Mission Ballroom Officially Opens In Denver: 'This Is Our Dream'

DENVER (CBS4) - It took nearly a decade to plan, design and build Colorado's newest music venue, but great things are worth the wait.

"We've built something that this town, I believe, has never seen,"  AEG Presents Rocky Mountain CEO Chuck Morris said.

Wednesday marked the grand opening of the Mission Ballroom located in Denver's RiNo Arts District, with Denver-based band The Lumineers kicking off the venue's shows. Mission Ballroom is a 60,000 square foot music lover's dream – a state-of-the-art venue that can hold nearly 4,000 fans with not a bad seat in the house.

"There's no blocking of sight lines," Morris explained. "There aren't any pillars or curtains to block the view. One of the great things about it, the last seat in the house, the distance from the stage, is probably like the lower level of the Pepsi Center."

Another favorite feature, Morris told CBS4's Kelly Werthmann, is the entire stage can move to adapt to a show's size. He said that creates a better experience for both fans and bands.

"We can move it to have half a house and have it look sold out," he said. "It's been done in other places, but never in Colorado."

Hours before the doors opened, fans began lining up outside. Dave Arnold made sure to be the first one there.

"I'm super stoked," he said. "The fact that they put so much thought into it from a concert-goer's perspective, that's what really drew me to the venue."

Once inside, people couldn't help but smile and be amazed.

"It's gorgeous," Julian Bowman said of the venue. "I was actually blown away right when I walked in. I really like the neon lights and everything. It's really cool."

Nate Dennis and Cyndi Morse were so amped for the grand opening they drove all the way from St. Louis.

"It's a great band, it's a great town, it's a great venue," Dennis said.

"We were excited to be here for the first night to see The Lumineers at the Mission Ballroom, so we had to come," Morse added.

It's the kind of excitement that makes the Mission Ballroom fell like Mission: Accomplished.

"This is our dream," Morris said.

There are 80 shows already booked at the Mission Ballroom through the end of the year, including Steve Miller Band, Weezer, Bastille, and more. For ticket information, visit: www.missionballroom.com.