By Papa Skunk
 
September 29 marked Big Gigantic’s first headlining show at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, CO. Saxophonist Dominic Lalli and drummer Jeremy Salken’s collaboration sold out days in advance and included a fantastic supporting lineup.
 
The show began with local favorite Raw Russ providing a short set before giving way to rising electronic music star Griz. A recent Colorado transplant, Griz manages to bring together many different styles and sounds with noticeable influence from Pretty Lights, Skrillex, and other Electronic Dance Music (EDM) styles. His career is just getting started, so plan on seeing his name for years to come.
 
Following Griz’s performance was Moombahton with Electro House act Dillon Francis. Francis has done a great job of crafting his own unique brand of electro house, primarily a slowed down version of Electronica. This gives him the ability to pull in listeners that normally might not like house music. Francics built on what Griz had started with the crowd. The energy was very high and Francis did a wonderful job controlling the crowd with music alone.
 
After a short break, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis took the stage but could not capitalize on the vibe Raw Russ, Griz, and Dillon Francis had built. Being the only hip-hop act in the middle of an EDM show was not to their advantage. The sold out crowd was ready rage and hip-hop did not satisfy.
 
For their first headlining show at Colorado’s premier concert venue, Big Gigantic brought a slew of new and reworked material, a monster light rig, and projectors that mapped the iconic monoliths of Red Rocks. 
 
The combination of Lalli’s live saxophones and Salken’s drums set Big Gigantic apart of from other electronic acts and the crowd enjoyed every minute of the two-plus hour show. Any longtime Big Gigantic fan should have noticed the extra effort put into the set list including a section of the set featuring a guest appearance by Griz to perform songs they had written together.
 
It was also nice to hear Big Gigantic play some proper Drum and Bass to a predominately younger audience who may not be super familiar with dubstep’s older brother. The Drum and Bass also provided an energy peak during the show and continued with Big G’s theme of consistently changing the tempo. Additionally, the set featured excellent placement of the band’s biggest remixes throughout to keep the audience singing along every few songs.
 
Overall Big Gigantic’s “Rowdytown” was a perfect end to a Red Rocks season full of electronic dance music. This summer saw the full range of electronic music headliners from around the country and internationally. While Pretty Lights makes a point to play Colorado often, Big Gigantic achieved an unparalleled Colorado family atmosphere. 
 
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