Denver, CO– On May 1st, Colorado transformed into a very Strange place indeed. The one and only Tech N9ne was in town for his tour and he brought everyone he could think of for this epic show. For the 22nd stop on a 56 stop tour, Strange Music was playing the world renowned Red Rocks Amphitheater in Morrison, Colorado.
Red Rocks has been praised by so many artists as the end all, be all when asked their favorite place in the world to play. The beauty and natural acoustics make this venue a one of a kind. We that reside in Colorado, are very fortunate to have this venue in our backyard. A venue that seats 10,000 people isn’t a big deal this day and age, but Red Rocks breaks all the rules. For an outside venue, the seasons in Colorado dictate the schedule so we only get shows during good weather.
In the days leading up to the show, our socials were flooded with fans planning meetups and letting everyone know that they were coming. For a show of this magnitude, there were people flying in from all over the world. I even saw people coming from as far away as Germany. The dedication Technicians have is unrivaled in any scene I have ever saw. Their love for the music and artists is something to behold. For many fans, Strange Music has saved their lives in one way or another. Their love for fellow Technicians is instant. Even if they have never met before, as soon as they know you are a technician, you are family and the love is there.
We arrived around 12:30 pm and the parking lots were already filling up and the lines were stretching to the horizon. The doors didn’t open till 5:00pm but the VIP Meet and Greet started at 2:00pm. If you purchased a VIP pass, it came with over 300 dollars worth of merchandise and you got to meet all the artists on the tour. VIP passes always sell out within a day or two so if you are thinking about getting one for an upcoming show, get it now. As we mingled, we saw so many hyped up fans and the mood was almost at a fever pitch. There were Snake and Bat logos everywhere.
At 5:00pm, everyone started filing up the ramp to enter the venue and the rumors had already started flying. Who will make a guest appearance? Who will be signed to the label tonight? What songs will they perform? Strange Music always makes it a point to D.I.B.K.I.S (Do It Big and Keep It Strange) while at Red Rocks. Everyone would just have to wait and see.
At 6:25pm, the show kicked off. Up first was Joey Cool. He came out rocking the crowd like his life depended on it. He held nothing back. He hit songs such as “The Chairman“, “Protect Thine Energy” ,”Stop That“, “You Ain’t Know“, and “Jumpin“. His energy is contagious. When Joey is around, everyone feels that and it grows into this euphoria that continues to grow.
X-Raided was marched out in handcuffs at 7:05pm and strapped to a lethal injection chair.
X-Raided has a story that deserves to be told. In 1992, just as his career was taking off, he and others were arrested for a gang murder in California. He was sentenced to 31 years to life in prison. In September 2018, he was released from prison. X-Raided went from recording music over a phone in prison, to playing one of the best venues in the world. His story is one that shows you what people can do when given a chance to change their life.
X-Raided received a fever pitch welcome when he was marched out. There are some of us that have been listening to his music since the 90’s and didn’t think we would ever get to see him perform live. This was a dream come true for quite a few of us. X-Raided hit fan favorites such as “Wit a Mask On“, “Macaframa“, “California Dreamin“, “Big Farm A“, and later did “Still Right Here“.
¡Mayday! hit the stage at 7:45pm with NonMS killing the drums. ¡Mayday! has always been a fan favorite at Strange shows for good reason. Their sound is like nothing else. Their love for their fans is evident all the time. Bernz brought so much energy out on stage with him. There had been rumors swirling around that ¡Mayday! may be leaving Strange Music and it has had their fans on the edge of their seats for a while now. They hit some favorite like “Shortcut and Dead Ends“, “Darker Shades“, and “Run Up“. Towards the end of their set, they addressed the elephant in the room. Wrekonize brought up that he had been getting asked about leaving Strange Music and he said “Yes, we are leaving Strange Music“. There was an audible groan throughout the venue. He continued by saying, “We are leaving but we aren’t leaving. With the blessing of Travis O’Guin and Tech, as of today, we launched ¡Mayday! Music. It is our record label, but it will be distributed by It Goes Up so we are still connected to Strange Music“. The crowd went nuts finally getting closure to the rumors.
During the break, the crowd was going crazy talking about the wonderful news they just received. This show wasn’t even close to being over and it was already a powerful rollercoaster of emotions. Leave it to Strange Music to keep people off balance and begging for more.
The one and only Rob Prior was in the house creating magic for all to see. He had two canvas’ on stage for the entire show. He was going back and forth between them painting live during the show. He created two masterpieces and at the end of the show, they were showcased on stage and Tech N9ne signed both.
Tech N9ne was up next. He came on stage like a bat out of hell at 8:30 pm. 10,000 people in the stands went nuts. He started with “The Herder“, “kickiter“, and “No See Umz“. Tech N9ne went hard right out the gate and didn’t let up at all. The crowd responded in kind and the whole venue reached a fever pitch. He performed classics like “E.B.A.H“, “Einstein“, and “Bout to Bubble“. Later in the set, he debuted a new song named “Don’t Know Meh” off his upcoming album “Bliss”
Everyone was in attendance for this memorable show. Including C-Mob, Taebo The Truth, and King ISO. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and King ISO’s message is one of mental heath. Tech made way and King ISO came out on stage to perform his song “Hypocrite” off his new album “Get Well Soon”.
Tech closed the show with Joey Cool and King ISO to perform “Face Off”. The only one missing from the song was the Rock. The show was one for the books, but there was one more thing to take care of. Tech N9ne brought X-raided back out on stage and officially welcomed him to the record label. Travis came out and put a Strange Music chain around his neck. Welcome to Strangeland X-Raided!
Show Date: May 1, 2022
