As crowds (though not full capacity) head back to Red Rocks Amphitheatre, they'll notice that the stage has a new roof. It's a very sturdy new roof, too.

It is an odd gauge of strength, elephants; but what better way to tell people how strong something is. 'Ya, this oak table can handle 1.5 elephants.'

On April 22, 2021, the band Lotus was the first act to utilize Red Rocks' new stage roof, though it was unclear if the band needed to use a lot of equipment with the stage roof rigging which can how handle 150,000 pounds, which is equal to roughly 15 elephants.

Cage the Elephant will be excited about this information, I'm sure.

Get our free mobile app

I was curious, so I asked them how much the old roof could hold. I was told it was only five elephants which did add constraints to some bands' stage setups at the famous and coveted venue.

Other facts about the new stage roof provided by Red Rocks:

  • You could fit 620 yoga mats on the new roof, as it has 7,450 square feet.
  • The roofing is made of copper.
  • The ceiling is made from clear, vertical Douglas Fir.
  • There are now only 4 columns, as opposed to 10 before.
  • The materials for the stage were inspired by the historic North and South towers. The concrete bases of the column pay tribute to the existing towers concrete bases while the steel was a must to meet the design requirements of the rigging capacity. However, the rigid steel columns were wrapped in a rounded metal wrap to soften the appearance, similar to the existing conditions.
  • Fabricated just for Red Rocks, there are 84 rolling spanner beams that are used to hang lights and sound.
  • The roof has new flexibility to be able to hang elements from all areas of it.
  • Each concrete column base is roughly 350 cubic feet of concrete which is equal to roughly 522 five-gallon buckets, each.

When you get back to Red Rocks, be on the lookout for more sound and lights, for sure!

You can take a look at the removal of the old stage roof here:

Most Memorable Fort Collins Concerts

 

LOOK: Famous Historic Homes in Every State

 

More From 99.9 KEKB - Grand Junction's Favorite Country