Review — Mersiv Transmitted Experimental Dubstep and Raw Energy at Mission Ballroom

The Mission Ballroom, a blueprint for the modern music venue, has seen some incredible A-list acts and musicians since the flagship AEG venue opened its doors three years ago. Rarely, though, has a local artist headlined their own show there. That’s why Mersiv’s “Mile High Transmission” performance last Friday was a special moment, both for the Denver-based producer and the city itself. It’s refreshing to see a local artist rise to the level of cult stardom Mersiv has achieved in recent years, and he gave his fans one hell of a celebration last Friday night — a thank you letter to the city that’s supported him throughout his journey to success.

Mersiv’s music is pretty, dark and definitely loud. He makes music that begs to be blasted at intense volumes and lends itself to massive production. Thankfully, Mission Ballroom’s production team was up to the task.

Mersiv Mission

Mersiv crew before Mission Ballroom performance. Photo courtesy of Mersiv on Facebook.

The stage was a broadcasting station for Mersiv and his lineup of legendary openers (including another Denver local, A Hundred Drums), to transmit their sonic experiments to the masses. With satellites on either side of the stage, Mersiv stood surrounded by a circular metal structure resembling a tractor beam, ready to abduct the experimental dubstep artist at any moment. The visuals (also designed and projected by a Colorado local, Joseph Allen) and lights matched the intergalactic vibes perfectly, ranging from psychedelic landscapes and rainbow-colored aliens to tesseracts and lush forests.

Amidst flying lasers and flashing strobe lights, Mersiv steered the audience through a portal of explosive sound design, experimental dubstep and kaleidoscopic wubs, effortlessly paired with iconic hip-hop classics like Kanye West’s “Get Em High” and contemporary bangers including Swae Lee’s “Sunflower” and Iyaz’s “Replay.” Mersiv even showed love for Atlanta’s modern hip-hop stars, Earthgang and JID, when he mashed their smashing “Can’t Punk Me” with his own “In Motion” featuring Fryar.

READ: The Pretty, Dark and Loud Journey of Mersiv

Mersiv’s brand is largely defined by a single word — energy. From his MorFlo record label, inspired by the artist’s experience with the “flow state,” to his 444 Radio mixes and merchandise, energy stands at the forefront of the Merisv Experience. That being said, Mission Ballroom’s crowd was full of great energy the entire night.

The audience, decked out in exclusive merchandise designed specifically for Mersiv’s Mile High Transmission show at Mission Ballroom, expressed eternal gratitude for witnessing this special moment. It’s a powerful escapade to see a Denver-based artist headline his home city during a massively successful national tour. Even better, this is only the beginning — after Mersiv walked off stage, a message was intercepted from Mars and projected onto the giant screen: Mersiv is headlining Red Rocks on April 6.

Mersiv’s career trajectory is only up from here. He’ll surely reach new heights and become a generational artist in the EDM community, but Denver will always hold a special place in their hearts for dubstep’s next superstar.