The Ogden Theatre

Two octagonal towers and a terracotta roof continue to slow down East Colfax: the marquee announces full nights on the same volume of brick that Harry W. J. Edbrooke designed for John Thompson and Henry Goodridge. On September 6, 1917, it opened with the silent comedy Wild and Woolly. A century later, that Capitol Hill box is the 1,600-person venue that Denver uses as a stepping stone to Red Rocks.

A neighborhood cinema that survived the wrecking ball

Before becoming a concert hall, the Ogden was a local cinema, part of the Fox circuit, a repertory house, and, in the eighties, the Saturday refuge for The Rocky Horror Picture Show. In 1923, it hosted a lecture by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It closed as a screening room in 1990 and was on the verge of being demolished. Doug Kauffman, of Nobody In Particular Presents, bought the building in 1992—with a $200,000 municipal loan on a $550,000 renovation—and reopened it on September 2, 1993. The first concert was by War. In 1995, the theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places; it is also a Denver historic landmark. Inside, the organ lofts remain on both sides of the stage and the proscenium arch, with two gold cherubs and the monogram of the International Amusement Company.

1,600 bodies and a balcony over the floor

The 2006 renovation, with AEG Presents now leading the programming, increased the capacity from 1,003 to 1,600: an enveloping balcony, tiered flooring, and more restrooms to meet code. Below runs the general admission standing floor; above, there is very limited seated capacity. There are two bars, private parking behind the theater, and an accessible area. Wesley Schultz, of The Lumineers—who lived down the street when the band was still playing open mics—has described a venue where the audience feels right on top of the stage.

Justice, Pretty Lights, and a venue that never sleeps

It is not a nightclub with a resident party, but electronic music has left its mark on that box. On March 22, 2008, Justice and Diplo sold out the floor; Pretty Lights played in 2013; Sylvan Esso sold out in 2017; Washed Out, G Jones, and The Disco Biscuits have used the same venue as a light club and electronic jam space. In parallel, it has hosted Prince—two shows on May 13, 2013, his last night in Colorado—, Drake, Iggy Pop, Erykah Badu, The Smashing Pumpkins, or Parliament Funkadelic. AEG programs around 150 concerts a year. The venue opens only on event nights; the box office opens one hour before doors.