounding rocks and hills to see and hear what they could, but there also was a militant faction determined to start trouble. Rumors about potential unrest surfaced in the days leading up to the show. (Courtesy of Denver Public Library/Western History Collection) In one of the most infamous events in Denver concert history, it resulted in a riot. But it was all part of the fun-the incredible beauty and excellent acoustics led Felix Pappalardi of Mountain to call Red Rocks “the most beautiful place we’ve ever played.”Īfter that triumph, Jethro Tull would open the summer season at Red Rocks on June 10, 1971. Urban growth had pushed major roads into the west metro area, but concertgoers still had to negotiate winding roads to find a space in one of the parking lots, and then came a steep walk to get to the amphitheatre from the lower lots. On August 10, another capacity crowd greeted the power trio Mountain and the British progressive rock band Jethro Tull. The ticketless complied, and they were invited to stay outside and listen to the music even if they couldn’t see the performers.Įach week, The Colorado Sun and Colorado Humanities & Center For The Book feature an excerpt from a Colorado book and an interview with the author. With none available, discussion ensued about the possibility of moving the show to the larger Denver Coliseum.īut since Fey had fought the city long and hard to use Red Rocks for rock music, he averted disaster by appealing to the “brothers and sisters” to leave the stands and go back outside to return through the gates with their tickets. By 3 p.m., the time at which those in attendance were required to show tickets in order to stay in the amphitheatre, the place was already one-third full, mostly with folks without tickets. (Promoter Barry) Fey kicked off the 1970 season with Ten Years After and Grand Funk Railroad for $4. For Denverites, the rock revolution was on, ready or not. Civil rights demonstrations, antiwar protests and student strikes flared up across the land. Meet Colorado’s Congressional delegation."Red Rocks: The Concert Years" tracks history of an iconic venue Close
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