The first event for TheHundred was exactly the new dance party Denver was looking for. People came and packed the small Beauty Bar dance floor, and through closing time the whole place had incredible energy. The vision of TheHundred was to change the way people booked shows, offer a new kind of dance party, and to allow showgoers to party with their friends. Looking back, I'd say mission accomplished.

Peter Black

The night began with an opening deep house set from local DJ Peter Black. Although deep house isn't usually his style, he was able to show a little versatility and switch his mix to fit the theme. It was cool seeing Peter Black do a set other than the bass heavy, 2-step and UK funky sets he's known to throw down. He warmed up the early crowd, getting people to make their way slowly from the front bar to the dance floor. Keeping with the Peter Black style, he managed to dig up more obscure, less mainstream, but still groovy house tracks to insert in to his mix, paving the way for more dancing to come.

Mike Deez

Next up was local DJ Mike Deez. It seems every time I see Mike Deez, he's throwing down something a little bit different, and tonight was no exception. I've seen Mike Deez mix tech house and electro as part of Chavez Y Chavez. I've seen him do some hip-hop, indie and downtempo opening for Aesop Rock. But tonight, it was all crowd-pleasing house, mixing in dance floor favorites with other house goodness. I really liked Mike Deez song selection; every time he mixed in a well-known song, it was a remix or mash-up that maintained familiarity but was markedly different, making it all very refreshing. Once Mike Deez was behind the decks, the dance floor was full and the party was in full gear, yet there was still more to come.

option4

Up next was a set from TheHundred founder option4. option4 is all about groovy house, so he was right at home behind the decks playing out in this house music party. With the crowd already in a frenzy from the set before, all option4 had to do was keep a steady groove. That's exactly wait he did, dialing in right away and keeping the grooves coming while a tightly packed group on the dance floor was getting nice and sweaty but showing no signs of slowing down - which is a good thing, because the crowd still had one more DJ to go.

Damon Allen

Last but not least was a final DJ set from the very first TheHundred show headliner, Houston import Damon Allen. Prior to the show, I wasn't sure what to expect. It seemed Damon Allen's forte, or at least what he was spinning a lot regularly, was heavy bass, UK funky, 2-step and dubstep, but tonight's occasion called for groovy house. Damon Allen responded to the challenge without batting eye, taking his spot behind the decks and keeping the steady grooves coming. His set did go a bit deeper at times, but most of it was at the right balance of groove and intensity, keeping the party going until the house lights came on and security had to start ushering people out the door.



The music for the first TheHundred party was spot on, filling a niche for house music that seemed to be lacking in Denver. Denver was hungry for it too, because this event had the most people in Beauty Bar than I've ever seen before - in fact I heard the event set an attendance record. The crowd energy was ridiculously high all night, and since many of the crowd were people within TheHundred themselves, it almost made the entire Beauty Bar crowd seem like one giant group of friends than a room full of strangers. Even if you aren't a part of TheHundred, just being at one of TheHundred events will suck you into that energy, and the people around will make you feel at home. If you missed the first event, that's a shame, because the first event was a free show. The next one should be just as good if not somehow even better, and although it won't be free it'll be very close, with entry costing only five dollars!

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It's another landmark night for the Denver dance music scene, as another brand new party is making its debut. Beauty Bar will be hosting TheHundred Denver's inaugural show, a brand new monthly dance party with a very unique driving concept. TheHundred Denver is unique, as it is a monthly dance party that books artists based on input from its attendees. A select group of one hundred people that share a common interest and love for music will join heads to decide who to bring to town, with the ultimate goal of bringing large acts to intimate venues with affordable ticket prices so music lovers can enjoy a party with their friends that they in part have created. Tonight, Denver gets a taste of what the party is about, an as an introductory offer, entrance to tonight's event is completely free.

One of the reasons I love watching live music is that I get the opportunity to put a face to the name, and see how that face truly delivers the music they've created to an audience. No matter how many times I listen to a studio recording, it can never compare to seeing the same song performed live - it is a completely different connection to the music. There's a genuine connection I get when I can look into the eyes of a performer and watch the music pour out of their soul. Last night was a special treat for me, because I was finally able to get that connection to an artist I've been listening to for over a decade, and it was much like putting into place the last piece of a complex puzzle. I went to the Summit Music Hall last night with all sorts of expectations and memories swimming through my head. I was trying to figure out how my expectations might be met, and what exactly would unfold when the moment would arrive. I got a chance to let my thoughts marinate for a bit while being treated to an unexpected DJ set from a familiar face.

Mike Dee(z) Nuts started off the night

There was no announcement and he took the stage without much ado, but I was immediately excited when I saw local Denver DJ Mike Dee(z) Nuts take his place behind the decks. Apparently he was called up last minute, so I was eager to see what he'd throw down. So far I'd only seem him in the context of Chavez y Chavez, but I knew he had to do something different from a banging tech-house set to open this particular night. Was he going to keep it high energy? Was he going to mix in a lot of hip-hop to appease the projected audience? It turns out, he switched it up quite a bit, keeping the set mostly down-tempo and somewhat mellow, mixing a lot of indie stuff with just a hint of hip-hop. I was surprised to hear the inclusion of Sleigh Bell's "Run The Heart", SBTRKT's "Trials of the Past", and a remix of Lykke Li's "I Follow Rivers". It wasn't what I was expecting but keeping it mellow was a good choice and a nice segue into the next set.

Aesop Rock and Kimya Dawson

Right after the DJ set it was time for Kimya Dawson and my first live glimpse of Aesop Rock. Aesop Rock and Kimya Dawson had been collaborating on songs, some that will be released on Kimya Dawson's new album, and some that will be on an album featuring them both. The two wasted no time introducing the audience to their latest efforts, and it was definitely fun to watch. Kimya Dawson started off, playing her blue acoustic guitar and singing in her familiar anti-folky Moldy Peaches style. Then Aesop Rock would come in and lay down rhymes over Kimya Dawson's guitar - an interesting blend, but it worked. The folky guitar was definitely a departure from the grim and dark beats Aesop Rock usually flows over, but he spit with the same passion, bringing his signature metaphorical rhyme style to match Kimya Dawson's subverted folk lyrics.

Kimya Dawson

After a couple collaborative songs, Aesop Rock left the stage and Kimya Dawson performed the rest of her set solo. Kimya's music is about her witty lyricism, bordering on smarmy but actually incredibly hard not to like if you pick out the words. Kimya's music is not about instrumentation however, and she was definitely the first to admit it when she proclaimed, "I know all my songs sound the same!" Her songs are heavily based on the chord progression from G major to D major, sometimes throwing in C major for good measure. Yet, with that simple backbone she performed songs that touched a range of topic and the lyrics were so well done and often outright hilarious that her songs did indeed become separate and memorable.

I wasn't sure how a crowd of hip-hop fans would react to Kimya, but she got a sizable positive reception, enough to fluster her a couple times mid-song where she'd have to interject, "Wow, Denver is so loud. You guys are so loud here!" She performed a mix of solo songs and a handful of The Moldy Peaches songs, enough to satiate the surprising amount of fans upfront singing along with her. It was a nourishing experience - one that hit home the fact that this wasn't just your typical hip-hop show.

Aesop Rock and Rob Sonic

Finally it was time for the main event, and the crowd reacted with much fervor when Aesop Rock, Rob Sonic and DJ Big Wiz all came out onto the stage. My apologies to DJ Big Wiz, I totally had his name wrong when I previewed the show yesterday and pretty much ignored the fact he'd be at the show, but he was an integral part to the performance, laying down and chopping up the beats like a skilled DMC cut-master. With DJ Big Wiz controlling the cuts behind the decks, Rob Sonic played the support role and Aesop Rock started laying out his rhythmic poetry.

Aesop Rock and Kimya Dawson on the mic, DJ Big Wiz on the beats

Aesop Rock's performance was a journey through past, present and future as he performed songs throughout his extensive catalog. The prolific rapper made sure to include tracks from the beginning of his career, and signature tracks from his heyday. I especially enjoyed the way he went from "Night Light" to "Daylight", getting the entire venue to shout the chorus, "All I ever wanted was to pick apart the day/Put the pieces back together my way", along with him in a raucous roar. He included as yet unreleased material from his new project Hail Mary Mallon, a group including Rob Sonic and DJ Big Wiz. He brought out Kimya Dawson to unleash some more of their collaborative efforts, this time Kimya Dawson would rap and sing in support of Aesop Rock and his beats. The crowd was so hyped hands flailed tirelessly up and down everywhere you looked, including hands spilling over the balcony. Aesop Rock was great at getting the crowd involved, getting the audience to sing along to just about every chorus. When the night ended with "None Shall Pass", Aesop Rock had the crowd roaring along and the crowd kept repeating the chorus as if to stretch the song out as long as possible.

Aesop Rock

It was amazing finally putting together the final pieces of the Aesop Rock puzzle last night. I was able to witness the pure passion that Aesop Rock brings to the stage in a live setting. It spills out of his every pore and is apparent in every gesture he makes. Rob Sonic was incredible too and was excellent at hyping the crowd. He would get everyone's hands in the air, come up to the edge of the stage, and touch every hand that was in reach, making the crowd erupt. It was a diverse crowd, as both old and new fans came together to create a unique energy that could have fueled a rocket to the moon.

I only wish the show could have gone on forever, but of course Aesop Rock had to pick and choose which songs to bring that night rather than unrealistically breaking out his whole discography. I also wish Rob Sonic laid down some of his solo stuff, but I left satisfied with what Rob Sonic brought last night. Kimya Dawson was a refreshing change of pace, and is definitely the sweetest soul. I loved how when she finished being on stage, she came right out and raged with the crowd for the rest of the show. Aesop Rock is phenomenal on his albums, and he is just that much better live. I'm glad to have finally witnessed it.

On a side note, sorry for the crappy quality pictures this time. I couldn't take my usual camera to this show due to venue restrictions. I'll work harder to get past those next time.