Big Gigantic Flood Benefit: Fillmore and Red Rocks
by Corey Blecha
Big Gigantic made their return to Red Rocks for Rowdytown Part II this past weekend, for one of the last shows of the season and perhaps one of the best. They repeated their sold-out appearance, but not before playing a bonus show at the Fillmore Auditorium, scheduled to give those that didn’t score tickets to Red Rocks a chance to see the Colorado duo perform in their home state, as well as to benefit the flood relief efforts being directed towards those who lost lives, property, and so much more due to the devastating bouts of rain that swept through the state a few weeks prior. According to Dominic Lalli, who mans the saxophone as well as the production and synth work behind the groups “gigantic” tunes, the fact that they could help bring people together to help people around the state was perhaps the most important thing about this run of shows. When asked about the addition of the Fillmore show, he notes that it was a “… good opportunity to raise more money for people that are in need”, and as we could come to find out, Colorado folks don’t need much motivation to help each other out, especially in times as trying as this.
With a smaller crowd Friday night, and a more intimate setting all around, I was eager to hear what the guys would come out with, especially considering they would have at least a two hour set the following night. What we got was a throwback playlist of some of the oldest Big G tunes in their catalog, showing the Denver crowd that they haven’t forgot where they came from. With classics like “Funhouse” and “Fire It Up”, Dom and drummer Jeremy Salken took us on a trip through time, and it was great to hear some of their older stuff, many songs of which I haven’t heard since their early tours. The highlight of Friday was definitely the opening track, in which David Murphy of STS9 joined the duo on bass, kicking off great vibes for the rest of the night and an epic start to an amazing weekend of Big Gigantic and friends!
Saturday night was the main attraction, selling out more than a month in advance as fans were either looking to make their return to Rowdytown or looking to make sure they didn’t miss out this year. After last year’s performance, there was plenty of buzz going into this weekend, and after growing into a national touring act, especially in the last twelve months, the hype couldn’t have been higher for Rowdytown II.
Fans made their way into the amphitheater early to catch the sounds of Manic Focus, Carnage, and finally Adventure Club, before the Big G boys took the stage for their headlining set. They were fully equipped with projection mapping on the rocks, and a complex lighting and stage structure built around the LED lit stage that Dom and Jeremy called home for the night. From the get-go, it was an audio and visual spectacle that rivaled any show I have ever seen at Red Rocks (I’ve seen more than enough), and a performance that pushed the limits of a venue that has seen nearly every type of artist and genre through its doors, and I commend the guys for taking on such a huge production. When it was all said and done, many people asked why the projection mapping hadn’t been done before, a comment I heard more than a few times on the walk out after the show. The complexity of the set-up was no easy task, as one can only imagine, with multiple projectors, countless hours programming and setting up the visuals, not to mention the stellar musical performance that served as the heart beat of the whole operation, and to pull it off with the success they had was a feat in itself, worthy of praise from even the most casual music fan.
Night two featured songs old and new, giving the “Big Gigantic Family” a little dose of everything, and showing that the band doesn’t have many genre limitations and are keen on exploring new musical territory. They played new songs such as “Blue Dream” and “Cloud Burst”, and they even debuted a new untitled song, with a wobbly house beat, speeding along with Jeremy’s ever-present drumming and Dom’s smooth and soulful saxophone.
After seeing Big Gigantic in two different settings, two nights in a row, its safe to say that they are on top of their game and ready as ever to push the boundaries of what EDM is, something they have never been shy to explore. As a local music fan, I love to see Colorado artists go on to experience nationwide success, and nothing means more than having them come back and contribute to the local scene, and in this case to the local community. Their efforts raising money, teaming up with Conscious Alliance to donate proceeds of these shows to those affected by the floods, shows that Dominic and Jeremy are in the right headspace, something that can’t be said for every group that experiences such a rapid rise to fame. After an amazing weekend of music, where people from Colorado and beyond came together for both the tunes and the community, we are re-assured of the power of music and the importance of helping those in need, regardless of the platform we stand on. Big up, Big G!!!
Category: Buzzworthy
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