On Thursday night, the Boulder Theater was packed for Atmosphere’s sold-out show. People were outside relaxing, excited for what was to come inside. Those who were unable to get a ticket were trying to find one, and the lucky ones who got them on time were ready to groove.
As I entered the theater, I Self Devine was getting the audience pumped with the song “This is How I Rock, Rock.” Getting into the music and the vibe of the show, the crowd was in a trance. At the end of the set, he encouraged the crowd to “put C’s in the air” for Colorado. Everyone got involved, the excitement grew and the energy was high, and so were a few fans.
Slug raps at the Atmosphere concert Thursday night at the Boulder Theater. Atmosphere is comprised of MC Slug and producer Ant. (CU Independent/Claudia Rebora)
As Ant from Atmosphere took the stage, screams and whistles erupted from the audience. When Slug came onstage, the buzz in the theater was out of control. When his voice hit the mic, people started to get down, bumping bodies, hands in the air and heads shaking back and forth.
The set was mostly songs from the past 15 years, a mix of albums from “Overcast” to “The Family Sign.” Things were pretty smooth music-wise, minus a few equipment setbacks. During one of these, Slug put on a skit. He put his hand to his side and told a cluster of people to imagine a yellow dish glove on his hand. He led this hand to an imaginary horse’s butt, where his hand entered and grabbed some scat (the real word is inappropriate) that he threw on the stage. This was a refreshing way to get the crowd to laugh. Bouncing straight from this random piece to a song made for an interesting transition, yet one that was not displeasing.
A few of the songs Atmosphere performed were “Sunshine,” “She’s Enough,” “Puppets,” “Pour Me Another” and “Shoulda Known.” Every song was entrancing. They were obviously prepared, giving the audience exactly what they came for. Getting lost in the sound and letting bodies do the talking were the themes of the night.
When “Shoulda Known” came on, the bass was unbelievable. The sound trembled and brought the house down. Hands were in the air bouncing to the deep beats, bodies were jumping and some were grinding. Voices from the crowd intertwined with Slug’s, increasing the strength of the performance.
At one point, Slug spoke to the crowd, telling everyone how much coming to Colorado means to Atmosphere because of the support and energy that the band has always received. This compliment increased the activity on the floor and on the balcony. It was unbelievable how much energy the music had, and the fire from Atmosphere kept things alive. The audience could not get enough.
This show was exciting and had very few drawbacks. If you are allergic to pot, I would not recommend attending a future show.
Even though this was my first Atmosphere show, I see why they are successful and always touring. They know what they are doing and have mastered their performance on the road.
