For those keeping score, since first opening more than two decades ago, the Greenwood Village venue has gone through several name changes over the course of its existence. Born in 1988 as Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre, the shed was later rebranded as Coors Amphitheatre for a spell before eventually reverting back to its original name in April 2008, when that naming rights agreement expired.
And now, just less than two years later, its name has once again changed to -- are you ready for this? -- Comfort Dental Amphitheatre. Wish we were making that up. Dumbest. Idea. Ever. Or no? Guess it depends on your perspective. Mean, nothing against Comfort Dental. We're sure they're a fine outfit and perhaps even outstanding in their field. Just the same, we've just gotta think that the last thing on anybody's mind as they're putting away brews, watching turf fly and water bottles whiz overhead during a Slayer show is their choppers.
And if nothing else, it gives detractors more ammo. It's already easy to take pot shots at the place, and plenty of people have over the years. For starters, the man made structure has always been (and will always be) overshadowed by the God-breathed architecture of a certain revered structure in Morrison.
And we've heard plenty of other complaints, from its location in the southern suburbs, which often makes getting there on weekdays during rush hour an exercise in frustration, to shoddy, inconsistent sound. And don't even bring up beer prices; a single cup of suds sets you back about as much as a six pack -- a gripe that, to be fair, can also be leveled against the venue's foothills counterpart.
On the flipside, despite any perceived shortcomings, the shed has survived more than two decades now, thrived even. Fact is, fans keep coming. And that, as you know, has everything to do with the talent buying and absolute zero to do with the name.
What's more, not for nothing, the type of folks whose ire gets stirred by the whole notion of a corporation paying for the rights to have its name attached to a venue, are generally not the type of folks who'd go to a show there in the first place. Amirite?
That said, regardless of what you call the place -- or how you feel about what the place is called, for that matter -- the rock will continue to roll.
And that's comforting, right?
