Not that Denver has no talent. Denver has NO GIGS. There's therefore no upside to doing it right. You can't "play out" without paying handsomely for the privilege. All those urban planners, dentists, and lawyers can afford all that cool Custom Shop gear, state-of-the-art digital PA, and computerized recording for their soundproofed basement rec room rehearsal space....
But it is still true that you can make a small fortune playing live in Denver, if you start with a big one.