Friday, November 18, 2011

Wrap-up for Barry Fey's book signing at Twist and Shout November 15th



Last night we had a book signing with Barry Fey in celebration of his new autobiography Backstage Past.  He is a well known local legend, but also a nationally renowned rock promoter.  In 1968 he promoted the first Led Zeppelin show in the US.  In June of 1969 he presented a three day pop festival in Denver which featured the final performance of the Jimi Hendrix Experience. His lists of credits goes on and on, which is what makes his stories so interesting.

We all want to hear about those moments with some of our favorite bands like the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix.  The 60s and 70s were a unique time when albums on vinyl had beautiful elaborate artwork and the music scene was so powerful it shaped people's lives.  We like to keep that spirit alive and we were honored when Barry called Twist and Shout hallowed ground.

There was a great energy in the crowd of fifty folks that showed up to thank Barry for promoting some of the best rock shows in their lives.  It was fun watching Barry exchange stories, anecdotes, and jokes with all of these rock fans.  He was charming and appreciative. Some of his contributions really shaped our local scene for example in 1976 he started his Summer of Stars concert series at Red Rocks.  This event helped place Red Rocks among the best venues to play for every group worldwide. In 1983 Barry co-produced the U2 Live at Red Rocks: Under a Blood Red Sky.  So there were many folks from Barry’s generation, my generation, and much younger that came out to shake hands and pay tribute to the man Bill Clinton called a National Treasure.

-Natasha Alexander







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