Boogie Lights and Crew Are Bringing the Party to Cervantes'

One "big plus" about living in Denver, according to Mark Henrichs, is "the music scene and how community-based it is. Just a bunch of like-minded musicians that all have the same goal in mind."

Henrichs knows that firsthand. The multi-instrumentalist and producer is keeping disco alive in Denver's electronic-music community through his project Boogie Lights. Performing DJ sets at weddings and local venues alike, Henrichs is making it as a full-time musician, honing his craft and working to spread joy. 

As a lifelong drummer, Henrichs spent his time in high school and college building bands, so when he moved to Denver in 2017, he was a natural networker. He fully dedicated himself to the Boogie Lights project starting in 2022, and by the next year, he'd accumulated a rotating band of musicians to join him on stage as the Boogie Bunch, releasing an EP named for the group last October. Bringing together local musicians of all types, the Boogie Bunch includes saxophone, guitar, keys, violin and live vocals to embellish each release and live set.

The full Boogie Bunch will join Henrichs for a blowout show at Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom on Friday, December 20, with openers Shae District, Room Service (featuring Butl3r), Loop Story, SayWhat? and Kevin Donahue of Sunsquabi. The unique texture that each live musician brings to the experience has set Boogie Lights apart from many local EDM acts, pushing the sound into the funk territory that Henrichs is so passionate about. "When I was starting this project, I coined it 'electronic dance funk' — EDF. It's funky, but it's still electronic music," he explains. "I saw GRiZ performing with his band at Red Rocks and I thought, 'This is what I've been planning for. That's exactly the kind of vibe.'"

Although Henrichs has played Cervantes' Other Side in the past, the upcoming show will be his first experience playing the larger venue. Based on previous Boogie Lights shows, he says he knows that this concert will be quite the party. "High energy and funky chaos," he says with a smile. "The live energy of a group that all have their own personalities. Hopefully, people feel able to be their weird authentic self with a lot of good, positive people."
In true EDM spirit, the love for partying and celebration is strong in the Boogie Lights team and fans, but Henrichs approaches the flashing lights and disco with intention. "A little time to escape and be present in the moment — I think that is very therapeutic," he says.

In addition to this live experience and escape, Henrichs has been hard at work with brand-new music. While he has released many tracks as Boogie Lights, his project's debut album, DISCO DANCE THERAPY, is set to release on Friday December 6. Henrichs says it is fully immersed in the theme of mental health. "It's pretty much written about the connection between music and mental health, and the ways that our energy can affect the world and the ones around us," he says. Checking off another musician milestone, this album is being pressed into vinyl, with copies available for purchase at the Cervantes' show.
Vibrate Your Best Energy (VYBE), which city-dwellers may know from the collective's frequent Sunday raves at Cheesman Park, will also be supporting the concert, supplying live dancers and flow artists for the performance. It will also provide an activity corner in the back of the venue to give the audience an opportunity to engage with arts and crafts.

Henrichs's love for color, dancing and disco build the core of the Boogie Lights project, but so much more is included to create the live experience. Through his project, he is committed to authentic self-expression and building a relationship between musicians and fans.

"Disco just makes you dance," Henrichs says. "It's pretty and it's goofy and it's weird, and thats definitely everything I stand for."

Boogie Lights, 7 p.m. Friday, December 20, Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom, 2637 Welton Street. Tickets are $28.