Colorado Sun Day Concerts

In the 1970s, Colorado had a great concert series called Colorado Sun Day which featured numerous bands at either Folsom Field on the CU campus in Boulder, or at Mile High Stadium in Denver.

While I attended a number of these and even have a few ticket stubs, lets just say my memories are a bit fuzzy and I cannot be certain who performed at all of these shows. I have made several inquiries to friends, local music writers, record store owners, and radio djs who have helped, but if you were there and can give me any input or corrections I would really appreciate it!

The info on the  earlier 1970s shows is from a discussion with Barry Fey that I had, and I seriously doubt many of them, he was editing history to some degree and referring to these shows as "Sun Day" shows that I do not think were ever billed as such until 1977.

He was also going from memory the night we spoke, and I cannot find evidence of many of these shows.

1974

Allegedly the first Sun Day show at Folsom according to Barry Fey

• WAR
• Golden Earring
• Grateful Dead

I find no evidence of this show at all. Golden Earring and Doobie Brothers played May 10 of 1975 @ Folsom

1975

Mile High Stadium

• Marshall Tucker Band
• Pure Prairie League
• The Outlaws
• Lynyrd Skynyrd

I find no evidence of this show either, but Barry insisted it was so.
Marshall Tucker played Ebbett's Field June 23rd 1974 and the Outlaws played there a month later
Lynyrd Skynyrd and Heart played at Mile High in 1975
None were referred to as Sun Day events that I can find

1976

Colorado Sun Day #1 July 18, 1976 at Mile High Stadium

• The Beach Boys
• Santana
• Fleetwood Mac
• Tommy Bolin
• Natural Gas

Colorado Sun Day #3 August 8, 1976 at Mile High Stadium

• Eagles
• Linda Ronstadt
• Pure Prairie League

Ticket and setlist confirmed here.
weird these are #1 and #3, no record of a #2 show between them.

from user comments below

August 29, 1976 at Mile High Stadium

• Peter Frampton
• Steve Miller Band
• Tommy Bolin Band
• Gary Wright

Setlist and ticket scan here.

1977

Colorado Sun Day No. 1 May 1 1977:

• Firefall
• John Sebastian
• Country Joe McDonald 
• Santana
• Bob Seger
• Fleetwood Mac

Colorado Sun Day No. 2 June 16 1977: 

• The Marshall Tucker Band
• Lynyrd Skynyrd
• Heart
• The Outlaws
• Foreigner
• Dickey Betts & Great Southern

1978

Colorado Sun Day No. 1, May 13 at Folsom Field:

• Beach Boys
• Firefall
• Bob Welch
• Journey

Colorado Sun Day No. 2 July 16 at Folsom Field:

• The Rolling Stones
• Kansas
• Eddie Money
• Peter Tosh

Colorado Sun Day No. 3 

This one was cancelled -- it was to have featured

• Fleetwood Mac
• The Kinks 

(slow ticket sales were blamed) The Kinks played Red Rocks instead.
The show was rescheduled with Fleetwood Mac, Firefall and the Jeff Beck Group -- but Jeff Beck canceled at the last minute and was replaced by Country Joe and the fish!
This all according to Barry Fey from a phone call I had with him.

Colorado Sun Day No. 4, July 29 at Folsom Field: 

• The Eagles
• The Steve Miller Band
• Jesse Winchester

1979

Colorado Sun Day No. 1 May 13 at Folsom Field:

• Country Joe McDonald
• Bob Welch
• Poco
• Doobie Brothers
• Boston

Colorado Sun Day No. 2 June 16 at Mile High Stadium: 

• Ted Nugent
• Heart
• The Cars
• UFO
• The Rockets

1980

Colorado Sun Day No. 1 July 19, 1980 at Folsom Field:

• Cheap Trick
• REO Speedwagon
• Blackfoot
• Sammy Hagar
• Bill Bruford (a last-minute replacement for April Wine, Bill Bruford and the Killer Bees played dressed up in Bumble-Bee costumes)

1986

Colorado Sun Day #1 July 1, 1986  at Folsom Field:

• Van Halen
• Dio
• Loverboy
• BTO
• Accept

Link and photo here.  Setlist.fm here.

Thanks for sharing the hazy memories...

Barry Fey, G. Brown, and my friends Erik Highland, Ric Dittman, Eric Herbert, Dave Young, Jeff Hodapp, Joe Meyer, Steve Hughes, Vince Rozmiarek