DENVER, CO. (Top40 Charts/ Miles High
Music Fest) - Denver's summer music schedule is bigger than ever in 2010, ranging from the dueling hipster havens of the Denver Post Underground
Music Showcase and the Westword
Music Showcase to the blockbuster Mile High
Music Festival and Red Rocks concert series.
Red Rocks Summer Concert Series, May through September
No summer in Denver is complete without at least one - or two or five - trips out to the awe-inspiring Red Rocks Amphitheatre, just 15 miles from downtown Denver. Some 70 million years in the making, the 9,450-seat venue is flanked by enormous 300-foot-tall red sandstone rock formations and always boasts a star-studded musical schedule.This summer's roster includes
Sting with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra (June 9); Crosby,
Stills & Nash (June 2); String Cheese Incident (July 23-25); and John Denver: The Tribute (June 19). www.redrocksonline.com
Denver Day of Rock, May 29
Downtown Denver will be transformed into a massive free rock concert when 20 bands take to four stages for the second annual Denver Day of Rock. The Romantics, best known for their infectious hit, "What I Like About You," are headlining, while Fishbone, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers, Epilogues, Angie Stevens, Something Underground, and The Heyday are just a few of the other acts. The performance areas will be along the 16th Street Mall, Denver's mile-long pedestrian promenade, making it easy to roam from act to act. Food and beverage booths will be set up throughout downtown for the event (which benefits Concerts For Kids, a Denver charity), with free music rocking the city from 2:30 to 9:30 p.m. www.denverdayofrock.com
Westword Music Showcase, June 19
Spread across 10 stages in the Golden Triangle Museum District and the South of Colfax Nightlife District, the Westword Music Showcase is a favorite among locals who want to dig the latest Denver rock stars, along with some of the hippest national acts. This year's headliners on the outdoor stage include the unclassifiable Ghostland Observatory, indie stalwarts Superchunk, and Pitchfork.com darlings Dirty Projectors. Advance tickets are just $9.33. www.westword.com/musicshowcase
Denver Post Underground Music Showcase (UMS), July 22-25
Denver's very own version of Austin's South By Southwest Music Festival (SXSW) takes over the streets and stages of South Broadway for a multi-night extravaganza featuring the cream of Denver's underground music scene. This year (the UMS's 10th anniversary), 250-300 local and national bands will play in 25-30 venues for more than 5,000 music lovers over four days and nights. Live music fans can stroll from club to club, from stage to stage, catching the city's rising stars before the rest of the world hears about them. One key difference between the UMS and SXSW is the price: UMS passes - good for all four days - are a steal at just $25 (until June 30). www.theums.com
Mile High Music Festival, August 14-15
In the tradition of such popular (and enormous) music festivals as Coachella and Bonnaroo, the third annual Mile High Music Festival features a lineup jam-packed with stars, including The Dave Matthews Band (who performed at the inaugural festival in 2008 and later released their set on CD), Jack Johnson and Weezer. The two-day event is the largest event of its kind in the Denver Metro Area, attracting a crowd of close to 100,000, and is held at the Outer Fields of Dick's Sporting Goods Park, a location boasting immaculate lawns and spectacular views of the Denver skyline and Rocky Mountain Front Range.
