On August 17, the first day school, I attended my first Red Rocks Concert. For me and my brother’s birthdays, our parents (my mom) gifted us with four Mt. Joy tickets. Mt. Joy is an indie rock band. In 2021, they recorded a live album at Red Rocks. Because my brother and I drive frequently together, we listened to this album consistently for a year. My personal favorites from this album include “Jenny Jenkins,” “Astrovan,” and “Julia.” Mt. Joy’s music not only soothes my soul but compliments my hippie-cowboy vibe.

My brother Kody and I chose to take the Gallagher boys to the concert with us. The boys pre-gamed (and post-gamed) with Chick-fil-A. We parked at the bottom of the Red Rocks venue. The hike to the amphitheater deceived us. Upon reaching the summit, I looked out to a vast sea of the most eccentric group of fans. People of all ages gathered to enjoy Mt. Joy. People wore bell bottoms, sequins, yoga pants, crop tops, etc. However, we stood out with starched jeans, belts, and ball caps. Nonetheless, we were excited to enjoy the music.

The openers, Wilderado, were subpar. They performed for an hour. I did not know a single song. As soon as Mt. Joy came on stage, you felt everyone’s emotions elevate. They performed both new and old songs. Matt Quinn, lead vocalist, seriously looked like Jesus in a pair of suede sweatpants. The music was simply incredible and sounded better than anything recorded.

We left a little before the concert ended to beat the traffic and to be in bed at a more decent time. The music followed us throughout the descent to the parking area. Once arriving at the truck, we immediately connected to Bluetooth to listen to more Mt. Joy music. My first Red Rocks concert will be a core memory for the years to come—filled with great music and decent company.