Whose Chopper Is This? [Dead Rocks Review]

Written by Daniella Hughes

Photos by Daniella Hughes

There’s no question that Red Rocks Amphitheatre is one of most beautiful outdoor venues on this side of the Mississippi, hell, maybe even throughout the U.S. Although captivating in itself, there’s only one instance I can think of that would make Red Rocks an even more beautiful place, and that’s Zeds Dead at Red Rocks.

For the last four years, Zeds Dead has been bringing their booming music, along with some of their closest friends, to put on Dead Rocks. This year, it was no different.

Musical Highlights – The afternoon started off with Pham and his unique combination of bass house and old school hip hop got the crowd movin’. Coming straight from the land down under, GG Magree brought girl power: booty shaking to hip hop bangers and head banging to some dirty dubstep, the array of her set got the crowd straight hyphy.  Nebra came on with over half the venue filled. Dropping dub & trap bangers, he got the crowd lit as the sun was starting to set.  Camo & Krooked, along with emcee extraordinaire MC Dino,  proved once again that they are the kings of melodic d&b.

Now, what can I say about Rezz that hasn’t already been said? DEEP. DOWN. BEATS. The venue was now full as Rezz brought out her sinister but groovy jams that had everyone going “oooo” and “aahhh.” Seriously, if you haven’t seen her yet, WHAT IS YOU DOIN’, BABY? Ghastly brought his bass house ghost vibes mixed in with some deep dubstep feels. He set the stage for, dare I say it, the best Zeds Dead set I’ve ever witnessed.

Quick Facts


Camping: No camping here!

Crowd type: Zedicated fans & new age hippies. It’s Colorado, you get it 😉

Water stations: Yes!


For The First Timers – Red Rocks is located in Morrison, Colorado, a ~30-minute drive from downtown Denver. The highest row of seats is at an elevation of 6,435 feet. If you’re from the flatlands, this will cause your body to work harder to sustain normalcy. Drink a lot of water, eat hearty food, and rest. Your body’s a temple, treat it so. My mode of transportation was a party bus. Safe driving is the only type of driving we all should be practicing. Check out the Mile High Tailgators for any Red Rocks needs!

Standout Food – Typical stadium food: pretzels, hot dogs, nachos, etc.

Things To Do  — Take a moment to trek up to the tippy top of Red Rocks. Trust me, it’ll be worth it.

VIP or Nah  — VIP included ten rows of reserved seating front and center, about 10 rows from the front. If you are one to show up late, really like space to dance, or want close up views, VIP is the way to go!

Now, I’m going to take you all on a magical journey of my history with the Canadian duo we all know and love. Hold on to the chopper, baby, it’s gonna be a crazy ride.

My first EVER dub set was Zeds Dead @ EDCLV ‘14 [crazy to think it’s only been 3 years but hey, life of a raver, amiright?!] and was my mind blown. It was the weekend before their Somewhere Else EP was released and they. were. hot. Taking over the Cosmic Meadow, they brought their OG brostep feelz but threw in some crazy electro for a set that blew my mind. I was hooked. Whenever Zeds Dead was in California, I was there. Three years and 10 shows later, I stood at the foot of Red Rocks Amphitheatre, ready to cleanse my soul with some good ol’ wubs. Never did I imagine it would have ended up the way it did. The combo of Woman Wine-Rude Boy-One Time-Collapse-Blink-Me No Care-Undah Yah Skirt-Hadouken really showcased what Zeds Dead is all about: collaboration. A collaboration of genres across the spectrum, artists on a lineup, and even people who attend their shows is what makes Zeds Dead who they are. From Canada to California, South Dakota to Colorado, all 6,000 of us got together to be rejuvenated by the lights and sounds of this amazing show.  

Playing for nearly two hours(!!!!!!), the boys satisfied a headbanger’s need for grimey dubstep while also satisfying the dancing feet of electro lovers. The highlight of the show was when surprised guest Omar LinX came out and performed No Prayers with the duo. The realness of Omar’s lyricism hits home and will forever bring me to a place of nirvana.

After it was all said and done, Zeds Dead moved the party down the hill and into the Gothic Theatre. One of the most creative indoor venues I’ve been to, a more intimate gathering took place. Overall, seeing three hours of Zeds Dead made my heart happy and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend my night.

Whose motorcycle is this? It’s a chopper baby. Whose chopper is this? It’s Zed’s. Who’s Zed? Zed’s dead baby,  Zed’s dead.

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