In this episode of The Bear Roars, Dan sits down with Don Strasburg—President of AEG Presents—for a conversation about the evolution of Colorado’s live music scene, entrepreneurship, and the enduring power of shared experiences.
Don reflects on his unlikely journey from Grateful Dead-obsessed college student to one of the country’s most influential concert promoters. He shares how bringing Phish to Colorado College sparked a career, why opening the Fox Theatre at just 22 years old became the foundation for everything that followed.
They explore the rise of Colorado as a national music destination, the creation of legendary venues like the Fox Theatre, Fillmore Auditorium, and Mission Ballroom, and how AEG grew from a challenger with no market share to the leading concert promoter at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. Along the way, Don shares behind-the-scenes stories of artists like Sublime, Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Coldplay, John Fogerty, and Willie Nelson, while reflecting on the risks, setbacks, and persistence required to build a lasting business.
Learn more about AEG Presents: https://www.aegpresents.com/
Order Dan’s Book – Bandwidth: The Untold Story of Ambition, Deception, and Innovation that Shaped the Internet Age and Dot-Com Boom: https://dan-caruso.com/book
Listen to Dan’s song Stretch: https://distrokid.com/hyperfollow/dancaruso/stretch
Check out music by Jason Mendelson (Jace Allen): https://www.youtube.com/@jaceallen
To nominate a founder or yourself as a future guest speaker, email: contact@loudbearproductions.com