The first snow has fallen in Denver, which means the Red Rocks concert season is almost over. I try to go to as many Red Rocks concerts as I can throughout the summer because it’s such a beautiful venue. Aside from music and scenery, I love checking out the concert poster designs that bands sell at the merch tents. Below, I’ve highlighted my favorite Red Rocks concert poster designs of 2018:

Notice the contrasting colors and psychedelic flow of this poster. The natural, textured strokes add to its hippie vibe. Design by James Flames for Conscious Alliance.

This is one of the few 2018 Red Rocks concert poster designs that doesn’t incorporate the rocks. It’s hard to look away from this one because there’s so much detail to be explored. The swirling sky and organic forms of the figure provide the perfect contrast to the sharp lines of the glitch effects and text areas. This piece is part of a diptych designed by Christian Jaxtheimer for Conscious Alliance.

Ryan Adams is one of my favorite musicians and I always see him when he’s at Red Rocks. I love the contrasting colors, shapes and textures in this retro design by Ivan Minsloff. And, of course, there’s a cat.

The bright, limited palette draws the eyes in and the small pops of white make it shine. The composition and thoughtful brush strokes work in harmony with the clean typeface. Design by Victor Mosquera.

This is another one from a diptych of posters for Ween’s two nights at Red Rocks this year. Like many of the other designs, this one combines organic and geometric shapes to great effect. I also love the halftone that provides texture and shading. Design by Jeff Soto.

Great use of contrasting colors. The strokes give the poster energy and move your eyes around the composition. The texture also makes it feel like a print from an actual press, rather than a digital print. Design by James R. Eads for Conscious Alliance.

Contact me on Twitter @thebenhock to tell me what your favorite concert posters were from the past year.