Seventeen years ago, Bright Channel played their final show. It was at Red Rocks of all places. They were opening for The Fray because The Fray were big fans.
I walked to my seat after seeing a bit of The Flobots’ set and heard a few people commenting on why The Fray were having local bands open. Denver’s creative community doesn’t mean much to everyone. It was surreal to witness a band I’d seen at dive bars and small theaters playing the most famous venue in Colorado. The moment must have hit Bright Channel singer/guitarist Jeff Suthers because I can still almost hear him say, toward the end of their set, “This is so beautiful...Whatever.” Then he chuckled and finished off the last songs his band would ever play on stage.
Bright Channel was one of the biggest and most influential bands in Denver’s underground rock scene. We never thought the show would be their last—opening for a mainstream pop band at Red Rocks—but at the same time where do you go from there?
I’d first seen Bright Chan…
