Party Guru Press reviews M83’s colorful live performance of their Fantasy album at Mission Ballroom in Denver.
Continue readingM83 Delivers a Technicolor Fantasy at Mission Ballroom
Eptic Set to Rock Denver’s Mission Ballroom in 2023
Get ready for one of the hottest DJ events of the year because Eptic is coming to Denver to perform at Mission Ballroom!
Continue readingIce Cube Brings the Heat to The Mission Ballroom
Fans anxiously awaited their “invitation to the Gangsta Nation” Friday night from the emcee who popularized gangsta rap. Fiery visuals set the mood after an opening set from rapper Westside Boogie (real name Anthony Tremaine Dixson). A haze filled the audience as Ice Cube (real name O’Shea Jackson Sr.) stepped onto the Mission Ballroom floor with a surprise guest.
Ice Cube took the stage and extended his own invitation to long-time friend and collaborator WC (real name William LaShawn Calhoun Jr). Hyping up the crowd, they celebrated their Denver fan base. This was Ice Cube’s second Colorado stop during his 2023 tour, one day after the 4/20 holiday.
The two artists previously formed the supergroup Westside Connection with Mac 10 (real name Dedrick D’Mon Rolison). Westside Connection made a major footprint in the hip-hop community during the ’90s to early 2000s. The emcees paid tribute to the rap collective, reciting “The Pledge” from their platinum ’96 album Bow Down, in addition to its famous title track.
Vivid graphics captured the attention of the audience and raised the bar from the typical hip-hop set. Animations with images of Ice Cube, clips from Friday, music videos, and trippy visuals complemented the energy of his performance. The crowd enthusiastically threw their Ws up for the duo.
The shoulder-to-shoulder crowd echoed lyrics and bounced to the beat of classic songs. Between “Gangsta Nation” and “Straight Outta Compton,” Ice Cube delivered something for everyone. The emcee kept it old school while showcasing some fancy footwork.
Filling the sold-out ballroom with infectious beats, Ice Cube gave hip-hop heads exactly what they needed. He wasn’t afraid to get down with the crowd, or get high! They brought the heat to an otherwise frigid night. Fans could all agree, “It Was a Good Day.”
Mersiv Takes Over Denver with a Captivating Two-Night Run
Party Guru Press witnessed Mersiv’s sold-out Red Rocks Amphitheatre show and his 360 performance at Mission Ballroom.
Continue readingHell and Back: keshi and Friends are Touring their Hearts Out
keshi is on the Hell and Back Tour, and he brought the cavalry. They guided us through soul-stirring moments, leaving all satisfied.
Continue readingSullivan King Reigns Supreme on Thrones of Blood Tour
Sullivan King triumphantly returned to kick off his Thrones of Blood tour with a two-night run at the Mission Ballroom.
Continue readingWooli’s Sensational Impact Tour Packs Mission Ballroom to the Brim
Bass heads rejoiced as Wooli brought his Impact Tour production to Denver on March 11th for an unforgettable event.
Continue readingCelebrating 3/03 with 3OH!3 in the 303
Colorado hometown heroes 3OH!3 pulled out all the stops for the 303 Day celebrations.
Continue readingMission Ballroom Gets Detoxed by Excision
It’s that time of the year: the time when thousands of bass heads gather in Colorado from near and far to attend annual shows headlined by Excision (real name Jeff Abel). On February 9th, Jeff played one of his famous “Detox” sets at Mission Ballroom for the first time, making history.
Opening Support
A diverse lineup of supporting acts graced the stage and elevated the energy as expected. Lizzy Jane, Whales, Hairitage, and Ravenscoon played energetic, bass-booming sets that made the crowd wild out. At one point, Ravenscoon mentioned that his set marked a full circle moment. He recounted that he’d seen Excision at Cervantes in 2010, and now he’s his opener.
Excision Detox Set
For those who don’t know, an Excision “Detox” set deviates from his usual, heavy-hitting dubstep sets. It incorporates genres outside of dubstep and arguably introduces sounds never heard before. It serves as a proper display of Abel’s full creative range.
Abel’s “Detox” set proved to be versatile, unpredictable, and jam-packed with tunes, leaving people speechless. A few of the subgenres explored in this set were techno, bass house, drum and bass, glitch hop, and experimental bass. Along with that, he also threw in some oldies! All of these were seamlessly mixed to make you think you know what’s coming, only to then get shot into oblivion.
Detox Set Production
Abel is known for his top-tier stage shows, which partially led to his fame. That infamous production, conjoined with the Mission Ballroom sound system, is a match made in dubstep heaven. Sharpshooting lasers and pyro garnished the experience, raising it above the rest.
From front to back, the show was unforgettable and will go down in history. The openers put on their best and synergistically amped up the energy. Abel threw down a heater of a set that encompassed a plethora of phenomenal music. And, of course, Mission Ballroom served as the perfect place for each artist to get the production they deserved.
Who is Excision?
Excision is an early dubstep legend and long-standing household name. Abel started the project in 2006, releasing on multiple notorious labels and collaborating with other artists. Throughout the past few years, Abel has busted out tours worldwide and even created his own festivals. His most recent label is Subsidia, where upcoming bass artists are in the spotlight. Abel is unquestionably a pioneer in dance music and will forever stand as one of the best bass music artists of all time.
Abel continues to set the bar higher by claiming every opportunity to do something new. His set at Mission Ballroom gave familiar fans a new way to experience his production. In the same sense, it gave newbies an unbeatable first-time show! It’s a genuine test of mastery for artists to reinvent themselves while keeping true to their roots. Abel’s passion has shined in his ability to do such, and he continues to be a positive leader in the EDM community.
Photos by Sammantha Drake
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
