Last Thursday’s event at the world renown Red Rocks Amphitheater was an awesome new addition to Global Dance Festival. In previous years the festival featured two days of strictly electronic dance music (EDM). 2011′s line up featured a whole new day with a new style of artists like Kid Cudi, Empire of the sun, Innerpartysystem, Big Gigantic, Sam Adams, Hot Tub, Robot Pirate Monkey, and Food Chain. The producers definitely took a huge risk to diversify and expand Global Dance Festival and it was definitely a breath of fresh air. Big ups to Triad Dragons, Scion, and Euphonic Conceptions for coming together to kick off a weekend that will go down in history! More photos to come soon!

Photos by Scott Lentz

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EDC, aka The Electric Daisy Carnival, is one of the largest electronic music festivals in North America and features showcases with full scale carnival rides in several different states across the U.S. including Colorado, Nevada, Texas, and Florida. Last year the massive was held at Exposition Park in LA and a 15 year old girl died from a suspected overdose. Insomniac Events has since partnered with IAG (Investigative Advisory Group) to expand their safety protocols. One of the many new policy changes include a mandatory 18+ only qualification for entrance into the madhouse. The 18+ requirement has definitely been a giant, positive, step forward for the festival’s overall look and community. Let’s be honest, music festivals and concerts in general are drug havens, not the best environment for a 16 year old. I’m sure a lot of people would agree that the crowd etiquette has improved greatly from previous years, and now that I look back on it I don’t recall seeing any gang fights outside the venue last night. Big ups to Insomniac for recognizing and effectively addressing a serious issue; I’m sure the new age requirements hurt them financially but it definitely encouraged an older crowd to come out and show their support for some of their favorite artists.

On another note, this year’s show definitely catered to the BASS lovers of Colorado. The “Bass Pod” was held in the main room and hosted Dubstep and Drum & Bass artists Numbernin6, Downlink, Sigma, 12th Planet, Noisia, and Datsik. 12th Planet seemed to be having a ton of fun while he slammed vodka and dropped tons of some of the biggest tunes of the year including Bass Cannon and the Skrillex remix of Sexy Lady. He went crowd surfing like 3 times and towards the end of his set he got on the mic and, in the nerdiest voice he could make, asked everybody: “In honor of Skrillex, would all the gentlemen, respectfully, place the ladies on their shoulders.”

Next up was Noisia who I’ve been wanting to see for the longest time in Colorado, although it was only two thirds of the group, they definitely delivered one of the most unique and grimiest sets of the night. The first part of their set consisted of mostly DnB and I was pleasantly surprised when they smoothly transitioned into some Electro. Towards the end of their set one member got on the microphone to hype up the crowd claiming they “heard rumors that Colorado is crazy for this thing called dubstep…” and the crowd went nuts as they dropped in the 70 bpm goodness. I have to mention how intricate Noisia’s productions can be, their basslines and synths are so full and definitely have a unique sound that is very recognizable especially on a sound system as loud as the one they setup in the main room last night.

After Noisia, I went over to the “Circuit Grounds” stage to watch the first half of Z-Trip. As always his scratching was on point and the stage production was phenomenal with two giant Z’s on both sides of the stage made out of LED panels. Over a ten minute time span I heard him mix Rusko’s Hold On mashed up with DJ Khaled’s All I Do Is Win, Bassnectar’s Bass Head mashed up with Ludacris’ Get Out The Way, and M.I.A.’s Paper Planes. Everybody seemed to be having a great time as Z went all over the spectrum from Dubstep to Rock n Roll.

Shortly after, I returned to the “Bass Pod” only to hear Datsik playing the exact same Rusko Hold On vs. DJ Khaled’s All I Do Is Win mashup. Towards the last 30 minutes of his set we were blessed to hear some brand new tunes that he claimed were saved exclusively for EDC Colorado. Two of the tracks were ELECTRO! And it was damn good electro at that. His last song was a new production from himself and Doctor P and it was cut short because of the new 2am curfew.

Finally, I have to give a big up to Feed Me who absolutely blew me away with his production and mixing skills, his electro and dubstep is hyphy as hell and brings plenty of energy to the table. He was a great addition to this years line up.

Overall this was my favorite Electric Daisy Carnival over the last 3 years and although alcohol wasn’t allowed outside of the 21+ area, it felt much more like a concert this year instead of just another “rave.”

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Earth Wind and Fire Celebrate 40th Anniversary at Red Rocks Amphitheater
Submitted by Carla Maniscalco for Got Bass Music

A most memorable evening it was on Tuesday, not only for Earth Wind and Fire’s fans, but for the band’s members and their families as the legendary group blessed the stage at Red Rocks Amphitheater with their spiritual and energetic presence in celebration of their 40th Anniversary. EWF founded by Maurice White in 1970 has earned numerous awards in the music and entertainment industry. They are inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Song Writers Hall of Fame, the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Vocal Group Hall of Fame, and are multi-Grammy Award and American Music Award winners holding Gold, Platinum and Multi-Platinum singles and albums. With 30 plus albums released between 1970 and 2010, and sell-out crowds for 40 years all over the world, this show was a very special one for them.

Three original members remain with EWF including: Denver native Philip Bailey who was introduced as “The voice of EWF,” Co-founder and funky bassist and vocalist Verdine White, and percussionist/vocalist Ralph Johnson. Although not the spell bounding and magical type of performance as in their earlier days with levitating drum kits and disappearances into pyramids dressed in glitzy costumes, still an all-out sold-out performance demonstrating an elevated sense of class and maturity, with yet a fun and party-like attitude appealing to the wide diversity of devoted and adoring fans; many recognized and thanked by Bailey for supporting them “from day one.”

The concert scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. without a warm up band, didn’t get started until nearly 8 p.m. in which Bailey introduced the original members, gave a heartfelt “Thank you to God and the fans,” and then gave a special introduction and thanks to Perry Jones, the gentleman Bailey credits for discovering him. From the moment “The Elements” were introduced, everyone was up on their feet the rest of the evening dancing and singing to every song as energy and emotion flowed between the beautiful red rocks of the amphitheater for nearly 2 hours. The group performed four sets, three which were accompanied by an elevated 33 piece orchestra consisting of all local musicians and conducted by Charles Floyd. The first set kicked off with Boogie Wonderland followed by Sing A Song, Shining Star, Getaway and Jupiter. The second set, played without the orchestra, spun a mix of blues and Latin beats to a medley combining Serpentine Fire, Sun Goddess, Kalimba Story, Evil and Brazilian Rhyme showcasing the entire EWF band including: guitarist/vocalist Greg Moore, guitarist/vocalist Morris O’Connor, drummer/vocalist John Paris, percussionist/vocalist David Whitworth, keyboardist Myron McKinley, background vocalist Philip Bailey Jr. and the killer horn section of Ray Brown on trumpet, Reggie Young on trombone and Gary Bias on saxophone.

As night descended with a full moon hanging above the stage, city lights twinkling in the background, and a top notch light show including multiple LED panels along with colorful swirling and bursting visual effects, a fantasy-like aura was all encompassing as EWF went into their intimate section engaging the crowd to sway and sing along to That’s the Way of the World, After the Love, I Write a Song and Reasons in which Philip Bailey once again sent chills up everyone’s spine with his trademark falsetto voice; proving that some things just keep getting better with time. The finale and highlight of the night occurred during the last set as the crowd sang aloud almost louder than the band to Got To Get You, Fantasy, September, Let’s Groove, and Mighty Mighty followed by In the Stone for one encore. Although the show started late and ended early, before 10 p.m., the evening was one that will go down as one of the most memorable.

In fact after the show when asked what has been one of the most memorable moments in their 40 year history, Bailey replied, “There’s been so many. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is one.” Drummer Paris said the same. Narrowing it down to moments in CO, Bailey said, “Red Rocks at this moment.” As for Red Rocks, Paris said, “This place is beautiful. It’s like no other spot.” Verdine White added, “Tonight is the most memorable – especially tonight – so many memories!” Perry Jones, who is not only credited for discovering Bailey, but also wrote Intro on the multi-platinum album Gratitude, said with a twinkle in his eye, his proudest moment with the group was “Seeing Philip and Maurice walking on to the stage at the induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame – a whole body of work all at once in that moment.” Also present was Maurice White’s son who said this was also his proudest moment of his father.

The icing on the cake was literally a freshly baked sheet cake presented to the band by a long time fan, Anton Espinoza, from A Cake Occasion located in Thornton, CO. The cake was personally decorated with a replica of the infamous pyramid from the album All ‘N All surrounded by the two big “red rocks” of the amphitheater bordered with EWF album covers from the last 40 years. Band members ate cake with everyone and then took photos with fans. One fan especially stood out, 14 year old Destiny Lace Brown, who is blind and in a wheelchair. She was ecstatic and feeling over the top after taking a group photo with Bailey, Johnson and White, getting her CD autographed and “kissing all three of them.” She left the venue shrieking, “It was my dream. My dream came true!”

Follow Earth Wind and Fire on their official website: http://www.earthwindandfire.com

Photos by: Leighanna Norris, Clarissa Burkland, & Carla Maniscalco

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This was my first year attending Bisco Inferno and to no surprise it was all I expected and some. Everyone was afraid that it was going to rain on us, and it did, but not enough to make anybody leave. The rain seemed to start coming down, conveniently, in between each of the artists sets.

Big Boy played all of the Outcast hits and had the entire amphitheater singing along with their hands in the air. Not to mention he was accompanied by a pack of hotties on stage with him.

The Disco Biscuits played for what seemed like the longest hour of my life after Big Boy got off stage. Their vibes were definitely “chill” for lack of better terminology. Their music seemed like it would be greatly appreciated while under the influence of heavy psychedelics.

When Rusko walked on stage wearing his hood up, the crowd instantly reacted with a roar! Of course, I was most excited to see Rusko because I’m a big fan of his tunes and the generation of dubstep that spawned from them. He played every track I anticipated including “Sultan of Swing” by the local producer Jansten. Hearing that track was awesome because seeing Rusko (the world’s most popular dubstep artist) support Colorado homegrown BASS music is a huge step forward for the growing scene here in the states. I was honestly hoping to see a customized light show installment like the one in this tour video teaser but the three L.E.D. cubes that hung above the stage were pretty magnificent anyways.

The energy level at Red Rocks plummeted after the Disco Biscuits returned to the stage for another two hour long jam and if you directed your attention to the sides of the seating area you could watch as hundreds of people were walking towards the exits. However, that didn’t affect these talented artists one bit, they jammed on and slowly built the energy back up while the “dubsteppers” cleared out.

Nonetheless, the first show of the summer at Red Rocks was a major success, considering the fact that it came very close to getting rained out. The concert definitely had a little something for everybody and all in all it was a great time. Big ups to AEG Live and the State of Colorado for hosting such an awesome event!

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Souls In Action did not let the dubsteppers down last Friday at The Ogden Theatre. The openers Zeno, 2Dubai, and Nick G from “Sorry For Partying” set the stage up perfectly for these crazy Canadians. I also had a chance to speak with Dillion, Zach (Zeds Dead), and Omar Linx before they went onstage. When I asked them what they thought about how Denver compares to the UK they explained to me how the hype for dubstep, here, is way stronger. In Denver they were the only national act on the bill and they managed to sell out a 1600 person venue (The Ogden Theatre). At a show they just played on April 1st in Belgium, “Dubalyzer,” with a HUGE lineup including Foreign Beggars, Bar 9, Bare Noize, Chasing Shadows, and Funtcase they had a turnout of a little over 1000. It’s confirmed, Denver absolutely loves dubstep more than anywhere else in the world! Big ups to Zeds Dead for dropping some filthy, brand new tunes and even bigger ups to Souls In Action and AEG Live for making it all happen.

Check out the dope pics that Got Bass Photographer Scott Lentz snagged from the show.

-V

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After completely destroying Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom last time, it only seemed logical for Sub.Mission to bring Datsik to The Ogden Theatre this time around. The show sold out a day before and the line started building up outside about an hour before the doors even opened. As Troy Beetles took the stage, people packed in as close as possible to the HUGE Basscouch subs. The sound was super reinforced and the bass was amazingly heavy. I could feel it in my chest all the way in the very back of the venue. After several people climbed up on the stage and were kicked off each time, Datsik put on one of Rusko’s remixes and gave the signal for everybody to get up in the DJ booth with him. In what seemed like an instant, he managed to get 100+ people up on stage dancing their asses off. Check out this video and tell me you don’t wish you lived in Denver. For those of us that were here for this night of epic proportions find yourself in these pictures and feel free to upload them to facebook. Just tag Got Bass when you do! If you weren’t in any of these pics make sure you look out for a GBM photographer at the next show =).

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Last thursday Nit Grit made his third appearance in Denver since NYE. I had been looking forward to this one for quite some time as Cervantes is my favorite venue in Denver. As soon as we got in the place was already filling up very quickly, and people were most definitely feeling the good vibes. The stage set up was incredibly well done complete with massive projectors, lights, strobes, fog machines and of course lasers!! The crowd was mesmerized by the combination of great sound and lights, much like a group of little kids in an amusement park.

The show was opened by Press Play DJ’s Tip Z, Godlazer, and Skywalker. These young and aspiring musicians did a great job getting the crowd warmed up, by the end of Skywalker’s set kids were about ready to lose there damn minds!!
Following the openers was longtime Colorado favorite, Jantsen. Every time I catch one of his sets I’m completely floored, each time more so than the last. Jantsen has a very unique style that he plays live; I’m not very fimiliar with many of his originals, but you can certainly spot out one of his original bangin dubstep tracks when you hear one. He has always been right on point with his sets, keeping it very interesting by incorporating many different styles. He also always has that track that you have been waiting so long to get, and smashes the crowd with it. He played out the much hyped unreleased track “Bass Cannon” by Flux Pavilion, and people were loving every minute of it. Jantsen played an awesome set, while doing a good job of not taking the spotlight of the show, setting the crowd up perfectly for Nit Grit.

As Nit Grit took the stage you could tell how excited the crowd was, and it was obvious who everyone had come to see that night. He opened with a brand new original that started off very slow, and then progressed into one of his insane bass-driven melodic drops. One of the things I love about Nit Grit is the style of his productions. He’s created a sound that is a perfect representation of his musical self. His style is both very heavy and very melodic, and has a very trippy underlying theme. This signature “metallic” bass sound is what really catches peoples ears hearing him for the first time.
The sets that Nit Grit plays are very different each time, all of which contain all his own music. Each set of music sets a very different mood and atmosphere; this one was certainly very dark, grimy and of course bass heavy. The only disappointment of the night was the technical difficulties that occurred twice in the middle of Danny’s set. The computer crash was caused by some water that had gotten inside the trackpad of his laptop. There was a very brief intermission to the set, but you could tell that his fans were there for him. Everyone was cheering him on and getting even more hyped about the music coming back on. Being someone who has been in that position in front of a big crowd, I give him the utmost respect for how calmly he handled it. Within minutes the music was back on and Nit Grit most definitely redeemed himself with the baddest set I’ve seen him perform yet.
Im sure he was a little disappointed in what had happened to him since it was not his fault, but I know that he was still feeling the love from us. I got the opportunity to talk to him a little bit and one of the things he said that really caught my attention was “Im just a normal guy”.

Press Play certainly knows how to throw down a damn good show, and it was a pleasure to attend this one. You can check out there website here. Nit Grit left Denver so hungry for more of his music, we can only hope to see him again in the next few months. I’ve included one of the tracks he played, “Dimethyltriptamine”. It’s available for download below. If you still haven’t checked him out you can listen to most of his music on his soundcloud here.
Cheers!

DOWNLOAD:
Nit Grit – Dimethyltriptamine

VIDEO:

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It was one of the coldest nights of the winter in Boulder, CO on Wedsnesday, Februrary 2nd as temperatures fell down to icy -17 degrees. You wouldn’t think that the inside of the Boulder Theatre was going to end up one of the hottest spots on the planet. Like many bass music fans I braved the cold to catch Steve Aoki’s special performance and as high as my anticipation was, which I know I shared with the rest of the pumped up crowd, I had no idea the type of electro-bumping and earth-shaking dubstep experience I was about to be thrown into.

The night kicked off with local favorite DJ Greg Fisk and then Boulder DJ group Sorry For Partying, part of the well-known resident DJ group Thissongissick.com, who got the crowd jumping early. JFlash then took to the decks as the room began to fill to capacity and brought his usual hyphy set of electro and house that built the hype up big for Steve to take the stage.

In between the local support and Steve Aoki was his very own support DJ and hype-man, Marshall Barnes, who delivered a set of hyphy electro and remixes of classics as the crowd maxed out the Boulder Theatre and began to shake in anticipation for Steve to come out and deliver his 2-hour set.

Steve Aoki kicked off his set with a series of the type of electro bangers that he is most well known for including both mixes of his collab with The Bloody Beetroots, “Warp 1.9 and 7.7″”, original tracks such as “1967″ and “I’m In the House”, as well as many of his popular remixes of songs such as Kanye West ft. Santigold’s “Nasa Gifted”, Weezer’s “I Want You”, Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness”, The Killer’s “Space Man” and Bloc Party’s “Helicopter”.

After an hour or so, Steve Aoki dove into his much-hyped dubstep set, which was the perfect sequel to the electro bangers he was dropping at the beginning of his set. As promised Aoki delivered two new songs from Skrillex: his collab with 12th Planet called “Needed Change”, as well as his brand new remix of Benny Benassi’s “Cinema”, Sub Focus’s hot remix of Rusko’s “Hold On” ft Amber Coffman, as well as tracks from dubstep super stars such as Skream and Bassnectar.

Throughout his set Steve Aoki delivered the high-energy performance that he is most famous for, bringing out an actual life-raft for people to crowd surf on and spraying bottle after bottle of champaign onto the enthusiastic crowd. His encore included some bangers but also turned back the clock by playing “Circle of Life” from the Disney movie The Lion King and Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody” was the final track of the night.

For the second consecutive time, Steve Aoki left a Colorado crowd wanting more and more, and turned the Boulder Theatre into the hottest party in the state on one of the coldest nights of the winter.

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