Northern Colorado concert venues hopeful for return of full concerts as COVID-19 restrictions roll back

By Dan England

Editor’s note: This story was reported in a partnership with Bandwagon Magazine. A version of this story will appear in the April edition this week. 

President Joe Biden believes we’ll have smaller gatherings with family and close friends by the Fourth of July. But this Labor Day sounds like it could be a party. 

Those who operate Northern Colorado venues say they are hopeful they can host full, loud and fun concerts again by September.

“There are people saying July or August, but our thoughts are we are most confident things will be returning to normal in September,” said Dani Grant, owner of the Mishawaka Ampitheater in the Poudre Canyon outside of Fort Collins. “We will stick to a low-capacity situation until things return completely normal.”

Most city venues, such as the Union Colony Civic Center, have been shuttered since the pandemic broke out last March, but even they are slowly opening. Jason Evenson, who manages the UCCC for the City of Greeley as a part of his duties, said he’s already booking shows for the fall. Some are acts they had to cancel, and others are new to replace the ones who decided not to tour this year. The acts are the same kind of national touring performances the UCCC booked before the pandemic. The only caveat is the UCCC needs to be at full capacity to make the show work. 

“The numbers don’t work if there are still restrictions in place,” Evenson said. “I can’t afford that or charge what it would take to pay those people. We want a full house.”

The UCCC is offering its venue for small rentals with a capacity of 300, a third, in its main theater. The UCCC also charges for 300, not 1,000 seats, so there are some good deals if people want to take advantage. 

Evenson said the public should still “finish” all those hard things that they did to get to this point, such as wearing a mask and staying isolated, to free them of the pandemic. 

“Some think it’s too early, but I think there’s a balance that can be struck,” he said. “If we all follow all the rules, we think we can do it.”

The Moxi Theater in downtown Greeley has already hosted a few acts, said its owner, Ely Corliss. The state’s latest COVID-19 dial, called 3.0, is already in effect. The dial makes it easier for counties to move into the least restrictive level and removes many of those restrictions at that level. 

“While this is still a time for caution, these changes to the Dial better reflect where we are in the pandemic today,” said Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director of the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, in a news release, “and the balance we are trying to strike between disease suppression and economic hardship.”

The new dial changes everything, Corliss said. 

“By the time we move into Green and Blue in counties on the Front Range, concerts, more or less as you remember them, will return quickly,” Corliss said of the least restrictive colors, which are measured by the numbers of cases in a county. “The Moxi Theater is currently operating at a limited capacity and we are ready to enjoy live music as soon as the fans are.”

Corliss said he expected 50–75 percent capacity this summer, “sooner than some people might think,” he said. 

Other venues don’t have to follow the same restrictions as Colorado, such as the Chinook Drive In at the Terry Bison Ranch, but it will probably draw the same Colorado crowd. Wyoming is at full capacity again.

“We are super stoked,” Byrd said. “That definitely creates a ton of optimism.”

As for restrictions? 

“I’ve got a pretty funny answer to that,” said Hamilton Byrd, a promoter with the concert series at Chinook. “We have 27,000 acres. That’s a pretty wide net.”

The Mish is booking shows into the fall, as are many venues, and some, like the Mish, made permanent changes as a result of the pandemic: The Mish expanded its season from April to November, a change it made last year. Before COVID-19, the Mish operated during the warmer months, from May to September, but decided to go from 30 to 50 shows. 

“We just wanted to get people some work,” Grant said. 

 Cheryl Liguori of Z2 Entertainment opened two places, the Aggie and the Boulder Theater at limited capacity win February. 

“Can we pay all our bills? No,” she said. “But are we happy to flow the cash burn? Yes.”