Decadence Dazzles Denver With Yet Another Stacked Lineup

Decadence returns for its eleventh year of world-class, show-stopping acts stacking Denver’s Colorado Convention Center from the street to the top of that Blue Bear. As always Global Dance, Denver-based event production company, does not disappoint.

For years Decadence has delivered on its claim of, “America's biggest electronic New Years celebration. The event spans December 30th and 31st, offering artists across the Bass and Dance sub-genres of Electronic Dance Music.

This year is no different bringing an even spread across bass and dance. The heavy hitters and veterans of sub-sounds Grammy-winning Skrillex, Illenium, Zeds Dead, Subtronics, as well as the newer acts Ganja White Night, Of The Trees, Mersiv, and DEATHPACT will be in attendance.

The senior class of dance artists of this two-night soiree include Steve Aoki, Cosmic Gate, Fisher, Galantis, as well as the freshman and sophomore classes Sofi Tukker, John Summit, Two Friends, and Malaa, among others.

Tickets are still available and can be purchased here. Check the Decadence website for venue and travel information, rules of what you can bring in, and with no doubt, there will be folks who don’t bring a jacket but there is a coat check, so don’t sacrifice your health for the fit and bring your jacket!

Over the River and Through the Woods: Vertex Festival Dominates Their First Year

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Brace yourself for a whole lot of FOMO: True to it’s namesake, the first annual(?) Vertex Festival epitomized the term’s definition of “a coming together” by melding a unique community of people with music and camping – a true celebration of all the things we love most about summer. Hosted at the Meadows Farm located within the awe-inspiring Arkansas River Valley, the Vertex website shares the story of former professional kayaker and developer Jed Selby, who bought the 274-acre Cottonwood Meadows Ranch in foreclosure in 2014 with aspirations of developing an annual festival in the open meadow. With major names like Madison House Presents and AEG Live Rocky Mountains on board as co-producers, that dream became a reality this past weekend.

After a stunning 3hr drive southwest from the metro Denver area, we were warmly welcomed by the striking panoramic views of Buena Vista. Although car searches for glass, knives, explosives, and Indian headdresses (luckily we left ours at home) did cause a little bit of a wait, it was nothing absurd, and we were the very first ones in line to enter the festival grounds on Friday morning. Finding our campsite was easy, and the lot sizes gave us plenty of room to spread out and enjoy the scenery.

There were plenty of bathrooms, water stations, showers, and a general store inside the campground that provided all the comforts of home. The festival even had a fully equipped beach known as the BeeVee Beach Club. It had chairs and umbrellas to sun-bathe in, funky on-duty life guards, and hosted a “beach party” every day from 11am-4pm.

Once we got settled and celebrated our arrival with a few libations, it was time to explore the festival grounds. We quickly spotted a favorite local vendor, Shakedown Street, was selling everything from Disco Biscuits dog tags to “Dope on a Rope” Soap amongst others selling their wares within the festival. We grabbed some fried avocado and pork nachos from Nacho Tacos and headed inside.

Immediately inside the gate was the “Creekside Bazaar,” which was bizarre indeed. There was a balloon house, chill zones, and cool little art installations including gnome homes and little keep sakes to take with you throughout the festival weekend. The smaller side stage, La Hacienda, was housed here and provided repose from the heavy bass and large crowds that were to come. To reach the two main stages, Cottonwood Parlor and Princeton Garden, we crossed “over the river and through the woods” to Long Meadow. In the middle of the meadow sat a giant shade tent that was serving local brews from Colorado’s own Oskar Blues amidst the scenic views and soaring tunes.

Perhaps our favorite part of this setting was “Robot Resurrection.” Created by artist Shane Evans, it was a 28ft tall, human-controlled, fire-shooting sculpture made from 95% airplane parts. Robot Resurrection symbolized what humans have become: lifeless metal robots. The artist’s hope was that the installation would inspire reflection upon oneself and be a reminder of the power we hold. Artist Evans statement about the piece was “we need to be reborn to resurrect and create our own system.” A very appropriate for all that Vertex is aiming to represent with their dynamic new take on festival scene.

Rather than boring you with a vague or overly extensive review of all the performances from Vertex, we’ve chosen to highlight our top 6 sets from the weekend. The festival’s lineup was as eclectic and diverse as the fans in attendance, something that we greatly appreciated. While smaller sets from artists like local Jaden Carlson, Houndmouth, Trout Steak Revival, and Ultra5280 friend Robert Delong were certainly impressive, these top 6 (in no particular order) still take the cake.

Top Performances from Vertex Festival 2016

Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals

Anderson .Paak has been taking over the music scene by force! His latest album Malibu was released in January and shortly afterwards he was signed to Dr. Dre’s record label, Aftermath Entertainment. He was also featured not once, not twice, but eight times on Dr. Dre’s critically acclaimed album Compton. The Paak-man took us away on a journey with straight-from-the-street intellectual poetry then pounded his way through our souls courtesy of his skills behind the drumkit.

Alabama Shakes

Brittany Howard is one of those people who radiates passion as soon as she steps on stage. Her songs include stories of love, struggle, wonder and bliss paired with her soulful guitar riffs that shake your bones to the core. The groups latest album, Sound In Color, is an album we feel will surely will go down in history. When Howard gets to singing “Give Me All Your Love," you really feel the hunger and desires in the lyrics.

Lettuce

As the only Funk band gracing the Vertex lineup, we had to include Lettuce. We’ve loved this band for a few years now, and for good reason: their sound mixes the essence of funk with psychedelic, bass heavy hip-hop thats sure to get your hips moving. Their stage posse during the festival included Nigel Hall, adding keyboards southern funky vocals to the mix as they played crowd favorites like “Phyllis” and “Do It Like You do”.

 

Odesza

Electronic music duo Harrison Mills and Clayton Knight sure have come a long way since we last saw them at SXSW in 2014. Two years ago they had fold out tables with black linens, and a minimal, lacking production when they crushed the IFC stage following Robert Delong. These days its a completely different story! They straight up stole the show with their elevated live beat performance paired with members of the Colorado Symphony and the University of Colorado Drumline energetically bouncing around on stage during songs like “Say My Name” and “IPlayYouListen."

Trey Anastasio Band

Phish frontman Trey Anastasio brought out his band for two unforgettable sets on the last night of the festival. A highlight was father-daughter duo Jeff and Natalie Cressman's performance. Jeff, a longstanding member of Santana’s horn section, alongside daughter Natalie, dominated a cover of Ana Tijoux’s “1977” known best from the TV series Breaking Bad. Cyro Baptista kept the beat via washboard as multitalented Jen Hartswick’s powerful voice echoed throughout the meadow during “Clint Eastwood” and “Dazed and Confused”.

The Show-Stopper: The Claypool Lennon Delirium

This duo put on a mind-bending performance. If Primus hadn’t gone on hiatus in 2016, or if Oysterhead had toured we may have never seen these two dynamic artists come together. This set was easily our favorite of the entire festival. After Lennon's band, The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger opened up for Primus, Claypool approached Lennon about doing a recording project and “next thing I know, he’s staying in my guesthouse, drinking my vino and banging on my drums."  Their ‘shroom and wine fueled time together produced the new psychedelic space-rock album Monolith of Phobos. Sean’s melodic/heavy mind-expanding style and Les’ distinctive punk-progressive/hard hitting funky bass is certainly a peculiar and other worldly collaboration; we love it. Our favorite songs from the set were “Cricket and the Genie”, “Mr. Wright”, and an absolutely magnificent cover of “In the Court of the Crimson King” by King Crimson. These two have a celestial existence on stage that you won’t be able to find anywhere else. We even spotted Trey Anastasio watching respectfully side stage.

We feel that Vertex was a huge success considering this was their first go here in the Rockies. They may not have received the turn out they were hoping for, but we're certain we're not the only ones raving after our weekend on Cottonwood Meadows Ranch. We've seen some amazing festivals come and go over the years here in Colorado, but we genuinely hope to see Vertex continue to generate the organic growth they’re looking for to keep this unique festival alive. We see big things in Vertex’s future, and we're beyond thankful to have been a part of (hopefully) many more festivals to come in the beautiful meadows of Buena Vista. Cheers, Vertex! We cannot wait for next year!

Click here for more photos from Vertex Festival 2016

Three Nights of String Cheese Brings Powerful Guests, Powerful Jams to Red Rocks

This past weekend the String Cheese Incident (SCI) took over Red Rocks for what's become an annual three-night event. This venue has become a home base for the Colorado band, allowing them to bring a variety of musicians to open up and sit in on their electrifying performances. This year, SCI brought out friends TAUK, Kamasi Washington and Hot Rize for each of their three shows. We were lucky enough to cover Saturday night with the sensational jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington.

photo credit: Andrew Rios/Ultra5280

When we heard Kamasi Washington was opening this Saturday we knew we couldn't miss it. The Los Angeles born-and-raised saxophonist/composer has been making waves in music after having collaborated with all sorts of artists like Herbie Hancock, Nas, Snoop Dogg, and, Thundercat. Most recently he conducted the strings section as well as holding down the saxophone for Kendrick Lamar’s latest album To Pimp A Butterfly. He was also selected to lead this years Super Jam at Bonnaroo along side local favorites Nathaniel Ratliff and the Night Sweats. His style of jazz has opened up a new window to reach out to new audiences who might not understand the complexities of the genre. Washington released a massive three hour long album last year appropriately named The Epic that was given excellent reviews from top critics.

photo credit: Andrew Rios/Ultra5280

For those who know and love String Cheese Incident, this show was an incredible showcase. Some of our favorites moments of the night were during songs like “Restless Wind”, “Best Feeling”, “Colorado Bluebird Sky”, “Sirens” and “Desert Dawn”. As we anticipated, Kamasi Washington sat in with the band during their rendition of John Coltrane’s “Impressions”, which carried into “I Want To Take You Higher” featuring Colorado’s very own Sheryl Renee.  Washington also sat in during the second set for songs like “45th of November” and “Bumpin’ Reel." The visual spectacle that SCI showcases alongside their music was nothing short of amazing; reminiscent of a dimensional portal zooming into multiple views and perspectives of the artists playing on stage.

photo credit: Andrew Rios/Ultra5280

The encore might have been one of the best we’ve seen in a while as Sheryl Renee and her powerful voice returned to stage for a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s mega hit “Dreams”. The end of the night was upon us as the house lights came on, when suddenly Red Rocks transformed into a massive impromptu dance party with band and crew together on stage. String Cheese and friends left us wth some heartfelt parting words from the great Lionel Richie, “Party, Karambo, Fiesta, Forever!” 

Click here to see more photos from String Cheese Incident at Red Rocks

Music | More Than A Radio Single: Foals Shocks New Fans At The Ogden Theatre | April 26, 2016

It's possible that I’ve been living under a rock, but it appears I’m not the only one. Gracing the lineups of festivals like Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza since 2013, Foals is not a new band by any means, but before this last Tuesday night, I had not taken the time to get properly acquainted with this post-punk band of boys from Oxford. Although their past records have been well received, the group has built a slew of new fans quickly thanks to their single “Mountain At My Gates” hitting heavy rotation on alternative radio. If you've taken the same unfortunate path as me and took the band at face value based strictly on their singles, you are missing out on an entirely separate musical identity found strewn throughout a deep, riveting, emotional discography. Tuesday night’s show at the Ogden was an eye-opening introduction for many newcomers to this group: a melodic, high energy troupe of daring musicians. 

Yannis Philippakis of Foals (photo credit: Matt Smith)

Foals announced the beginning of their set by slowly increasing the volume of the changeover music in the venue until conversations were forced to stop due to the noise. As the music reached it's climax, the house lights dimmed and the UK-based five-piece attacked the stage with an amped up version of “Snake Oil”, full of driving guitar riffs and a bluesy chorus of screams from lead singer Yannis Philippakis. By the end of the song, I could overhear a gentleman a few rows ahead of me say “this is totally not what I expected” - a sentiment certainly shared by anyone strictly expecting the shimmery, ethereal tones of their single. While "Mountain At My Gates" clearly highlights the bands danceability, Philippakis' vocals, and memorable lyrics, the song lacks a layer or raw vulnerability and intensity that's displayed throughout much of their work. Once new listeners were able to set aside the shocking difference between the song that had drawn them to the show and the performance happening in front of them, the audience transitioned from a hesitant state of apprehension to a fully enthralled crowd, letting go moment by moment alongside the performers.

Jimmy Smith of Foals (photo credit: Matt Smith)

As it should, Foals’ live show did their catalogue justice, giving fans a well-rounded taste of their diversity through an intense, intimate setlist. Tracks like “Olympic Airways” and “Red Sock Pugie” feel reminiscent of Bloc Party in style and sound, while tracks like “My Number” and “Inhaler” from their 2013 release Holy Fire pull in the listener with catchy chorus lines, danceable beats, and raw rock power. The set was much less focused on 2015's release What Went Down than I'd anticipated, with the band only showcasing three tracks from their most recent release, including the encore opener "What Went Down". The energy onstage from guitarist Jimmy Smith was undeniable throughout the evening, and drummer Jack Bevan kept the crowd engaged throughout the show by standing atop his drum kit to command clap-alongs. Despite the performers interactions, the set still felt disjointed in it's transitions from fast-paced intensity to introverted, reflective moments, forcing the audience to recalibrate track by track.

Ending their encore with a ferocious performance of “Two Steps, Twice”, Foals did an impressive job guiding attendees through their discography. Displaying their sonic variety with a high energy performance, Tuesday’s show left very little ground uncovered, garnering a sincere appreciation from fans of new and old. Easily one of the most underrated rock bands currently touring, Foals live show leaves its viewers curious for more, yet satisfied all at once. With a set that feels prone to unique experiences and intimate moments, this band deserves to be re-visited with an open mind and new curiosity with every performance, something I anxiously await.  

Music | Halsey live at The Gothic Theatre | November 9, 2015

We first laid eyes on Ashley Frangipane at SXSW back in March. At the time, the artist more commonly known at Halsey was slowly beginning to build her brand based around her debut release Room 93. Her performance was quick, and although we saw the potential in her music, her live show was typical of SXSW: too quick to get a good feel for the artist we were seeing for the very first time, unsure of what to expect in the upcoming months.

Halsey at SXSW 2015 in Austin, TX (photo credit: Maddie Casey/Ultra5280)

Here we are, nearly nine months later, and Halsey has become the queen of the scene. With over 1.2 million followers on Instagram, Halsey's full-length debut Badlands landed in the #2 position on the Billboard charts during it's debut just a few weeks ago, but that sits at the bottom of an already impressive resumé. After being signed based on the success of one single, Halsey secured a coveted position opening for Imagine Dragons during their summer 2015 arena tour. Her feature on Justin Bieber's upcoming record, not to mention selling out her first headlining US tour without issue, are only continuing to move her forward. A whirlwind six months to say the least, this young pop artist has been making major waves, and we don't see it stopping anytime soon.

Her show here in Denver this past Friday was edgy, dynamic, beautiful, and perfect for her fan base. Fans arrived as early as 10:30am to sit and wait in the parking lot of The Gothic, and by our judgement? They were not let down. Her dark lyrics were complimented beautifully by the stage's dark, enticing lighting. LED panels surrounding her on stage played a variety of images, slideshows, and patterns, bringing the music to live. Moving from side to side of the stage, you could watch the audience mirror her movements as she went. Her genre of grungy, glittery, sugar-coated sadness is unique, different, but fills a void we didn't even knew existed in the music world. She may be young, but Halsey's grasp on her artistic vision is defined. Her lyrics are uniquely poetic, bringing to life the dark, and sometimes heartbreaking stories she chooses to tell. Taking a moment before breaking into the song "Roman Holiday", Halsey shared a moment with her fans to remind both them and herself that "damn Ashley, it's not that serious", bringing a new light to the show. 

Halsey performing at the Gothic Theatre in Denver, CO on 11/9 (photo credit: Maddie Casey)

Nine months certainly seemed to be enough time for Halsey's live show to grow as strong as her lyrics. Her vocal control and command of the stage was that of a tenured performer, not a 21-year old who released her first EP barely a year ago. So much has changed for this young star in 2015, and it seems that her hair color isn't the only thing continually getting brighter. Halsey will close out 2015 with the end of her Badlands tour, and continue on to Australia and Japan at the beginning of 2015. We don't know when we expect to see her back in Denver, but we can promise it will not be a performance you want to miss. 

Check out more photos here

Music | MS MR | The Gothic Theatre | October 17, 2015

The New York based synth-pop duo MS MR came back to Denver this past Saturday, and filled the Gothic Theater like a can of sardines! Since the release of their new album How Does It Feel  in July, they've been on a lengthy world tour in support of it and we were glad we had the chance to see what they're bringing to the table. The show was electric and the stage chemistry Lizzy and Max share is enticing. They're both dancing constantly to keep the crowd hyped and the energy they created that night was unforgettable. It's no surprise these guys are getting worldwide recognition as they continue to put out songs that are incredibly catchy and easily relatable (catchy break up songs like "Hurricaine", anyone)? From the look of their tour schedule it doesn't look like this duo will be in Denver anytime soon, so in case you missed it here are some cool shots our staff photographer Andrew Rios captured while he was there.