Review — Alison Wonderland’s ‘Icelantic’ Winter Concert Turned the Mission Ballroom Into a Dazzling Snow Globe

Last Saturday, Allison Wonderland brought her 11th annual “Icelantic” winter concert to Denver. Due to Red Rocks Amphitheater’s winter construction, this year’s winter concert was at Mission Ballroom, which hosted Alison Wonderland, Channel Tres, Sam Blacky and more. From start to finish, the full lineup turned up the heat giving the audience rhythms to dance to and tunes to keep warm with. House music blended into hip hop, mixed with pop tunes and drum and bass transitions leading to an eclectic Saturday night. 

Jacoby opened the night with a set full of angsty sing-along anthems. The set lingered to include hip-hop beats and drops to wake up the crowd. The segway was a nice warm-up for the trickling audience. Then, DJ Housewife and Sam Blacky went back to back, ramping it up a notch. As the crowd began to fill the ballroom floor, DJ Housewife made everyone feel right at home, spinning signature house elements and infusing a sprinkle of nu-wave disco. Sam Blacky brought the flare to the house elements mixing pop and tropical sounds to keep the feet moving. The relentless energy never let up as fans started to feel the vibe of what the night would offer them.

303 Magazine, Mission Ballroom, Icelantic, RiNo, Concert Review, Alison Wonderland, Channel Tres, DJ Housewife, Sam Blacky, Jacoby, Colorado EDM, Christian Garcia, Kiddest Metaferia

Photo courtesy of Channel Tres on Facebook

The rapper, DJ, producer, and now professional dancer, Channel Tres, graced the Mission Ballroom stage with an abundance of confidence. Appearing with sunglasses, white gloves and a leather jacket for extra flair,  it was clear that Channel Tres meant business.

“Acid in My Blood” mixed the best of house music and pop performance with dance choreography including four other backup dancers. If the crowd wasn’t feeling the groove, they were feeling the moves coming from the main stage. “Just Can’t Get Enough,” “Sexy Black Timberlake” and “No Limit” continued the bring the most confident, cool and freshest set Denver had ever experienced.

Mid-way through the show, Channel Tres lost the jacket, flaunting his oiled body for all. The crowd was enamored by the music, backup dancers and flashing lights. At a minimum, the audience looked on in awe at the confidence and coolness Channel Tres exuded. To end the set, “6am” reminded the audience what they are here for — to dance! “Topdown,” Channel Tres’ biggest hit, took the ballroom home. Denver witnessed a rising act that is sure to make a splash in 2023 with their highly anticipated debut album, set to release later this year. 

303 Magazine, Mission Ballroom, Icelantic, RiNo, Concert Review, Alison Wonderland, Channel Tres, DJ Housewife, Sam Blacky, Jacoby, Colorado EDM, Christian Garcia, Kiddest Metaferia

Photograph by Kiddest Metaferia

Alison Wonderland is no stranger to Colorado, having headlined at Red Rocks plenty of times for her signature “Temple of Wonderland” show. With that being said, expectations were high for the Australian-born DJ. Without skipping a beat from the electrifying Channel Tres, Alison Wonderland played her most electric set to date. Amidst a slew of hits, confetti rained down and floated above the crowd as flashing lights flickered for a euphoric moment. At that moment, time stood still and the crowd danced to the beat drop in unison. The headliner played her notable songs including “Something Real,” “I Want U” and “Church.” However, she also spun remixes with popular artists including Dua Lipa, Tame Impala and Skrillex for fans to sing along to. Midway through the set, the DJ expressed her gratitude, stating “I can’t stop smiling tonight. This is why I keep coming back to Denver”. 

That same energy continued throughout the night as fans danced with one another as hit after hit blared from the ballroom’s impeccable speakers. Alison kept the good vibes going by freestyling a few songs and simply feeling it out. She ended by grabbing a fan’s sign, which begged her to play her song, “No.” Luckily, she obliged by saying “yes.”

All in all, Icelantic’s Winter Mission concert at Mission Ballroom was a party from start to finish. Nothing but feel-good energy filled the room as DJs and artists gave everyone something to feel good about.