Concert Review: Bassnectar at Red Rocks

June 20, 2011 19 comments

Bassnectar – Bass Head

I had the opportunity to check out Bassnectar in concert at Red Rocks on Saturday. I’ve only got one word for you: whompadocious. The show was an orgy for my senses. The bass was earth-shaking, the lights were seizure-inducing (awesome), and the music never stopped. I’ve heard some talk in the last couple months… some people seem to be over Bassnectar. I’m here to tell you it doesn’t matter if you are on the wagon or off, if you blast Bassnectar at parties or in your car, or if you have never even heard of Bassnectar. There is something about nectar’s blend of electronica dubstep that will just blow your mind when you see it live. Un. Fucking. Real.

Red Rocks is probably the premier outdoor amphitheater in the US, challenged only by the Gorge in WA. I’ve been to a couple of shows at Red Rocks and the atmosphere is always hyped. Concert-goers to the Red Rocks venue are always on their game. But I’ve got the say, the crowd on Saturday night was unlike anything I’ve ever seen… 10,000 strong and so energetic that Lorin (nectar himself) had to stop playing a few times just to comment on the insanity before his eyes. Hell, just look at the picture above taken at the end of the show and you’ll get the idea.

Eskmo and Beats Antique opened for nectar, and they set the atmosphere for what was to come. I actually heard a rumor floating around that Bassnectar brought in his own sound system to add to Red Rock’s built-in system, ya know… cuz Red Rock’s system doesn’t have enough juice or something. I can’t even explain how ridiculous it was. I don’t know if a whole additional PA system was brought in but the show was definitely more amped up than my last couple of Red Rocks visits. I thought my heart was going to explode when Bass Head came on.

It was a visceral experience and is truly not something to be missed. Pure extacy for music goers everywhere. His set started around 9 and he played for 3-and-a-half hours. THREE-AND-A-HALF-HOURS! That’s forever at a concert! The night is a blur. The show was so much fun and when it ended I honestly thought he was just taking a set break. I could have stayed there well into Sunday morning. There were no boring moments. Think about it… how many shows have you been to where the artist/band played a song you didn’t like, went on a political rant, or took an extended set-break? Lots, right? I can’t say that Saturday was a perfect night, but nobody was bored and nobody sat down for a second (except for the people who legitimately couldn’t stand up). I didn’t get my Pixies remix, but that hardly put a damper on the night.

In short, if you have the chance, check out a show. Upcoming shows include: Re-Generation in North Plains, OR, Electric Daisy Carnival in Vegas, Electric Forest (formerly Rothbury Music Festy) in Michigan, and Camp Bisco in NY.

If you were at the Red Rocks show, leave a comment and share your experience.

Keep in mind: I’m not a critic, I just review shit.