Winter on the Rocks with Atmosphere!
by Corey Blecha
As I walked up the road to Colorado’s most legendary concert venue, Red Rocks Amphitheater, a slight snow began falling. Knowing that with the inaugural winter event, there would be some new “experiences” for everyone, the snow that slowly came down seemed to be an omen for a truly groundbreaking night. Walking up the steps and making our way to the concert in the middle of winter, was an experience that was foreign to everyone, though one I most definitely want to experience again.
The night got started with Grieves and Budo giving an inspiring performance that got everyone warmed up a little from the sub-freezing temperatures. In a state where inconsistent weather usually reigns supreme, the weather actually cooperated, and nobody seemed to notice the cold temperature. Throughout the night, Get Cryphy kept the energy flowing with filler sets in between the headlining acts, highlighting some of the best rap music from the last 20 years, all mixed into a clean and cohesive DJ set.
When co-headliner, Common, hit the stage at the sold-out show, nearly 10,000 Colorado music lovers were bobbing their heads to the beat and raising the temperature. Playing with a live band made for a great performance that had real meaning and substance, something that is so often missing these days at hip-hop shows. In a city that knows what they like and how they like it, Common delivered on the biggest stage we have, and showed everyone that hip-hop is alive and well, right here in our city!
The night’s headliner, Colorado favorite and Minnesota natives, Atmosphere, was a highly anticipated set, and one of the best that I have seen so far this year. Greeting the crowd with a warm, “What up homie?” everyone knew that they were in for a special show. Atmosphere has long been known for his connection to his fans, and his ability to relate real-life situations of struggle and pain into every song, a trait that has earned him legions of fans all over the world. Seeing him perform on such a big stage, to such a hyped crowd, was an amazing experience, one that each audience member will hold as a unique and special moment in their lives, as Colorado made history with a winter season hip-hop show that was one for the record books!
Playing a set list that was filled with the classics, my nostalgia for how things used to be kicked in with songs like, “GodLovesUgly,” taking me back to dorm rooms and house parties, where Atmosphere never seemed to stop playing through the stereo. After all these years, they continue to make new fans, and on Friday night, they delivered an instantly classic set that was perfect for the first annual Red Rocks show. With the SIA snow expo in town this weekend, there was plenty of hip-hop going down in town and with Atmosphere sitting in for a surprise set on Thursday night at Brother Ali, the man himself repaid the favor with a surprise cameo for the last song of the set at Red Rocks, “Cats Van Bags”. It was the perfect way to end a spectacular concert, with a full house going bananas one last time before the night ended.
With a perfect start to the night, and a successful event for the promoters, the only thing left was a killer performance from the headliners, and Atmosphere and Common did not come up short. With hopes for future winter shows, sponsor company, Icelantic, looks to keep this going as a yearly tradition, and I can only imagine what they will come up with for next year!! To everyone who helped make this possible, and to all the people that came out, let’s keep this alive and make sure we have future experiences at the world’s greatest concert venue!!
Category: Planet Buzz
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