The Orchestrator Demonstrates the Power of Hustle Ahead of His Afroman Show

There was a time when the term “hustler” had a negative connotation, associated with drug dealers, con artists and a magazine for lonely, horny truckers. But today, when artists must proliferate content as quickly as possible to establish a brand, “hustler” has taken on a new meaning: It connotes people who work hard to achieve their goals.

And in the Denver music scene, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hustles harder than Brandon Theis, the multi-instrumentalist and producer who performs as the Orchestrator. He’s already sold out such venues as Meow Wolf, the Bluebird, Larimer Lounge and more; he’s established strong connections with promoters and bookers like LiveNation; and he’s raked in millions of streams on Spotify. His song “Alissa,” dedicated to his wife, hit number one on the iTunes jazz charts, for which he received a plaque (“It’s really for her,” he says). He’s given back to his fans via NFTs, whose owners receive a paid percentage from his sold-out shows. He won a 2023 Best of Denver award for Best Solo Multi-Instrumentalist. He just celebrated four years of sobriety, a journey that’s landed him partnerships with non-alcoholic brands like Gather Beverage. And on Saturday, January 6, he’ll be headlining Summit. His opener? Afroman.

Theis admits that many of his fans found his upcoming show an odd pairing. Afroman, after all, was practically canceled before that was even a thing, after the “Because I Got High” hit-maker punched a woman on stage in 2015 and was charged with assault. Theis has always been vocal about his support of women, making him an activist in promoting a scene where venues should be held accountable for any abuse that may happen behind their doors.

“I’ve talked with some venues about the drug use, the drug game and the abuse of women, as well,” Theis says. “It’s super important for me for the conversations to happen, because it dominates the music industry, and not even just the music industry, but the entire entertainment industry.”

While Theis says such places have been able to avoid accountability, Afroman and “people like him actually had to pay their dues, go to court.”

Theis believes the rapper is genuinely remorseful for the incident. He got to hear it from the artist in person, which is how the Summit show came about. But first, it all began with a dream.

Ever since he became sober, Theis says he’s almost been receiving visions. “I had a dream about him,” Theis recalls. “When I woke up, I looked him up, and he was playing in Denver at the Black Buzzard that night.”

So he reached out to Afroman’s team and asked if he could come to the show to take some photos. “Then his DJ got me backstage and we just hung out. I think he’s a great guy,” Theis says.

But that didn’t stop Theis from sticking to his guns regarding accountability. “I had to talk to him about some things that have happened in his past,” he continues. “He told me it was a misunderstanding, but he wasn’t trying to divert from the fact that it wasn’t okay. … He thought it was the boyfriend of the girl who was on stage, and there were fifteen security guards, but nobody stopped this girl from getting on stage. … He said it haunts him to this day. … He almost started crying, and he had his girlfriend there. He was like, ‘This is something I’ve had to live with, but just know that’s not who I am.’ I trusted him and chose to believe him.”

Theis acknowledges that some “people aren’t the happiest that I’m playing with him…but at the end of the day, I believe that people can have a second chance. But I don’t like it when people just deny or turn a blind eye.” 

For Theis, it isn’t just about making music, but making a lasting, positive change. His expanding fan base makes his work more impactful; people are starting to recognize him now, he says. One sushi chef offered him a free meal while he was eating out with his wife and friends; people congratulate him on his sobriety while he’s passing out fliers for his shows on the street. And yes, he still does that old-school marketing, on top of creating some popular videos in which he walks around RiNo with his saxophone and plays part of a song, offering $5 to those who correctly guess its name.

He’s as proud of his sobriety as he is of his performances. “I used to be embarrassed to, like, not be a part of the party aspect. And then I feel like people don’t understand that I have nothing against it – it’s just not for me,” he says.

“The party starts with the music. The party starts when you arrive,” he adds. “You are the party, and I feel like I want people to understand that. … Everything else is just an extension; everything else is there to amplify your experience.”

And the experience with Afroman will be one to remember. Theis laughs when thinking what his eleven-year-old self would think about the Grammy-nominated rapper opening for his own show. The fact that the lineup came from a dream makes it all the more mind-blowing.

“The universe will really speak to you in ways that you can’t understand,” Theis says. “Sometimes I feel like there’s messages that I’m missing. Sometimes I feel like I’m on this tangent, but I’m just trying to connect a little bit closer to the universe. I believe it’s working in my favor.”

The Orchestrator and Afroman, 8 p.m. Saturday, January 6, Summit, 1902 Blake Street. Tickets are $35.25-$53.50.