On Sunday, French Kiwi Juice — better known as FKJ — finally made his Red Rocks debut beneath a clear night sky alive with stars and possibility. The artist himself seemed to shine like some great celestial body, light and warmth and hope emanating from him throughout the night. The show felt as if wings from some bird of myth sprouted from FKJ’s back that he used to carry the crowd soaring through the stars.
READ: Review — Death Cab For Cutie and The Postal Service Transport Fans Across Decades
It must first be noted that after almost a decade of seeing shows at Red Rocks, this show was potentially the most crowded this writer has ever seen the venue. The car line to get in stretched almost a mile outside the front gate, impatient fans — many of whom were visiting the rocks for the first time — inching along to the parking and drop-off areas. Inside the venue, many were relegated to spots beneath the trees that line the venue’s stairs, others being told almost constantly not to stand on or hang their legs over the steps.
This is interesting for a couple of reasons. On one hand, it’s an impressive milestone for FKJ, who said that the show was the biggest he’d ever played. It shows monumental growth for the French artist, who many in Colorado took notice of following a rather highly publicized show at the Mission Ballroom last year.
On the other hand, it speaks to a criticism that Red Rocks has faced for some time now: they often oversell their shows which causes fans to end up clamoring over each other for spots. This is the result of Red Rocks being one of the most lauded, mythic venues in the world that attracts some of the most sought-after artists in music and it’s a small issue unlikely to be remedied anytime soon but is worth pointing out.
READ: ‘Tis the Season: 9 Red Rocks Do’s and Dont’s
The crowd overflowed with love despite its size, everyone doing their best to be respectful of those around them as they grooved through Nightmare On Wax’s impressive, decade-spanning opening set. Not long after the set’s end, howling began to erupt from the crowd and everyone’s attention was directed to the sky.
A blood-red moon hung just out over the horizon, large and imposing. It felt like an omen of some kind. Some cultures view a red moon as something to fear, a harbinger of death or the end of days. Others see a red moon as a blessing, a sign from some other plane of existence telling us to open our hearts to the universe. The feeling that night definitely aligned with the latter as the crowd howled at it joyously as it rose in the sky and eventually began to lose its red color the higher it climbed.
The tone was now set beautifully as FKJ hit the stage quietly but to a powerful applause that threatened to become a physical thing. He sat down on his classical piano and began to play softly, tenderly, slowly building in energy as a drum track eventually joined. He then left the classical in favor of the synth and began to build.
FKJ is a looper. This is a way of creating music incorporating live sampling techniques in order for one person to build huge soundscapes. For example, FKJ had a classical piano, a multi-synth setup, a synth/MIDI pad/looping setup, a tenor saxophone, a bass guitar and a beautiful white Stratocaster in addition to traditional microphones and one with a variety of filters on it. For every song, he incorporates each instrument by playing small lines on each and putting them on a loop in which the line repeats over and over again. The lines build on each other and become these deep, rich sonic adventures. It’s an exciting way to make music that requires complete mastery to do successfully and FKJ is one of the best loopers alive.
This fact was on display all night as he moved from instrument to instrument, bouncing around with such energy and ability. The transitions were seamless. He’d go from a showy guitar solo to beautiful and intricate piano lines without missing a beat. The worlds he built transported the audience to the stars and left them there to build worlds of their own.
This feeling was helped by the visuals. Many times stars would dance their way across the screen, at others, birds flew towards the west, soaring over rolling green hills. The stage was drowned in color throughout the night, lights spiraling enigmatically. While he didn’t bring out any guests, whenever he’d play a song with a featured artist, a video of that artist would be superimposed over the visuals whenever they were singing or rapping. This happened when he played “Risk” — which features rapper BAS — as well as the Masego-assisted “Tadow,” which is potentially both artists’ biggest hit.
This was most impressive when he played “Vibin’ Out” towards the end of the set. The song features FKJ’s wife, who goes by the intentionally unpronounceable moniker (((O))). Her likeness appeared built from light on a black background and towered over the crowd like an idol to some ancient goddess. It was an impressive scene during a much-beloved song that burned its way into the minds of all who were there to bear witness.
Eventually, the set came to a close, the crowd restless but full of joy. The wait for the encore was short as FKJ returned to the stage to more nearly deafening applause. Much to the crowd’s delight, the encore was a long one as FKJ played five more songs before thanking the crowd, telling them how much the show meant to him and leaving the stage. The people in the crowd hugged and shone smiles at one another before leaving the venue to find their own places amongst the stars.