In the Bass Capital of Denver, Colorado, DeadRocks week is a celebration of music that just capped its eleventh year running. From Tuesday to Friday, there is non-stop excitement for […]
In the Bass Capital of Denver, Colorado, DeadRocks week is a celebration of music that just capped its eleventh year running. From Tuesday to Friday, there is non-stop excitement for Zeds Dead lovers all over town, including merch drops, scavenger hunts, flash tattoos, and four different events headlined by the iconic duo. Fans come from all over the country to be a part of the action, and for good reason. It seems that every year, DeadRocks continues to grow into something even more special than the previous. We got to experience the week first-hand this year, and we’re here to break it down for you, day by day.
This year, the festivities started a day early with the HonestDeads merch pop-up in downtown Denver. Hosted by Deadbeats, this little shop was a perfect way to kick off the fun. It opened up on Tuesday afternoon and continued each day until Thursday, which also included a mini-rave hosted by club studio time that featured several Deadbeats artists. Inside, fans could find everything from exclusive merch and classic reissues, flash tattoos by local artist Mr. Ace, hand-painted art by Zeds Deads’ very own Hooks, and even a coffee bar outside.
Red Rocks Night One was special from start to finish. The lineup included a fresh list of Deadbeats artists that kept the party going all day long. Starting at 4:30 PM, five different support acts coming from all different genres of dance music brought the heat (and we swear it wasn’t just the 100-degree weather). Some of the highlights of the day included a UKG & Bassline set from Zero, which took fans by surprise but quickly brought a crazy energy into the crowd. Taiki Nulight had his Red Rocks debut, which was filled with heavy bass and garage that included all of his high-profile collaborations as well as several unreleased ID’s we can’t wait to hear again. Direct support for Zeds Dead was Rudim3ntal, which fulfilled everyone’s DnB itch for the night and also contained plenty of classic tracks as well as unreleased music. When the boys took the stage at 10:30, their first set of the week was all about the Return to the Spectrum of Intergalactic Happiness. Mixed in with some Zeds Dead classics and heavy bass remixes, the pair really focused on showcasing their latest album in all of its glory. Fans all around were hand in hand as they witnessed an emotional performance with beautiful visuals and lights to pair with it. To end off Night One, they closed out with their instant-classic unreleased mashup “Pure Imagination”. Looking around, we saw fans embracing each other, and many were even brought to tears. It was a truly special moment for everyone.
Night Two at Red Rocks brought even more energy with a crew of Deadbeats artists that kept fans dancing from the moment they ran from doors open to close. HerShe opened up the night with an incredible set that included filthy original music, a fantastic selection of her favorites, including an insane remix of Knock2’s “Rock Ur World” by Shloppy Jo, and her impressive beatboxing a cappella on the mic that blew minds. The night continued with incredible performances from Wink, Onhell (who brought an entire strip club out on stage with him), Deadbeats veteran Heyz, and a monstrous direct support set from Distinct Motive. Zeds Dead brought a completely different vibe from Night One, focusing on pleasing the headbangers with a much heavier set filled with classics, unreleased edits, and unique flips of classic hip hop and pop songs.
The final day of Deadrocks week felt like a family gathering and an epic finale. The Deadbeats Jamboree is now in its fifth year, and it was just as incredible as it was in years past. Festivities included music, food trucks, a hot dog eating contest hosted by Heyz, bounce houses, dunk tanks, and lawn games. This year, the Jamboree had two stages, the Deadbeats stage and the Altered States stage. Papa Jay opened up the Deadbeats stage with a dubstep set that included tons of classic vocals that fans sang along to. It was the perfect warm-up to a full day of great vibes. As the day went on, we had a few genre-switch-ups that kept the dance floor (or dance field?) feeling fresh and full of energy. Don Jamal brought the deep dubstep, Skellytn brought the DnB, and Cool Customer brought the Hip Hop, remixed with plenty of bass, of course. Direct support for Zeds Dead came from Ravenscoon, who played so many dubstep smash-hits that we were surprised the CDJs didn’t catch fire. Donning cowboy hats and DeadRocks merch, DC and Hooks took the stage at 8:30 and carried the event until close. But the night did not end there, as less than one hour later, they took the stage for Hangover at the legendary Mission Ballroom. They played two one-hour sets with a brief intermission between. The first set included experimental bass and several unreleased VIP’s from the new album. However, the second set of the night stole the show. As a complete shock to fans, Zeds Dead brought out dubstep superstar Tape B to close out the night with an epic b2b that included a few tracks they made just for the show. Fans lost their minds as they heard the announcement, and gave everything they had for the final hour of DeadRocks week.
This year may have been the best DeadRocks yet, but we are already sitting at home, counting the days until next year to do it all again.
Did you make it out to Zeds Dead’s DeadRocks XI? Let us know in the comments what your favorite part was.
Featured image courtesy of Max Thompson
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