Rowdytown 2019: The tour stop that rocked Red Rocks' world [Interview/Event Recap] – EDM All Day

Big Gigantic‘s Rowdytown triumph this year, to no one’s surprise (or chagrin) was weighty with saxophone, bass drops, 3D production, and more sax. Those who missed the venture, fear not: EDM All Day had acute eyes on the Colorado undertaking, catching up with the group just ahead of their return to the hallowed Red Rocks holdings.

The titillating tour stop solidified just how Big G has been able to weather the exceedingly saturated dance music storm all these years. The crowd seemed to hum with an untethered enthusiasm that is so very characteristic of the group’s enduring following. The ensemble’s unflinchingly immersive and synergistic performance approach rendered the Red Rocks backdrop nothing short of transcendent. They employed a pristine blend of old-school, cornerstone Big G cuts alongside a wealth of new tracks from the past year: the ideal recipe to show fans where they’re going, but that they haven’t forgotten where they’ve been. Throughout the night, they brought backup instrumentalists on stage to help emphasize their jazz influence, an ideal accent to their crossover charisma.

The visual production itself deserves unanimous applause. Upon arrival, the staff handed each attendee a pair of white 3D glasses. Once Big G implored the crowd to put them on, each minute intricacy of the live setup (and life itself) seemed to swiftly fall into place. Guest vocalists, like Jennifer Hartswick, cranked up the intensity to 11. Dom and Jeremy jammed right alongside them in seamless tandem.

EDM All Day had a chance to sit down with the two-pronged dance-funk prodigies to hear about how the 3D project came to life, the nitty gritty idiosyncrasies from the tour, and what’s next music wise.

Tell me about how you guys decided to go with a 3D experience for your new live tour set up and bring it specifically to Red Rocks…

We basically wanted to just do something really different with our live show and after weighing our options we thought the 3D experience would be really sick [for the venue].

As a hybrid ensemble who’s been in the scene for so many years now, in what ways do you feel instrumental acts like yourself freshen up the electronic space?

I think we just add another dimension of possibilities to the studio and the live space in general. [We think] as a whole people have been catching on to that and it has been exciting for fans and artists alike.  

You guys have amassed a cult-status fanbase over the years, how do you feel you’ve been able to hold fans’ attention in such a frenetic time to be musicians? 

I guess from just really trying to be different, working hard to present fresh live shows and new music and also just connecting with our fans in tons of different ways whether it be at shows or doing community outreach. We’re always looking for ways to expand and grow and get new listeners. I think a lot of people know about us, but don’t ‘really’ know us or our live show and i think when we connect with those people on that level, something clicks.

You guys have released a number of singles this year. Is there a larger project in the works?

Yes very much so. Maybe even a couple projects. We have a ton of new music we’re sitting on and [will be] releasing something bigger in 2020. We’re so excited to announce everything, it’s coming up fast.

Red Rocks seems to hold a certain ineffable quality for fans. How would you describe performing at the space a whopping 16 times at this point in your career?  

Wow 16 times?? That’s incredible… We feel like two of the luckiest guys in the world, we can tell you that. We started out as a couple guys who would have given everything to sell out The Fox Theatre in Boulder and to hear that we’ve sold out Red Rocks 16 times is just crazy. Eternally grateful.

Are there things as far as the live show, your production or your music, that you are currently dreaming up? What’s next? 

Yeah we’re just about to roll out a concept with the music and live show very soon and we’re excited to bring a fresh take on everything we’ve been doing into the new year. 2020 is gonna be crazy.