A few Fridays ago I was able to catch night one of the official Sonic Bloom pre party at the Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom in Denver and for me, the evening far exceeded expectations.
The night began with a keynote speech from visionary artists Alex and Allyson Grey, whose influence in the world of psychedelic art and new age spirituality reaches around the globe. Large banners of Alex’s prolific art work hung around the room as he and Allyson discussed their unique spirituality, the legacy of Albert Hoffman, the history of psychedelia, and the work they are currently doing with their visionary church in upstate New York called the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors. Attendees sat around the venue enthralled with the wise words of the couple as they managed to traverse the line between religion and art, leaving the audience with an enlightened understanding of both. After Alex and Allyson did a brief autograph signing, Coult45 started off ‘The Other Side’ with some chilled out beats and UmConscious kicked up the funk in the main ballroom. Ill Mannered and Janover were next followed by Russ Liquid and The Floozies, all delivering danceable beats to excitable crowds while hoola hooping, fire dancing, aerial silk performances, and live painting by both Alex and Allyson Grey and local artists kept the club visually stimulating from all locations. David Starfire and Griz brought the night home, each with heavy dubstep sets that kept the audience dancing hard past three a.m. Even Alex and Allyson couldn’t help but get down to a ‘Come Together’ remix by David Starfire and a few of Griz’s hard-hitting originals.
All together, the evening felt like the first night of a festival in itself, and it got me more than pumped for the Sonic Bloom Festival in June. Special thanks to Sonic Bloom for the invite to the show and also friend of LMB Molly Gale for contributing her photos!
