Red Rocks Amphitheatre, easily one of the most beautiful, inspiring and pristine venues in the country recently came under fire when The Rooster pointed out that the venue has fallen victim to a terrible stench. According to the article, “People, it appears, have been pooping, peeing, vomiting, bleeding and spilling nacho cheese all over the stairs at Red Rocks for months, which has lead to a now infamously noxious odor that plagues the very being of patrons.” This seemingly has never been an issue with the venue, perhaps due to its typically dry climate. Recent weather patterns have seen torrential downpours and plenty of moisture in the air, which has essentially acted as an incubator for the odor.
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The former music critic for the Denver Post wrote an open letter to the venue via Hey Reverb in which he gives a detailed account of a recent trip to Red Rocks. Though he’s a seasoned veteran, having attended the legendary venue countless times over the course of the last 30 years, he was caught by utter surprise at the recently acquired foul stench.
“Some climbed faster to escape the smell,” he recounts. “Some cried, ‘Ewww’ as they sprinted past the worst sections. Others held hands and shirt collars over their nose as they huffed up the stairs. Me? I inhaled a couple deep breaths of the oddly rank mountain air – finding shades of vomit among flirtations of human urine and hints of fecal matter (is that week-old stomach acid?) in addition to an impressive, Argonaut-scale spectrum of stale beer aromas – and wondered where things had gone so wrong this summer.”
“Your laziness has corrupted and made disgusting one of the state’s most treasured experiences,” he concludes.
A Denver Post article caught venue officials by surprise when they followed up on the matter. “This is actually the very first time that we have heard about this,” venue spokesperson Jordan Bishop said. “Of course, we’ll be dedicating staff to investigate.” Bishop went on to say that the cleaning that Red Rocks receives after events is “meticulous”, with pressure washing methods even being used as needed.
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There are very rarely, if any, bad things to say about Red Rocks. This does sound like an issue, which many events and festivals face all the time, of people simply not taking responsibility for themselves. Basically, if you need to go to the bathroom, just use the bathroom. Wait in line for the no more than five minutes it takes, and USE the bathroom. And throw your garbage out. Yes, there are cleaning crews that get paid to clean up, but don’t be a slob and just throw your half-eaten food on the floor. It’s disgusting. Take any venues and festival suffering from the same issues at large events. Basically, just go use the bathroom and throw out your own trash instead of just leaving it there. Take personal responsibility for your actions so everyone can keep on enjoying these beautiful venues.
-Words by Chris Meyer, Photo by Jake Plimack