Jean-Michel Basquiat once said, “Art decorates space; music decorates time.”
Each year, Decadence becomes increasingly anticipated by veteran ravers, local Colorado bass heads, out-of-state ravers, and first-time rave thrill seekers. This year’s anticipation was driven largely by the lineup announcement for both nights of the two-day event.
Decadence remains one of the most highly anticipated electronic music festivals in the nation, and this year’s lineup reinforced that reputation. Night one featured headliners like Disco Lines, Dr. Fresch, Knock2, Level Up, Loud Luxury, Mike Posner, Steve Aoki, Subtronics, Tape B, Zeds Dead, along with a B3B performance between Zeds Dead, Subtronics and Tape B. Many of the artists are among the most prominent national and international DJs currently touring, making the opportunity to see multiple high-profile DJs in one night a rare experience for attendees.
This year, Decadence took place at the Colorado Convention Center, with night one flooding the indoor space with around 15,000 people. Tickets for Decadence sold out in record-breaking time this year, with resale prices reaching nearly $900 on the first night of the event. After presale tickets sold out in September, it became very difficult to find passes for less than $350.
The event began at 6:30 PM with four stages operating simultaneously. While some first-time attendees expressed concerns about the sound systems overlapping, the production team designed the space to prevent sound from one stage from bleeding into others. As the venue filled, each stage, including the silent disco, was packed with crowds of high-energy wooks and bassheads dancing for the joy of experiencing a night as incredible as this together.
Lasers and visual effects dominated the venue, creating one of the most visually immersive shows of the year. During Subtronics’ set, he incorporated a gender reveal for his lighting and laser director during the drop of his song “Friends,” illuminating the stage in pink lights to announce the couple was expecting a girl. Aerial dancers also performed on ropes during Disco Lines’ set at the Motherboard Stage.
One of the night’s standout performances came from Zeds Dead ahead of the B3B set. His solo performance fully encapsulated the whole point of Decadence: to show not only showcase dance music and how it’s evolved, but also the highlight way it’s been shaped by the music industry. He opened with a bass-heavy remix of Eminem’s popular hit “The Real Slim Shady” and incorporated visuals and original music ranging from Aretha Franklin performances to black-and-white classic Western films. He truly understood the assignment.
This review would not be complete without mentioning how special the Subtronics B2B Zeds Dead B2B Tape B set was to experience firsthand. Each DJ had a moment to showcase their unique style during the set, but the most special moments were when they cohesively blended their sounds and unreleased IDs. The three of them were clearly synced into the same frequency, giving the crowd the most extraordinary experience. Honestly, the audience was on their toes throughout the whole performance because no one knew what to expect next. This B3B experience closed out the MainFrame Stage from 1-2:00 AM, closing with the most iconic, brand-new song made by the three of them, a remix of Lana Del Rey’s “Young and Beautiful.”
The night felt like a Sims experience, where you were the player and could choose your own adventure. I felt like I was entranced in a special visual and auditory ASMR healing session. While it was hard to choose between some of the DJs that were performing simultaneously at different stages, it was still worth every dollar spent. I wouldn’t trade anything in the world to be part of such a historical night.
Decadence Colorado was the most 5D experience you could have while still being present in your body. Not only was every sound system finely tuned, but the visuals were immersive as well. There was a whole lot of peace, love, unity, and respect in the air, not to mention tears of joy, as many old school songs were played and given new life, healing our younger selves while making history as we celebrated pre-New Year’s Eve together.
