Kanye West. Oracle Arena. 10.22.16 The sounds of hydraulic machinery filled Oracle Arena, as the stench of dirt weed mingled with the faux fog that had been pumping into the air over the past two hours. The opening samples of “Father Stretch My Hands Pt. 1” were slowed down and turned elastic, thus leaving alien …
Chance The Rapper. Fillmore. 09.20.16 It was just before midnight on Tuesday when I came busting into my house like a kid who had just visited Disneyland for the first time; a kid who had just happened to have consumed quite a bit of alcohol in the Magic Kingdom. My wife was less than amused, …
Winter on the Rocks. Red Rocks. 01.29.16 People in Colorado are no strangers to outdoor concerts in the middle of winter. Local and national acts have been performing in Winter Park, Aspen, Vail, and countless other mountain locales for a very long time, but it wasn’t until four years ago that anyone witnessed a performance …
Rocky and Tyler Tour. Red Rocks. 09.30.15 A$AP Rocky was perched at the top of a three-story church pleading with the “Holy Ghost” as his millennial choir echoed his prayers back at him. The 26-year-old rapper from Harlem, New York might claim to have his own relationship with God, but it’s no secret that he …
Riot Fest Denver 2015 My Festival Experience: 3 Days / 2 Nights 16 Hours 26 Bands Top 10 Moments: Iggy Pop – agelessly following “The Passenger” with “Lust for Life”. Ice Cube – performing N.W.A material with MC Ren and DJ Yella. System of a Down – dropping “Aerials” and “B.Y.O.B.” on a massive crowd. The Dead …
Riot Fest Denver 2015: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Read More »
Rap music is about two things, lyrics and beats. Take either away and you’ve got poetry slam or bass music, neither of which I’m very fond of. So it’s a testament to El-P’s production that last night’s show worked despite the sound problems. Killer Mike and El-P are both hip-hop powerhouses in their own right, …
When the “Drake vs. Lil Wayne” tour was announced, I figured it was just another clever marketing ploy. These Young Money artists share a label and a fan base, but I doubt anyone saw that announcement and didn’t immediately pick a favorite. Lil Wayne has been in the game a lot longer than Drake, so …
There are many forms of filth (and varying levels of honesty) in the aboveground rap scene these days, but more often than not, it’s hard to take rappers seriously. There are too many cartoonish actors in the game. A misogynist with gold teeth and an AK-47 doesn’t shock anyone anymore. And the old school players, the real gangsters and …
ScHoolboy Q (pre/post-shooting). Red Rocks. 06.19.14 Read More »
The 3rd Annual Winter on the Rocks was perfect. Although it didn’t start out that way. I couldn’t help but question my own intelligence as I navigated Red Rocks Loop in the dark. The temperature outside was a cool 25°F as my headlights reflected off the fog back through my windshield. The Upper North Lot …
I’m not going to claim to be a genius, or to have a familiar relationship with Jesus, but I think I may have a touch of something — a gift of some kind. How else would you explain my prediction, weeks before the damaged LED screen, that the “Yeezus Tour” would not be making a stop in …
