A Thumping End to Hallowhethan: Whethan Concert Review

Stage lights went dark. A moment of silence. The crowd stirred. Tension. Then, chatter. Some whooped, some screamed, others bounced with excitement. Suddenly, a familiar tune: The Imperial March from The Empire Strikes Back. Those there prepared for battle, and they were roaring, only moments away from a long wait becoming worthwhile. As if George Lucas himself directed the scene, action, emerging from right stage came Whethan, dressed like Darth Maul–cloak and all. If not for the flashing red lightsaber, his black hood would render him invisible as he strode to his keyboard. But everyone knew what was about to happen. Whethan held his saber up in the air, pressed a few keys, and like a sith master of the force, sent lightning through the crowd as The Imperial March turned to static, rose, and beat dropped. 

The rest of the night followed suit. 

Whethan capped off Halloweekend with a joyous, energetic set after a COVID-ridden year that made last Halloween a little too spooky. Boulder needed a comeback, something to end the historically fun weekend on a positive, hopeful note. Whethan, Disco Lines, and Branson did just that. 

Those who attended the concert Sunday, October 31 at the Boulder Theatre came dressed up like they didn’t spend a whole weekend cycling through revelry and costumes of the like, some stanced up like kings, some wearing angel wings. Costume or not, they were ready to fly. 

If I had a firm stance on music (why would I, it’s not like I write about it or a anything), it would be that genre exists to haphazardly cram artistic expression into narrow categories, putting pressure on artists to either stick to their style, or be incredibly inventive and “genre-blend,” which is another way of saying “making music.” Whethan cannot be considered, say, country music, but if he made a beat with vocals about riding horses and drinking beers by a bonfire, then maybe he could. That seems off topic, but all the folks I talked to, like Baiinga Bangura, quickly categorized Whethan to EDM, which stands for electronic dance music and features beats and basslines and other instruments constructed and produced together on a computer program. 

“I love EDM. Whethan’s fine. I mean, all that music, it’s sort of in the same vein,” Bangura said. 

Contrast that to Lyrical Lemonade’s Danny Adams’ labeling Whethan as “hyperpop” and part of “this very niche and incredible subgenre” on his review of “Think You Right,” Whethan’s newest single. 

I say this because going into this concert I thought I wasn’t the biggest fan of EDM or hyperpop or most electronic music in general. Not to say that it’s bad music (I love STRFKR, especially Whethan’s song with them called “Stay Forever”), art is art and art should be celebrated, but we all have our tastes. At least, until I went to a show in person. What I realized there is EDM, or whatever you want to call it, is all about the building and releasing of energy, or as Paradigm Talent Agency, who represent Whethan, calls it, “musical tension and release that make people move.” 

This is an inherently joyous thing. People moving, yelling, dancing, laughing, using Snapchat to make signs on their phones that say “you’re hot” and other explicit things, all these things, these joyous things, happened on Sunday and they happened thanks to Whethan. 

For some, however, like Ever Gray, the concert wasn’t merely about thunderous bass and beat drops, but something a lot more complicated but nonetheless beautiful.  

“So Whethan is, like, my best friend who passed away two years ago, this is her favorite band, and her favorite song is ‘Good Nights’ by Whethan, and every time I hear it I think about her, so it’s just really special to me, and I’m really excited to be here,” said Gray. 

Music means a lot to people. Music heals, and after putting down my recorder, Gray gave me a magnetic smile, raised her arms up, and bounced with happiness and laughter into the crowd, ready for a night worth remembering not just for herself. EDM and hyperpop, like all music, is art through time, and will be there to help bring bliss when the times get rough. Gray ended up having a great night, and told me she simply could not stop dancing. 

Whethan was energetic, professional, and obviously incredibly talented, being only 22, he’s been exploding on the music scene ever since he found Garage Band on his iPad. 

Born Ethan Snoreck, he’s living an incredible dream and delivering better live scenes, booming tracks, and music that makes you move. His kind of music is extremely popular in Boulder, especially for college students on The University Hill. Many have grown up listening to Whethan and other artists like him, developing their own desire to try their hand at electronic music making. Some play guitar, but a lot of students have taken up mixing in their spare time. After all, the computer is just another instrument. 

Local DJ Branson embodies this. A current senior at CU Boulder, he found his way through some lucky connections to becoming the first act that night, opening for Disco Lines and Whethan. His crowd certainly wasn’t the packed house Whethan saw, but at about a third of that level, people were just as excited. 

“Dude, it actually felt crazy. I’ve never played a venue this big in my life. This was the biggest set of my life and I couldn’t be more happy with it,” Branson said. 

Listening to his set, you would think that it sounded no different than any Hill house or fraternity party, and you would be right, as Branson looks to take that familiar sound to a new level. 

“I’ve probably been mixing for two and half years now. I DJed a bunch of hockey parties, couple frats, couple bars, but all it takes is preparation before, and you can just do it,” Branson said. 

And to those out there who want to get to a stage like the Boulder Theatre, Branson had some advice. 

“Pretty much how I got onto any scene is that I walked into a bar and I asked if I could DJ there. That’s the first thing I did and it worked, and I went from there honestly. It’s really not that hard to do,” he said. 

The hardest part is certainly not asking people if you can perform, but the performance itself. Branson did recycle through a bunch of songs that everyone already knew, but this was a welcome familiarity, and his mix and transitions were original enough to get the crowd ready for another CU electronic music star, Disco Lines. 

I thought he was dressed up as a stereotypical Boulderite, rolled up beanie and designer sweatpants, for halloween, but that’s his style, and he’s taking that style to new heights as he boasts 219,897 monthly listeners on Spotify, incredible numbers for someone just emerging onto the scene.

Born Thadeus Labuszewski, Disco Lines is also a senior at CU Boulder, and disregarded Bransons’ laptop and mixing board set up for the same sound board that Whethan used. 

The crowd loved it, they recognized him, and I felt a feeling of pride in the air, a hometown hero finally making it big. He did great, too, producing original mixes to get people going. But, as all roses have their thorns, the lip syncing by him and his two guests was a little more than obvious, and really detracted from the experience (at least for me, a snobby concert reviewer). 

It was a great, great thing to see some fellow Buffs perform on the same stage as one of the biggest names in the industry, and this could mean Boulder is a hotbed for electronic music stars, a trend I hope will continue until it’s unarguably true. 

Exhausted were the lines of folks streaming from the Boulder Theatre, many preparing for a long uphill walk back to The Hill. Exhausted, yes, but the kind of exhaust after something good happens, after a hard laugh, after a welcome surprise, after a good night of tension turned and blown up and released. 

School looms, work waves, and the Buffs will be back in their academic routines, ready at any time for another joyous live performance.