Photos: Flying Lotus 3D Tour at Mission Ballroom in Denver
Fire is coming, fire is coming,” a David Lynch narration opens our ears as young heads circle around an outdated room listening to iconic horror tales of Tommy — a moment, captivating in its nod of old on-air chronicles and the story of the world’s burnings. The shapeshifting Steven Ellison, better known by his moniker Flying Lotus, made his first incendiary contribution to Denver’s newest venue, The Mission Ballroom, this past Friday night and goosebumps ensued.
Revisiting the ensemble he’s curated over the last decade, Flylo touched on the likes of his 2015 Coronus, the Terminator and trickled into his latest album Flamagra, too, rich with these surreal voices. Staccato textures threaded the audience into an experience native to only Flying Lotus and his montage of lucid dreaming. It’s an experience unlike any other: magical and somehow playful, ethereal, and even haunting at times. A homage to the influence of Ras G captures what one can only assume is true for Flying Lotus himself about creating music, “it’s tuning into the world.” The performance was a third dimensional voyage layered by beautifully produced sounds and epic visuals that left us feeling the same way the legend Ras G himself once noted, “I’m in the room with Flying Lotus… that’s like gold to me man, (this) cat’s crazy.” If you missed this unforgettable night, our friend Blake Jackson (@jake_blackson) captured the mayhem, check out the photo recap below. – Bailey Jensen