There are always some major parties during the annual SIA trade show. This year was no different with Redman, Blackalicious and Brother Ali, among the roster. But everything else was brushed to the sidelines when I found out Atmosphere and Common were set to play Red Rocks. I think my heart literally stopped. Red Rocks is hands-down the best venue I have ever seen a show, and Atmosphere is one of my all-time faves. I was beyond excited. Although Red Rocks is closed for winter months, Icelantic was able to open the venue for the first ever “Winter On The Rocks”. It was sold out. The capacity is just under 10,000. Pretty insane. Being a part of history was nothing short of magical. Yes it was cold, but with all of the people squished in, it was manageable.

Thanks Oakley for the flask. It got put to good use!

Common, all smiles. IJV photo.

Light snow flurried in the sky as Common took the stage. He sang to a girl and freestyled to her on stage. He jumped and danced in his puffy fur-hooded jacket. All the ladies were screaming and all the dudes were grinding up on ‘em. Nothing short of common at a Common show. Common brings it live and his voice is even better than on his albums. He played for a good hour prepping the crowd for Atmosphere.

Slug in the spotlight.

After a short intermission and setup, the Atmosphere crew cruised on stage. Red Rocks lit up with yellow, red and green strobes and the crowd went wild. Slug came out swinging with a mix of new and old hits rolled into one. The Minneapolis native, who is more or less used to the bitter cold, never seemed phased, rapping on point, as per usual and captivating the crowd with his flawless rhymes and ballads. Wearing a blue puffy vest, he tossed out his goggles and beanie to fans and called out people in the audience telling them to “smile” and telling a boy and girl they “would be cute together.” As much as Slug jokes and likes to have fun on stage, there are always some somber moments. Slug sang “Little Man” and “Yesterday”. It would have been his Pops birthday that very day, who passed away some years ago, and he dedicated the songs to him.

Going at it for about 45 minutes, Atmosphere pulled their classic encore move, leaving the stage and coming back a few minutes later. They could not end a show without playing “Trying To Find A Balance” (my all-time favorite song). As Slug switched up lyrics inserting “Colorado” and freestyles over his regular rhymes, all this was predictable until he announced fellow Rhymesayers artist, Brother Ali on stage. To end the show, Ali and Slug rapped a song together and the crowd was losing it. It was a once-in-a-lifetime moment. Atmosphere at Red Rocks, sold out in January, with Brother Ali taking the stage. It was a pinnacle moment that will forever be engrained in ski and snowboard history, as well as hip-hop history. Thanks for all who made it happen and thanks for helping me check another box on my bucket list. —TS

Brother Ali and Slug. All time.