If you have never been to Red Rocks and are a fan of live music, put it on your list! This is a venue that brings out the most ferocious of fans, but also inspires performers from across genres to give performances here their all. HDYFEST 2017 was nothing short of a wicked, dope show – a cornucopia of dank modern music.
There were some complaints that echoed through out message boards, and throngs of attendees. One was the weather. It was cold and rainy, and I was worried about lightening (which is the line for Red Rock’s safety), but as soon as I was passed security, there was not a drop. The other issue was that there was no announced, or released set list, and for fans of What So Not, there was disappointment if you were not there when door’s opened. This also went for those who had purchased tickets to see Gryffin.
I was able to make it for Gucci Mane‘s complete set which was steady. There was an element of throwback-style in Mane’s performance, since it was just his DJ and himself holding down the stage. Mane rhymed and flowed like the professional that he is, and definitely warmed up the crowd on the chilly night. He performed some of my favorites including ‘Freaky Gurl’ and ‘Pills’.
Next up was one of FUXWITHIT’s favorites, Branchez, who killed it with a dynamic and emotional set. It was amazing to hear ‘Feel It’ live. I was particularly impressed by the visual graphics and transitions that Branchez chose to set the stage – they were seamlessly in line with his hyper-pop style. My favorite sequences were the underwater scenes, which seems to be a rip from Beyonce’s pregnancy announcement, but they were still sexy and entrancing.
Flosstradamus’s presence was first made known by the construction of a pyramid on stage in front of a false-cliff where I knew Floss would disseminate some sort of reality-altering bass sounds. The intricate stage set up really made this feel like a production, but also served a purpose of creating a holographic type of experience. During one of many disgusting remixes, a cartoon koi fish danced over Floss’s shadowy figure inside the pyramid and then jumped up into the background screens to ride the crest of anime styled waves.
Floss’s hype was also amazing, promoting 420-friendly taunts, and complaints about how we were hot-boxing him inside the pyramid. His playful personality shown through all the effects, and proved why the HDYNATION is as loyal as they are.
Some of the remixes that he shredded through were Afroman’s ‘Because I Got High’, Pharrell and Snoop Dogg’s ‘Drop It Like Its Hot’, Migos ‘Bad & Boujee,’ the classic nineties Alice DJ ‘Do You Think Your Better Off Alone’, Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You’, Flume and Tove Lo’s ‘Say It, Daddy Yankee’s ‘Gasolina’. My all time favorite though was Biz Markie’s ‘You Got What I Need’.
HDYFEST 2017 was in the perfect location since the amphitheater is on the side of the Rocky Mountains, making the audience feel like they are perched on the edge of world as you look out onto the sparkling prairie, and up into the twinkling stars. The space is ideal for a bass-dripping rave like this one, and I am already looking forward to next year. Here’s until 2018!
All photos courtesy of Flosstradamus.
