Industry Noize: Fiddler’s New Face

When AEG Live Rocky Mountains announced in August it was taking over management of the 17,000-capacity shed and giving it a $5 million makeover, it appears even president Chuck Morris wasn’t completely aware how badly in need of repair Fiddler’s Green was. In addition to crumbling outbuildings and deteriorated restrooms, an open-air backstage area that served as an artists lounge had to go, according to the Aurora Sentinel.

In about six months’ time, Fiddler’s Green has a refurbished sound system including new speakers and delay towers, cutting edge HD video screens, bigger entrances, better lawn access, and an expanded VIP patio section.

And best of all for artists, a new network of backstage buildings for musicians, their crews and staff.

“All the concrete, all the paint, all the finishes, all the bathrooms – it’s all been cleaned or replaced,” Fiddler’s Green GM Rob Thomas of AEG Live told the Sentinel. “The complaint always was, ‘I can’t hear the sound.’ Now they’re really going to get pounded.”

AEG Live inked a 15-year lease last year with Denver’s nonprofit Museum of Outdoor Arts.

It marks a full circle for AEG Live Chairman Jay Marciano, who opened Fiddler’s Green in 1989 when he was an exec with Universal Attractions.

The Fiddler’s Green season begins in earnest in June, with the successful Volunteer Jam salute to military, first responders and Red Cross in the books.

Other artists on the summer calendar include Kendrick Lamar, Rascal Flatts, Keith Urban, and ZZ Top.

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