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The Tale of the Dog: The Untold Story of Denver's Greatest Music Venue. The Family Dog Denver, 1967-1968

The Tale of the Dog unearths, for the first time, the lost story of the origins of Denver’s transformation to its modern identity as a hip city. This 109-minute documentary film charts the struggles and triumphs of a pioneering hippie rock club trying to establish a foothold in Denver, and of the police, parents and city, who were frightened of it and determined to shut it down.

Open from September 8, 1967, through July 19, 1968, the Family Dog brought to Denver, for the first time, such legendary bands as the Grateful Dead, the Doors, Cream, Chuck Berry, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, and Canned Heat. It also hosted one of the era’s greatest psychedelic light shows – Diogenes Lantern Works. Along with this came original art from the world-renowned psychedelic poster artists, who did posters for the shows.

The Family Dog Denver was special because it was more than a rock club. It was a cultural hub – a landmark psychedelic outpost of the hippie counterculture. As such, it became the flashpoint for the cultural conflicts of the late 1960s, as the self-described cow town grappled with the new hippie phenomenon. Told firsthand by the people who were there, The Tale of the Dog weaves together tales of the astounding psychedelic poster art made for the venue, the bands that played, the rise of Denver’s counterculture, and its conflicts with the police. The Tale of the Dog unearths a mysterious yet transformative moment in Denver’s history and its place in the greater history of rock music, poster art, and the watershed cultural changes of the Sixties.

  • Dan Obarski
    Director
  • Scott Montgomery
    Director
  • Dan Obarski
    Writer
  • Scott Montgomery
    Writer
  • Dan Obarski
    Producer
  • Scott Montgomery
    Producer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary
  • Genres:
    Music, history, Denver, rock & roll, psychedelic, poster art, art history, 1960s, hippies, counterculture, 1967, 1968, 1969
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 39 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    January 31, 2020
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • University of Denver
    Denver, CO
    United States
    February 22, 2020
    World Premiere
  • Indiedance Film Festival - Best Feature Documentary - Silver Award
    Los Angeles
    United States
  • Indiedance Film Festival - Best Producers - Silver Award
  • Reykjavik Visions International Film Festival - Best Music Feature
  • The NewsFest Film Festival - Best First Filmmakers Award
  • Mile High International Film Festival - Best US Documentary
  • Rocky Mountain International Film Festival - Best US Documentary
  • Spotlight Documentary Film Awards - Gold
  • Kosice International Monthly Film Festival - Feature Documentary Finalist
  • Southeastern International Film and Music Festival - Semi Finalist
  • Easter Europe Internal Film Festival Warsaw Edition - Official Nominee
  • Doc N' Roll Film Festival London - Official Selection
  • Boulder Film and Brew Festival - Official Selection
  • Rockfest Film festival - Official Nominee
  • Jocunda Music, Film and theater Festival - Official Selection
  • LogCinema Music Festival - Official Selection
Distribution Information
  • Cineverse
    Distributor
Director - Dan Obarski, Scott Montgomery