Icelantic’s Winter On The Rocks – January 30th – Red Rocks

Once a year, a sea of fans, clad from head to to in insulated coats, snow pants, and beanies, descends upon Red Rocks Amphitheatre for the annual Winter on the Rocks, hosted by Denver based ski brand Icelantic. While retaining the perennial Hip-Hop vibe, this year’s offering leaned toward the Reggae end of the spectrum. With unseasonably warm temperatures the crowd was a bit less bundled up than last year, when the show was blessed with consistent snowfall. The venue was less than full, but the crowd was rowdy and upbeat all night as Damien Marley, who’s excellent opening set was peppered with classic Bob Marley songs injected with his own Hip-Hop style, stole the show. His band and backup singers were tight and on point while Marley prowled the stage confidently. It was an impressive set that had me wishing for more when Major Lazer, Diplo’s electronic dancehall project, closed out the night deploying a seemingly endless barrage of Reggae-heavy hooks and drops. The stage flanked by a pair of seductive Rasta dancers and a constant thick haze of fog shot from a portable fog gun toted around stage by the DJs as Diplo, Walshy Fire and Jillionaire kept this crowd in the palms of their hands the entire night, keeping alive the streak of memorable Winter on the Rocks shows.