For how often we in entertainment say “the show must go on,” it’s rare to see someone actually follow the age-old adage when the going gets tough. On Saturday, Casa Alta proved themselves to be among the few.
The Denver dance music promoter was gearing up for a milestone gathering at X Denver headlined by Marco Lys and Luke Alessi. Organizers spared no expense transforming it into a feast for the senses. For the task at hand, they enlisted Ryan Berry of Quantum FX, Vahn Plambeck of Mindbeam Productions, and Robert Qualls of Neon Elements.
“I wanted to disperse a bunch of LED panels around the venue,” Production Manager Erick Crumb told Party Guru Press. “I’m not a big fan of LED walls. We have enough screens in our lives. Just staring at a screen behind the DJ is one of my biggest pet peeves.”
“But they do have their uses,” Erick said. “I wanted to bring in LED pedestals that I could link on the side of the venue and light up during the day with graphics. Each pedestal was gonna have LED bars on the outside, and then a moving head on top so at night they could really light shit up on a whole ‘nother level.”
Everything was on target to bring Casa Alta’s vision to life. Then, the weather forecast went from bad to worse. This was particularly a problem for X Denver, an exposed rooftop venue in Denver’s Ballpark District.
“The weather kept getting worse, and I lined up some shade sails to help protect the DJ and the gear, but I checked the forecast again and the weather went from 10% and .25 to .9 — almost an inch — and 45%,” Erick recounted. “We said, ‘Let’s cut it.'”
This is when most organizers would call it quits. Fortunately, Casa Alta and company are cut from a different cloth. The after party was already slated to take place at Zodiac Hause‘s Concert Hall, and with a little ingenuity, they could also fit the main event under the same roof.
Tragically, that meant cutting the LED pedestals, and spending “three hours just envisioning what I could possibly do,” according to Erick. After negotiating with Quincy Dancer and Gabe Evans of Zodiac Hause, he found places to fit in much of the other production elements his team had planned.
“There’s a lot of diplomacy involved to be successful at this,” said Erick. “A lot of people wanna push their weight around and act like they know everything, and I don’t think that’s what gets shit done. I’m very much about trying to be as diplomatic as possible to make sure everybody’s happy and having a good time.”
And a good time was had — not only by this motley crew of collaborators, but by everyone fortunate enough to find themselves on the dance floor. The added lasers and light fixtures complemented the rich atmosphere painstakingly curated by Zodiac Hause, casting calculated shadows fit for the intoxicating blend of house and techno served up by each of the selectors.
But it wouldn’t have happened if not for the wherewithal of Casa Alta and the team they assembled. They set an example that everyone in show business ought to heed, as their perseverance helped make memories that will last a lifetime.
Photo credit: Erick Crumb
