Dom Dolla Proved Denver is More than the Bass Capital with Record-Breaking Show

Tech house giant Dom Dolla made his groovy return to Denver with two epic nights at Civic Center Park.

In the world of electronic music, everyone knows that Denver knows how to do bass music. Some may even say the city does it better than anywhere else, hence the nickname “Bass Capital.” When Dom Dolla played at Civic Center Park last weekend on May 9-10, he proved that Denver is so much more. He proved that it’s one of the best scenes, if not the best scene, in the entire country.

This year, Dom decided not to play at Red Rocks and instead opted to play at the spacious Civic Center Park for two nights. While this decision may have disappointed some, I think it’s awesome when artists debut in new venues. It also wasn’t the worst thing, because one of Dom’s Red Rocks shows last year got canceled due to weather and ended up being moved to Mission Ballroom.

I attended day two of the show, and it was perfect in many ways. I’d never been to Civic Center Park before; it was a phenomenal first experience from start to finish. Entry into the venue was quick, and once inside, I was greeted by a wide-open area with lush trees on the side providing shady areas on that beautiful, 78-degree, sunny Denver day.

The music started at 4pm. I arrived shortly after, so I had the opportunity to fully check out and soak in the whole venue. I was also able to get a great spot in the crowd. The massive stage with a backdrop of the Denver City Council was symbolic. It felt as if there was a trial going on to see if Denver could establish itself as one of the best house music scenes in the country.

The support threw down and established the vibes early.

The support for the day I went was fantastic, and consisted of option4, Girl Math (VNSSA b2b Nala), and Cassian. option4 was a perfect DJ to open up the day, and he set the tone on the tech house masterclass that was about to ensue throughout the evening.

Girl Math was a set that I was really looking forward to, and they delivered in every way. Their ability to read the crowd and play the perfect funky tunes was an absolute treat, and they were rewarded with an already big crowd. Dom even came out on stage during the set, much to the delight of everyone in attendance. While Girl Math played, the sun started to hide behind the massive City Council building, and the weather felt perfect.

Cassian was a fantastic way to end the support for the night. He had the crowd moving and grooving his whole set. Cassian was an artist that I’ve wanted to check off my list for a while, and I couldn’t be more pleased with how enjoyable his sets are. He even played a few minutes past his scheduled time.

Photo Credit: Dom Dolla

After much anticipation, it was Mr. Dolla’s time to shine.

Dom started his set five minutes early and kicked it off with his smash hit, “girl$.” The combination of top-notch production and a heavy hitting tracklist had the crowd energized from the jump. The moment I realized Dom had everyone wrapped around his finger was about 15 minutes in when he played a mashup of Chris Lake‘s “Toxic” and Cloonee‘s “Stephanie,” sending the crowd into an absolutely feral frenzy.

The large screen, pyrotechnics, and wonderful lighting paired beautifully with Dom’s set. The lasers that were projected onto the Colorado State Capitol building behind the crowd were a truly aesthetic sight. There was a full light setup projected onto the City Council building behind the stage, highlighting the uniqueness of the venue.

Dom played most of his bangers throughout the set like “San Frandisco,” “Miracle Maker,” “Rhyme Dust,” “Dreamin,” and more. He also played a lot of great tracks beyond his discography, like a techno remix of “Summertime Sadness” by Lana Del Rey, “She’s Gone, Dance On” by Disclosure, and the new hit Chris Lorenzo song, “Appetite.”

The last five to ten minutes of the set, Dom started to play some drum and bass to the great pleasure of everyone in the Bass Capital. This means even more now after Dom announced that he’s going to do a back-to-back with drum and bass legends Chase & Status to conclude his set at EDC Las Vegas on Friday.

Photo Credit: Dom Dolla

Dom delivered an explosive night, and the crowd matched his energy all the way.

Dom threw down a fantastic set. It might have been my favorite time seeing the Australian icon — which is saying a lot, because this was the seventh. I also loved Civic Center Park as a venue, and I plan on returning soon. Dom even announced on an Instagram post that the show broke the attendance record for a concert there.

As for the crowd, I had a fantastic experience from the heart of it. I heard from attendees from the previous day that the crowd was not great on day one, but I didn’t run into that problem at all on day two. I also heard from many that attended both days that day two’s crowd was much better, which matched up with my experience. It was a party in the crowd on that Saturday night, and it was the best of times.

Earlier, I mentioned there was a trial going on to see if the city of Denver could establish itself as one of the best house music scenes in the country, and the answer is yes. The people of Denver showed out on that beautiful Saturday evening in downtown. No single genre won the night, because the Denver scene as a whole scored a massive win. My experience last Saturday night was among my favorite in Denver so far. It made me realize how truly special the scene is in this city.

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