On Friday, January 26, 1979, Denver concert promoter Barry Fey launched The Rainbow Music Hall, which sat on the corner of Monaco and Evans (6360 E. Evans) from 1979 until 1989 when it was shuttered and converted into a Walgreens. During that nine-year period, the unassuming little concert venue (it held about 1300 people) hosted hundreds of artists ranging from Bob Dylan to Black Flag to U2, and just about everyone in between.
Despite its relatively small size, the Rainbow Music Hall filled a huge hole in the Denver concert scene of the 1980's. Not only did the Rainbow boast a spectacular PA that complimented the acoustics of the space, it was also an all-ages venue that played host to smaller, up-and-coming bands like R.E.M. and New Order.
Building a Rainbow
Barry Fey was not known as a particularly soft or sentimental man, but the Rainbow clearly occupied a special place in his heart. He bought the former triplex movie theater in 1978 and set out building a theater that would be much more than your average concert hall.
He described his relationship with Rainbow in a January 19, 1979 article in the Rocky Mountain News saying:
This place means more to me than just opening a concert hall. This is pride, man. I'm partners with the kid. They're the ones that made it possible. Music means more to Denver than someplace else. You couldn't make this happen in Cleveland and Detroit. We're caretakers for the kids who go there. It's their place.
How serious was Fey about making the Rainbow a place, "for the kids"?
For starters, he stayed up nights fretting about the service charges that would be tacked on to each ticket by Select-a-Seat. Select-a-Seat's service fee was a whopping $.60 (about $1.73 in 2016 dollars), but concert-goers who bought tickets at the Rainbow box office could knock that down to just $.10 (or $.29 today).
In 1980, the average concert ticket for a Rainbow show hovered between $7-$8 ($20.23-$23.12 in 2016) and Fey boasted that, "All the seats will be good seats. No one will be more than 70 feet from the stage."
Parking at the Rainbow was free, but there was only room for about 400 cars. (This would prove to be a thorn in Fey's side as we'll see in a moment.)
In its first month, the Rainbow hosted 12 concerts by 9 artists including Jerry Jeff Walker (who played on opening night); Cheech and Chong; The Dirt Band; Elvin Bishop; Al Jarreau; Leo Kottke; and Willie Nelson.
Not All Sunshine and Rainbows
While music fans fell immediately in love with the Rainbow, not everyone was thrilled to see rock and roll pay a visit to the corner of Monaco and Evans.
After about a year and a half of operation, the operators of the Villa Monaco shopping center, whose parking lot bordered the Rainbow's parking lot, were sick and tired of concert-goers using their parking lot as an overflow lot and filed a lawsuit against Fey. The suit contended not only that Rainbow employees were directing patrons to park in their lot, but also that, "loud, raucous and ill-behaved," fans were scaring away customers from the Villa Monaco's stores.
In the summer of 1982, Denver District Judge Harold Reed ruled that concert goers actually could use the Villa Monaco lot. He pointed to an earlier agreement between the Valley Tri and the Villa Monaco allowing overflow parking from the theater in the shopping center. He did, however, point out Fey's obligation to, "prevent any nuisances to shoppers."
A Night to Remember (or Forget - Depending on Where You Were Sitting)
On April 25, 1984, the Rainbow hosted Black Flag, a seminal hardcore punk band from Los Angeles in an evening that would go down in Colorado concert lore.
Black Flag's opening acts that night included the Meat Puppets, who would later score a few alternative hits in the 1990's, and a lesser known act called Nig-Heist.
Nig-Heist was comprised of Black Flag roadies and, as the article above indicates, the show ended with two members of the band spending the night in the Denver County Jail after being charged with indecent exposure. What the above article does not indicate, was what Nig-Heist did onstage to earn that night in jail. At least two Nig-Heist members walked on stage in various states of undress (mostly undressed) and, shall we say, danced as if no one was looking.
In a 2012 interview with Westword, Fey recalled the night as follows:
I had never heard of Black Flag. Their roadies opened for them, and this one a*****e took off all his clothes. I went up on stage, grabbed the mike and said, 'You'll never see a piece of s**** like that again!'
Black Flag front man Henry Rollins also recalled the night in his book, Get in the Van saying:
Mugger and Tom were arrested for being naked on stage when they were playing their set as the Nig Heist...We got them out of jail at 3:30 this morning. Barry Fey is the promoter, a real scumbag. He's horrible and will probably be around for many years to come.
Though Black Flag did return to the Rainbow, Nig-Heist never graced the stage there again. The incident has since faded into lore and legend, and in 2012, Westword placed it #18 on its list of Twenty Fabled Moments in Denver Music.
The End of the Rainbow
Nothing lasts forever and the Rainbow Music Hall was no exception. Fey sold the property to Walgreens in 1989 and the Rainbow Music Hall faded into the ether.
Well, almost faded into the ether.
For reasons that aren't entirely clear, Walgreens elected not to tear down the Rainbow Music Hall marquee when they took over the property. So it was that, for nearly 20 years, anyone driving through the intersection of Monaco and Evans was reminded of the glorious slice of Colorado rock 'n' roll history that took place at that location.
In 2009, the Rainbow sign was torn down to make room for a small strip mall that was built in the east corner of what had once been the Rainbow parking lot. With that, all physical traces of the Rainbow faded away for good. Memories of the Rainbow, like so many other lost venues and buildings, live on in memories and, of course, its own dedicated Facebook group.
If you enjoyed this blog and want see more content like it, be sure to like the Western History and Genealogy Facebook Page.
Comments
And they probably even let
And they probably even let you bring your can of Aqua Net in the building! Thanks for sharing with us!
The Specials! January 30,
The Specials! January 30, 1980. One of their greatest performances https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DKCentqQcA
Now that's one I would LOVE
Now that's one I would LOVE to have attended! Thanks for sharing that!
In the early 80's I saw many
In the early 80's I saw many concerts at the Rainbow and due to the intimate nature of the venue those shows are among some of the best I've ever seen. Thin Lizzy nearly blew the Klipsch loudspeakers from the ceiling. Nobody knew who the Baby's were as they were just beginning to get radio air time in Denver. Denver knew who the Baby's were after the show as evidenced by their increased airplay.
I saw Rick Derringer there and it was one of the worst shows I've ever not heard. There was a raging blizzard just getting started the night of the show, actually two shows, an early and a late show. I was at the "early" show. Derringer was there, but his equipment wasn't. We were told he'd flown in the day before, but that his gear was being driven in across I-80.
An hour after the warm-up band had left the stage and the house lights had been raised as we waited inside, the audience for the second show began lining up outside in the blizzard. Eventually, the black curtains along the back wall were drawn back and a bay door was opened. Thick wet snowflakes, the size of cornflakes were falling outside and blowing inside. Backing up to the open door was a frozen U-Haul truck. It was so frozen the roll-up door couldn't be opened.
The audience watched as roadies began trying to chip the ice off the door. Eventually the door was opened and the roadies rushed to unload the equipment and set it up. The equipment, like the truck, was frozen as well. After a very rushed 30 minutes the stage was set (or so they thought) and Derringer tried to play.
Actually he did play, and sing, but only the first few rows could hear. As some of the equipment began to slowly warm up their instruments would cut in and out at various times. Sometimes you could hear some of the vocals, sometimes you could hear Rick's guitar, or the bass guitar. Sometimes the only thing you could hear were the drums.
It wasn't fifteen minutes before the audience became hostile, started booing and started calling for the opening band to come back because at least we could hear them. Meanwhile there were now over a thousand people lined up outside, many of them having been there for over three hours, waiting to get it. Rick knew this, so he cut his mute, and therefore moot, set short. The audience from the first show angrily left and upon getting outside saw just how bad the weather had become. It was suddenly obvious that leaving immediately, and not two hours later, was HUGE!
A year later - Derringer was playing at the Rainbow again. The weather was good and I had a ticket. Rick hadn't forgotten what had happened the year before and asked the crowds how many of us had been at the shows the previous year. Based on the response it seemed most of us had been there. He apologized profusely for that night and said something to the effect of "I owe you all one." He played and soloed for the next three hours and anybody who knows Derringer knows he is a sweater. By the time he was done he was soaked and he was having problems playing because of the sweat running down his fingers.
I miss the Rainbow.
Wow! Thanks for sharing that
Wow! Thanks for sharing that with us Scott. The Rainbow did tend to bring out the best in artists. Maybe it was that close proximity to the fans? Either way, it's good to hear Derringer gave so much!
Saw some great shows there.
Saw some great shows there. My favorites were Head East in June of 1983 and The Aviators in March of 1985. Was bummed I missed Peter Frampton in September of 1981. I remember that being a place to purchase tickets for Big Mac shows and I spent a cold night outside in line for Bruce Springsteen tickets in October of 1984. Every time I drive by, it's sad it's gone, but also knowing what a wonderful place it was. Although the Gothic Theater can rock, the Denver music scene will never be the same again without The Rainbow.
Hi Johnny - Thanks for
Hi Johnny - Thanks for sharing your Rainbow Music Hall memories with. We agree with you - there are some really great venues around today, but the Rainbow was pretty special all on its own!
There should really be a
There should really be a marker or statue or something there at Monaco and Evans at the Walgreen's. We are Colorado Proud of our music, venues and Berry Fey!........ It is such a part of Colorado History.
Love that idea, Annie!
Love that idea, Annie!
I'm old now, but still
I'm old now, but still remember the stars I saw in the bars and venues Barry, Cindy, and Chuck had their hands in. From the Family Dog, Tulagi's (on the hill)-Steve Stills, Ebbets Field (a fundraiser for Gary Hart)-Flying Burrito Brothers, Zephry, Steve Stills (really drunk and brilliant), Randy California and Spirit truly brought the place down and this was one show! And of course The Rainbow, after my girlfriend got felt up by Chester the Molester supposedly looking for contraband in both cups, we saw so many good shows there. Hard to remember them all: Eddie Money; Steppenwolf; The Police; The Specials; Dixie Dregs; Bruce Cockburn (who lectured us about voting for Ronald Reagan before he went into "Rocket Launcher" I doubt anyone in that audience did vote for RR.) I saw the The Motels turn up the volume so loud my ears rang for a week. Biggest disappointment missing Bob Dylan! Didn't he play there for three days? And I missed all three.