Did you hear? Guns n' Roses and the Biebs are both coming to Denver in summer 2017.
Of course you've heard, because we bet that a dozen someones you know are already planning to be among the 50,000 fans at either show.
But fewer than a handful of people knew about them before Monday. One of those people is the head of business development over at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Chuck Olney didn't even tell his family.
"It's just part of the business. That's not something we'll share with anybody outside of our departments," he said.
That might be hard to fathom, given that Olney and his team have been working for about four months to secure Justin Bieber's show, and more than a year to get Guns n' Roses -- a show that was supposed to play in Denver in September, but plans were scrapped when the Broncos-Panthers season opener was scheduled.
"They're very different in scope. If you were a fan of listening to rock music in the mid 80s to late 80s, I mean Guns n' Roses was a monster. And now that they’re back, playing all of their older songs and music, this show is going to be the quintessential classic rock concert. I think it’s going to be a really popular show," Olney said. "Switching gears into Bieber. He’s such a world pop superstar. For Denver to land someone like Bieber, we’re really excited to be able to see the seats fill right up."
He makes it clear that while the Broncos are the primary tenant, his team is responsible for expanding what the stadium can do, and in turn, contributing to the the Metropolitan Football Stadium District and the downtown Denver economy.
It's the promoters, like AEG Live and Live Nation, that reach out to the stadium when a concert feels like a good fit. In the instance of Justin Bieber's show, this was a huge get for Denver, since he's playing at just six stadiums nationwide. The city doesn't struggle to attract acts, but the stadium's particular objective, rather, is to grab onto the ones whose vibe, stature and audience size will really work at Mile High.
"The Denver market is very unique because we have the crown jewel of venues in our backyard -- being Red Rocks. Many artists, they want to play in one of the world’s best outdoor music amphitheaters -- being Red Rocks," Olney said. "We’re definitely trying to make it a little bit more flexible and creative in terms of who we’d bring into the stadium here."
Olney even tossed out the idea of the Colorado Symphony performing on the field one day.
He also said that the team is in the process of locking down one more big concert for 2017, but he couldn't say who. We do know that it doesn't involve agreeing to any outlandish rider requests, like a bowl of green M&M's, even though the staff is always prepared to handle the demands.
"We haven't seen the riders yet," Olney laughed, "I can't wait to see what Axl, and Slash, and Duff put together."
If Colorado music fans don't fit into either of the crowds at next year's shows, keep holding out for all of the ones to come. Olney's ready for any big act but said The Rolling Stones would be a huge homerun.
"Any large-scale concert that brings a ton of energy is one of our favorite types of shows here. We've had great performers in the past like Kenny Chesney, and Luke Bryan, and Jason Aldean. Anyone that can really be the front man, or anyone that can provide a huge amount of energy to get a stadium rocking and singing along, and kind of swaying arm-in-arm with each other -- any time you get 50,000 people that are enjoying the same vibe, boy, that's something that just hits it out of the park every time."
By the way, ticket prices aren't as painful as you may think. They start at $35 for Guns n' Roses, and the cheapest Bieber tickets will cost about $50.
