Partner Press Release from Vail Valley Foundation
Vail, Colo., Feb. 20, 2023 — Vail Mountain’s 60th anniversary season just got even more legendary with the announcement that the Vail Valley Foundation will be de-winterizing and opening the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater (The Amp) for the venue’s first-ever winter concerts on April 7-8. Featuring electronic acts Polo & Pan, Big Gigantic and DJ Pee .Wee aka Anderson .Paak (all-vinyl set), additional support for Après at The Amp concerts will include Haasy, Lewis OfMan and Alana English. Tickets will go on sale February 24 at 9 a.m. MST.
Since opening in 1987, The Amp in Vail has established a reputation as a premier outdoor entertainment venue in the Colorado Rocky Mountains each summer. But now, thanks to funding from the Town of Vail and Vail Resorts and the venue’s partnership with AEG Presents, The Amp will be opening its doors in early April for the first time.
“The Vail Valley Foundation is honored to receive this funding & support and is looking forward to continuing to work with both the Town of Vail and Vail Resorts for many years to come to bring world-class experiences to the community – as it has for over 30 years,” said Dave Dressman, Vice President of The Amp with the Vail Valley Foundation. “We expect many memories and new traditions to be made at Vail’s Après at The Amp concerts this April and for years to come.”
In early December, both the Town of Vail and Vail Resorts approved $250,000 in total funding to support the Vail Valley Foundation to de-winterize the ~2,800-person venue and bring yet another unique experience to the community and its visitors.
Through the Vail Valley Foundation’s partnership with AEG Presents – the premier concert promoter in the Rocky Mountain region– Polo & Pan and Big Gigantic will headline Après at The Amp this April with high-energy performances. Polo & Pan, headlining April 7, are a French duo with a style that incorporates a mixture of house-electronic music influenced by tropical sounds and music from all over the world. Big Gigantic, headlining April 8, is a popular instrumental electronic hip-hop and jazz musical duo out of Boulder with hits including “All of Me,” “Get On Up” and more. DJ Pee .Wee, the assumed persona of Anderson .Paak, crafts setlists of multi-genre hits from the ’70s to the 2000s covering funk, soul, classic house dance, 80’s pop, rock, disco, hip-hop and R&B. DJ Pee .Wee will be performing an all-vinyl set at Après at The Amp.
In order to open the outdoor amphitheater in April, the venue will undergo snow removal operations, electrical and water line adjustments, and other measures to create a safe and memorable experience for all concert-goers.
It’s been an amazing 60th anniversary season at Vail Mountain so far. Après at The Amp concerts are part of the Vail Après Spring Series and will be a celebration where memories are made, and traditions begin.
Après at The Amp lineup & schedule
Friday, April 7
- 4:30 p.m.: Gates open
- 5:30-6:15 p.m.: Haasy
- 6:30-7:40 p.m.: Lewis OfMan
- 8:15-10 p.m.: Polo & Pan
Saturday, April 8
- 4:30 p.m.: Gates open
- 5:30-6:15 p.m.: Alana English
- 6:30-7:40 p.m.: DJ Pee .Wee (Anderson .Paak)
- 8:15-10 p.m.: Big Gigantic
General Admission tickets to each night of Après at The Amp are $89.50-$99.50.
A ‘bucket list’ venue
The Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater opened in 1987 with an opening ceremony attended by its namesake, 38th President of the United States of America Gerald R. Ford and his wife, Betty Ford – as well as Bob Hope, Dolores Hope and many other luminaries and Vail pioneers. Willie Nelson headlined the first concert at the venue in 1987.
Over the years, the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater has hosted big names in rock, country and bluegrass while also serving as home base for the Vail Dance Festival; the free Hot Summer Nights concert series; Bravo! Vail classical music festival; and other community events including graduations and Colorado Ski & Snowboard Hall of Fame ceremonies.
Notable artists to come through the venue over the years include Carlos Santana, Bob Dylan, Trey Anastasio, Phil Lesh, Lindsey Stirling, Primus, Robert Plant, Steve Martin & Martin Short, Sebastian Maniscalco and many, many more.
About the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater
Each summer, the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail plays host to an array of cultural and entertainment offerings, ranging from headliner music and comedy, to internationally renowned dance and classical music presentations, courtesy of the Vail Dance Festival and the Bravo! Vail Music Festival, to the free weekly concerts of the Hot Summer Nights series. In addition, local chorale and theater presentations annually grace the Amphitheater stage. The venue, named after President Gerald R. Ford and family, opened in 1987, and is operated by the nonprofit Vail Valley Foundation.
About the Vail Valley Foundation
The Vail Valley Foundation is a 501c3 Colorado nonprofit corporation with a mission to provide leadership in Arts, Athletics and Education, and address community needs to enhance our Valley as a place to live, work and visit.
The organization’s work in education is through YouthPower365, a 501c3 Colorado nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire, educate and empower youth and families from early childhood to college and career readiness. The Vail Valley Foundation also provides the Vail Valley with several of its most treasured annual events, such as the GoPro Mountain Games, the Xfinity Birds of Prey Audi FIS Ski World Cup races, the Vail Dance Festival, and the Hot Summer Nights and ShowDown Town free concert series. The Vail Valley Foundation also manages and operates two performing arts centers, the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek Village and the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater in Vail, providing more than 100 Broadway, dance, comedy, classical, rock, pop, jazz, community and family events per year.
Vail Valley Foundation activities and events are in part made possible by cornerstone partners: the Town of Vail, Vail Resorts, Beaver Creek Resort Company, Nature Valley, Constellation Brands, CELSIUS Energy, TINCUP Whiskey, and Slifer Smith & Frampton Real Estate.
To learn more about the Vail Valley Foundation visit www.vvf.org.