For those in the know, the Fort Collins house show scene has been a hidden gem of the music community for years. Never staying in one place for long, and existing under names like Hotel Hillcrest, Planetarium, and Mouse House, local musicians have found a way to host small concerts and gatherings outside the traditional venues. These shows have flown under the radar for most people, rarely drawing enough attention to become an issue for neighbors or city officials. It has been the respectful nature of attendees that allowed residents to be trusting enough to open their homes to dozens of strangers for live music.
Nestled in a cozy corner of Fort Collins off East Mulberry, The Sun Spot is that place for the current Fort Collins scene. Now celebrating their third anniversary and a runner-up for Best New Venue at the FoCoMA Awards, The Sun Spot’s staying power has made it the best-kept open secret in northern Colorado music.
Founded by friends Annalee Knies and Geneva Hein of the Fort Collins indie pop band autumnal, Sun Spot started as all good things do: as a party. “We graduated high school in 2020, we never got a senior prom,” said Knies, “But we both had our prom dresses already just sitting in the closet. And so in 2023, we kinda came up with the idea of throwing our senior prom that we never had.”
Darren Hein, Geneva’s father, suggested having music. “And so that was our first show, and we didn’t have the stage yet,” said Knies. “It was just the wrestling mats in the corner, and we had everyone dress up, and we had a DJ. It was a lot of fun.”
Following that, fellow autumnal member Justice Murray and some friends threw Knies a surprise birthday show, and with Darren’s blessing, the concept of house venue materialized. A woodworker and carpenter by trade, Darren had already built out their garage to dampen the sounds of his work. “I never expected to really have music in it, which is pretty cool,” said Darren. “I made a bunch of soundproofing insulation inside the walls, and evidently it turned out really well for the music as well.”
Seeing the potential of the space, and having frequented other house shows in Fort Collins, Geneva and Knies enlisted friends from the local scene and began hosting small, invite-only shows. These concerts grew more frequest as their popularity increased, and Geneva’s parents stayed on board, in no small part due to the goodwill and respect shown by audiences.
“We’ve done a really good job of curating the right kind of crowd,” said Geneva. “We rarely have to ask anyone to correct their behavior. Most of the time, everybody is just super kind and grateful and we’ve tried really hard to make that the expectation.”
“Yeah, I’ll say that when I was their age in the 90s, I would go to house shows, and it just seemed like chaos,” said Darren. “If it was an outside house show on a farm or in a barn, it was chaos, with mud fights, and wrestling, and stupid people getting into fights. Of course, this was Iowa, too. But we don’t have to worry about crowd control or chaos, except for that last Clementine show where we had 200 people show up.”
While hosting the shows, autumnal began hitting the road regularly as well, connecting with other DIY spaces and bands. As their network grew, they offered The Sun Spot to touring bands passing through Colorado.
“Touring so much with autumnal, we definitely get to see a wide spectrum of skill in the DIY house venue scene,” said Geneva. “It’s very interesting to get to pick and choose the favorite aspects that we find in other DIY spaces that we’ve seen across the country, and try to culminate the best vibe.”
This led to more shows and more investment in the space. Darren and his wife Heather began new home projects with the shows in mind, including installing a fire pit and replacing part of the back yard with gravel to keep people from tracking mud into the house. Then in 2025, while autumnal was on tour, Darren built a full stage in the garage.
Now hitting three years in, the autumnal crew and Hein family have no intention of stopping. Between careers, the touring schedule, and everyday responsibilities, operating Sun Spot has become not just a job but an important part of their lives.
“We’ve got a pretty full, functioning staff of six people,” said Knies. “But I honestly think that that’s what makes it so possible for us to have such a polished space. Each of us is able to try to dedicate a good amount of time to each aspect of the house without it getting overwhelming for any of us.”
To celebrate three years of music on May 9, The Sun Spot is hosting Sun Spot Fest, featuring a second stage in the backyard (built by Darren) and ten bands throughout the day. The second stage will also mark The Sun Spot’s expansion from house venue to event space, with plans that could include yoga sessions and drag events.
Whatever the future holds for this intimate space, seeing a show at The Sun Spot is a truly organic artistic experience, made possible by the hard work and care of a dedicated family and crew, along with some very cool neighbors.
“One of my new neighbors, like, four or five houses down the way, was in my backyard,” said Darren. “I had to ask him, ‘what brings you here?’ He’s like, ‘my brother’s in the band!”’
