Summer Concerts // 2015

I know it is barely spring and in denver, we got a dusting of snow just last week but I cannot help but get excited for a summer of music festivals, concerts and shows. Last year I put together a round up of summer concerts and I am back at it today. 

My schedule can get pretty packed so a little early planning might be just what I need to see some of my favorite performers this year. And with so many amazing bands coming into town, I could essentially go to a concert every week until september.

(instagram photos of my 2014 summer concerts  /  follow me on instagram here)

lana del rey  /  red rocks 5/12
bette midler  /  pepsi center 5/20
barenaked ladies  /  red rocks 6/10
brew grass  /  south pearl street 6/13
thievery corporation  /  red rocks 6/19
ed sheeran  /  red rocks 6/29 + 6/30
amos lee + david gray  /  red rocks 7/1
train + the fray  /  fiddlers green 7/18
steve miller band  /  red rocks 7/22
devotchka  /  red rocks 7/23
lady antebellum  /  fiddlers green 7/26
hozier  /  red rocks 8/2
blues + brews  /  south pearl street 8/8
michael franti + spearhead  /  red rocks 8/9
damien rice  /  red rocks 8/10
foo fighters  /  fiddlers green 8/16
jackson browne  /  red rocks 8/18
dave matthews band  /  fiddlers green 8/28 + 8/29
taylor swift  /  pepsi center 9/5 + 9/6
twenty one pilots  /  red rocks 9/27
jazz in the park  /  city park, sundays through labor day


What concerts are you excited to see this year? 

Summer Concerts // Denver

Denver is lucky to have one of the most beautiful concert venues in the world, right in our backyard... red rocks amphitheater. Truly, it is amazing to watch your favorite bands perform here, seriously a bucket list type of experience. 

When summer rolls around, I cannot wait to see what concerts will be coming to town, especially at red rocks. There is nothing better than a little pre-show tailgating with friends and then the excitement of hearing the songs you sing along to in the car performed live. Below are some of my note-worthy concerts coming to town this summer. Hopefully I will get to see the majority of them in the coming weeks/months ahead!

amos lee, red rocks 8/1.
barenaked ladies, botanic gardens 8/1.
ray lamontagne, red rocks 8/8.
the head and the heart, red rocks 8/14.
bruno mars, fidlers green 8/17.
dave chappelle, red rocks 8/24.
john legend, red rocks 8/26.
zach brown band, fidlers green 9/5 & 9/6.
elton john, pepsi center 9/20.
kings of leon, red rocks 9/24.
jazz in the park, city park, sundays through labor day.

What concerts are you looking forward to this year?

Weekend Update

I cannot wait to tell you all about my weekend.  I am going to give you a little taste with my weekend recap now but more to come this week for sure.

Ryan and I joined my brother and sister-in-laws, luke and krista in vail for the 10th annual vail film festival.  This was my 6th year in a row attending; you can see last year's post here.  It was a great weekend in the mountains.  We saw some amazing films, ate delicious food, I went to an oxygen bar for the first time ever, got in a couple work outs and even spent some time taking in our hotels great amenities   Check back this week for more details, pictures and tons of fun.

Vail Film Festival

This weekend we packed it up with my brother and sister-in-law and headed to the 9th Annual Vail Film Festival.  The festival is one I have attended for the past 5 years and a weekend getaway that I look forward to each year. 

Our trip this year was not one to disappointed... I had great company, Vail was in the 60's all weekend, the films were thought-provoking, I got to try both restaurant Kelly Liken and Elway's (more on those later!), got to see Sara Bareilles and Hotel Cafe play in concert, spend some time at the pool/hot tub and got in some much needed R&R. 

I would highly suggest for everyone to see the documentary, High Ground which should be hitting theaters in late August.  It is about eleven veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who join an expedition to climb the 20,000 foot Himalayan giant Mount Lobuche.  They set out on an emotional and gripping climb to reach the top in an attempt to heal the emotional and physical wounds of the longest war in U.S. history.  Also a favorite of mine was One Night Stand which takes top theatre, film and television actors, writers and directors and they are given 24 hours to write, cast, rehearse and perform four short musicals. 

Overall the weekend was just amazing and I feel a calm rejuvenation after some time away from the day-to-day.  Vacations are so important in everyone's well-being and they truly make you appreciate the world around you.  See you next spring Vail and than you for the hospitality.

American Idiot

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the opening night of Green Day’s ‘American Idiot’ Broadway Musical here in Denver and I must say what a show!  Loud, provocative, emotional, story-telling, visually stimulating and musically strong are just some of the words I can muster up for the performance.

I was a bit skeptical how the producers were going to take such an amazing post-9/11 CD and translate it into a musical that both, told a story and was visually entertaining.  However, from the moment when the curtain rose, we were hit with the show opening song, ‘American Idiot’ and I was pumped up and smiling.  For the next 90 minutes I was blown away with the cast and bands’ renditions of songs like ’21 Guns’, ‘Wake Me Up When September Ends’ and ‘Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)’ as the encore for the night.  Note: there were some heavy scenes involving drug use, simulated-sex and the travesties of war but it fit within the context of the play. 

I left the theatre with a complete high!  My girlfriend Becca who was my date last night told me this morning that she listened to their CD the whole way into work this morning.  I guess we both got sucked in by the energy of the show. 

Lady A With My Girl G

(wow do I need a tan!)

A little late to post but last week I went to the Lady Antebellum concert with my sister and it was a-w-e-s-o-m-e!  We were fortunate to get tickets from GAC (Great American Country) along with a meet and greet prior to the show.  A nice perk of my job if I may say so myself!

I had never been to a meet and greet before and had very low expectations of what it would be like.  I was thinking we would get herded in like cows, take a quick pic and be on our way.  I was pleasantly surprised when they sang an acoustic version of their newest single, 'We Own the Night', sat around chatting it up and then tuned a fans mandolin and then started playing it on the fly!  Not to mention, Hillary had the cutest pair of Current Elliott jeans on that I was obsessed with. 

The concert was so fun.  I will admit I don't know all their music but the songs I did, I happily sung along to (thank goodness it was loud in there so no one heard me!).  Gina and I had so much fun and I walked out of the concert a bigger Lady A fan than I was prior.  Hooray!!!