My First Red Rocks
My first Red Rocks show flying in from Los Angeles with my friend Lindsey. Before I get into it about my experience at Red Rocks and seeing Galantis and 3LAU on April 19, 2022, I need to provide the “setup” about this venue itself. I should note that we had Meet & Greet Galantis VIP tickets so this did factor into the time we had to be at the venue but it ended up being a valuable lesson (teaser, keep reading to learn why). This show had been delayed for 2 years due to covid; important to note.
By the time of writing this, I have been to 29 festivals since September of 2018 and over 65 concerts. I have been blessed to see the amount of music in this space of time with of course nearly an 18 month blackout period as we all experienced. During an epic 2019 of 13 festivals, there was one magical place that evaded me: Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado. A mecca for music and concert addicts like me.
When you see concert videos from Red Rocks it is so clear that it is the most special place in the U.S. to see an artist perform at. The artist is not performing AT Red Rocks but rather FOR Red Rocks. The energy here is so strong and powerful it takes your breath away and this is when it is empty! When it is full of the special people of Red Rocks, it really takes on a supernatural level of cosmic energy and love. Red Rocks for any concert I have no doubt is so special, however, for EDM performances it takes on a mythical status. Just take a look at the comments section after Louis the Child, Alison Wonderland, or Rezz posts about what their Red Rocks show meant to them. Let me now share about my trip to Morrison, some travel recommendations, and what I experienced for Galantis Red Rocks with an epic 3LAU supporting.
Flying into Denver, I rented a car from Enterprise who I always use and we drove straight to Morrison to check in at Origins Hotel Red Rocks. The closest hotel to the venue. The Origin Hotel is really fantastic aside from being next to the Red Rocks entrance. If you want the luxury of a short drive to and from “home” afterwards then definitely stay at The Origin. The rooms are very nice and have a Rocky Mountain vibe to them with sliding barn style doors to the bathroom and a reclaimed wood and Edison bulb vibes. It feels like a trendy boutique hotel. The restaurant attached, NOMAD Taqueria and Beer Garden, has really flavorful food and is super convenient for a great dinner before the short 5 minute drive to the venue.
We decided to drive down the hill into the historic town of Golden (original home of Coors Brewery) and have a late lunch. You can't really go wrong anywhere for a meal in Golden. It is a 10 minute walk up and down main street. If you had the time or planned it in advance, then a tour of Coors Brewery would be a fun excursion to say you fit in while in this famous area outside of Denver.
After getting back to the Origin, it was time to get ready for the show. Recommendation #1, get to Red Rocks when doors open for the most epic pictures of an empty Red Rocks Amphitheater with pictures of yourself totally immersed with unobstructed 360 degrees pictures. You can easily see an hour go by between pictures and shooting content. You can then go enjoy drinks on the terraces. But let me back up.
When you leave the Origin Hotel it is a 5 minute drive with no traffic to the first Red Rocks parking lot so getting there for the doors open makes it hassle free. The walk up to the venue is a quarter mile long scenic flowing walk-way that is a bit of a workout from the vertical gain.
As you are walking up this ramp for the first time, the deep feels start to release and the dopamine begins to flow. You look to your friend(s) and say, “We did it. We are here.” I fantasized about my first Red Rocks show for years and out of all the shows it was going to be – Galantis could not have been more special or intense from a personal standpoint. Only Odesza at Red Rocks could match this euphoria of my first show at Red Rocks if I could choose anyone to see. These are the two groups’ music and live shows that changed the course of my life after I saw them. Red Rocks for me is the mecca of all non-festival venues in the World.
After checking in for the Meet & Greet, we made our way into the amphitheater. As you look down at the steps that lead you up to Red Rocks, everything melts away. You are alone for these seconds as you let the vibrations pulse through your body with each step. Looking down, not up because you want to get to the top step first and then pick your head up and see what you have been waiting years for. You blink. It is real. You did it. You are at Red Rocks. This bucket list on your musical odyssey love affair is now complete. It will now become an annual party pilgrimage. You look down to the stage, you look to the Rock across from you, and then the Rock behind you to your left. You haven’t even stepped into the space yet. You are just in the moment. You raise your hands to the sky like you won! You are winning in life no matter what when you are at Red Rocks. The daydreams of the show now cascade over you like an ocean of all the builds and drops that you know are only a few short hour(s) away. You are now feeling the energy that is this mythical place.
If you like, take a moment from this article and fantasize about your Red Rocks and how you know you are going this year or next year – “for sure”. Listen to this track in the background if you like by Andrew Bayer - ‘Midnight’. It’s progressive trance – don’t be scared.
Red Rocks, after the 10th row, it is pretty much general admission and fair game to move around. This is considered on the down low when locals tell you this. Once this was shared with me, I understood that it is part of the magic that makes Red Rocks so special. There is break from all the overbearing rules that dominant this country over everyone. You can BE a person of Red Rocks. The People of Red Rocks as one. You will see a cast of characters that have become one with this place and they roam around and people recognize them for being a character here and at every show. You see the people of Denver do not take their access and proximity to Red Rocks for granted. You can feel it. They know how lucky they are and that gratitude is what I think preserves the incredible vibes of this place; in the Rocks, in the Rows, and in the Stage. I also think that because Red Rocks is obviously seasonal; this also is why it is not taken for granted.
As you finish all your pictures and videos, the space begins to fill in for the supporting acts. It’s not just about the show at all. It’s about soaking in this energy because it has healing powers.
Remember, I was a foreigner here and observing this entire spectacle. Red Rocks is a party unto itself. It is a celebration of life and if you let yourself, the tears of joy and healing will roll (no pun intended). I wore sunglasses so I could let those feelings go while maintaining the privacy of my personal moment and experience.
Now the sunset at Red Rocks meets the stars under the sky. Now the energy shifts. Now the real electricity begins charging. The rocket has married it’s launchpad. You and everyone around you at Red Rocks is on a countdown. The last supporting act says, “This is my last one Red Rocks.” The kick drum of this last track before the headliner is/are the swirling white “smoke” of the rocket’s liquid oxygen venting out and water vapor rising into the air. You look behind you up through this cavernous space or you look down into it and it is all one pulsing party machine. You will never forget what it was like.
The flood lights drop off. The People of Red Rocks scream. You are officially a moment away from experiencing YOUR FIRST RED ROCKS SHOW. You look into the eyes of who you came with to experience one of life’s most cherished firsts. You high five your neighbors around you. You then turn to the stage. It is all yours now.
The opening sequence starts! (Metaphor alert! The rocket (ie., the stage) starts its engines. Red Rocks Amphitheatre is floating 1 inch off the ground now.
The first drop of Red Rocks is bar none, every time, one of the best drops that has ever occurred on planet earth. When there is a Red Rocks show, there is no better place on Earth to be for those 2 hours. It is not even a competition. Music festival energy is not comparable; they are totally separate for obvious reasons. This was a space created by God for music, for us, and the heavens to behold. Should be no surprise that it is outside of a place affectionately called ‘The Mile High City’.
This was Christian Karlsson’s first Red Rocks in many years and would be performing without Linus Eklöw. I have already explained what Red Rocks means to the fans attending but one can only dream what it must mean to perform at and for a sold out Red Rocks. What it means for them personally and for their career to reach this pinnacle of success. This Red Rocks performance by Galantis was being Live Streamed by Live Nation. This was a major deal.
This tangent aside, the Meet & Greet ticket holders were told at the 3:45pm check-in that it was delayed and to come to the right side of the stage (the barn doors) at 9:10pm for the Meet & Greet. By 9:40pm, we knew something was up. We also knew that we had just missed the 2nd half of a 3LAU’s Red Rocks set…not cool.
While I was standing there, I saw Christian and said to him, “There you are!”. No one else even noticed him but of course I did and he looked straight at me, recognized me, and then walked straight up to me and stood in front of me. I was so happy. I said to him, “Don’t worry I won’t be loud, I know your ear is still recovering.” So everyone else gathers around us and we take a group picture. And to that as he walked 10 feet back to his photographer and assistant, I say with sarcasm, “And that was the Meet & Greet!” with a big laugh. I didn’t care because he recognized me and I was totally proved correct about what was going on behind the scenes. I will share why Christian and his team thought I was funny and joined in the chuckle when I said that because they could tell I was not upset at all and that I knew the situation. When I go to a Galantis show I always have Meet & Greet tickets and for back to back nights if they have more than one date. Hence, all the pictures of me with them at the bottom of the Ravers Naturals ‘Our Story’ website page.
Sorry, back to the story, so after I said that, the Meet & Greet was officially canceled and they apologized (we were told because he arrived late from delays out of Las Vegas). They said the group picture would be emailed to everyone and that we could pick up our signed poster after the show by the barn doors. Some people were pretty annoyed; enough to complain because it was several hundred dollars per ticket and there was no Meet & Greet. There was also no VIP section like the email stated. I was annoyed by that because I had to walk back and forth to that section three times to then finally get confirmation from Live Nation that there was no Meet & Greet VIP Section per the email. They made a mistake.
So as I shared, I have met Christian a few times now and I can tell you that he canceled because he was more nervous for this show than he could ever remember in his entire career.
This show had been delayed due to covid for 2 years and he was doing it without Linus who always controlled the DJ decks. Galantis has one of the most complex DJ sets in EDM. Performing at Red Rocks solo and being Live Streamed by Live Nation for pay-per-view was so much pressure. Doing a Meet & Greet was the last thing he could focus on and knowing that at least one person would ask where Linus is or what happened right before he was going on was just not going to work. (and for good measure to because neither of them have said a word about the breakup to their fans and it was not right.) Nonetheless, these things happen and I still love Galantis and their music.
I should note that I was at the last show that Christian and Linus would ever perform together before covid. It was at Exchange LA on February 29, 2020. I was one of only a small handful of people who can say that they saw Armin van Buuren at The Hollywood Palladium, Tiësto at Academy, Slander at The Shrine Auditorium, and Galantis in 2020 (all in Los Angeles) before the March lockdowns. Really incredible.
Ok if you have made it this far, you are so rad. Send us a DM on TikTok and reference your favorite part of this blog post, and we’ll give you a major discount on your next order!
So! Remember where I left off! Back to the show opening! The opening sequence starts! Christian debuts a new VIP opening for Red Rocks which starts off with him behind the decks instead of the usual Galantis visual and the banging of the drums.
Christian raises his arm to Red Rocks, and you hear a fantastic never heard before melody against the acapella lyrics: THINK I CAN FLY. THINK I CAN FLY WHEN I’M WITH YOU. MY ARMS ARE WIDE, CATCHING FIRE AS THE WIND BLOWS. I KNOW THAT I’M RICH ENOUGH FOR PRIDE, I SEE A BILLION DOLLARS IN YOUR EYES. EVEN IF WE’RE STRANGERS ‘TIL WE DIE. Christian greets Red Rocks and the build starts. This show was one of a kind. A one off. It was historic on so many levels. It was the 12th show back at Red Rocks with only a few EDM shows before it.
I have edited a very special recap of the show on our TikTok account which you can click on the icon below in the lower right corner of this webpage to take you to our account. I won’t go over the entire setlist.
After this show, we were flying high despite how intense the weather conditions had been all night. It was so windy in fact, that it blew 3LAU’s laptop closed not once (after it was taped open) but twice! So come prepared in April for a Red Rock’s show. A few days later there was blizzard during Dom Dolla’s set.
As you take pictures after the show, you are on another level of happiness. You just did your first Red Rocks show. As you walk down the ramp to leave, it feels like you left part of yourself back there between those Rocks, still looking at the view, partying, and in awe of the Red Rocks stage. There is no other place like it on Earth. You will never be the same. Never, never. Never, never. Gratitude and satisfaction fill your heart as you drive down the hill.
This was a pilgrimage for me and I hope you enjoyed reading about it. Thank you for taking the time. Please tag us in the comments on your social media when you share about your own Red Rock’s experience. We’d love to see you “spread it like peanut butter jelly!” and enjoying Ravers Naturals! Refreshing Vapors For Every Drop!
