Meet Rick Christensen | MUSIC VENUE

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rick Christensen and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rick, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
One of my favorite things in life is live music. When the Mesa came up for sale I decided to take a chance and start my own music venue:

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Hello! Thanks for reaching out! On the surface me (Rick) and my business partner (Brett Strong) own and operate a Music Venue (Mesa Theater) located in the Historic Downtown district of Grand Junction, Colorado. BUT in addition to booking, promoting, operating and producing events in the modest 850 capacity club – We also produce events in most of the Venues in the market, this includes dive bars boasting less than 100 capacity to Amphitheaters just short of 5,000 capacity. Promoting anything from small independent artists to the industries leading performers.

We gained notoriety in the market at Mesa Theater after Brett purchased it in late 2015, the previous owner(s) had left the reputation of the building and town in shambles. Opening in January 2016 with Big Head Todd and The Monsters we focused on getting bands and artists possibly too large for the market – Many acts would perform at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater either before or after their stop at Mesa.

Being 4 hours west of Denver and approximately 4 hours east of Salt Lake City, Utah, we saw many opportunities to use the convenience of location – picking up bands on their way to or from Utah, New Mexico, Denver, Arizona, and Nevada selling the market as a “Gas Stop” to help diversify and expand the market.

After 8 years the core group has remained ultimately the same: from myself as the operating GM and Booking, our Production Manager Rob Woltjer, and many staff including bartenders that have been here since the day we opened. Employing many staff that have felt like they “grew up in the venue” that are loyal down to the brick and mortar of the building originally opened as an opera house in 1894. Going through many renovations and changes it has ultimately always been a home to entertainment from the silent film era to one of the first Movie theaters in Colorado to include sound! Before becoming a music venue, going through a handful of owner and management structures throughout the years.

After building a reputation and reporte with bands, artists, management, agency’s we established ourselves to the point of needing larger venues. With our eclectic style of booking events we’ve had events with anything from Swedish Death Metal bands to Animal based Magic shows to everything in between including; hip hop/Rap, Jazz, Country, Rock, Comedy, Films, classical, Magicians and just about anything you could imagine.

On one night in particular we had The Beach Boys performing to 4K Patrons at The Las Colonias Amphitheater, 1500 Patrons watching Corey Taylor (of Metal Band SLIPKNOT fame) at Grand Junction Convention Center (Two Rivers Convention Center at the time) to hundreds watching a “Hillbilly” Comedian at Mesa Theater – Pre-Covid we were also producing events in venues in across the front range and western Slope of Colorado, in Wyoming, New Mexico, and Utah. in addition to starting R&B Sound Reinforcement (a backline company providing musical equipment and expertise to other events!

Covid proved to be a defining moment – refusing to call it a day, we doubled down and remodeled and improved the theater with what money we did have and scrounge up. Creating T-shirt’s and merchandise to stay alive while being forced closed – grand Junction as whole working with the OVG group whom operates The GJ Convention Center, Las Colonias Amphitheater and Avalon Theatre lead by Maria Rainsdon we put together some of the first events in the country including 1000k+ socially distanced at the amphitheater! working along wit the health department and OSHA to create procedures in the event of an outbreak. We became some of the first venues to reopen in 2020 and 2021

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Downtown would be the spot hit up Suehiro’s Japanese restaurant for the best “no coast” sushi in existence, among many other restaurants that are considerably above par in most communities, including the Speakeasy-esque MOODY’s, Mexican Restaurant MARIA’s for Margaritas and Chimichanga’s, Pablo’s or Junct Square for a Slice, Bin 707, The Winery, Rood 626, the Bistro for fine dining or Tacoparty, or Smoking CEO for a unique food experience.

Shop some of the downtown staples that have been here for decades including Triple Play Records, JB Hart Music, or one of the many Bike or antique shops

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Rick Christensen and Jeni Strong.

Website: https://mesatheater.com

Instagram: @mesa_theater

Twitter: @mesatheater

Facebook: @mesatheater

Youtube: @mesatheater6671