Reader: Rateliff at Red Rocks Was Like a Private Concert

Nathaniel Rateliff started a five-night concert series at Red Rocks this week. While fans were excited to see the break-out Denver musician live, the audience in the almost 10,000-person venue was limited to 175 people per night, under strict social distancing rules.

There are two more shows in the series, on September 19 and September 21. But if you can't afford the high prices for the sold-out Rateliff show on StubHub, Kyle Harris was at the first concert, and wrote about the experience in "What a Sold-Out Nathaniel Rateliff Red Rocks Show Is Like in 2020."

And readers quickly responded with comments on the Facebook post of Harris's piece. Says Lisa:

Nathaniel rocked it. Full of passion and energy. Such a negative article! We had a fun, stellar night!

Adds Jerry: 

Soooo many things wrong with this article. a) Nathaniel Rateliff is local. b) The City of Denver owns Red Rocks. c) He, like MANY artists, wants to perform for people. d) The City of Denver did not attempt to get a variance for these shows. e) It was a "stunt" to project our idea of pre-2020 normal. f) This has no bearing on my liking of Nathaniel Rateliff's music.

Notes Jaynie: 

The rules of coronovirus are hard on everyone. The death from coronovirus is final. This is a Red Rocks concert with social distance and mask-wearing, causing the whole affair to be much more personal but strange indeed.

Says Kevin: 

Less than 2 percent capacity is pretty ridiculous.

Replies Dawn:

It’s like your own private concert! I think it’s great they made it happen. Thank you!

Suggests Robert: 

Rateliff should have saved everyone the time and effort and just played Illegal Pete’s on 16th Street Mall instead.

Responds Sara:

There are more people there during the day working out and enjoying the scenery then they are allowing at this concert.

And George finds a bright spot. He concludes:

....so I can sell out Red Rocks?!? Sign me up!

Read Harris's review of the show here, and see our slideshow of Nathaniel Rateliff at Red Rocks.