SOUND CHECK with ¡Mayday¡ at Red Rocks Amphitheater
¡MAYD∀Y! supported the iconic spitfire rapper-singer and Strange Music label co-founder Tech N9ne on his Asin9ne tour, playing the breathtaking open air venue on none other than May 1st — May Day, 2022.
Miami, Florida-based hip-hop trio ¡MAYD∀Y! has had three previous opportunities to play the historic outdoor Red Rocks Amphitheatre. But, as they say in this celebratory Monster Energy SOUND CHECK episode, the universe waited until just the right time for them to rock Red Rocks. That time was May 1st (May Day), 2022. When SOUND CHECK meets up with the trio—comprised of rappers (Bernz) Bernardo Garcia and Ben Miller (a.k.a. Wrekonize), and producer and percussionist Andrews Mujica (a.k.a. NonMS)—they were in high spirits in the high altitude of Morrison, Colorado, thrilled to play the breathtaking open air venue.
For this performance, ¡MAYD∀Y! was supporting the iconic spitfire rapper-singer and Strange Music label co-founder Tech N9ne on his Asin9ne tour. The two artists share a long history together. They’ve collaborated many times over the years, and ¡MAYD∀Y! were previously on Strange Music.
This monumental SOUND CHECK episode commences with the hip-hop heavyweights taking us on a tour through the legendary venue on their special day. The venue was built in 1906, is located just 10 miles west of Denver, Colorado and holds up to 9,545 concert viewers. While exploring the legendary venue’s interior, they marvel at the artists who have performed there before them, singling out The Beatles, Bob Dylan, and Bob Marley. The guys share their feelings of being music fans before they were recording artists, hammering home the awesomeness of performing at such a historical place. They express their joy at “getting a seat at the table,” and ¡MAYD∀Y! further scans the walls for scrawls and signatures from their homies and more recent modern artists they feel a kinship with.
Before the show, the guys sneak us backstage to witness probably the only green room in the world with red rocks bursting through its walls. But before we soak in the elegantly natural environs of Red Rocks backstage, the guys greet Tech N9ne who welcomes them backstage with a big smile. After hugs and hellos, it’s time to get down to business.
SOUND CHECK shadows the guys as they set up, rehearse, and take in the majesty of the empty arena before the May Day mayhem takes place. In these personal moments, you can feel the electricity of the group’s excitement—they don’t hold back showing their joy and humility at performing at one of the most visually stunning and historically prestigious venues in American music history.
¡MAYD∀Y!’s first ever appearance at Red Rocks is explosive. Through SOUND CHECK, we get to witness the special moment the guys take the stage, and light up the crowd with their fierce flow, anthemic hooks, and undeniable energy. It’s intriguing to see how the band performs mixing a DJ setup, two rappers, and percussion and drums. A lot could go wrong with this mix of electronic equipment and organic instrumentation, but the guys are like a well-oiled machine—nailing all the emotional dynamics, the rugged grooves, and giving back tons of love to the audience with a fiery performance. From the final seconds of the video, it looks like it was a May Day like no other at Red Rocks. ¡MAYD∀Y! for sure earned its seat alongside the legends.
¡MAYD∀Y!’s Red Rocks performance will also be remembered because during the performance they publicly addressed the rumors in regards to the group’s current status with Strange Music, confirming they have amicably parted ways with the label, but formed a new independent record label, Mayday Music, to be distributed by Strange Music’s distribution company, It Goes Up Entertainment. To kick off this new era, ¡MAYD∀Y! released its first new single, “Own Way,” on its new label on May Day.