Once you know me, you’ll soon find out that there are very few things I will drop everything for to pursue, and they all involve food and music. So it might have seemed spontaneous to some, but it made perfect sense to me – The Floozies were in the midst of a Colorado run, and I needed to be there point blank. While mimosa’ing at brunch, I found a partner in crime and a ride to the mountains, kickstarting the beginning of our two day adventure.
The Barkley Ballroom, January 14th, 2017
First stop was Frisco, where the brotherly duo would be packing their full-bodied sound and arsenal of lasers into a small club known as the Barkley Ballroom. Seeing the names Buku and Floozies next to each other doesn’t seem like a match made in Heaven, but it was a genius pairing. The high energy from Buku’s raucous set carried over perfectly to give us a non-stop party vibe, and though Buku leans towards a heavier ‘trap’ sound, it was still versatile enough for me to get down to. By the end of the first set, the entire room was a complete dance party with a mixture of herb smoke, sweat, and whoops and hollers. Once the Floozies hit the stage, all hell broke loose. We decided to stick it out in the back of the room to get a full view from the crowd, and it was definitely the right move. I’d never fully appreciated the experience of lasers during a show, but it was finally made clear to me that night what a necessary component of the live music experience those beams are; people absolutely lose themselves. Combining an expert LED designer and top-notch quality lasers is a recipe for success, and I’m sure the sold out crowd at Barkley would agree. We ended the night in the green room, which might be the smallest of its kind, taking Patron shot-skis until the venue was empty and equipment was loaded out.
Belly Up, January 15th, 2017
Aspen has long been one of my top cities to visit, and it’s mostly thanks to the presence of Belly Up. This intimate and legendary venue has been a favorite for years, and it was proved once again this past Sunday night. One of the sayings I live by is to ‘Never miss a Sunday show’, and the boys even sold it out day of, putting us all in solid celebration mode. With both artists on the top of their game, we enjoyed back to back killer sets and danced shoulder to shoulder with the rest of the Belly Up all night long. A personal highlight from this set was a cover of Lettuce’s “Do It Like You Do”, and of course having epic dance offs to crunchy originals like ‘Butt Rock’ and ‘Granola Jones’. Being such a small space, the amount of lasers was dramatically reduced but the full paneled LED wall made for an even more unique experience than the night before. The guys had two off days ahead, so the next day we ventured to SMOKE, a BBQ restaurant suggested by the lighting director at Belly Up. Since the Floozies are from the land of delicious smoked meats and sauces, we are happy to say that this restaurant got fatty thumbs up from both Matt and Mark. I am super grateful to have tried the place out, because since leaving Austin it’s been hard to find a decent spot – I will be back to SMOKE and ready to destroy the rest of their menu asap.
After two days off the road to refresh, the Floozies and Buku are finishing out the rest of their stops in Winter Park and Boulder. Winter Park tickets are still on sale, but the Boulder date has officially sold out.
1/19 Ulls Tavern in Winter Park | Tickets
1/20 Fox Theatre in Boulder | SOLD OUT
