Category: News

I remember the first time I walked into the Rainbow Music Hall. It was not for a concert, because the building was then a tri-plex movie theatre. It stood on a piece of ground that had been adjacent to the Valley Drive-In Theatre (1953-1977) on the southwest corner of Evans and Monaco. Later the entire… Continue reading Paul Epstein’s “Let Me Take You Down (to the basement)” #11

The Denver Family Dog – Part 2 This week’s installment is a continuation of my musing on the lack of documentation and recording of the incredible shows played at Denver’s legendary The Family Dog. When one considers that Hendrix, Cream, Van Morrison, Zappa and so many other legendary artists played there, the fact that no… Continue reading Paul Epstein’s “Let Me Take You Down (to the basement)” #10 – Pt. 2

Any discussion of the music history of Colorado or the development of Denver as a cultural hub must invariably lead back to The Family Dog concert venue. In 1967, Colorado music promoting legend and Hall of Famer Barry Fey and his (former) wife Cynthia decided there should be a club in Denver that participated in… Continue reading Paul Epstein’s “Let Me Take You Down (to the basement)” #10 – Pt. 1

Did you know Led Zeppelin played their first American concert on December 26, 1968 at the Denver Auditorium Arena? The Auditorium and Arena, built in 1908 and holding over 12,000 people was the sight of so many great rock concerts in the 60s and 70s. Torn down in 1990, the sight is now home to… Continue reading Paul Epstein’s “Let Me Take You Down (to the basement)” #9

Colorado’s event ticketing laws are under scrutiny. As an advocate for Colorado’s music community, Colorado Music Hall of Fame endorses Senate Bill 60 “Consumer Protection in Event Ticketing Sales,” currently being reviewed by the Colorado’s House of Representatives. The ticketing systems in Colorado are rife with challenges for ticket-buyers, as well as musicians and their… Continue reading EVENT TICKETING MAKES IT TO THE COLORADO LEGISLATURE

Were you at this show? Years ago, while working at Twist And Shout, a small piece of paper fell out of a record I had just purchased. I almost tossed it in the trash. However, I luckily turned it over and noticed that it had a cute illustration on it. When I looked closely, I… Continue reading Paul Epstein’s “Let Me Take You Down (to the basement)” #8

The Denver Pop Festival You probably know all about the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival which took place in upstate New York over the weekend of August 15-18, 1969. In addition to the enormity of the event–just shy of half a million people–the big budget movie and multiple soundtrack LPs ensured that the event and… Continue reading Paul Epstein’s “Let Me Take You Down (to the basement)” #7

Meep Records and a Changing Denver. Look at that image. Do you recognize it? From 1917 until 2014, Gates Industrial Corporation hulked over several blocks of South Broadway and defined the look and feel of that stretch of Denver. It wasn’t the prettiest, especially once they started closing buildings and the natural urban decay started… Continue reading Paul Epstein’s “Let Me Take You Down (to the basement)” #6

Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Review, May 23rd 1976 Dylan’s 1975-‘76 tour, dubbed Rolling Thunder Review was an incredible thing to behold. Somewhere between 15-20 musicians participated in varying combinations in an ever-evolving show that veered from straight folk-Dylan and Joan Baez sharing a microphone alone on Blowin’ In The Wind, to the ‘proto punk skronk’… Continue reading Paul Epstein’s “Let Me Take You Down (to the basement)” #5

Jimi Hendrix at Regis Field House February 14, 1968. This is one of the Holy Grails of Colorado music history. What a legendary night it must have been! When I first moved to Denver in 1968, I remember hearing about this show, how wild Hendrix was, how weird opening act Soft Machine were, and how… Continue reading Paul Epstein’s “Let Me Take You Down (to the basement)” #4