i keep a diary

September 14, 2012

Boulder and Red Rocks

I went out to Boulder with Gurj & Quinn to see Jared play a festival show with 3OH!3 at the world-famous Red Rocks Amphitheater.

Thursday, September 13th

I was in a cab on my way to the airport...
nyc ˆ sunrise ˆ walking
...just in time to catch sunrise. EAT REAL FOOD.
driving ˆ sign ˆ sunrise
On my way to LGA.
driving ˆ nyc ˆ skyline ˆ taxi
Bought this to read on the trip. (Good book. Maybe not the best read if you're in the middle of your marriage breaking up, though).
book
Landed in Denver a little after one...
airplane ˆ airport
jeet, quinn
...and got picked up by these two! Hahah. So good.
excited ˆ laugh ˆ rental car ˆ thumbs up ˆ jeet ˆ quinn
jeet, quinn
Roadtrip adventure!
driving ˆ roadtrip ˆ jeet ˆ quinn
Definitely more impressive than skyscrapers.
driving
After dropping our stuff off at the hotel, we decided to drive up to the top of one of the mountains on the outskirts of town.
driving
Awesome road sign.
driving ˆ sign
We made it to the top...
mountain ˆ scenic overlook
...and were not disappointed with the view.
mountain ˆ scenic overlook
jeet, quinn
Yay, road trip! Thanks for inviting me along! ;)
mountain ˆ scenic overlook ˆ jeet ˆ quinn
jared, jeet
Later that evening, we met up with Jared and then headed over to Pearl Street...
food ˆ jared ˆ jeet
me, quinn
...for dinner at Pasta Novo (?).
food ˆ me ˆ quinn

Friday, September 14th

One of my favorite things about travel is discovering the local animals that are completely disregarded by residents but are so fascinating to you because you don't live there. Boulder seems to be infested with prairie dogs to the same degree that we have squirrels in NYC!
There was an empty lot next to our hotel parking lot and it was completely overrun by prairie dogs!
I can't even imagine how many more there are underground. Maddy would go BANANAS! She'd tunnel underground never to be seen again.
jeet, quinn
After we'd finished marveling at the exotic marmotini, we headed into Boulder to rent bikes!
bike ˆ biking ˆ jeet ˆ quinn
After exploring downtown a bit, we biked up a really long hill to get to...
biking
...Chautauqua Park. (It's not as nice as Tompkins Park, but it was alright).
best ˆ hiking ˆ mountain ˆ park
jeet, quinn
On our way up.
best ˆ hiking ˆ jeet ˆ quinn
jeet, quinn
Taking a break in the shade.
hiking ˆ park ˆ point ˆ jeet ˆ quinn
We followed a different footpath down.
hiking ˆ path
High altitude = empty water bottles! We were exhausted from hiking and biking in the sun and after we returned our bikes...
bike
jeet
...we headed back to the hotel for a nap!
asleep ˆ hotel ˆ jeet
jared, jeet, quinn
Later that night we headed over to Sean's parent's house for a big BBQ dinner. While we were there, Jared showed us...
house party ˆ jared ˆ jeet ˆ quinn
jared
...the incredible homemade card he made to apologize for the time he puked in his bandmates' mother's car on a previous visit to Boulder.
barf ˆ best ˆ card ˆ jared
jared
This makes me laugh out loud every time I read it.
best ˆ card ˆ jared
After dinner, we listened to Sean play songs with his family for a few hours.
band ˆ best ˆ guitar ˆ sing
One of the loveliest family dinners I've ever been to. Sunch a nice time.
band ˆ guitar ˆ sing

Sunday, September 16th

jeet, quinn
Perfect weather for the show at Red Rocks!
hotel ˆ rental car ˆ jeet ˆ quinn
We had to wait awhile for a table...
airplane ˆ clouds
...for lunch at THE BUFF. Mmmmmm.
Besides region animals, I also enjoy regional convenience store names.
lighter
I lived in Eagleton, Colorado right near the Red Rocks amphitheater from ages 1-3. On the drive over, I called my parents to get the exact address...
clouds ˆ driving ˆ mountain
...of the house that we lived in from 1977-79. We parked and knocked on the door. The family living there welcomed us in for a look around. Very kind of them!
house ˆ nostalgia
My earliest memories are from this backyard. I distinctly remember that our neighbors on the other side of that fence had a pumpkin patch and one year a vine came through the fence and a pumpkin grew in our yard. It was exactly as I remembered it over 35 years later. Strange how some scenes are seared into your mind so vividly and others are just not there at all.
backyard ˆ nostalgia
me
It's funny that we relate to places we used to live as old friends. I remember my dad's Mustang parked out front of the house. I had night terrors when I was a kid and when I couldn't sleep he'd drive me around the neighborhood.
best ˆ house ˆ nostalgia ˆ me
me
Thanks for letting me stroll down memory lane, kind strangers!
house ˆ nostalgia ˆ wave ˆ me
Afterwards, we picked up our tickets and headed over to...
tickets
...the Red Rocks Amphitheatre!
backstage ˆ redrocks
sean f
Elevator peeping!
backstage ˆ sean f
Line up for the night.
band ˆ setlist
View of the amphitheater starting to fill up.
backstage ˆ redrocks
jeet, quinn
Afternoon drinks with Gurj, Nick, Quinn & Liz.
backstage ˆ redrocks ˆ jeet ˆ quinn
Around 7pm, we started the long walk up to the top to the amphitheatre.
redrocks ˆ stairs
Place starting to fill up!
crowd ˆ redrocks
jeet, quinn
Still going!
stairs ˆ jeet ˆ quinn
The amazing view from the top.
redrocks
jeet, quinn
We made it time to watch the sunset, and to see...
redrocks ˆ sunset ˆ jeet ˆ quinn
...The Hives. I hadn't seen them since SXSW in 2004!
band ˆ redrocks
jeet, me, quinn
Sunset selfie!
sunglasses ˆ jeet ˆ me ˆ quinn
After their set, we headed backstage again...
backstage ˆ redrocks
jared, jeet, quinn
...to grab a drink and then we set out to do some...
backstage ˆ jared ˆ jeet ˆ quinn
...backstage exploring of the famous venue! This door leads to...
backstage ˆ door ˆ zombie
...a whole series of tunnels that run underneath the theater.
backstage ˆ redrocks ˆ stairs
The hallway that leads to the front-of-house mixing both is covered in signatures of all the people that have played at Red Rocks over the years.
autograph ˆ backstage ˆ redrocks ˆ stairs
jared, jeet, quinn
As we climbed the steps, we spotted a few...
backstage ˆ point ˆ redrocks ˆ stairs ˆ jared ˆ jeet ˆ quinn
...choice signatures. (Jimi played Red Rocks on 9/1/1968, but I don't think that's his signature - but Sharpie markers came out in 1965, so maybe!).
autograph ˆ backstage ˆ redrocks ˆ stairs
At the end of the hallway, we found ourselves in the room below the FOH mixbooth...
jared, jeet
...Jared was like "Whatever you do, don't touch THAT!"
backstage ˆ point ˆ jared ˆ jeet
We emerged into the Front of House mixbooth and watched the show for a bit.
backstage ˆ band ˆ redrocks
The sun had set and the crew was setting up the stage for 3OH!3.
backstage ˆ redrocks
The rock formations that ring the amphitheatre are beautiful.
backstage ˆ redrocks
jared
The band surveying...
backstage ˆ band ˆ redrocks ˆ jared
...the hometown crowd before taking the stage!
backstage ˆ crowd ˆ redrocks
Their stage-set is flanked by two animatronic wolves that have laser eyes. Haha.
backstage ˆ band ˆ wolf
IT'S GO TIME!
backstage
Always so much fun to see your friend's band for the first time at an insane venue!
band
303 = Denver area code.
band ˆ crowd
jeet, quinn
Quinn & Gurj watching the show from the green room.
backstage ˆ band ˆ jeet ˆ quinn
jared, sean f
Awesome show! Thanks for inviting us out to see you guys play!
band ˆ jared ˆ sean f
jeet, quinn
So proud!
backstage ˆ best ˆ pretty ˆ jeet ˆ quinn
jared, jeet, quinn
Ran down to congratulate Jared after the show.
backstage ˆ jared ˆ jeet ˆ quinn
Marveled at the crowd some more.
crowd ˆ redrocks
nate, sean f
After the show, the radio station that organized the concert presented the band with commemorative plaques.
backstage ˆ nate ˆ sean f
nate, sean f
Congrats on playing your hometown dream-venue!
backstage ˆ band ˆ nate ˆ sean f
jared, nate
Jared was so stoked.
backstage ˆ excited ˆ major award ˆ jared ˆ nate
jeet
Afterwards, we watched...
backstage ˆ jeet
chris black
...Silversun Pickups play from the side-stage and laughed about how from a distance, Joe Lester, their keyboard player, looks like Chris Black doppleganger. (Only because of the beard and glasses from afar - up close, no dice).
band ˆ doppleganger ˆ chris black
jared, jeet
These two took a little party nap on the drive back to Boulder...
asleep ˆ driving ˆ jared ˆ jeet
jared, jeet
...which means they were well-rested for our late-night snacks!
diner ˆ food ˆ jared ˆ jeet

Monday, September 17th

On Monday morning, Quinn & Gurj got up early to do more exploring in Boulder. I slept in and read my book in the lobby after checking out.
backpack ˆ book ˆ coffee ˆ hotel
Got to see Leo Tanguma's "conspiracy murals" in the Denver Airport.
airport ˆ art ˆ gun ˆ painting ˆ scary ˆ sword ˆ wtf
They are strange.
airport ˆ art ˆ painting ˆ wtf
Hello, gorgeous.
flying ˆ nyc
jeet, quinn
Cab line farewell. Thanks for such a lovely trip!
airport ˆ jeet ˆ quinn

1 comment

  • racheljanuary 6, 2015

    Wow, as a very long-time reader of your site and a native Denverite, I can't believe I never knew you had a Colorado connection! Thanks for the update.