Local Musicians Get a Chance to Play Red Rocks With Sundown Throwdown Battle of the Bands

Musicians around the world dream of performing at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, particularly if the venue is in their backyard.

Now local acts have a chance to play the iconic amphitheater ahead of the final Film on the Rocks screening on August 19, thanks to a new competition called Sundown Throwdown, presented by Colorado Native (of AC Golden Brewing Company), Red Rocks and Denver Film.

From now through May 31, bands can enter the competition by submitting a YouTube video of up to five minutes to coloradonative.com/sundownthrowdown. Fans will then vote for ten acts via Colorado Native's social media, and the final three will compete in a Battle of the Bands at Number Thirty Eight on July 26 to determine who gets the Red Rocks gig.

Read our Q&A with Jeff Cornell, manager of AC Golden Brewing Company, to find out how it all works:
Westword: Is this the first Sundown Throwdown?

Jeff Cornell: This will be the first Sundown Throwdown presented by Colorado Native from AC Golden Brewing Company in partnership with Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre and Denver Film. We are super excited to bring together the best of beer, musical talent and natural beauty that Colorado has to offer, and give one local band the chance of a lifetime. We hope that this will be the first of many to come.

How did the idea for it come about?

The Sundown Throwdown was inspired by our Colorado Native Beer, Sundown Cerveza, from AC Golden Brewing Company. The Sundown Cerveza is Colorado in a can, brewed right in Golden with 100 percent Colorado ingredients. The beer is a 6 percent ABV, crisp, Mexican-style lager with notes of toasted malts and citrus hops, followed by a smooth finish. The beer is also made solely for Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre. We took the idea behind the beer — something uniquely Colorado that pairs best with good music and the Red Rocks environment — and wanted to translate that into a musical experience for the masses, and so the Sundown Throwdown was born.

Are there any genre limitations or others — such as only playing original music — for competing bands?

All genres of music are welcome! We know Colorado is full of diverse cultures, tastes and sounds, and the Sundown Throwdown wants to show off all that the Centennial State has to offer. Bands must submit an unlisted YouTube video link — at most five minutes in duration — to enter.

How many bands will be competing, and when will they compete?

A panel of judges will narrow down entries to ten bands, which will be featured on Colorado Native’s social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, and coloradonative.com/sundownthrowdown for fans to vote for their top three bands to participate in a Battle of the Bands. Voting opens June 17 and closes June 24.

From there, the bands will face off live on July 26, and a panel of judges, along with the live audience, will decide who gets the coveted spot at Red Rocks at the end of the summer.

Where will the Battle of the Bands occur?

The Battle of the Bands will take place on July 26 at Number Thirty Eight in downtown Denver, where the audience and a panel of judges will vote for the grand prize winner to perform at Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre on August 19 — the last night of the Film on the Rocks series presented by Denver Film.

Tickets for Battle of the Bands will be available through Number Thirty Eight and announced at a later date. The event will be free to the public, but a ticket is required for entry.

Who will be judging the Battle of the Bands?

Our esteemed panel of judges, along with audience members, will vote for the grand prize winner at the Battle of the Bands.

Discover more at coloradonative.com/sundownthrowdown.