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The scene in Gondola Square on Saturday reminded me a little of the Three Stooges classic, "Three Sappy People."

In the film, Larry, Moe and Curly are housepainters arriving at an office building to do a job. Ominously, Curly is carrying a large ladder over his shoulder. The Stooges arrive at the office they are to paint, and Curly carelessly pokes one end of the ladder through the frosted glass of the office door.

"You puddin' head!" Larry exclaims. "Why don't you look where you're going?" Curly turns to look at the broken door glass and swings the other end of the ladder right through a glass water cooler.

"Now look what you did!" Moe shouts. Ever obedient, Curly turns once more to regard the shattered cooler, and Moe gets the ladder right in the crotch. You can guess what Moe does to Curly. Nyuk, nyuk, nyuk.

I didn't see any slapstick comedy in Gondola Square during the free concert Saturday. But I did watch a guy with skis over his shoulder swing them one way, and then the other as music fans ducked to get out of harm's way. And this little scene unfolded despite the best efforts of Steamboat Ambassadors to coax skiers walking through the crowded square to take their boards off of their shoulders.

The crowd that turned out to see Derek Trucks made it as plain as blues played in the key of E on Saturday afternoon: the public facilities at the base of Mount Werner are in need of the thoughtful redesign currently being undertaken by the city of Steamboat Springs.

Trucks, in case you missed the show, is an innovative young rock guitarist who fronts his own band when he isn't out touring with the legendary Allman Brothers Band.

It was the Derek Trucks Band that attracted the largest crowd I've ever seen jammed into Gondola Square during the weekend. The music was everything one could have asked for, and the crowd was in a "love your brother, love your sister" benign mood that kept everything light. But there was a minor problem.

The Headwall ski trail funnels skiers and snowboarders coming off the mountain through Gondola Square at the end of the day. After clicking out of their bindings, they must walk through the square, skis in hand, to get to the transit center.

On Saturday, that simple act of clomping through the square in one's ski boots was borderline impossible. The crowd enjoying the concert was shoulder to shoulder, and there was no walking lane for people headed for the transit center.

I can't fault the organizers -- the stage is set up just right so neither the musicians nor the audience has to squint into the sun, yet the last light of the day warms the crowd.

Gondola Square was so packed Saturday -- the crowd might have numbered 3,000 -- that there were people watching from the short staircase that leads from the square to the deck at Bear River. The deck itself was mobbed, and I could even see people crowded against the upper railing near the Sheraton swimming pool.

This hasn't been a problem during the Steamboat Ski Area's Bud Light concert series in the past because the crowds, although enthusiastic, have been modest in size. Placing the stage near the traffic pattern ensured that skiers coming off the mountain were exposed to the music and, in many cases, they took their skis off their shoulders and enjoyed a couple of songs, even if they ultimately were intent on getting back to their condominium and the hot tub.

This year has been different. Concert organizers have booked some great acts and lucked into some spectacular weather. And that's a good thing. The crowd Saturday, and one nearly as large that turned out to hear Sam Bush pick his fiery mandolin Feb. 27, clearly demonstrated the potential the ski area base has to be a vibrant gathering place every weekend.

The Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp. has brought out the portable climbing wall and "bungee trampoline" it typically employs in summer to liven up Gondola Square ahead of schedule this year. Both attractions were busy during the concert. I'm sure they added a little cash flow to the day's receipts. But I have to think the goal is more about providing engaging activities for 12-year-olds so they'll insist their parents bring them back to Steamboat again next year. Ideal venues for all of these things -- pedestrian thoroughfares, outdoor music stages, beer gardens, bratwurst stands and bungee trampolines, need to be planned out carefully as we recreate our resort base as an attractive place for residents and visitors during the next 30 to 40 years.