On its 30th b’Earthday, eTown was inducted into Colorado Music Hall of Fame. A virtual celebration took place on April 22, 2021 and featured music and conversation with Lyle Lovett, Bob Weir, Los Lobos, Sam Bush, City and Colour, The War and Treaty and many more musical and environmental activist guests.
Learn more about eTown, visit their inductee page.
View the entire eTown 30th b’Earthday celebration (click picture below)
On December 3, 2019, Colorado Music Hall of Fame inducted Tommy Bolin, Zephyr, Otis Taylor, Freddi & Henchi, Tony Spicola and Wendy Kale as its Going Back to Colorado class of 2019. The evening at Denver’s Mission Ballroom included performances by special guests Joe Bonamassa and Warren Haynes, David and Anna Givens, the Otis Taylor Band, Freddi Gowdy with members of the Freddi & Henchi Band.
Denver’s Central Presbyterian Church hosted a massive celebration of folk music, as Colorado Music Hall of Fame inducted its Old Folk, New Folk class on November 9, 2019. Twenty-one women who have been part of The Mother Folkers were inducted into The Hall, along with Dick Weissman, Walt Conley and Swallow Hill Music, which was also celebrating its 40th anniversary. Guest performances included Colorado Music Hall of Fame inductee and Swallow Hill founder, Harry Tuft.
Walt Conley
The Mother Folkers
Swallow Hill Music
Dick Weissman
EDM found its way into the Denver music scene not through external interlopers, but homegrown artists whose mixes and tracks range from intricate compositions to funky chaos.
With a drastic increase in the number of local EDM festivals and venues, there’s no denying this genre’s place in the Centennial State.
From Pretty Lights to Big Gigantic, Colorado’s EDM scene is thriving. Not all of the artists mentioned in this story got their start in Colorado; however, all of them either now call Colorado home or have touched the state in a remarkable way.
Hailing from Fort Collins, Derek Vincent Smith rose to the top of the local EDM world with an array of interlacing mixes that beam you to the past and future all at once. His EDM persona, Pretty Lights, is known for selling out local venues, including Red Rocks, as well as its synonymous festival in Telluride.
Originally started in 2006 with two members, Breathe Carolina now tours with its lead member, David Schmitt, and a live backing band. With a sound that at times balances extremes like melodic beats and hardcore screaming, there’s no other band quite like Breathe Carolina. The act’s music has somewhat mellowed since bandmate Kyle Even’s departure in 2013, but it still invites raucous energy.
Chicago-born and San Francisco-raised, Nicholas Miller (a.k.a. Illenium) became inspired to devote himself to his musical craft after a show at Red Rocks in 2012. Since then, he’s released two EPs and three studio albums. On the back of his most recent release, Ascend, Illenium now finds himself on a thirty-city North American tour, mixing his unique, electronically-backed singer/songwriter-esque singles.
Despite his reputation as a performer whose live shows push the boundaries of what electronic music can do with live instrumentation, Dabin initially found fame online; his mixes have been played millions of times across all of his streaming platforms. Dabin’s most recent album, Wild Youth, also brought his first headlining tour and further recognition in the melodic bass subgenre.
A musician from before he hit double digits, Trevor Christensen, professionally known as Said the Sky, began taking piano lessons when he was eight years old. He later blossomed as an electronic dance artist, releasing singles throughout the mid-2010s, and eventually dropping his first album, Wide Eyed, in 2018 to rave reviews. Christensen brings technical craftsmanship to his often emotional work, which mixes sunny melodies with evocative basslines.
Before you try to look up “energy” in the dictionary, you should probably put the book away and play GRiZ’s latest album, Ride Waves. Playing a genre he calls “future funk,” GRiZ, known offstage as Grant Kwiecinski, brings the dynamite to his live shows, which feature his patented mix of soul, funk, electronic and live saxophone. Whatever you call his multi-hyphenated genre, you’ll find yourself getting up and dancing when he performs at local venues.
With its home base in Boulder, Big Gigantic deserves praise for its role in Colorado’s EDM scene. Its beats mix funk, jazz, hip-hop and electronica, and its Rowdy Town festival supports local artists year after year.
EDM’s burgeoning place in Denver’s music scene brings with it an increase in the number of festivals catering to fans of the genre. The Global Dance Festival began at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheatre but recently moved to Broncos Stadium at Mile High to provide space for growing attendance numbers.
Combining the ultimate party scenario of a New Year’s Eve bash and EDM performance space, Decadence proved to be a big hit in 2018. With a vast lineup, including many of the homegrown artists listed above, it’s hard for the year to end (or begin) poorly at Decadence.
While the Global Dance Festival changed locations, that shouldn’t discount the importance of Red Rocks to local musicians. An outdoor venue chiseled out of a rock, Red Rocks holds more than a hundred concerts throughout the year.
If you’re excited about Colorado musicians, check out more from the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. Our calendar shows upcoming music events, such as Hall of Fame inductions and performances.
Image Credit: Getty Images / DisobeyArt
Over the past century, Red Rocks Amphitheatre has become one of the most storied venues not just in the United States, but around the world. Now it’s getting ready to open another chapter as the summer concert season kicks off in April.
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.
Later, the City of Denver purchased the property for just over $50,000. With the help of the Civilian Conservation Corps Works Progress Administration created by then-President Franklin Roosevelt, in 1936 the city began constructing a formal amphitheater in the rocks, along with other buildings.
Red Rocks Amphitheatre was officially dedicated on June 15, 1941. Into the ‘50s, orchestras and opera companies typically performedat Red Rocks. But soon solo artists began appearing more frequently.
The earliest rock performance at Red Rocks? 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 five-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 that have produced CD and DVD material at Red Rocks include the Dave Matthews Band, The Samples, The Moody Blues, Incubus, Blues Traveler, Widespread Panic, Boukman Eksperyans and Neil Young. B.o.B., the Zac Brown Band and Train have all filmed music videos at the venue.
Red Rocks’ influence on pop culture extends well beyond music, too. The venue has been featured on episodes of The Simpsons, Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, The Amazing Race and South Park. And with only a few exceptions for weather, Red Rocks has hosted a sunrise service every Easter since 1947.
For Colorado-based acts, performing at Red Rocks has become a rite of passage. John Denver; Earth, Wind & Fire; The Lumineers; OneRepublic; 3OH!3 and Judy Collins have all done shows there.
Over the past decade, the number of shows booked at Red Rocks has tripled, to over 2019 slated for 2019. The season opens on April 13 with Flabbush Zombies/Joey Bada$$; go to redrocksonline.com for the complete schedule.
With their rootsy blend of Americana and indie rock, The Lumineers deliver foot-stomping, dynamic live performances that draw crowds to sold-out shows. Their message and authentic passion for the music resonates with audiences around the world, making them one of today’s most beloved, inspiring bands.
New Jersey natives Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites began collaborating and playing gigs in New York City in 2005. Moving from covers to writing original music, they experimented with various styles while working several jobs just to pay rent. In doing so, they discovered that while New York was a fantastic place to grow creatively, they couldn’t make the time to focus on their music. They moved to Denver in 2006 to explore a more affordable market.
As it turned out, the move to Denver and teaming up with classically trained cellist Neyla Pekarek was the change they needed to kickstart their professional music career. A recent college graduate, Pekarek was planning a career in music education when she took a chance and answered a Craigslist ad for a cellist. Open mic nights allowed the lineup to test new material at such Denver venues as the Meadowlark and Larimer Lounge. In the process, The Lumineers attracted the interest of Onto Entertainment and signed with the management company, which funded the band’s first recording. The eponymous album was produced by Ryan Hadlock at Bear Creek Studio in Seattle, and “Ho Hey” was released as the first single. It was part of the CW’s Hart of Dixie season finale, and a Seattle morning show DJ began playing it twice in a row daily, declaring it the best song of 2012 and fueling a national buzz. The song went on to reach #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Triple A Radio Charts for eight straight weeks, culminating in two Grammy Award nominations in 2013.
In 2016 the band released Cleopatra, and the single “Ophelia” went to #1 on the Triple A Charts for thirteen weeks. After that, The Lumineers embarked on a world tour that included shows with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and U2. Now Schultz and Fraites are working on their third album with new members and an exciting new sound, and the band is poised to become one of Colorado’s most successful acts.
For more than a century, Colorado has been a mecca for musicians.
Denver’s love affair with music blossomed in the 1920s, at the height of the jazz age with Paul Whiteman. Musicians such as Billie Holiday and Charlie Parker played at the Rossonian Hotel in Five Points, and artists as diverse as Charlie Burrell, guitarist Bill Frisell, Chet Baker, and Frank Sinatra hung out in establishments ranging from El Chapultepec to the Roxy. In the 1960s, bluegrass and folk took center stage, with Judy Collins and the Denver Folklore Center moving into the spotlight. John Denver
found a home in Aspen and artists from Townes Van Zante to Little Feat found an audience at venues like Chuck Morris’s Ebbets Field. Through the years, everything from hip-hop to punk, funk, and country have found a place here. Denver audiences have always been full of passionate, adventurous music lovers. No single style or sound dominates the scene, unlike at many other urban music centers. Artists come to Denver to make great music, so it’s no surprise that The Lumineers found their voice here.
After spending years in local venues, The Lumineers have gone from a hardworking Denver act with incredible talent to an international headliner. On December 3, 2018, the band played at the Colorado Music Hall of Fame induction ceremony for longtime Colorado promoter and artist manager Chuck Morris and 97.3 KBCO. The gala also included performances by Isaac Slade and Ben Wysocki of The Fray, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Billy Nershi from String Cheese Incident, Amos Lee, Leo Kottke, Vince Herman and Drew Emmett from Leftover Salmon, and Big Head Todd & The Monsters with Hazel Miller and Chris Daniels and the Kings. Such diversity is at the heart of Colorado’s music scene. To learn more, visit our website to read about everyone from John Denver to Dianne Reeves, as well as events and inductions coming in 2019.
Colorado has a rich musical history. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the contributions of legendary music promoter Chuck Morris, and 97.3 KBCO that got its start in Boulder, Colorado. Morris and 97.3 are set to be inducted into the Colorado Music Hall of Fame this December 3rd at the Paramount Theater. Read on to learn more about these two titans of the Colorado music scene and get tickets to be part of this historic community event.
Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Chuck Morris established himself as a Colorado music industry institution. After leaving the Ph.D. program in political science at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Morris was offered a job managing The Sink, a restaurant and bar on the Hill where he brought in acts as varied as Tommy Bolin and Flash Cadillac. With partner Herb Kauvar, they bought and re-opened Tulagi nightclub. At Tulagi, Morris brought Boulder the first real concert hall experience, bringing in Linda Ronstadt, the Eagles, ZZ Top, Bonnie Raitt, and The Doobie Brothers on their very first tours.
In 1974, he brought his prolific ear for music to Denver where he booked early tours of Richard Pryor, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Steve Martin, and Carole King at Ebbets Field Nightclub with his financial partner Barry Fey. Morris recently told The Daily Camera, “I thought I would be doing this music thing for six months and then go back to graduate school. That was 50 years ago.”
Since then, Morris has continued to drive the Colorado music community as a world-class promoter and an artist manager, and most recently in a bid to bring a 4,000-seat theater to downtown Denver called the Mission Ballroom opening in 2019.
97.3 first went on the airwaves in 1977 and established itself in the Boulder community as the premier station for playing both well-known artist’s deep album cuts and discovering young unknown artists. At the time, there were no stations that gave airtime to indie bands and performers, and KBCO found a massive audience hungry for new, upcoming bands and performers. The strength of KBCO’s increased transmission power brought the station to the entire Front Range and that combined with their deep community involvement, from Kinetics to the Studio C sessions released on CD. This supported The Boulder Valley Aids Project and Food Bank of The Rockies with millions of dollars in fundraising that led to 97.3 KBCO becoming not just world-class rock, but a Colorado music icon that is as vibrant today as it was when it started in the 1970s. From their featuring of local artists on “Local Edition” to their hosting of the national Triple A Radio Convention and its long history of environmental activism, 97.3 KBCO is more than just radio; it is the music of our lives.
The inductees will be honored on December 3rd at the Paramount Theater. More than seven musical acts will pay tribute including The Lumineers, Leo Kottke, Isaac Slade of the Fray, Amos Lee, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, members of Leftover Salmon, String Cheese Incident, and surprise guests – plus
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper leading a “roast” of Morris this is a not-to-be-missed event. To attend this fun event and honor some of the most prolific members of the Colorado music scene, grab tickets here. If you’re interested in learning more about Colorado’s musical history, visit the Colorado Music Hall of Fame and check out our exhibits that range from 20th Century Pioneers to John Denver.
On December 3, 2018, Colorado Music Hall of Fame inducted Chuck Morris, 97.3 KBCO and Senator John Hickenlooper (who was Colorado Governor at the time) into its Live & On the Air class of 2018. A celebration at the historic Paramount Theatre featured musical appearances from Amos Lee, Todd Park Mohr, Isaac Slade and Ben Wysocki of The Fray, Bill Nershi and members of The String Cheese Incident, Vince Herman and Drew Emmitt from Leftover Salmon, Jeff Hanna and members of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Leo Kottke, and Chris Daniels & the Kings.
Live & On the Air inductees:
Colorado Music Hall of Fame
Induction Concert honoring
The Jazz Masters & Beyond Induction Concert was by all accounts an extraordinary evening of music, personal stories and emotional inductions. Audience and performers alike were moved by the love and sense of community felt by all at Paramount Theatre that night.
Before the official show time, anxious jazz lovers entered the finely crafted Art Deco auditorium to the sounds of East High School’s Sixth Hour Jazz Combo proudly playing a half hour set of their own compositions.
Subsequently, the brightly colored event logo lit up the stage as Mayor Michael B. Hancock and the Hall’s Chair, Chuck Morris opened the show with a brief introduction and welcome to the audience, then turned over the 3 ½ hour event to hosts; the popular Former Mayor Wellington Webb and KUVO’s charismatic radio personality, Carlos Lando.
To begin the evening, the Barry Fey Visionary Award [named after the legendary Denver promoter] was presented to music directors, Keith Oxman and Will Taylor on behalf of the renowned Music Program at East High School, that had produced so many esteemed professional musicians over the last century! These include past inductees; band leader, Paul Whiteman; singer, Judy Collins; and most of tonight’s honorees.
The inductions began with 97-year-old Charles Burrell — the first person of color to be hired by a major symphony [Denver] in the United States. In his 60-plus years as a professional musician, Burrell played for many other orchestras and conductors here and around the world. After accepting his award, Burrell charmed the crowd with an impromptu jig. He was honored with a performance by local jazz maven, pianist Purnell Steen and his band, Le Jazz Machine.
Next up were inductions for the widely acclaimed and sought–after jazz musicians; guitarist, Bill Frisell and trumpeter, Ron Miles. Both are East High alums. The 4-song set with drummer Brian Blade, entranced the crowd with their amazing musical synchronicity. They ended their performance with a beautiful cover of “What the World Needs Now Is Love”, which was thematic of the night.
World renowned Jazz vocalist and 5 time Grammy winner Dianne Reeves was all smiles while receiving her well-deserved induction award from Mayor Wellington Webb and Carlos Lando.
The audience was awed by her exuberant vocals and poignant stories of growing up in Denver. She introduced her song “Nine” quietly recalling the following childhood memory, “We played out in the street all day long,…in the middle of the street…we played with our imaginations from sunup to sundown. The neighbors looked after all the children. I decided to dedicate this song to the age of nine, because it’s the last time you’re only one number.” At the end of the song the audience jumped to their feet, applauding loudly in recognition of a more innocent time.
The final Inductions honored former Earth, Wind, & Fire band members and East High grads; Larry Dunn, Andrew Woolfolk [absent because of illness], and Philip Bailey. After receiving their awards, a lighting change revealed a battalion of instruments and musicians—
Denver-based band Hot Lunch, keyboardist Dunn and vocalist Bailey. During the first part of their set Bailey delighted the audience with stories of transitioning from students to young musicians. But just when you thought it was safe to take a seat, the place exploded with dancing and singing when they lit into ,”Let’s Groove,” “Shining Star,” and “September”! After the exhilarating performance, they all took their bows and said goodnight.
The house lights came up and the former shadows of dancing, waving, applauding people, revealed an audience of many ages and colors, smiling as they headed home, united by the power of music…and love!
Colorado Music Hall of Fame
Induction Concert honoring “JAZZ MASTERS AND BEYOND”
On Sale Friday, October 13, 2017 at 10am MT
DENVER – 10/9/17 -The Colorado Music Hall of Fame, will host its next induction concert “Jazz Masters and Beyond” Tuesday, November 28, at Paramount Theatre honoring world-class musicians who have tremendous ties to the state.
Tickets go on sale starting on Friday, October 13, 2017, at 10 am MT.
The evening features performances from some members of the induction class—jazz vocalist Dianne Reeves, guitarist Bill Frisell, trumpeter Ron Miles, Philip Bailey and Larry Dunn of Earth, Wind, & Fire with Friends.
A closer look at all the inductees, who will be the seventh group for enshrinement in the Hall since its inception in 2011:
The Colorado Music Hall of Fame is a non-profit organization that educates the public on everything that makes our state’s music great and is currently located at the Trading Post at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Inductees include John Denver and Red Rocks Amphitheatre; Harry Tuft of the Denver Folklore Center and promoter Barry Fey; the Astronauts, Sugarloaf, Flash Cadillac and KIMN radio; Judy Collins, the Serendipity Singers, Bob Lind and Chris Daniels; Stephen Stills/Manassas, Firefall, Poco and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band; and “20th Century Pioneers” Glenn Miller, Paul Whiteman, Max Morath, Billy Murray and Elizabeth Spencer and Lannie Garrett; Dan Fogelberg, Joe Walsh & Barnstorm and Caribou Ranch.
Produced by AEG Presents reserved seats are available at AltitudeTickets.com starting 10 am MT Friday, October 13.
Additional information can be obtained on the Hall’s website, www.cmhof.org.
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NATIONAL PUBLICITY: Phil Lobel, Lobeline Communications phil@lobeline.com310-271-1551 ext. 13
© Colorado Music Hall of Fame
© Colorado Music Hall of Fame