DENVER — With communities along Colorado’s Front Range pounded by more than half their usual annual rainfall within the span of a few days in mid-September, resulting floods and rock slides created widespread damage to the region’s mountain infrastructure, knocking out power, backing up sewers and washing out many of the roadways that wind their way alongside normally-dry riverbanks. Numerous concerts had to be canceled or postponed as a result.
Mishawaka Amphitheatre, northwest of Fort Collins, was set to feature Euforquestra, Mountain Standard Time and Papagoya on Sept. 14, but had to cancel all shows due to rock slides and flooding on Colorado’s Poudre Canyon Highway; the amphitheatre is likely to remain closed until the highway can re-open.
Another popular destination for outdoor music — also located alongside a normally picturesque stream that transformed into a raging torrent — was Planet Bluegrass Ranch in Lyons, CO; early photos showed extensive damage to the area. Also canceled: concerts scheduled for school campuses which were shuttered, including the University of Colorado at Boulder.
At Red Rocks Amphitheatre, a Sept. 13 concert featuring Lotus, Boombox and Break Science was postponed to Oct. 4. Red Rocks’ sold-out shows featuring The Lumineers on Sept. 14 and 15 were not canceled, but refunds were being offered to ticket-holders unable to reach the venue due to the storms. Venue management was reporting that, contrary to tweeted rumors, the venue had not been affected by floodwaters and both shows went on as scheduled.
