8 Reasons Why Denver is One of the Best Music Cities In the USA

Concerts in Denver, Denver, Events, Things to Do in Denver, Uncategorized Michelle@SquareState
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Music is often thought of as a universal language. There is nothing better than listening to your favorite musician, band or instruments. And for many people, experiencing music live is a core part of how they experience a community, town or unique space. As a person who grew up in Colorado, it’s wild for me to see Denver become one of the best music cities in the United States. I spoke with some out-of-state music fans, thought about my experience with life music in Denver and came up with 8 reasons why Denver is one of the best music cities in the USA. If you’re thinking about traveling to Denver to watch a show or you already live in Denver-you’re going to have a great time.

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Cowtown Denver

10 Best Music Cities in the United States

I thought it would be interesting to share my top 10 best music cities in the United States (and a bonus one) before sharing why Denver is on this list.

Bonus City: Memphis

10. Washington D.C

9. Las Vegas

8. Detroit

7. Los Angeles

6. Chicago

5. Denver*****

4. New York City

3. Austin, Texas

2. New Orleans

1. NASHVILLE

8 Reasons Why Denver is a Top Music City

When I decided to write this post I thought a lot about how Denver has grown and matured as a music city. There are a few things that have changed the experience of live music in Denver.

  1. Diversity of music genres performed in town-I remember as a teenager that it was very unusual for African-American/Black musicians to perform in Denver. Partly because of the perception by music marketers in town that Black concerts wouldn’t sell in a town like Denver. Surprise, it does.
  3. So many unique music venues-There are so many unique and world class music venues that are sharing both local and national acts on a daily basis. Here is a short and incomplete list below:
  4. So many incredible music forward experiences-Here are a few events happening in 2024 that I’ve shared below.
    • The Black Opry
    • The Outside Festival
    • Underground Music Festival
    • Five Points Jazz Festival
  5. Venue Accessibility-For the most part, it’s fairly easy to get to almost all of the concert venues that serve the Denver Metro area via public transportation, ride share or driving. The most notable exception to this is Red Rocks. It drives me crazy that Red Rocks doesn’t offer a public transit option to and from the facility. There’s tons of traffic and wear and tear on the space because of all of the cars. There are paid shuttle services that people can pay for but they’re $50 round-trip. Balance that out with a RTD partnership. Have attendees pre-pay and test it out.
  6. Pricing accessibility-Denver has a number of music experiences that are free or fairly inexpensive. One space that offers free concerts is Levitt Pavilion (located in the same park as Ruby Hill)I think ticket pricing for concerts coming to town tend to have a fairly reasonable range and seem to be cheaper than in other cities. This is my unscientific take.
  7. Venue size-There are so many venues and I love that they range from being very small and cozy to literally the size of Coors Field. Seriously, Coors Field is hosting some concerts this September. If you are wanting to enjoy a local band with fewer than 100 people you can or you can dance with thousands.
  8. City experience-Denver is a great town to fly into for a show because of the overall experience. There’s just a ton of activities and things to enjoy.
    • Eat your way through the many amazing bakeries in town.
    • Obsessed with theater? Head to the Denver Center for Performing Arts and watch a show.
    • Enjoy a fabulous cup of Colorado local freshly roasted coffee.
    • Book a tour and explore the City or Mountains.
    • Visit the mountains for a day or several. Go hiking, biking, camping, skiing or soaking in a hot spring.
    • Love sports? Enjoy one of the many professional teams that we have in town:

Unique Music Venues

There are so many places/spaces to enjoy great music. Head to the rooftop of the Museum of Contemporary Art, go to a local festival or make your way over to a traditional music venue. Below is a short and incomplete list of venues that many of your more well known music artists are heading towards.

  1. Mission Ballroom-Weirdly, I haven’t attended a concert at Mission Ballroom yet. I’m looking forward to attending my first concert there sometime in July. I’ve only heard great things about this venue. In fact, a number of music purists prefer Mission Ballroom to Red Rocks.
  2. Swallow Hill-This music forward space hosts different events throughout the year ranging from small festivals to guitar classes.
  3. Red Rocks-Voted one of the best live music venues in the world. Red Rocks is an amazing experience. The one downside-transportation.
  4. Number 38-What is so cool about this spot is its open concept.
  5. Orphelias Electric Soapbox-Home of a formal downtown Denver brother, Orphelias is a cool space, has great food and Hostel Fish is directly above it.
  6. Burn Down-This spot is cool. Located on South Broadway, you’ll see people sitting on the patio watching the cars go by. They also have great drinks and a cool rooftop.
  7. Dazzle-This incredible experience has moved several times in the last couple of years but its new location adjacent to the Denver Center for Performing Arts is perfect.
  8. Levitt Pavilion-I feel like not enough people know that Levitt Pavilion is a a non-profit and that a large number of its concerts are FREE.
  9. Meow Wolf-The Perplexiplex-It’s a small but might live music space and I love everything about it.
  10. Bellco Theater-Interesting fact: Bellco is one of the highest earning venues of its size in the world. Why? It books a lot of Spanish language music acts which is awesome and how I got to see Peso Pluma (I’m a fan)

Preparing for a Live Music Experience in Denver

There are a few things that I do recommend thinking about if you’re buying a ticket for a concert if you’re unfamiliar with Denver and Colorado. One of the most important aspects for preparing to attend a concert in Colorado is learning about Altitude Sickness and understanding that Denver and most of Colorado is a high altitude location.

Outdoor Venue Tips

  • Check the weather-Our weather is wild and while typically the show will go on there are a few exceptions to this rule.
    • Lightning events-It’s extremely dangerous and people get struck by lightning at a fairly high rate in Colorado. If you see lightning and hear thunder-go inside…even if the venue doesn’t shut down the concert. Read up on lightning safety at high altitude locations for more insight into this.
    • Hail-There was a crazy hail storm at Red Rocks in 2023. I mentioned lightening and that night there was lightening, rain and then crazy hail that sent people to the hospital.

  • Bring the right items-Check each venue to see what you’re allowed to bring. Also prepare for being outdoors. Here are the items that I would bring.
    • Sunblock
    • Sunglasses (Sunnies)
    • Rain coat
    • Sweatshirt
    • Earplugs
    • Clear Bag

Where to Stay

I have some pretty strong opinions on where people should and shouldn’t stay when they’re in town for a show (or on a staycation) the hotels that I’ve shared below have the following important attributes:

  • Basically in downtown Denver

  • Proximity to public transit.

  • Cheap car share rides.

  • Close to pick up spots for bus shuttles to Red Rocks.

  • Close to most of the bigger music venues.

  • Solid amenities

The Hotels

Here are the hotels and hostels that I recommend when coming to town for a show (or heading downtown for a staycation)

Book a Tour

There’s a lot to do while you’re in Denver and I highly recommend booking a tour while you’re here. I also recommend booking a tour if you live here, hate dealing with the traffic and would like to leave the planning to someone else. Here are a few of my favorite tours to recommend to give you a different experience of Denver.

Make sure to book a tour early because these tours stay booked and busy.

Denver is one of the Best Music Cities in the USA

I’ve had the good fortune to visit 45 of the United States. And it’s my view that Denver is definitely one of the best music cities in the United States. I also think that many people are unaware of the fact that Denver’s music scene is so incredible. If there’s a music genre that you love-there’s likely an artist coming into town that you can see live.

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