Space Dough: Space Bacon & Rado Take over Colorado

Photos by Elliot Engebretson

Colorado remains a mecca for jam band fans and electronic music lovers alike. From the sweeping vistas of Red Rocks and the rugged canyon backdrop of the Mishawaka, to storied rooms like the Bluebird Theater and the Mission Ballroom, the state offers no shortage of unforgettable places to experience live music. Among this stacked landscape, Denver’s Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom stands as a pillar of the jam community. This past weekend, New York’s premier jamtronica act, Space Bacon, joined by local heroes Rado, lit up Cervantes’ Other Side with a night of galactic improvisation, psychedelic landscapes, and one very special surprise guest.

As eager fans funneled into the historic venue, located in Denver’s famed Five Points neighborhood, the evening opened with Denver’s own Rado, who took the stage to a buzzing hometown crowd. Known for their dynamic and exploratory sets, the quartet wasted no time igniting the room with heavy-hitting grooves in both “Jellyfish Sandwich” and “Life as a Machine.” They stormed into Cervantes with a surge of energy enough to make 2015 Von Miller proud, locking the audience into a no-fly groove and setting the tone for what was sure to be an incredible night of music ahead.

Front and center, keyboardist James “Jimmy” Hatch built the momentum higher and higher, while drummer Jeremy Deitz anchored the rhythm with a steady, danceable pulse. Deitz’s funk background and hip-hop roots have brought a new flavor to Rado, and that loose energy was felt bouncing off the walls of Cervantes’ Other Side. Additionally, the band’s evolving use of sampling and looping has added new dimensions to their sound, weaving hooks seamlessly into their jams. Guitarist Dylan Tuthill soared, both musically and physically, with his signature swaggy dance moves, while Kevin MacKinnon proved the heartbeat of the set, locking in with Deitz to keep the low-end bouncing and the room fully engaged.

Rado continued to burn down the dancefloor in the opening set, including a “Living Out Loud > Two Feet > Living Out Loud” sandwich which featured some masterful improvisation from Tuthill and Hatch. The room seemed to feed off the energy, as fans were completely locked in and holding on feverishly to the next notes. Rado virtually never stopped playing, flowing effortlessly between tracks, showing off their magic with extended improv and taking grooves in different directions. The city of Denver always shows up for their hometown crew, and this night was no exception. After an hour of non-stop party vibes, Rado had greased the wheels and set the bar for an extraordinary night of dance music in the famed halls of Cervantes. They waved to the crowd one final time before announcing that Space Bacon was up next.

Hailing from New York City, with roots at Fordham University, Space Bacon took the stage and immediately demonstrated why they sit at the forefront of the jamtronica scene. Their sound, a kinetic blend of breakbeats, house rhythms, soaring synths, and cosmic guitar work, felt like a late-night NYC rave colliding with Sonic the Hedgehog 2 soundtrack in full technicolor, with sounds and imagery bouncing off the walls at the speed of light. If Mega Man took a heroic dose of mushrooms and re-created 2001: A Space Odyssey, that only scratches the surface of what this NYC groove quartet is capable of. Their jams unfold like living, breathing compositions, constantly evolving and expanding. Drummer Sam Crespo is a four-on-the-floor powerhouse, driving relentless grooves, while keyboardist Chris Gironda layers textures that keep the dancefloor in perpetual motion. Bassist Kevin LeGall kept things grounded and groovy, as guitarist Fred Rylands opened sonic portals with soaring, otherworldly leads.

The band launched into “Ice Planet > Monolith,” immediately signaling the thematic ambition of their set. The crowd responded in kind, dancing, smiling, and surrendering to the ride. A fiery cover of Fred Again..’s “Victory Lap” pushed the energy even higher, packed with heavy samples and precision transitions. Sliding effortlessly back into “Ice Planet,” the band showcased their tight-knit chemistry and ability to pivot moods on a dime. It’s this sort of cosmic connection that makes the scene so special—a band’s ability to see something before it’s coming, much like a quarterback and wide receiver’s effortless chemistry. Space Bacon can bob and weave like Holyfield in his prime, dancing with the rhythm of the room and painting the picture as they go. It’s a testament to just how hard the band has worked to get here, and it’s nights like these at Cervantes where all their hard work pays dividends.

Then came the night’s biggest twist. After teasing a special guest, speculation swirled—until Allen Aucoin (aka DrFameus), longtime drummer of The Disco Biscuits, stepped onstage to thunderous applause. The crowd erupted into chants of “Allen! Allen! Allen!” as he locked in behind the kit for “Sunset Cove,” closing the first set in explosive fashion. Aucoin delivered lightning-fast breakbeats and drum-and-bass textures, effortlessly elevating the band’s already sky-high energy. As many in the room were already longtime Disco Biscuits fans, this came as no surprise, as everyone was blissfully aware of the greatness they were witnessing. Even Space Bacon themselves seemed thrilled at the madness unfolding in front of them, as they played alongside one of their biggest influences to a roaring Colorado crowd. The band closed out set one to the biggest explosion of sound heard thus far and let everyone know that the party was just getting started.

Set II wasted no time reigniting the room, opening with “Satellite” before moving into a crowd-pleasing cover of ZHU’s “Faded,” which had the entire room singing along, “All I wanna do is drive home with you.” You can tell Space Bacon pulls influence from all over the place, from old-school house classics to modern bass music and hip-hop—it’s a serene blend of old and new. If you’re an old-school house head, simply close your eyes and feel the groove reminiscent of a warehouse rave in the ’90s. If you love hip-hop, chances are you’ll hear a hook or chorus remixed in some fashion that you will immediately recognize. Space Bacon takes all of these elements and blends them into something uniquely their own.

The second set was one glorious dance party from front to back, a sweaty, non-stop pulse that could’ve been felt in outer space. The set’s centerpiece—“Snakecharmer >< Blast Off > Clownslayer”—unfolded like a psychedelic carnival ride, twisting through genres and tempos with precision and abandon. From heavy metal transitions to jazzy, floating bridges and a sprinkle of fairy dust in between, this set was so surreal it might not have even happened. The entire room was bouncing like a cosmic drum, and for a few brief hours in the middle of Denver, there was a unified connectedness felt throughout. The second set ended with a “Sarcophagus” encore which featured a plethora of teases from Black Sabbath’s “Electric Funeral” and Halo, and the band waved goodbye for now, making sure the audience knew that this would not be the last time they played the Mile High. It’s the type of night that you’ll be reminded of for months to come, and another reason why Denver remains a pillar for these special types of moments.

RADO Setlist:
Cervantes’ Other Side
Friday April 10, 2026
Set: 8:15pm – 9:30pm

Jellyfish Sandwich >
Burndown >
LIAM >
Jellyfish Sandwich
Living Out Loud >
Two Feet >
Living Out Loud
Light Source
Baker’s Measurements

Space Bacon Setlist:
4.10.26 – Cervantes – Denver, CO

Set I:
Ice Planet > Monolith
Clownslayer > Victory Lap (Fred Again..) > Severance > Ice Planet
Sunset Cove (with Allen Aucoin)

Set II:
Satellite > Faded (ZHU) > Flamethrower (end)
Obsidian
Snakecharmer >< Blast Off > Clownslayer

Encore:
Sarcophagus (with Electric Funeral, Domination, Halo teases)