Sometimes a show just feels special, like a piece of history or some kind of religious experience — all thunder and lightning, hallelujahs and amens. Last Friday, Denver-based artists N3ptune and Rusty Steve turned the Bluebird Theater into their very own temple of worship, making a believer out of everyone in attendance.
Following impressive sets by openers Cain Culto and Neon the Bishop — two artists who also deserve all the shine coming their way — N3ptune and Rusty Steve’s set began in dramatic fashion. As the lights turned low and red, Rusty Steve came out on stage wearing a gas mask and playing a haunting guitar riff while a procession of percussion emerged from the back of the house. Itchy-O, covered in gothic cloaks and sporting large flags depicting pentogram-esque insignias, made their way down the aisles before settling in front of the soundbooth. N3ptune quickly joined the proceedings, taking over the ceremony as their majestic cult leader. After the grand entrance of majestic spectacle, the show was officially underway.
As Itchy-O left, N3ptune and Rusty Steve kicked off the set with the “White Pony,” a group of four dancers joining them on stage. The song — like many of theirs — hits you right in the chest. It’s all heavy, stomping percussion and distorted guitars while N3ptune sings like a person possessed by some sort of not-so-holy spirit.
The setlist consisted of songs from their 2021 release Renaissance — an incredibly dynamic album the genre of which cannot clearly be defined — and some unreleased bangers of the soulful rock and grimy hip-hop variety. The performance, as a whole, was somewhere between pop, rock, house and gospel with instances of heavy hip-hop and deep grooves. The show touched on all of these genres and doused the whole thing in leather thigh-highs and devil horns.
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The theatrics continued as they played songs including the whiplash-inducing “Wedlock” — which transforms abruptly from soulful gospel to intense hip-hop — the rousing synth-dance track “Misery Loves Company” and a surprise cover of SZA’s recent hit “Kill Bill.” There were dancers (you actually may have recognized them as the Denver Nuggets dancers) and multiple outfit changes. Rusty Steve even hopped into the crowd at one point to join the moshpit. It was clear both performers loved the crowd, and judging by the chanting and shouting between each and every song (yes, every single one), the crowd felt the same way.
N3ptune moved with confidence and elegance, posing and dancing throughout the entire performance, writhing on the ground like the snake that tempted Eve. The show never felt anything less than authentic. This was expression undiluted, raw and uncut. N3ptune reached his arms out and engulfed the crowd, bringing us into his dark but comforting embrace and letting us all know that while it might not all be okay all the time, we could be safe with him.
This idea was reflected whenever N3ptune directly addressed the audience. At one point he told the crowd “It’s okay to let your darkness out here. I can handle it.” His awareness and vulnerability was admirable, to say the least. When he thanked us all for coming out after “White Pony,” he made sure to note the economy, acknowledging that every dollar counts these days and that he appreciated the crowd for choosing to pay for tickets to his show.
This all culminated towards the end of the set with a powerful speech about the violence in our world — specifically the recent shooting in Nashville — and the fury that builds each time people are killed senselessly. Ending the speech on a more positive note, he acknowledged Trans Visibility Day and let all the trans homies in the crowd know that they are loved and appreciated, ensuring them that there is always a place for the LGBTQ+ community in this world. The set ended with “Militia,” a pissed-off hip-hop song that serves as a “fuck you” to those that hate, destroy and discriminate.
The encore came quickly and similarly to how the show began. N3ptune started out behind the crowd sitting on the bar rocking yet another new outfit to sing “Mannequin,” off the recent re-release of Renaissance. He then returned to the stage to play his biggest hit, “Black Horse,” a powerful bluesy-gospel tune and an undeniable banger if there ever was one.
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Their performance was over, but the audience — which erupted into a massive ovation that lasted at least five minutes — wasn’t quite ready to leave without showing their devotion to their new gospel. As he struggled to keep his tears back, N3ptune thanked the crowd, told them he’d be seeing them at the after-party over at Lost Lake across the street and left us all there like new disciples, ready to follow N3ptune and Rusty Steve wherever they want to take us.