Author: Nick Pyle

In a time when crowd interaction and mic banter dominate most mainstage acts, one artist takes a different approach, letting the music speak for itself. Seven Lions consistently delivers captivating, genre-blending performances, all while maintaining a signature silence that lets the music command the spotlight.

The 2024 edition of Higher Love at Red Rocks showcased a lineup that explored the full width of the musical landscape.

Opening the night, the all-female string quartet ATLAS serenaded the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre with a tranquil, meditative stylings of Seven Lions covers. Over the years, ATLAS have become a staple of his Red Rocks performances, beloved by fans for their harmonious renditions.

The night reached new heights when GG Magree debuted her first-ever live set. With her trademark energy, she delivered electrifying guitar riffs and raw vocals, captivating the entire venue as she moved through the crowd, engaging fans near the stage and celebrating the realization of her discography in a vibrant, unforgettable performance.

Luci kept the momentum going, delivering some of the heaviest and most intense tracks of the night. Her hard-hitting set provided a sharp contrast to the melodic stylings of Star Seed, a rising force in melodic bass, and the progressive house and trance mastery of Andrew Bayer, who rounded out the evening’s openers.

The warmup artists offered a carefully curated mix of genres, keeping the crowd energized and engaged as they prepared for Seven Lions’ set. From bass-heavy drops to trance-driven beats, each act catered to different tastes, ensuring no one in the audience felt left out. This dynamic progression crafted a rich musical journey, setting the perfect stage for the headliner’s anticipated performance.

Just as the openers had woven together various styles, Seven Lions continued the theme, seamlessly shifting between genres in his own signature way. The highlight of this genre hopping came when he debuted the latest Ophelia Records mega collaboration. Much like its predecessor, “Pantheon,” which showcased seven label artists, this unreleased track was equally mesmerizing. A sonic journey through dubstep, future bass, and psytrance, it encapsulated the wide-ranging sound of Ophelia Records in one sweeping masterpiece.

Despite a “Throwback Set” scheduled for later, Seven Lions didn’t hesitate to revisit some of his most beloved classics. Fan favorites like “Rush Over Me,” “Only Now,” and a stunning mashup of “Falling Away” with “Don’t Leave” ignited a wave of nostalgia, giving his longtime fans a chance to sing along to the anthems that shaped his career.

He intertwined these tracks with a myriad of IDs throughout the night. None was more hype than the drinking song “Drink Til The Dawn Arise” from Seven Lions and Trivecta, which led to the fantastic moment of Seven Lions climbing the decks to chug a drink during the performance.

The only drawback to a Seven Lions performance is that each one feels like the best I’ve ever seen. This show was no exception. It’s rare to witness a sold-out Red Rocks show with every seat filled, especially in the upper rows, where empty spots are often left by scalpers or unsold. But this event was different.

The crowd packed the venue from top to bottom, arriving early and filling the stands comfortably. Each act brought out a new wave of energy that kept the audience engaged throughout the night. By the time Seven Lions took the stage, he had the crowd’s energy fully under his control, commanding the atmosphere without saying a single word.

Photo credit: Amanda Miller