Five‑time Grammy Award–winner and Academy Award–winning composer, singer, songwriter, and bandleader Jon Batiste will launch the Colorado leg of his highly anticipated The Big Money Tour: Jon Batiste Plays America with back‑to‑back performances at two of the state’s most iconic outdoor venues this September.
On Wednesday, September 3, Batiste brings his virtuosic solo‑piano explorations and genre‑spanning repertoire to the Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater (530 S. Frontage Rd. E, Vail, CO). The celebration continues the very next night—Thursday, September 4—at the world‑renowned Red Rocks Amphitheatre (18300 W. Alameda Pkwy, Morrison, CO), where Batiste’s dynamic ensemble will transform the sandstone coliseum into their own boundless musical playground.
Batiste’s latest project, Beethoven Blues (Batiste Piano Series, Vol. 1), released November 2024 via Verve/Interscope, reimagines Beethoven’s masterworks through the lens of the blues—imbuing each movement with fresh rhythmic vitality while honoring the composer’s indomitable spirit. Critics have hailed the album as a brilliant fusion of classical integrity and Batiste’s open‑armed inclusivity (New York Times), and it marks the inaugural installment of his ambitious solo‑piano series.
The pianist’s recent achievements further underscore his artistic versatility. His innovative score for Jason Reitman’s feature Saturday Night, underscored live on set in October 2024, marries jazz, classical, and contemporary textures to conjure the frenetic energy of SNL’s 1975 debut. Batiste also earned an Academy Award nomination (and multiple Grammy nods) for the song “It Never Went Away,” co‑written with Dan Wilson for Matthew Heineman’s Netflix documentary American Symphony.
Batiste’s career milestones include serving as bandleader for The Late Show with Stephen Colbert (2015–2022); winning five Grammys—including Album of the Year for We Are (2021), which made history with eleven nominations; and earning an Academy Award, Golden Globe, BAFTA, NAACP Image Award, and Critics’ Choice Award for co‑composing Pixar’s Soul (2020) alongside Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.
With The Big Money Tour, Batiste invites audiences across America to join him in a musical odyssey that stretches from Bach and Beethoven to blues, jazz, hip‑hop, and beyond. Don’t miss this chance to experience one of today’s most inventive performers at two of Colorado’s most treasured venues.
TICKETS ON SALE TUESDAY, MAY 20 AT 10 AM MT
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2025
Gerald R. Ford Amphitheater
530 S. Frontage Rd. E, Vail, CO
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2025
Red Rocks Amphitheatre
18300 W. Alameda Pkwy, Morrison, CO
Presented by AEG Presents
