Nathaniel Rateliff Announces String of Socially Distanced Red Rocks Shows Before 2020 Closure

It doesn’t feel like a real Colorado summer without a proper Red Rocks show. With the coronavirus pandemic threatening to derail the entire live events industry, the hope of a Red Rocks show in earnest was becoming all but a pipe dream. However, all is certainly not lost, with today’s announcement that none other than Nathaniel Rateliff will light the venue up again. In support of his most recent album, And It’s Still Alright, the homegrown crooner will play a string of socially distanced performances at the famed venue.

Alongside opener Kevin Morby, Nathaniel Rateliff will perform on September 15, 16, 18, 19 and 20, with a 10-piece band, and full production including lighting, staging and projections. Each of the aforementioned performances will be limited to 175 attendees and tickets will go on sale via a lottery Wednesday, September 9 at 10 a.m. via AXS, but extremely limited non-lottery and premium tickets will also be available.

Rateliff’s most recent announcement comes on behind in-person performances by the Colorado Symphony at the venue, as well as Visible’s completely virtual experience dubbed Red Rocks Unpaused, that featured the likes of Megan the Stallion, Lil Baby, Sam Hunt and Rateliff himself performing from the venue and live-streamed in an interactive way. In addition to the Gasoline Lollipop’s Monday doubleheader at the venue, Rateliff’s performance will be one of only a few traditionally produced shows that Red Rocks has hosted since the coronavirus effectively shut the venue down. It is also probably the last performance of the venue for the year, following Denver Arts & Venues’ indefinite closure of many of their buildings including Red Rocks. Rateliff also performed for free alongside members of the Lumineers and Flobots in protest of Greenwood Village’s police accountability policies and protocol.

Lottery registration for the upcoming Nathaniel Rateliff shows will go on sale, Wednesday, September 9 at 10 a.m. via AXS.

*Editor’s Note 9/10/20: A previous version of the article stated that Rateliff would be the only traditionally produced concert at Red Rocks since Icelantic Winter on the Rocks, but that was inaccurate. The Gasoline Lollipops will hit the venue the day before Rateliff’s run for a concert of their own.