PEAK TO PEAK — Twenty-five years ago, the entire world halted at once. Millions of people collectively shared a waking nightmare watching the Twin Towers collapse. Still, on September 11, 2001, everyone somehow had to keep moving, despite the soul-crushing weight of the day.
Across the United States, flights locked down, plans upended, and people moved from moment to moment frantically figuring out next steps. Despite the panic and chaos, some shows scheduled for that day, metaphorical and literal, did go on. Jazz musician Mark Diamond played at one of those shows.
“I was booked for, geez, I don’t know, maybe a year in advance for this big, international corporation,” recalled Diamond in a 2025 interview for The Mountain-Ear. “There was a big event planned, with people from many, many countries all over the world in Denver for this gathering, and the world crumbled that morning.”
The corporation booked the Downtown Aquarium, then known as Colorado’s Ocean Journey, as their venue for the international event. With flights grounded and no one able to get in or out of the country, return plans made no difference.
“I’m on the phone with the event coordinator and the various people, and we’re all like, ‘What do we do? This is crazy,’” recalled Diamond. “They decided to have the event — the food was made, everything was in place, so everybody gathered at the Denver Aquarium. Instead of being festive, as it was planned, it was quite somber.”
All anyone could think about were the thousands killed and thousands more injured in a coordinated attack marking a major historical and political turning point. Still, as they say, the band played on.
“We’re off playing in the corner, and it’s kind of like the Alfred Hitchcock movie 'The Birds,'” said Diamond. “People were just talking about the world and what just happened, and one person stood in front of the band and started just watching and listening to the music.
“Within a minute or two, a couple other people gathered,” he continued, “and within a few minutes, we had this group of thirty or forty people just standing and half-circling around the band.
“I remember distinctly playing a song that I love, called ‘Here’s That Rainy Day,'” and while we were playing this song, people of all skin shades and various clothes from around the world were standing shoulder to shoulder.
“It just showed me how the music had such purpose in that moment. Maybe for only five minutes, we all weren’t thinking about that the World Trade Centers had just collapsed. I always knew music served a purpose, but it was just so extra-evident in that moment that day.”
The last 25 years have been some of the most divisive in history. Everyone knew the world changed that day and would never feel as safe, certain, or even connected. Still, somehow, even if only for a moment, a small piece of the world united through the joy and humanity of music.
