Threading Now – Denver Day of Rock uses local musicians to create community, still needs volunteers

On Saturday, May 28th, Concerts For Kids will be presenting Denver Day of Rock, now in its third year, in downtown Denver. With a slew of bands – both local and national acts – that cross genres from pop/rock to Zydeco, the all-ages event is a perfect opportunity to get everyone in the family out in front of some decent live music.

Denver Day of Rock was put together by Concerts For Kids for the first time in June of 2009 as an all-day outdoor music event designed to raise awareness of children in the Denver community, and the many charities that exist that help them. In just three years, the show has grown from two stages in two completely separate parts of town and a show at the Fillmore, to five stages along the 16th Street Mall and more than twenty bands. And, while the lineup features some old school bands, and some recently “re-generated” ones, like Gin Blossoms, Dennis DeYoung (from Styx) and The Samples, it’s been built up with a hefty local presence as well.

“We’ve built the lineup this year to feature a little bit for everyone,” said Kylie Tielke, Marketing and Events Coordinator for Concerts for Kids. “And we do look towards local talent to fill it up. We want to target everyone and make this day fun for as many people as we can, so we’ve got bands like Boulder Acoustic Society, The Hollyfelds and Something Underground, as well as hip hop from Mindless Behavior and zydeco from Dwayne Dopsie.”

One connection Concerts for Kids uses to help choose local bands is a program called “Sunday Sounds.” Started by the non-profit in 2004, this program brings local bands to Children’s Hospital on two Sundays each month between March and June to play a concert for patients receiving treatment. Before the hour-long shows in the hospital’s atrium or on an outdoor lawn, musicians visit the rooms of children who are severely ill and can’t attend and play for them personally.

“Sunday Sounds is an amazing thing for the kids,” added Tielke. “The visits to the rooms give the children a chance to experience the music, too.”

Bands that do the Sunday Sounds program are often invited to play at Denver Day of Rock as well.

“We feel we’re ‘paying the bands back’ that perform at Children’s, by putting them out in front of a larger audience,” Tielke explained. “Something Underground does Sunday Sounds, for instance, and they’re featured on the Day of Rock lineup.” Other local bands that have helped with Sunday Sounds and are featured on the festival’s lineup include Railbenders, Oakhurst and Boulder Acoustic Society.

What better way to see the festival than from the inside? Since last year’s attendance blew festival planners away (at 100,000, attendance was nearly ten times what they’d expected), and they expect an even higher number this year, the festival is still looking for a slew of volunteers to help it all run smoothly.

“We still need a lot more,” said Tielke. “Probably up to as many as 300, and we’ll be accepting signups online up until about a week before the actual show. We need volunteers to act as runners, ticket booth staff, wristband checkers, roamers, stage and hospitality help – you name it.”

In exchange for their time and service, volunteers will get an inside look at the entire event, and could even meet a celebrity or two.

To volunteer, visit the Denver Day of Rock website to download a volunteer form to submit.