Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheater, the second most beautiful music venue in the world (the first being the Gorge, of course), is undergoing stricter regulations for 2015 as a result of noise complaints from the local community. Residents of the nearby town of Morrison single out electronic dance music as the primary issue for their complaints.
Curfews and noise restrictions were put in place in 2014, however did not satisfy residents. For example, one of the rules stated that shows cannot exceed 105 decibels and bass levels of 125 decibels at the low frequency of 25-80 hertz. In layman’s terms, the rules directly put bass heavy music at the Red Rocks in danger. Artists like Bassnectar and Skrillex, who are Red Rocks staples, would have to make major noise level adjustments in their shows. Stricter noise rules could potentially discourage bass artists from performing at the venue. One of the key regulation changes for 2015 is that noise restrictions would apply to the entire performance, not just during late hours. The city of Denver may now also ban any artist that violates the rules from the next concert season.
In November, one UK music fan created a petition to support local music venues from being shut down due to noise complaints. Now with over 40,000 signatures, the petition proposes that residents who willingly live by the venues should accept the noise that comes with the close proximity. The controversy over the Red Rocks strikes a similar chord. For decades, the world-famous venue has been hosting concerts from the likes of The Beatles, U2 and many more. To quote the UK petition, “If they do not wish to be bothered by something that was a fixture of the community long before they arrived, they should not move there in the first place.”
So should Morrison residents, for lack of a better term, just suck it up? Granted with the rise in popularity of EDM, residents have to deal with more earth-rattling bass than ever before. Here in the Northwest, we should consider ourselves lucky that the beloved Gorge Amphitheater lies a sizable distance from neighboring communities and hasn’t been subjected to any noise regulations as of yet. However, we still sympathize with our friends in Colorado and their at-risk music scene. What do you think of the new noise rules at the Red Rocks? Share with us your opinion down below, on our Facebook page, or send us a Tweet!
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