Musical lineup loaded for Mile High Music Festival
From international stars to home-grown bands, festival hopes to establish a summer tradition
By Mark Brown, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
George Kochaniec Jr. / The Rocky
The Mile High Music Festival will be held on soccer fields at Dick's Sporting Goods Park.
Festival stars, from left, Dave Matthews, Tom Petty and John Mayer
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With a lineup that includes international rock stars and up-and-coming local bands, the Mile High Music Festival hopes to have something for every music fan - and become a Colorado tradition.
Tuesday's announcement of the lineup at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, including the previously leaked headliners Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and the Dave Matthews Band, formally launched a festival that organizers hope will endure for decades.
"This is the biggest thing in terms of music festivals that this state has ever seen," said Gov. Bill Ritter, who was on hand for the announcement. "This is a great way for us to celebrate aspects of our culture. And it's a great economic event."
"This is the first annual," promoter Chuck Morris, of festival promoter AEG Live, emphasized. "We expect to be here for 10, 20, 30 years."
The July 19-20 festival will be held on soccer fields outside the stadium. The lineup has a scope that ranges from veterans Steve Winwood to fan favorites such as John Mayer and The Black Crowes, as well as local up-and- comers.
More than 35 acts are confirmed, with more than a dozen more on the way. Morris says the festival has the capacity to sell 50,000 tickets daily. Officials are betting fans will pay the two-day pass price of $150 to see bands that often sell out Red Rocks along with dozens of other acts.
A strong contingent from Denver's surging music scene also will be a heavy presence at the festival, with appearances from The Flobots, Meese, Born in the Flood, Railbenders, The Photo Atlas, OneRepublic, Leftover Salmon, Rose Hill Drive and more.
Bands will perform on five stages. Misting and shade tents will be available, including one tent the size of a football field, Morris said. Besides using the stadium facilities for food and concessions, Denver restaurants will provide food. An artists' village and other amenities are planned.
The concerts originally were planned for City Park in the urban-festival style of the Austin City Limits festival.
Objections from Denver Zoo officials over the possibility of trauma to its animals from the loud music scuttled that plan.
The subsequent move to Dick's Sporting Goods Park addressed potential problems such as parking, neighborhood concerns and food and beverage supplies that were points of contention in the City Park deal.
And, Morris said, the new site is closer than some people think: just nine miles from downtown Denver. "I think there's a little bit of a myth that we're in Kansas or something."
brownm@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2674
Festival fun in Commerce City
* When and where: noon to 11 p.m. July 19-20 at Dick's Sporting Goods Park, 6000 Victory Way, Commerce City
* Tickets
$150 for two-day passes or $85 per day.
* A presale through radio station KBCO-FM (97.3) starts at 10 a.m. today; sign up at kbco.com. Public sale begins March 29 through TicketHorse.com (Children under 10 free with paid adult admission).
* July 19 lineup: Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Steve Winwood, Michael Franti and Spearhead, O.A.R. (Of A Revolution), Spoon, moe., Citizen Cope, Brett Dennen, Newton Faulkner, Andrew Bird, Josh Ritter, State Radio, JJ Grey & Mofro, Bob Schneider, Meese, Born in the Flood, Railbenders.
* July 20 lineup: Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, The Black Crowes, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Colbie Caillat, Ingrid Michaelson, OneRepublic, Flogging Molly, The Roots, Leftover Salmon, Martin Sexton, Flobots, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Tea Leaf Green, Rose Hill Drive, The New Mastersounds, Serena Ryder, The Photo Atlas.
Comments
Posted by TheDenverB on March 18, 2008 at 9:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
nice. too bad its in lack-of-commerce city though.
they need to get more bluegrass for that second night.
Posted by incognitoboy on March 18, 2008 at 11:32 a.m. (Suggest removal)
more bluegrass?
isn't that what telluride is for? or don't they do that anymore.....
Posted by J_Phil on March 18, 2008 at 12:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Lame... Buncha hippies... Petty is the only band worth seeing-- The Roots aren't bad, but I wouldn't pay to see them. The rest of those artists are certifiable garbage.
Posted by fyi098 on March 18, 2008 at 12:47 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sounds like cool music, but in Commerce ****y?
Posted by drdrakeramore on March 18, 2008 at 1:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
decent line-up, but do you really expect folks to come to Denver to see a show in...Stapleton?? Come on! A show of this size should be hosted downtown: more restaurants, more hotels, more bars, more to do! I always find it nice to have walking options (a la Austin) for a show like this; if ACL festival was not in the park, I hardly imagine it would get the same turn out.
Besides, I'm pretty sure the animals like music..."soothe the savage beast" and all that
Posted by Shaupeen on March 18, 2008 at 1:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wait! What about the effect such loud music will have on the prairie dogs!!??
What if doesn't kill them all?
Posted by jmkratt on March 18, 2008 at 1:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
J-Phil - you are a fool. The festival is going to be a great time, I am really looking forward to it.
Posted by Shaupeen on March 18, 2008 at 3:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
In case you haven't heard of them, I highly recommend seeing moe. They are great in concert--lots of improvisation and jamming. They never play the same song the same way. Just watch out for the twirling hippie chicks.
Posted by jjwood64 on March 18, 2008 at 3:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
There are only a handful of artists I'd want to see, and it's not worth it to me to "sit" through the others to get to Winwood and Petty. Many of the artists listed simply don't do it for me.
I'll stick to Telluride, Rockygrass and Grand Targhee as my choice of festivals.
Posted by hikingartist on March 18, 2008 at 4:40 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I urge everyone to focus on this festival and do not pay any attention to tickets sales for Widespread Panic at Red Rocks. Buncha hippies, haha!
Posted by AKuser on March 18, 2008 at 5:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Not a bad lineup but if you dont want to drive out to C city you could always help J-Phil tune up his Trans Am and comb his mullet.
Posted by TheDenverB on March 18, 2008 at 6:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
i;ll get both, and you can ebay some of those RR tickets from me for tippy-top dollar.
;)
Posted by jmkratt on March 18, 2008 at 6:58 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Good call Kuser, lol
Posted by troopermsu on March 19, 2008 at 6:07 a.m. (Suggest removal)
How about some hard rock/metal? Something for every music fan? Yeah, right.
Posted by Marshdale on March 19, 2008 at 8:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
J_Phil. What is the problem man. Have you ever seen Tea Leaf Green, or Rose Hill Drive. Pete Townsend happens to think they are fantastic. I'm not sure where you derive your opinion from but I think I'll trust Pete.
Posted by stuckiniowa on March 19, 2008 at 8:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Shaupeen -- moe is no different from any of the crappy "jam" bands that came before them. Grateful Dead, Phish -- every other musician who thinks that riffing on the same chords over and over and over is actually creating something. At least in Jazz and Blues they use all of the chords. Jam bands might as well be hippy punk. Ignore moe and enjoy the other actual musicians who are playing the other stages.
Posted by jjwood64 on March 19, 2008 at 9:03 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Tea Leaf Green...all wank and no soul! I saw them once at the Fox in Boulder and left after an hour. The guitarist was thoroughly one-dimensional in every solo, and the majority of what I've heard has (a) been done before where (b) nothing was said. And please...there was more soul in Jerry Garcia's pinky than there is in moe and Tea Leaf Green combined!
Posted by TheDenverB on March 19, 2008 at 9:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
being stuck in iowa must really get to you.
they use ALL the chords in blues??? wow. do you even know what you are saying here? i LOVE LOVE LOVE blues music, but it is by far some of the most simple chord progressions around with the same 12-bar solos over the top.
really though, people who blindly lump jambands together, or who truly can't appreciate the grateful dead and their impact on music as a whole really shouldn't be talking here. you don't have to like the dead, but to say it is simply "riffing on the same chords over and over and over" is ignorant and shows how little you have likely broadened your musical tastes over the years.
a wide range of people enjoyed the dead, from lsd-addled hippies to music professors who saw the jazz influence and free-form improvisation to be on par with that of later miles davis.
not to mention the WIDE variety of music the dead played, from BLUES to JAZZ to rock to folk... but hey, it's all just "truckin'" to you, i bet.
and don't get me started on phish... any guitarist worth his strings will tell you that trey was not simply wanking away up there.
and hippy punk? where did you get that comparison from? if anything, punk and blues have more similarities in their simplicity and soul...
Posted by cterryr2 on March 19, 2008 at 11:17 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Another concert for the rich only.
Posted by Shaupeen on March 19, 2008 at 1:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Good point TheDenverB. The standard 12 bar blues progression is just 3 chords (I, IV, and V).
But stuckiniowa, that's exactly why they will have multiple stages--so you can go see bands that you like, and I can go see bands that I like. I was just trying to draw some attention to a band that might not get a lot of publicity here in Denver. If you don't like them, then don't go see them. (That's one less person standing in front of me!)
And Trey is pretty damn good on the guitar.
One other thing to think about--a two day, outdoor festival in July. Bring water. And sunscreen. Lots of both.
But hopefully this is something that will stick around, and grow, and ultimately bring more shows to the Denver area. Live music is great.
Posted by TheDenverB on March 19, 2008 at 1:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"Another concert for the rich only."
what? it's a major music festival with top name bands for less than $100 per day.
it's a great deal, and i am in NO WAY rich.
if you don't like that, then there are PLENTY of free jazz and classical concerts around town this summer.
Posted by coffman1999 on March 19, 2008 at 2:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Dear Chuck:
I found out tickets would be $85 per day or $150 for both days. OK...not too bad for the first ever concert like this in my home town.
I was than excited to learn that there is a $250 VIP ticket option and signed up to get presale tickets (which went on sale today) and was SHOCKED to find out that greed has once again reared its ugly head as the ticket is $250 per day! Per day???! Are you serious?? For what? A little closer parking and free cheap beer and better port-a-pottys??? WOW! Simply horrible!
I went to Woodstock '99 and I paid only $150 for 3-days of amazing music
I am ashamed at the greed shown already for this event - LAME
Posted by TheDenverB on March 19, 2008 at 2:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
no one is forcing you to get VIP tickets.
have none of you been to or considered any music festivals in the past few years??? acl, vegoose, bonnarroo, 10klf, high sierra... because listening to your complaints, it sounds like you all have no clue what you are talking about.
they are all on par price=wise for this event, INCLUDING special VIP packages.
seriously folks. Dave Matthews alone would run you $60 a pop for tickets... $85 for that many bands in your own backyard is NOT a bad price by any standard.
Posted by Shaupeen on March 19, 2008 at 2:39 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I paid $65 alone for Foo Fighters at Red Rocks. What can you say; concerts are expensive. It boils down to what you want to spend your money on--what's important to you. Myself, I budget all year long for a ski pass for the winter and three or four concerts in the summer (and at least two of those at Red Rocks), and until I win the lottery, that's gonna have to do.
That is, I should say, until Led Zeppelin goes on tour. Then I'm selling a kidney. And maybe a lung.
Posted by Horribilis on March 19, 2008 at 4:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Bleh - maybe 3-4 acts I would consider seeing. Definitely needs a sharper edge for my tastes...as is, its a light adult contemporary fest.
Posted by wow on March 20, 2008 at 11:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Shaupeen--When Zepplin comes through I intend to offer up my first born son in trade for a ticket. He's handy around the house, and doesn't whine much about lawn work, but he does eats his own wheight in food daily...
Flobots are a good local band. I'm looking forward to this, even if it is in Commerce City.
Posted by Illoomination on March 26, 2008 at 9:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
So, could someone help me with this... I've never attended a rock "festival," but if I wanted to just see Tom Petty (maybe Steve Winwood), and I'm assuming they go last, and I'll buy the one-day Saturday-only pass, is it reasonable to plan on walking in the gates at around 6 PM and being able to see the show?
Posted by Minnesota_chick on May 8, 2008 at 10:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ok, really, are all of you haters absolutely insane? How can you say that this is a lame festival, just for hippies, and too expensive? If it were any cheaper it would be free, are you even considering the bands you're getting to see?!?!? Wow.
Denver B, my friend, you hit the nail on the head. I enjoyed your post.
I live in Minnesota, only 1/2 an hour away from 10klf, which I have gone to since the beginning of its time. This year, I am passing up 10k and heading down to Denver for Mile High, I am so far beyond pumped!
Anyone camping in Cherry Creek, let me know!! Can't wait to see everyone there!!!!
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