Opened from September 1967 to July 1968, it is regarded as a seminal music venue[1] that launched Denver on its trajectory to its current status as a major concert destination by introducing never-before-seen acts like The Doors, Van Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Cream, Buffalo Springfield, Janis Joplin, Chuck Berry, as well as the Grateful Dead's first performances in the state of Colorado in 1967.

The Family Dog is also seen as a cultural turning point in Denver from the conservative, western-minded sensibility of the early and mid-20th century to the current, liberal-minded climate.

[3] The venue's history, surrounding drama and ultimate impact had been largely unknown and unrealized until it was unearthed and detailed for the first time in the 2021 documentary The Tale of the Dog,[4][5] produced and directed by Dan Obarski & Scott Montgomery[6] and distributed by Cinedigm.

[9] Beginning in the early 1960s there had also been a folk music scene, led by Harry Tuft at the Denver Folklore Center,[10] who brought in the likes of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Judy Collins.

In early 1967, Barry and Cynthia Fey, who had been booking concert acts like The Association, Alice Cooper and Eric Burdon at the University of Denver, flew with his wife to San Francisco to meet with Chet Helms, co-owner (with Bob Cohen) of Family Dog Productions.

At that time Helms was a primary figure in the San Francisco hippie scene, with his Family Dog Productions running the legendary Avalon Ballroom, where he cultivated acts like the Grateful Dead, the Jefferson Airplane, and Janis Joplin and Big Brother and the Holding Company.

The goal of the Be-In, in addition to generating interest in the Family Dog Denver, was to organize an event around the common sentiments of that time, including peace, love and brotherhood.

Using a theremin as their primary instrument, and subsequently being sponsored by Robert Moog, inventor of the synthesizer, Lothar and the Hand People took top billing over The Doors and Captain Beefheart when they played the Family Dog Denver for the first time in 1967.

[15] Due to a combination of pressure from the city and miss-management of funds by the venue, by December 1967, after four months in operation, Family Dog Productions left Denver.

After a brief closure, the Feys reopened the Dog and ran it themselves, bringing in acts like Cream, The Byrds Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin.