A Funky Get Down with SoDown at Mission Ballroom 

On February 3rd, Colorado local SoDown put on his biggest headline show to date at Mission Ballroom.

Ehren Wright, also known as SoDown, is originally from Boulder, Colorado and grew up bumping hip-hop, funk, soul, and reggae. He’s been heavily influenced by the artist Pretty Lights, like many other music lovers in the Centennial State. He then went on to play opening support for Pretty Lights at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in 2017. From there, his career started to take off.

Ehren’s distinct sound pairs uplifting saxophone with vigorous bass and vibey melodies. SoDown is also known for branching out into subcategories like SoChill, SoHeavy, and SoGroovy, which encompass the specific atmospheres Ehren aims to create. Some of his most popular tunes include “Cliffs,” “With You,” and “Alive.” In recent years, SoDown has risen to the top with album releases in 2021 and 2022. He continues to reach new heights, and his Mission Ballroom punctuated his rise in unforgettable fashion. 

Josh Teed

Josh Teed opened the night, and many fans were excited to see him! Not only did he throw down a filthy experimental bass set, but he also perfectly mixed in some live violin. Josh did a fantastic job elevating the crowd’s energy and setting the mood for the rest of the night. He was a fitting choice for opener as he perfectly blends instrumentals and bass just as SoDown does.

Evaluation

Evaluation was the next opener, and few knew what to expect! He nonetheless smashed it with his set. Aligning with the merging of instruments and bass, he played a deep, bass-filled set and even shredded on a guitar. He made for a great addition to the lineup, and we love that he also mixed his instrumental talents with bass!

Jaenga

Jaenga, the next opener, is a Colorado local and fan favorite. Known primarily for his association to the infamous Deadbeats label, his presence is powerful in the Centennial State. Jaenga switched up the energy by bringing wobbly and bouncy tunes into the mix. He engaged the crowd by playing music from artists like Dirt Monkey and Boogie T with his own spin.

kLL Bill

kLL Bill, the B2B duo of kLL sMTH and Mr. Bill, was the last opener and they showcased a versatile set. The previous kLL Bill set in Denver took place at 1STBANK Center in August 2022, and many were excited to have them back! They delivered their usual eccentric freeform bass but also mixed in some bass house as well, which excited the crowd. Overall, they were an excellent addition to the lineup.

SoDown Set and Production

Per usual, SoDown crushed it with an amazing performance and production. This set was a perfect mix of heavy, soulful, and vibey elements with many new and unreleased singles and collabs! Along with older original songs like “Cliffs” and “Alive,” he played banging, new collabs with Inzo, TVBOO, and Ahee. SoDown also surprised the crowd with tracks that seemingly came out of nowhere, like “Blasta” by LSDREAM and Inzo, “Open Your Mind” by Big Gigantic and GRiZ, and CloZee’s remix of “Majesty” by Apashe.

The energy that SoDown brought to Mission Ballroom was undeniably through the roof, only elevated further with each saxophone solo. The production rose to the level of the music as the iconic Mission Ballroom disco ball spun and lit up all night! The evening was packed with beautiful visuals, perfectly synced lasers, and a confetti finale to close it all out. Whether it was your first time seeing SoDown or one of many, he gave it his all, and it showed through the screams of pure bliss that filled Mission Ballroom.

It was a truly uplifting experience to witness SoDown’s biggest headline show thus far with a phenomenal support lineup. It’s been a pleasure to watch him evolve as an artist and raise other emerging artists along with him! SoDown at Mission Ballroom will be a show for the books and we cannot wait to see what he and the supporting act artists have in store for the future.

Photos by Kyle Brim


Liquid Stranger Gets It Poppin’ at Mission Ballroom Night 1

On November 17, 2022 the legendary Liquid Stranger returned to Mission Ballroom for the first day of a 3 night run in Denver, Colorado.

Who is Liquid Stranger?

Liquid Stranger, also known as Martin Staaf of Varberg, Sweden, is a pioneer in the bass music world. With an early background in engineering and producing for jazz and rock bands in the late 90s, he started the Liquid Stranger project in 2003. In his early days, his goal was to fuse different genres of music into intricate soundscapes that encompass all. In 2015, he introduced his new label, Wakaan, which gave free-form bass artists a place to create and release. Liquid Stranger’s sound is ever-changing and incorporates multiple genres, including dubstep, free-form bass, drum and bass, and downtempo. Now in 2022, with a plentiful amount of excellent releases, a successful label, and die-hard fans, it’s safe to say that he is much more than a producer. Martin advocates for free expression, female leadership within Wakaan, and creating a safe space for all.

Opening Support
DRINKURWATER

The first opener of the night was DRINKURWATER, whose been on a quick come-up this year, releasing some heaters! Many were excited to see him on the lineup and have him out in Denver! He played a super high-energy set with hits like WET WET and Ear Tickle that got the crowd prepped for the rest of the night.

Sully

The next opener was Sully, and everyone was ecstatic to have him as opening support! Again, with some of his biggest releases this year, he came up very quickly. Coming in hot, he threw hits like his Tape B collab, Impulse, and other hits like Misfits with Liquid Stranger himself. The energy shot through the roof during his set.

TVBOO

Fan favorite and Denver local TVBOO was the next opener on the support lineup. Known for his hilarious personality and antics, his visuals and set followed suit with the craziness. He played an edit of the viral Youtube video of the Harry Potter puppets singing Severus Snape, and the crowd completely lost it! There were also the most ridiculous visuals of TVBOO himself clad in his famous hillbilly outfits being throw down with some wonky tunes that made everyone go wild. 

Zeke Beats b2b Jantsen

The next supporting act was Zeke Beats b2b Jantsen, and many were excited for this b2b because of how amazing both artists are on their own! Many were curious to see how this b2b was going to play out, and they did not disappoint. Their set had each of their logos projected on the screen side by side, which was super awesome to see! Zeke Beats came in with the dirtiest live scratching, and Jantsen came through with his heavyweight sound. The combination of these two legends was so much fun to experience, and the crowd couldn’t help but go nuts. 

Kill The Noise

The last opener before Liquid Stranger was the infamous Kill The Noise! Many weren’t sure what they would hear in this set because of the different genres he usually plays. What an incredible surprise this set was. As the first song dropped, so did everyone’s mouths as they realized this would be one of the heaviest sets of the night. KTN was throwing down dubstep but not your usual dubstep. It was the type of dubstep that started to evolve in 2018 to get deeper, bouncier, and denser. To be brought back to that time period was a pleasure, and the energy was at an all-time high. We’re thrilled that Liquid Stranger switched things up by adding Kill The Noise to the support lineup.

Liquid Stranger

The last opener before Liquid Stranger was the infamous Kill The Noise! Many weren’t sure what they would hear in this set because of the different genres he usually plays. What an incredible surprise this set was. As the first song dropped, so did everyone’s mouths as they realized this would be one of the heaviest sets of the night. KTN was throwing down dubstep but not your usual dubstep. It was the type of dubstep that started to evolve in 2018 to get deeper, bouncier, and denser. To be brought back to that time period was a pleasure, and the energy was at an all-time high. We’re thrilled that Liquid Stranger switched things up by adding Kill The Noise to the support lineup.

This night of the run was the all original throwback set from Liquid Stranger. For many who’ve known and loved Martin since his early days of releasing music, this set was a dream come true. From the moment he stepped on stage from the moment he departed, there was no letting up as banger after banger ripped through Mission Ballroom. The man laid down oldies like Rocket FuelCreatureBurn Like the Sun, and much more. Not only did he play old tunes that many have probably been chasing, but he threw down VIPs of old songs. He played the VIPs of RippleDon’t Stop, and Bombaclaad Star, which he pulled out a Dubstep VIP of that he had forgotten he made! The amount of music he could fit into an hour time slot was amazing! 

Production

This year, the production was seriously top-notch. With Liquid Stranger bringing in the full PK Trinity sound system to Mission Ballroom, it made the biggest difference in the entire experience. The openers are usually quieter than the headliner, but the PKs ensured every artist came in with a bang. Earplugs are always a must at any show, but especially this one because of how penetrating the sound was. Mix the PKs with the incredible laser production and melty visuals, and you’d be sure to transcend. We’re so stoked that Liquid Stranger brought in such a great production and continues to level up!

Conclusion

Overall, Liquid Stranger on the first night of his three-night run at Mission Ballroom was incredible from start to finish. We are so happy to have experienced such excellent opening support acts and a throwback set from him! We can’t wait to see how he will continue to evolve.

Photos by Kyle Brim

Find Artist On:

FACEBOOK

WEBSITE

SOUNDCLOUD