Last Saturday, I attended a concert featuring the artist Emancipator, with opening acts D.V.S. and Tycho. As soon as stepped into Summit Music Hall I spotted a capri-wearing dreadlocked gentleman thrusting his body and hands in a rhythmic fashion. I knew it was about to be a hippy concert fo sho.

Summit Music Hall is a pretty sweet music venue located in downtown Denver, about a block away from Coors Field (home of the Colorado Rockies). Its a bit smaller than most venues, which adds to the ambiance of the concert. There are two lounge areas on either side of the stage, and a gigantic bar opposite of the stage. More than a couple Diet Cokes were purchased from here :).

A wtf moment in the lounge area

D.V.S. was the first musician to take stage. He played pre-recorded dubstep samples, with live guitar riffs mixed over. I thought he played some sweet jams, but would of liked more guitar playing instead of pre-recorded music. He also seemed more into his music than anyone else in the audience.

Next up was San Francisco band Tycho. Tycho features melodic chill-ass music that would be a great backdrop for a wispy, relaxing day at a beach. Unfortunately I go to concerts to become energized and excited, which this music did not help me do. Nevertheless Tycho kept my attention by showing weird artsy shots of people in aquatic suits, walking around beach and arctic environments. It was like something in between The Royal Tenenbaums and The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. 

Finishing off the show was headlining act Emancipator.

Emancipator grabbed the attention of everyone in the audience by coming on-stage with a live violinist. To my disappointment, the violinist was utilized for only small parts in songs. He played mostly music from his latest album "Remixes". In this effort, he remixes and covers songs. To be honest, I wish he played more from his older albums which I felt were a lot stronger. Either way you can decide by sampling his music at http://emancipator.bandcamp.com/. 

Emancipator mixing the goods

Even though I wasn't the biggest fan of his latest music, I must say that some of the remixes were seriously sick. He samples from the Mobb Deep song "Shook Ones", and some Notorious B.I.G. as well.Most of his new music is too low key for me, as I started falling asleep in the wee hours of the night. His older tunes are much more upbeat and a better fit for a live concert.

Overall I though it was cool concert. I did have some complaints but those may have been kindled by my ever increasing intoxicated state of mind over the course of night. I guess the moral of the story is, if you plan on going to a chill, hippy targeted concert, don't expect a wild and crazy time.

All pictures from emancipatormusic.com and denvermusicvenues.com

-Leo Wolfson