MORRISON, Colo.—Mitt Romney isn't a rock star, but on Tuesday night, he was treated like one.
The Republican presidential nominee attracted nearly 12,000 people—easily one of his biggest crowds ever—at a rally held at one of the most famous concert venues in the country: the Red Rocks Amphitheater built into the Rocky Mountains outside Denver.
The historic open-air venue has hosted some of the more memorable performances in the annals of rock and roll, including a 1983 concert that marked the first time many Americans had heard of a then little-known Irish band called U2.
While Romney did not arrive on stage with the flash and showmanship of Bono, the GOP nominee, who was introduced by his running mate, Rep. Paul Ryan, elicited a reaction from the crowd that could have rivaled those received by any modern day pop star. Packed high into the nosebleed seats running high along the sandstone cliffs that were illuminated by blue lights and the now familiar "R" of the Romney campaign logo, people jumped to their feet and screamed at the sight of the GOP nominee.