By Brian F. Johnson

www.monolithfestival.com

September 13 and 14

Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO

In its inaugural year, Monolith was referred to by many people as an “indie fest” and that’s not all together wrong, but the real way to describe this behemoth of a festival is “new music.” Like last year, this year’s Monolith with feature five stages and more than 50 bands. That size of a lineup was a first for Red Rocks and the City of Denver (who owns the amphitheatre), which deemed Monolith the largest two-day music festival ever to take place at the venue. Those familiar with the venue will wonder how that many stages can be placed on the site, but the promoter ingeniously utilizes the stages and side rooms in the relatively new visitor center to spread the music into every nook and cranny of Red Rocks. That layout helps to set the stage for Monolith’s main goal, which is to create an unparalleled event for the festival’s headliners, while also creating a springboard for unsigned and under-the-radar bands. Monolith is the festival that a whole sector of music freaks has been waiting for in Colorado for a long time. Now, it’s not just hippies and bluegrassers who get to go outside and put all of their musical heroes in one place. Travel time: (As calculated by mapquest.com from Denver, Colo. to Morrison, Colo.)

Total Est. Time: 23 minutes

Total Est. Distance: 18 Miles

YOU NEED TO KNOW: While this is a Red Rocks festival, this isn’t your typical Red Rocks show. Bring your blanket to throw down in the main amphitheatre, but don’t expect to spend the whole day in the main seating area. If you do you’re wasting the whole experience. Be ready to jump and run to other stages at any time. Traveling light and being comfortable is the name of the game once you’re in the venue. Price: $$ Camping: No ARTISTS: Justice Devotchka Silversun Pickups Atmosphere TV on the Radio Vampire Weekend Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings Band of Horses Neko Case The Avett Brothers CSS Cut Copy Hercules and Love Affair Del tha Funky Homosapien Superdrag Tokyo Police Club The Ting Tings The Kills The Fratellis Mickey Avalon The Presets Akron/Family Foals Holy F**k The Bronx The Cribs Tilly and the Wall Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip Does it Offend You, Yeah? The Heavy Port O’Brien The Photo Atlas Blitzen Trapper White Denim The Night Marchers A Place to Bury Strangers Pop Levi John Vanderslice The Airborne Toxic Event Pomegranates Pwrfl Power Darker My Love The Hood Internet Colour Revolt Cameron McGill & What Army KaiserCartel The Morning Benders The Giraffes Jukebox and the Ghost Bright Channel Chester French Grampall Jookabox The Rosewood Thieves Hearts of Palm American Bang Candy Coated Killahz Joshua Novak Rock Plaza Central LoveLikeFire The Chain Gang of 10974 Boyhollow The Wheel Erin Ivey Paperbird Noah Harris Scratch Track Lynsey Smith David Moore The Elms Dave Beegle