By Kayla Drumke
(Slug singing on stage at Red Rocks Ampetheater, Kayla Drumke/Radio 1190)
Atmosphere and Friends was not a typical Red Rocks show. On Sept 19, Atmosphere, the hip-hop duo from Minneapolis, headlined the night. They performed alongside six other male-dominated groups—Hieroglyphics, Dilated Peoples, Living Legends, Immortal Technique, CunninLynguists, and DeejayBird. Together, they kept the stage alive for more than five hours. Nestled among the natural rocks of the iconic Morrison, CO, venue, fans experienced a lineup of some of the top acts in 90s hip-hop all in a single evening.
It was a beautiful September night at Red Rocks, and the energy was electric in the sold-out venue. The crowd skewed older, as Atmosphere rapper Slug facetiously pointed out, with many fans sporting merchandise from the various hip-hop groups. The set was minimal, featuring only a DJ board centered on stage and a carpet where the spotlighted rapper would step forward for his lyrics. The overall production was equally simple with no major transitions between groups other than the phrase “independent hip-hop since 1995” flashing on the screen alongside a QR code.
Most groups addressed the audience as if they had been with them for years—and many of them surely had. Each group brought its own quirky branding, whether it was Dilated Peoples with their vintage arcade space-blaster sound effects or Living Legends with their inflated “L” hand-signal props on stage. Most striking was Living Legends’ entrance in matching spray-paint–style shirts. The backs read “Legends Never Die,” while the fronts featured a portrait of their late group member Aesop the Black Wolf, who passed away this August. Despite the tribute, the group remained lively, striking coordinated poses with the ease of performers who have shared the stage for years. It was clear their set was meant as a positive celebration of life, as the Living Legends members called on the audience to howl at the moon in memory of “The Black Wolf.”
Following the six groups who had been performing since 6:00 p.m., Atmosphere finally took the stage at 10:20 p.m. Rapper Slug opened with the song “Locusts,” backed by two DJs in the booth, one of whom was the other half of the duo, DJ-producer Ant. The performance coincided with the release of their new album Jestures, from which they played several tracks.
(The audience enjoying the concert at Red Rock Ampetheater, Kayla Drumke/Radio1190)
Slug had a much more sarcastic persona on stage, delivering satirical yet empowering songs like “GodLovesUgly,” which both teased and embraced the audience through his lyrics and performance dialogue.
Slug stayed true to this mix of humor and intensity.
“We have a lot more in common than we do in difference. Stop letting them divide us. They are not on our side. They do not have our best interest in mind,” Slug said.
This statement, which called out the political environment, aimed to unite the audience, continuing a message that many of the groups had shared earlier in the show.
These hip-hop groups have been around for years, yet it is clear that their time is far from over, with many members announcing solo albums or projects currently in the works. Staying true to their independent roots, the mega-concert proved these rappers and DJs are still at the top of their game—and ready to keep pushing beyond the commercial box.