Opportunists and the pretty lights

I am wondering how a person can be content with her life if she hasn't seen Daft Punk and their amazing robot-tastic concert?

Last night I took the familiar roads through Morrison to most epic Red Rocks Amphitheater looking for a sequel to Daft Punk's 2006 Coachella return show, and (in the words of John James) YEEEEE-BOY-HOWDY!

After passing Nick Coffey selling glow sticks on my way up to the south entrance, I could make out "Gotta Get Myself Into It," and knew that I needed to book it to catch as much of the Rapture as possible. I wiggled my way through the crowd, and ended up right next to the sound board (yay for optimal auditory positioning). The NY boys rocked from start to finish, and I didn't even mind dancing alone. (My neighbors were more of the stand and watch type).

As DJ'ers Sebastian and Kavinsky took the spotlight--but not the stage--perched behind the soundboard, I began to realize that I was the most sober person around (minus the fourteen-year-olds behind me). Not only had I not had any New Belgium products, but I was also someone those DARE moms would be bragging about. All around me were the scents and sights of ever-ubiquitous pot, and furtive circles would break up as attendees swallowed their favorite pills. WHile those two tremendously gifted spinners provided blissfully rhythmic tunes, techies worked furiously onstage behind a curtain to assemble the pyramid.

S & K finished up with a rousing remix of "Testify" by RATM, and then there could be no question that not one person in the audience was fully prepared for the awesomeness of Daft Punk at Red Rocks.

Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter entered the stage, climbed up to their perches in the pyramid, and let loose. They covered all the basics, opening with "Robot Rock," and transitioning into "Technologic," "Around the World," "Harder Better Faster Stronger," and other favorites. The lighting production only got more intense (intensely aweseome that is) as the show progressed, and if anyone deserves an award for truly amazing use of technology in music...look no further than lighting production engineer _________ (couldn't find his name).

I knew that the five minute blip of "One More Time" played a few songs in couldn't be all of that song, and Guy-Manuel & Thomas reemerged with their robot suits a-glowin' and finished up with "Primetime of Your Life," "Human After All," and "One More Time." All in all, this set ties with Coachella...it wins out on a few levels:
1) I wasn't as exhausted and thus able to dance the entire set away
2) Any show at Red Rocks automatically wins for setting
3) I was not as sweaty.

However, Coachella was their first live show in 9 years, and it's Coachella.


Stay tuned kids for Nights #2, #3, and #4 from Red Rocks this week featuring Modest Mouse, Ryan Adams, Flobots, and The Fray.