Mux Mool, a solo DJ act, kicked off the show Saturday at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver with a variety of beats and sounds. A more controlled and tamed sound than Mushroom or Lotus, he added a unique quality to the show.
Unfortunately, the audience turnout for the opening act was low. The tickets said the show began at 6:30 p.m., but Mool didn’t play until 7 p.m. and Mushroom didn’t play until nearly an hour after that.
What seemed like elevator music played in between the sets, leaving audience members to sit against the wall or talk in small circles. The atmosphere between the sets changed from a dance-filled, fast-paced one to that of an uncomfortable middle school dance.
When Infected Mushroom headlined Friday night in Boulder, they had the ability to play a wider program of their music and explore more with lighting and projector images. But playing in Denver on Saturday, their sound took a backseat to Lotus.
Despite their opening act status, Mushroom succeeded in grabbing audience attention relentlessly. Lead singer Amit Duvdevani conducted the entirety of his set with an unlit glow stick. Moving from one side of the stage to another, he used it to hook the audience until the end.
Although 36 years old, Duvdevani glowed like a child. As he jumped around the stage, a bashful smile lit up his face and he seemed genuinely surprised that he had fans there, wanting to hear his music.
Mushroom did a wonderful job connecting its songs through bass beats and left the audience hungry for more.
Another long break ensued between Mushroom and Lotus, but energies were high enough that the audience seemed less annoyed and more eager.
Lotus, a Denver-based band, played its largest theater show to date at the Fillmore.
More of a multi-genre band than Mushroom, its sound evolved throughout the night from trance to dance to a quiet jam as an encore. The band did an excellent job of incorporating projector images into their live set; nothing seemed extraneous.
Closing the show with “Colorado,” a very slow jam, Lotus left the audience on a high point.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Caitlin McCluskey at Caitlin.mccluskey@colorado.edu.
Tags: Amit Duvdevani cu independent CU student newspaper First Bass Fest Infected Mushroom Lotus Mux Mool University of Colorado daily student news
