Ask any musician about Red Rocks Amphitheater and you are usually met with rave reviews and wishes to get a chance to play there someday. That someday came earlier than expected for Radio Fluke, a Denver-based band with roots in Vail.
Radio Fluke is comprised of three Eagle County natives who all went to Battle Mountain High School. Michael Evans was in the Class of 2015, Blake Peterson was in the Class of 2017 and Kingston Lindner was in the Class of 2018. Inheriting a love of music from close friends or family members, they individually found opportunities to play for the first time within the valley, whether that was at après ski gigs or local sports events.
“We met in high school, and I was busy playing soccer and basketball, Blake was the lead snare in drum line and Michael was a high academic achiever and student council member,” recalls Lindner.
“What brought us three together was show choir during Michael’s senior and my freshman year. Throughout that year we did all the musicals as well as choir trips together and started to cultivate friendships, but we didn’t form the band at this time,” Lindner said.
Evans headed off to college and the summer after Lindner graduated, he and Peterson decided to record a bunch of covers with friends and talented singers from the valley and upload them to YouTube.
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“With those videos generating a musical connection between Blake and I, we decided to continue on this path and form a band. But we needed a bass player and the only one the both of us could think of was Michael,” Lindner said. “It took some convincing, but Michael finally said yes.”
Now all they needed was a guitarist and it just so happened that Lindner met Caleb Rockenbach, a native of Manitou Springs, Colorado, at a college party on the first night of school. The four of them formed their own sound and Radio Fluke was born. They were able to record one EP before the pandemic, and once everyone moved back home to the Vail Valley, they recorded another EP and a debut album. Since then, the boys have moved back to Denver and have been cutting their teeth in the city’s music scene, playing several dozen shows over the past few years.
So, how did they land a gig at Red Rocks?
“Caleb heard about an opportunity to take part in the Colorado Native’s Sundown Throwdown contest sponsored by Molson Coors in a Westword magazine article and casually mentioned it to the group and said we should apply. So, we submitted an application along with 60-plus other bands and ended up being one of the top 10 bands selected for the online voting phase,” Lindner said.
With the help of friends and fans, they moved on to the top three round, which was a proper battle of the bands format with the grand prize being performing a set a Red Rocks before the final Film On The Rocks of the summer.
“We put together our best 15 minute-set, brought a huge crowd and rocked the house and won,” Lindner said.
The news of their win filled the band with shock, joy and even some tears of happiness.
“It has been a dream for each of us since we were young and to have it finally coming true and way earlier than we expected was unbelievable,” Lindner said. “To play at Red Rocks is something most musicians aspire to do but few achieve, so to play at the legendary venue will be surreal and life-affirming.”
Lindner describes Radio Fluke as a true rock band, blending all types of rock n’ roll from classic and the blues, to garage and indie and even some of the jam music that is so popular in Colorado. Look for a high energy show that will get you up and moving. Through their music, Radio Fluke strives to create a tightly connected community that bonds over a shared love of the magic of sound. With two brand new singles out now, “Blue Light” and “Fade Away” and an album slated for this fall, the band is well poised for their Red Rocks debut on August 19.
“The set we have planned consists of all our favorites, so it’s bound to be an amazing time,” Lindner said. To get tickets and support these Eagle County natives, go to RedRocksOnline.com/Events and search for Film on the Rocks on Monday, Aug. 19. The film that night is “Mad Max: Fury Road.” Gates open at 6:30 p.m., Radio Fluke will perform at 7 p.m. and the movie will start at 8:30 p.m.
