More than 20 years ago, after sleeping overnight in line for a Garth Brooks concert only to be turned away, Carol Kriewald of Fort Collins and her friend Faye Bell swore they would never get in one of those lines again.
On Thursday, at almost 70 years old, Kriewald decided to break that pact when she got a text from her daughter saying Blake Shelton was playing a free show at Denver’s Grizzly Rose that night.
“My daughter said ‘Grab Faye and go. Go now.’” And she did.
She was in line by 11:30 a.m. for Shelton’s 9 p.m. first-come-first-serve show. “We don’t have that much time left on this earth, we gotta make the memories we can,” she joked. Bell by her side, the two were smiling and enjoying the friendly atmosphere that had been created by the giant line of country music fans.
Around 9:30 a.m. Thursday morning, Shelton sent a tweet that launched a social media frenzy throughout the Denver area.
Denver Colorado… You!!!!! Grizzly Rose
Doors at 6:00 PM
First come, first serve— Blake Shelton (@blakeshelton) July 28, 2016
By 5:30 p.m., over 1,000 people were in a line that wove through the venue’s parking lot and down Sherman Street. The fans—many in their best cowboy boots and hats—were flooding in. Only 2,000 people were let into the show. By 7 p.m., the restaurant and bar was at capacity.
That's it folks!! We are at capacity! One in and one out.
Thanks so much to everyone who waited! We apologize to those who did not get in.
— Grizzly Rose (@TheGrizzlyRose) July 29, 2016
The last time Shelton played Grizzy Rose was nine years ago, he said. Aside from raving about the food—a rare thing for honky tonks he joked—the country bar was the perfect fit for the free show because of the history he had with it.
“When you get to this point, and I’ve been so lucky, you try to remember the people along the way who helped get you there.”
Shelton took the stage around the scheduled 9 p.m., just after his girlfriend was played over the loud speaker—No Doubt’s “Hey Baby.”
“I’m gonna play a lot of music for a long time tonight,” he announced to the cheering crowd. Small venue didn’t mean small setlist for the country star, who joked he may play some songs so old he hoped he’d remember his own words.
Shelton was in town spreading the word of Smithworks Vodka. Bottled in Arkansas and made with corn from “The Heartland,” the Shelton-backed booze is served in five states, including Colorado.
What a great night in Denver! Nothing’s better than a concert w/American made @SmithworksVodka #SmithworksLive
— Blake Shelton (@blakeshelton) July 29, 2016