Red Rocks Amphitheatre typically hosts a church service on Easter weekend. This year, it was Tchami and friends who took over the heavenly venue for a house masterclass, treating us to a Friday night sermon.
To start the night, California native Capozzi brought heavy kick drums and dark house music to the stage. Capozzi, also known as a rapper under the moniker Lil Debbie, made her Red Rocks debut as she emerges on the scene by way of the labels Night Bass Records and Confession. The dark, borderline-techno beats served as the perfect introduction to the night of house music that awaited.
As the night progressed and grew colder, Noizu turned up the temperature onstage by bringing a wave of tech house to the crowd. Although the sun was setting over the rocks, the house party had just begun. The L.A.-based producer mixed an array of melodies to accompany the wild drum patterns of his productions. The crowd positively reverberated to his most recent release, “Push to Start” with WESTEND and No/Me. The mixture of funk, melodies, and old-school R&B vocals created modern and nostalgic music throughout the set.
Hometown producer Disco Lines played in the direct support slot and set the tone for much of the Red Rocks season. Accompanied by his signature dolphin visuals, Thadeus Labuszewski set out on a genre-bending set that surprised the crowd. The first half was full of trap, every genre of house, the occasional dubstep, and even a taste of drum and bass. Thadeus, having grown up just outside of Denver, understood the assignment of what is expected when playing in this city. He dropped multiple Zeds Dead tracks, including their remix of “Journey of a Lifetime.”
The pure energy and spontaneity of this DJ set was incredible to witness. The accompanying production was just as impressive, using the side of each massive rock to display lasers and the Disco Lines name for all to see. The set ended on a high note with high-energy flips of pop songs, mashups of his own original music, and colorful visuals, setting the stage for the final set of the night.
French house producer Tchami took to the decks, accompanied by a large, slanted LED structure topped with mirrors. Dressed in his all-black signature priest look, he entered the booth as the soulful bass lines took over beside him. Tchami (aka Martin Joseph Léonard Bresso) found his rhythm early in the set, causing an eruption in the crowd as he dropped the new Skrillex track “Don’t Leave Me Like This” featuring Bobby Raps.
Tchami’s stage production made incredible use of the space allowed in the venue, using mirrors atop the structure to reflect and lengthen the effects of the massive LED boards below. It was one of the best stages I have seen in both a matter of visuals and efficiency. The visuals added an incredible effect to the set accompanying it.
After opening with powerful bass lines, Tchami progressed into a section led by melodic piano leads, including his newest single “The Calling” with Marten Horger. The night ended with a run of hit songs, including “Adieu,” which left everyone in the crowd feeling spiritual.
