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Two Canadians spinning EDM for massive crowds may not sound like your typical Fourth of July celebration, but for fans of Zeds Dead, it's become something of a tradition.
The duo, made up of Hooks (A.K.A. Zack Rapp-Rovan) and DC (A.K.A. Dylan Mamid), started the Deadbeats Backyard Jamboree to offer their loyal Denver fan base a whole weekend of events in addition to their annual Deadrocks shows at Red Rocks. The jamboree is a giant backyard BBQ, complete with dunk tanks, yard games, a hot dog eating contest hosted by HEYZ!, bouncy castles, and multiple stages chock full of today’s hottest EDM acts, hand-selected by Zeds Dead for maximum party vibes.
The event will take place at Civic Center Park, with doors opening at 2 p.m. This is an all-ages event, but children ten and under must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. General admission tickets start at $79.96, with an optional QuickPass add-on for $20 to skip the general admission entry line. VIP tickets include access to a special viewing section, a private bar and restrooms, a shaded area, and more. Artists’ set times will be posted closer to the event date, or you can sign up online to have the schedule texted to you when available. Tickets are on sale now.
We sat down with Hooks to talk Fourth of July, white whale remixes, and what to expect from the fifth anniversary of their Deadbeats Backyard Jamboree.
Westword: Zeds Dead has always had a significant fan base in Denver, leading to several annual celebrations that you host here. What about the Denver fans makes you want to come back year after year?
Hooks: Denver crowds are second to none. [It’s] been one of our favorite places to play since we first came here. There’s a well-established bass music scene here and people travel from all over to see shows at Red Rocks, so it’s kind of a perfect place for us to do these events.
How did two Canadians end up hosting an annual Fourth of July celebration?
We just really love the movie Independence Day.
Red Rocks, where you host your annual Deadrocks show, has a very different vibe than Civic Center Park. What would you say are the major differences between the two events?
Our sets at Red Rocks are more of a journey, you might say. The Fourth of July party is more of a party. It’s less serious.
Is it true that when you do these multiple-day stints in Denver, you play a completely different set at every show?
Yes, most of the time we don’t even repeat songs. It’s a lot of work to prepare for each year!
Do you have a hand in selecting the other artists playing the Jamboree? If so, how do you decide who to bring with you?
We try to get artists we play in our sets and release on our label, as well as ones we think would be exciting for our fans.
Can you tell me anything about what’s in store for this year’s fifth annual Jamboree? Will there be anything special to commemorate the fifth anniversary?
I’ll be giving high fives to everyone I see for one. If someone gives me a double high five, I’ll have to stop them and say, “No, it’s a high five for five years in the Mile High.”
Will you be doing live graffiti again this year?
Yeah, for sure! I’m very much looking forward to that. It’s a great time hanging in the park all day and painting.
Have you or DC ever participated in the hot dog eating contest? Whose idea was that?
No, I never have. It’s something our agent Cody came up with. That’s his baby.
Which one of you is going to brave the dunk tank?
I think we’ll have to do rock, paper, scissors for that.
Especially earlier on in your career, you were known for remixing songs by everyone from Foo Fighters to Nina Simone. Is there a song on your remix bucket list that you haven’t tackled yet?
There are some songs that I hold in such high regard that I’ve never been able to do a remix that I felt was good enough. “Don’t Speak” by No Doubt, for one.
Which newer artists in the EDM world are you most excited to see grow?
So many, but just off the top to name a few: Tape B, Cool Customer, Levity, MPH, Bou, and IMANU.
If you were given the chance to add a third, totally different event to your annual Denver circuit, what would it be?
Maybe an acoustic set at a small bar or something.
