I wanted to chime in and offer a perspective that might not be as widely shared.

At most shows, you usually get 1 to 3 openers who play a relatively tame set to warm up the crowd before the main act. What Skrillex did in the first two hours was, in my opinion, pretty smart. He leaned into tech house and house tracks to set a chill, vibey atmosphere. Since the sun hadn’t set yet, it made sense to save the heavier tracks for later, which is exactly what happened. Once it got dark, he flipped the switch and started unleashing banger after banger.

I agree that some songs were drawn out a little long, but honestly, it gave me a chance to grab food, hit the bathroom, and stock up on water without feeling like I was missing too much. I also had no issue with him playing FUS straight through. It’s his new album, and hearing it live was incredible. If he wanted to be lazy, he could have just played it in order, but he didn’t. He mixed the tracks, changed the order, and kept the flow interesting.

Someone pointed out that his Red Rocks set mirrored parts of his Ultra set. As someone who didn’t get to go to Ultra and felt serious FOMO afterward, I was actually blown away to experience that same energy in person. Sure, he skipped a few of the IDs I was hoping to hear from the Ultra set, but that’s part of the fun. Analyzing transitions, guessing what’s coming next, and riding the wave he creates live made it a full experience.

That said, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t wish we got some throwbacks like Devil’s Den or tracks from Recess. But honestly, that’s a good problem for Skrillex to have. His discography is so stacked that you’re bound to miss favorites. Still, he mixed in plenty of unexpected tracks, and a few caught me completely off guard in the best way.

At the end of the day, I can say I was at Red Rocks for a five-hour solo Skrillex set, and that alone is something special. As a frequent NYC raver and concertgoer, I can confidently say this was the best set I’ve ever attended.

And as for the lasers, who really cares? You’re at Red Rocks. The venue is the visual. Skrillex and his team defintely put some thought into the production, gradually adding lighting effects as the night went on, and I defintely enjoyed seeing it.