Colorado Music Hall of Fame Launches Statewide Strategy to Make Colorado a Premier Music Tourism Destination

DENVER, CO (June 30, 2025) — Colorado Music Hall of Fame (CMHOF), with support from a Tourism Management Grant from the Colorado Tourism Office (CTO), is proud to unveil a bold, first-of-its-kind Colorado Music Tourism Strategy—a statewide action plan designed to brand Colorado as a top-tier music destination, foster collaboration across the music and tourism industries, and grow Colorado’s music economy.

Developed over the course of 10 months with facilitation by destination consulting firm Mission2Market, the strategy engaged over 1,300 residents, visitors, and industry professionals, and was shaped by a 60-member task force representing every region of the state.

“Colorado’s music legacy is as vast and diverse as its landscape,” said Karen Radman, Executive Director of Colorado Music Hall of Fame. “This strategy reflects a shared vision for Colorado’s future—one that celebrates our past, supports our music communities today, and positions the state as a must-visit destination for music lovers worldwide. Developing this strategy was truly a collaborative effort, uniting the music and tourism industries across the state.”

Three Strategic Goals Drive the Initiative

  1. Brand Colorado as a Music Destination
    The strategy calls for a new statewide Colorado Music Trail, digital hubs showcasing music venues and experiences, and a unified brand identity to promote Colorado’s vibrant music scene and rich heritage—from Red Rocks to Telluride, from Fort Morgan to Durango.
  1. Foster a Cohesive, Collaborative Music Industry
    By connecting artists, venues, promoters and tourism professionals, the plan seeks to lower barriers for artists through tools like a statewide venue database, multi-city tour coordination and affordability-focused partnerships with local businesses and government.
  2. Champion the Value of Colorado’s Music Economy
    The plan outlines steps to update the state’s economic impact data, advocate for industry-supportive funding and incentives, and equip civic leaders with resources to champion live music as a vital part of Colorado’s culture and economy.

What’s Next

As part of the next phase, The Hall has launched the “Discover: Colorado’s Music Scene” platform on its comprehensive music website at cmhof.org/colorado-music-scene. Visitors can access the full Colorado Music Tourism Strategy along with practical tools and resources designed to support musicians, communities, travelers and industry professionals in building and celebrating Colorado’s dynamic music scene. This page will eventually be home to the Colorado Music Roadmap, connecting fans to iconic venues, historic destinations and music festivals across the state.

All compiled on The Hall’s website, partners such as FoCoMAIndie Music Alliance, and Chris K’s Colorado Playlist have already stepped up to share tools and databases. The CTO has added a live music link on Colorado.com, while Localify.org will help music fans discover local artists and events across the state.

Colorado Music Hall of Fame now invites partners, civic leaders and music lovers to join in advancing this shared vision.

“This isn’t just a strategy—it’s a movement,” said Radman. “Together, we can ensure Colorado’s music scene remains one of the most vibrant and welcoming in the nation.”

CP S19 EP06 2025

“Electric-piano” exhibit Ice Castles, Eagle, CO courtesy of Clear Vistas Photography

Hi folks. I could use your help, please.

I’m mostly retired now and the costs of producing the show, tracking airplay and maintaining the site are really starting to eat into my monthly retirement income.

Please make donations via Venmo at chrisk-2 OR use the form at the bottom of this page (I prefer Venmo).

If you represent a business that would like my listeners to know about you, email me at coloradoplaylist@gmail.com for details.
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Every year I debut approximately two hundred new current-year songs.

Every week I have to make decisions about what to keep to play again and what to archive.

Let me know what you think of the debuts (D) I shared in the show this week.

Results enter into determining which cuts stay in the library and which cuts might eventually make it to the annual Colorado Playlist Fan & Listener Poll and the “some of the best of the year” show.
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I had three PRE-RELEASE (P) titles in this week’s show – The Burrough‘s new single, Got To Free Your Mind, piKziL‘s newest, Exit Strategy and Christine Alice’s Wood Burning Stove that she originally recorded as a video in 2019, and released on YouTube in 2022.

Colorado Playlist sponsor Starr’s Guitars is owned by David Starr, a singer-songwriter based out of Cedaredge, who typically records in Nashville and tours the country as a solo artist. Hole In the Page is his latest.

Otis Taylor Tight Wire Blues – When Negroes Walked the Earth (1997)
Freddi Henchi BandThings Are Getting Better – Freddi Henchi Band (1974)
(D) David StarrHole in the Page (2025)
The Sweet Lillies Words – Equality (2023)
Mama Lenny and the Remedy Party Girl (2020)
The LumineersSame Old Song – Automatic (2025)
Big Head Todd and The MonstersWipeout Turn – New World Arisin’ (2017)
The Still TideHigh Wire – Run Out (2017)
Dragondeer Jolee (2024)
(P) The Burroughs Got to Free Your Mind (2025)
Claire HeywoodCrushed Lemons (2021)
Jobi RiccioWhiplash – Whiplash (2023)
BTTRFLY Quintet Verti Marte – Coast (2023)

Zephyr Sun’s a Risin’ – Zephyr Deluxe Edition (2014/1969)
Tommy Bolin Savannah Woman – Teaser (1975)
(P) Christine Alice Wood Burning Stove – Wood, Strings & Simple Things (2025)
Chris Daniels and the KingsFried Food/Hard Liquor – Blues, With Horns Vol. 1 (2017)
Hunter James and the TitanicStranger Touch – IV (2025)
Paper Bird To the Light – Paper Bird (2016)
Izcalli Solo Se Morir – IV (2018)
Andy Sydow In Love and a Hard Luck Sayer – Night Skin (2025)
(P) piKziL Exit Strategy (2025)
Mike Clark and Sugar Sounds Warm Me Up – Moon Rock (2022)
Gregory Alan IsakovThe Fall – Appaloosa Bones (2023)
Fred Hess BandNorman’s Gold – Single Moment (2015)

ALL STATIONS STATEWIDE – 63 titles tracked
including Colorado Playlist
(1) 1. The LumineersAutomatic LP Jan-25
(3) 2. Yonder Mountain String BandNowhere Next LP Sep-24
(4) 3. DNA Picasso & Dominique Christina LAWLESS: A Love Story LP Oct-24
(4) 3. iies.Don’t Forget The Dot LP Jul-24
(R) 4. American CultureHey Brother, It’s Been Awhile LP Mar-24

STATIONS TRACKED: KAFM Community Radio (Grand Junction), KBUT Community Radio (Crested Butte), KDNK Carbondale Community Access Radio (Carbondale), KDUR Community Radio (Durango), KFFR 88.3 FM (Winter Park), KOTO Community Radio Telluride (Telluride), KRFC 88.9 FM (Fort Collins), KRZA Community Radio (Alamosa), KSJD Radio (Cortez), KSUT (Ignacio), KVNF Mountain Grown Public Radio (Paonia), 105.5 The Colorado Sound and Indie1023 (Denver) …

Spins tracked on Spinitron (except 102.3 and 105.5), designed to benefit community and college radio and offering search functions to track airplay on over 300 stations and programs

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CP S16 EP02 2022

Photo courtesy of Claire Mannato

Monday JAN 10, 2022 – Happy Monday morning. Due to a computer glitch this past weekend, the Colorado Playlist did not air correctly at KJAC 105.5 The Colorado Sound. New programming software can have some bugs ya know? It did and will, however, air correctly at the other stations this week.

The MMMM (Monday Morning Music Meeting) is a bit interesting this week. I showcased a couple of songs this week on the show that came out from late 2020 (2 Gentlemen) to early 2021 (Carolyn Shulman).

2 Gentlemen features Denver bassist Windall Armour who many may recall from his days in Opie Gone Bad. He and long time friend Kenny James (currently in Atlantic City) bring the funk hard on It’s All About the Views, a song that “…talks about where we are with social media and our fixation on collecting views as well as status in the social world.”

Carolyn Shulman was a pleasant find a couple of weeks ago. The Denver by way of Houston lawyer and singer-songwriter has earned considerable praise and folk radio airplay for her Americana country-folk, inspired by Shawn Colvin, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Patty Griffin.

Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats not only held on to the #1 spot in the TOP 5 this week and at Roots Music Report.com, but appears to be increasing in the number of spins reported statewide. Remember, RMR.com also represents airplay of Colorado releases outside of Colorado – including internationally and on Internet radio stations that report.

I do expect to see the new album from Yonder Mountain String Band make a strong impression statewide, since debuting at #8 at RootsMusicReport.com. I do not expect to see it rise to TOP 5 status in my reporting due to lack of play on the top two stations spinning Colorado music in our state. The same is true for the new album by Colorado native Corey Harris, whose album The Insurrection Blues is currently #2 at Roots Music Report but doesn’t show up at the stations I survey weekly.

STATION OF THE WEEK

THE VOICE OF OUR COMMUNITY IN THE GRAND VALLEY

Community radio exists because of the support from listeners like you! Please help keep public radio on the air by becoming a sustaining member. See your local community radio station website for more information.

105.5 THE COLORADO SOUND & THE COLORADO PLAYLIST PRESENT

The Drunken Hearts – Fox Theatre, Boulder, CO FRI FEB 4, 2022

“Locally Grown” 20/20 EyeVision offers a full range of services and they accept Medicaid at the Orchard Center in Westminster.

TOP 5 COLORADO SPINS WEEK ENDING JAN 08 2022

TOP 5 and TOP 30 charts are pulled from published spins of current releases (twelve months old) at 13 Colorado non-profit community/public and college radio stations. Eleven Colorado radio stations currently utilize Spinitron.

Designed to benefit non-commercial public and college radio stations and offering advanced search functions for artists and agents at http://www.spinitron.com

  1. NATHANIEL RATELIFF & THE NIGHTSWEATS – The Future LP (Nov-21)
  2. THE LUMINEERS – Brightside LP (Sep-21)
  3. LEFTOVER SALMON– Brand New Good Old Days LP LP (Mar-21)
  4. A.J. FULLERTON – The Forgiver and the Runaway LP (Mar-21)
  5. CHRIS DANIELS & HAZEL MILLER – What We Did! LP (Jul-21)

MONDY MORNING MUSIC MEETING

Serving Cedaredge CO over 20 years.

Dianne Reeves32 Flavors – Beautiful Life (2013)
(D) Carolyn Shulman Matter of Time – Grenadine & Kerosene (2021)

Wellington BullingsBecause I Want To (2020)
Jeff Austin15 Steps – The Simple Truth (2015)
Dirty Shrines Every Mile – Digital Ego (2021)
Dechen HawkLady Devine (2021)
Bobby Walker Detroit Boogie – Bobby Walker (2008)
Drew Emmitt Gypsy In My Soul – Long Road (2008)
(D) Drunken HeartsBeat Up, Beat Down, and Broken – Wildflower Sessions

Whiskey Blanket Pound Boom – No Object (2010)
Wildermiss Supermagical (2020)
Gabriel MervineSunlight – Say Somethin’ (2021)

HOUR 2

Earth Wind & FireDevotion – Open Our Eyes (1974)
(D) 2 Gentlemen All About the Views (2021)

Kyle HollingsworthWe Were the Young (2020)
Edison Open Road – Familiar Spirit (2016)
Carolyn Hunter Felt Like Love – Lovelight (2022)
Guy Margalit4YOU (feat. Dafna) (2021)
Leftover SalmonDance On Your Head – The Nashville Sessions (1999)
The String Cheese IncidentStay Through – Song In My Head (2014)
(D) Yonder Mountain String BandInto the Fire – Get Yourself Outside (2022)

Taylor Scott BandCuriosity – All We Have (2019)
Heavy Diamond RingAlready Gone – The Brightest Light EP (2021)
Jason Klobnak Through Her Eyes – Friends and Family (2018)

THIS WEEK ON YOUTUBE