DJ Rufio gets his guerrilla groove on at Red Rocks

The parking lot is a perfect place to mingle and get your pre-game on before a show, particularly at Red Rocks. But Brandon Chavez is taking tailgaiting to another level. At select EDM shows, you can find Chavez, aka DJ Rufio, and his crew of party people gathered around a...

By Britt Chester

May 6, 2013

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The parking lot is a perfect place to mingle and get your pre-game on before a show, particularly at Red Rocks. But Brandon Chavez is taking tailgaiting to another level. At select EDM shows, you can find Chavez, aka DJ Rufio, and his crew of party people gathered around a red truck in the lower south lot getting down.

"I just thought it would be cool to come out early and get a nice little party going before going into the show," says Chavez. "So I made sure to be one of the first people at the lot. I was one of the first people parked in the lot and just brought my turntables and a speaker."

Chavez's guerrilla party tactics first caught our attention last summer at Global Dub Festival, Global Dance Festival and Savoy. Chavez's red truck was the first vehicle you'd see walking down -- that is, if you could even see through the swarm of people dancing, talking, grooving and, uh, hydrating.

"We have water and food for people who need it," Chavez says. "It's about helping people out. I want to raise awareness about that, because this scene is all about peace, love and fun." DJ Rufio says he'll be back to blasting Red Rocks this summer at Global Dub Festival, Global Dance Festival, both nights of Bassnectar, HardFest and Big Gigantic. "I've got a new generator to bring out," he declares, "so we might be able to blast a little bit louder."

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Britt Chester is a writer and video producer living in Denver, Colorado. He's covered breaking news, music, arts and cannabis for Westword since 2010. His work has appeared in GQ Magazine, Village Voice, YES! Weekly, Inman News and the Winston-Salem Journal. He likes running, cycling, and interviewing people.

Contact: Britt Chester

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