For his triumphant return to Red Rocks Amphitheatre, OPIUO (real name Oscar Davey-Wraight) broke the fourth wall with an immersive concert experience featuring the talents of The Opulent Orchestra, Beats Antique, Supertask, DMVU, and GROOVSAUCE.
Prior to Sunday’s sold-out show, Oscar sent a warm request out to concert-goers in order to commemorate this special event:
To say that Red Rocks answered his call is an understatement. I would argue this concert-made gala hosted the most extravagant, cohesively best-dressed crowd that has ever walked through those gates. The sheer number people who showed up dressed to the nines, wearing smiles, and bearing good vibes stood testament to the dedication of the EDM community in supporting their favorite artists as well as each other.
Painting Red Rocks With Music
First to kick off the show was GROOVSAUCE, a vibrant trio collaboration of Thought Process, pheel and parkbreezy. With an enthusiastic crowd at their fingertips, they dove right into party vibes and started the night right. In line with each of their styles, their set offered a mixture of easygoing sounds and uplifting and energetic music that had everyone grooving to the beat!
Next to hit the decks was Denver-based producer DMVU. I enjoyed his set as he kept things laid back with smooth, rippling bass and hypnotic synths! With a view of rolling green hills contrasting against the vivid red rock formations behind the stage, everyone could soak in the euphoric feels radiating from his music.
Supertask took over the stage next and got to work. Melodic bass is his business, and business is GOOD! He dished out deep, heartthrob bass lines coupled with serene music perfect for flowing. The energy his music exuded was invigorating yet relaxing, creating a comfort zone where people danced freely and let themselves go.
When Beats Antique took their places to perform, I knew immediately we would witness a one-of-a-kind performance. Equipped with a live drummer, a well-versed strings musician, and a notably talented belly dancer, they showed up and gave Red Rocks everything they had. They conjured raw, tribal and spiritual music that was truly mesmerizing. The intensity and magic of their beautifully dressed dancers drew us in for a more intimate concert experience that I have never seen before!
OPIUO and The Opulent Orchestra
A well-rehearsed orchestra filed onto the stage as OPIUO took his place as maestro. Donning a razzle-dazzle sequin suit, he masterfully conducted his orchestra to achieve a seemingly impossible feat: recreating his music live. We were in awe as synths and melodies from his electronic tracks manifested through string instruments, drums and brass.
Then, he shifted gears and sent his orchestra away before taking to the DJ decks at his hands. Brilliant lights and lasers flashed as he took us on a journey with trippy, funky music. Booties were shaking as everyone bared their flare to the beat! Seeing so many people dance without a care in the world is a unifying experience.
Oscar’s music can be described as hypnotizing and freeing, the lovechild of a musician and his true passion. Understanding the incredible amount of effort, dedication and time required to pull this off definitely deepened my respect for him as a producer!
Overall, this OPIUO Red Rocks concert was (third) eye opening and left me with a new appreciation of production and the creativity behind it. There’s no doubt each performer came loaded with deep passion and talent that resonated with all of us. OPIUO put together a masterpiece concert designed to reach people on a personal, deeper plane than just a dance party.
A quote from his twitter post below perfectly describes what he accomplished that night: “For no other reason than to experience something. Experience it all. Together.”
Photos by Sammantha Drake
