![]() ![]() Bob Dylan played three shows at the Rainbow in 1980 on his first tour after converting to Christianity, an era when he was playing only his new Christian songs and no classics. In October 1981 the Rolling Stones came very close to playing a secret show there, to the point where banners and tickets were printed. In between it hosted Miles Davis, Robin Williams, Talking Heads, Cheap Trick and hundreds more. Warren Zevon was the final show in November 1988. They were playing to the fans," Rainbow manager Dave McKay said.Ī who's who of rock 'n' roll, including more than a dozen Rock and Roll Hall of Fame members, passed through the 1,400-seat building in 10 years and more than 1,000 concerts. These bands were out working the streets. "Most of those $2 shows were amazing shows. It really was a heady time, with a lot of exposure for ListenUp and the Rainbow, which was, like Ebbets, named Billboard magazine’s ‘Club of the Year.’ Jerry Jeff Walker opened the place on Januand the hall was the site of shows by some of the music world's brightest lights, and $2 shows helped start the careers of bands including U2, The Police, Devo, and Pat Benatar. And we worked with some of the legends of the music industry, such as Bob Dylan, Miles Davis and U2. “We were doing more live broadcasting than had ever been done in Denver’s history. “We created a pretty amazing system – it still gets talked about,” says Walt Stinson. ListenUp installed the sound system, as well as an on-location recording studio for more live broadcasts and taping. The Rainbow started life as a three- screen movie theater Fey tore down the walls between the screens to make one large and oddly shaped concert venue where no seat was more than 70 feet from the stage. They finally decided on a location at Monaco and Evans in Southeast Denver and named their new 1,300-seat venue the Rainbow Music Hall. ![]() Several years after Ebbetts Field ended its glorious run in 1976, concert promoters Barry Fey and Chuck Morris were looking for a new, bigger room. What follows is the tale of how the piece of the sign got from the trash heap of history to our store. But, I think if you mention The Rainbow to many long-time Colorado concert goers, you will see their eyes mist up with memories of a special place and a special time. Obviously, it was a different time and part of my feelings about the place are just that - my feelings. Standing three feet away from Dylan as he pointed an accusing finger at Allen Ginsburg in the audience and said “don’t be fooled by false idols” during his “Saved” tour was one of many unforgettable experiences there. The stage wasn’t very high and the audience was right up in the artists’ faces. Inside, there was an un-definable sense of intimacy. People would line up all day, because seats were never reserved, it was always first come first served, and the scene outside was a big party. It was a very special place to see a show. I saw acts as diverse as Dylan, Miles, Jerry Garcia, The Clash, Yellowman and Cheech and Chong there, as well as countless bands that were underground at the time and would become much more famous later - The Police, U2, Los Lobos etc. It was an intimate club with amazing sound, unprecedented sightlines (unless you were behind a beam) and a line-up of famous and soon to be famous stars that makes me drool in hindsight. Music fans who have lived in Denver for a number of years will have fond memories of the Rainbow. This twisted relic is all that remains of the original Rainbow Music Hall. If you look carefully you will see that the word “Hall” can be seen on the metal. Some of you have noticed a large, rusty piece of metal hanging from the ceiling above the vinyl section recently. ![]()
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