BASSNECTAR @ RED ROCKS AMPHITHEATRE | FRI & SAT 5/31-6/1 "When I first got going," recalls Lorin Ashton, "I was into fuckin' brutal, satanic death metal." Even with all of his hair, it's hard to imagine that Ashton, better known as Bassnectar, was once enthralled with extreme metal. After all, dubstep, the subgenre he's essentially helped pioneer, is known more for its resonating bass beats than for shredding guitars, blast beats and guttural vocals.
See also: - Rob Garza DJ set at Beta, 6/1/13 - Thievery Corporation's Rob Garza on the endless possibilities of remixing - Why EDM is thriving while other genres aren't
Over the past few years, thanks largely to Bassnectar and Skrillex, dubstep has crossed over into mainstream, which has clearly put Ashton in an enviable position. Bassnectar's playing a two-night stand this weekend at Red Rocks with A-Trak, Treasure Fingers and TOKiMONSTA on Friday and DJ Shadow, Two Fresh and Thriftworks on Saturday. (6 p.m., all ages, $39.75) -- Britt Chester
BLACK ASTEROID @ BETA | FRI, 5/31/13 Black Asteroid is one of many incarnations of musician Bryan Black's creativity. Black, meanwhile, is half the brains behind MOTOR, a techno powerhouse that opened for the Depeche Mode world tour in 2009 and formed after Black finished working as a sound designer for none other than Prince. Black Asteroid gives him the opportunity to take his trademark mechanical, gorgeously dissonant sound and mold it into a precision missile of power aimed at your sense of rhythm. Black Asteroid is a relatively new persona for Black, who was signed to Chris Liebing's illustrious CLR label a week after he released his debut EP in 2011. Clearly he's doing something very, very right. Catch Black Asteroid at Beta with Tiari (in from Detroit) on the main floor, Crizzly, Fury and Dayquil will bring the bass. (9 p.m., 18+, $15)
FRIDAY, MAY 31
Vedana returns to the Funky Buddha rooftop with David Last, Shaggz, Kevin Callison and Seth Nichols bringing the house to the masses. (9 p.m., 21+, no cover)
Jerome LOL comes out from LA to join Need & Necessity, option4 and Uncle Buck at NORAD, courtesy of the Hundred and Souls In Action. (9 p.m., 21+, $8-$10)
The Electric Pony returns to the Appaloosa Grill with Luv Boutique (aka Brandon Bass) and resident Sound Advice. (10 p.m., 21+, donations appreciated)
Catch Dank and Scotty Boy at the Church, bringing some glitchy, bass-oriented noise for your ears. (9 p.m., 18+, $15 and up)
SATURDAY, JUNE 1
Rob Garza (of Thievery Corporation fame) will perform a live DJ set at Beta with Marshall Monica and Dragon warming things up for the superstar. (9 p.m., 18+, $10)
The eminent Stacey Pullen lands at NORAD for a three-hour set, so techno lovers will want to make sure they're there. (9 p.m., 21+, $10)
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