Denver, Colorado | June 28, 2026
The effort to get to Red Rocks was worth it. The whole experience felt special. There was a big strawberry moon and Widespread Panic was inducted into the Colorado Hall of Fame during the set break. They’ve sold out 78 consecutive shows, making them what the induction speaker called the undisputed kings of Red Rocks. I remember going to their earliest shows in this state. It was so cool to witness things come full circle and to see them honored in this way.
It may be because I’ve been living in such isolation for a long time, or perhaps the heightened sensory stuff I’ve been experiencing lately, but this was so much to take in. The incredible venue, perfect weather, the people watching, the great music, the friends, the energy of the crowd. Sensory overload and I was loving every second of it. I felt like a wide-eyed kid taking it all in for the first time.
I feel a special bond with Jeff’s wife Krissy. She is just all love, and they have a sweet relationship that is a joy to be around. We watched from the family area just to the side of the sound board and lighting. If you go into the sound booth area there’s a tunnel that goes underground and leads to the side of the stage in the backstage area. I had way too much fun traversing that tunnel. It’s like a warp tunnel from Mario Brothers. If you didn’t use the tunnel, there’s no aisle out of there, you’d have to wade through a deep packed crowd to get out. It looks ancient in there, and every inch of it, floor, ceiling and walls, is covered with people’s names going back decades.
At one point in the family section, I turned around and saw a friend I know from the nomad gatherings, Tootsie the Clown. She is, among other things, a talented fire spinner and often a leader of those activities at the gatherings. This is the latest in a string of synchronicities involving her and it was so fun to connect again in this way.
Yesterday morning in Leadville, Shannon made a yummy egg scramble breakfast and then we rode up to Turquoise Lake to check it out. Pretty spot, good place to camp for a while, I made a note for the future. Said our goodbyes and I found myself arriving in Denver a couple hours early. Took a nap in the Whole Foods parking lot. I hadn’t slept well the night before, my mind spinning a little over the logistics of this new plan for fall that’s taking shape.
Parking at Red Rocks with the van was super simple. After you park it’s a good hike up to the venue, though it’s only around 6,700 feet, much lower than I’m used to now. After the show I went back to the van and made a couple of burritos, letting the traffic clear out while I ate. Perfect strategy. Jeff and Krissy and some friends were heading back to their hotel for a later hang, but I had a morning appointment so I opted out. I parked at the Sheraton in Lakewood where my ex Zeita, her daughter Audrey, and their dog Ozzy were staying the night en route from Nashville to Sun Valley.
I’d planned to meet them for coffee at 9am, set my alarm for 7:30, woke to a message from Dave saying, “I saw you seeing me!” and was sitting here writing my journal entry at 8am when I heard a knock on the door. Zeita, arriving early. Audrey showed up soon after. We had a sweet visit and I feel grateful to have this kind of warm, caring relationship with such an important person from my past. It was a delight to see Audrey too. She’s a beautiful, bright light. She refers to me as her stepdad sometimes, which is generous but I love to hear her say it. I devoted a lot of my energies to that family and we’ll always stay connected. And I got a good visit with Ozzy, a little 40 pound pitbull I put a tremendous amount of work into rehabilitating. He was severely abused and aggressive when Zeita rescued him. After years of work he’s now sweet and docile. Definitely deep into the neurodivergent spectrum, but a good boy.
My Amazon packages got delayed and won’t arrive until tomorrow. No problem since I’m going to have to stay in Denver until at least Tuesday anyway. I didn’t make it to the lens place Saturday and they’re closed Sunday and Monday. That opens a window I’m thinking I’ll fill by seeing some friends in Boulder I’ve been wanting to visit for a long time. Today is for Costco and Ikea. Tonight’s show starts earlier and I think the parking lot opens at 4pm. This is the night I’ll see Dave after the show, and I’ll be ready to go late if there’s anything happening.
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