Tuesday night the Fox filled up quickly with CU revelers and local bassheads for Minnesota, GottaDanceDirty.com’s ///BONES and local beatmaker Skywalkerr.
The crowd was more than ready by the time Minnesota took the stage, showing their support with deafening cheers. Minnesota had a completely natural party vibe about him as he grooved onstage. He threw down a heavily wobbly set, picking popular remixes but also quite a bit of original material as the crowd went wild and raged the night away.
Minnesota brings bass to the Fox (CU Independent/Rebecca Bratburd)
Backstage, Minnesota sported a flat-bill baseball cap, square-framed glasses, and tattooed forearms. With a Heineken in one hand, he shook hands with the other as fans and other DJs passed by. At one point, he hopped up from the couch and picked up a bottle of Jameson on the other side of the room. “I just need to get ready,” he said with a smile.
He hopes to have a quieter life after the tour, and make it back into the studio to work on an album. He’ll be hitting the books again at UC Santa Cruz, where he studies history. “I’ll still be playing shows every weekend, but I’ve got to go to school, too, during the week,” Minnesota said.
Minnesota’s played the guitar since he was a preteen. In high school, he tried out for fifteen bands in his hometown of Santa Cruz, but none of them felt right. Then he discovered the joys of producing electronic music solo. Now, at 22, Christian Bauhofer, is sweeping the nation playing his simultaneously sweet & grimy dubstep. He released an EP, Ancient Machines, in July.
(Courtesy of the Fox Theatre)
Minnesota’s tracks have received tens of thousands of plays on Soundcloud, where 10,000 people follow him. He plays venues as small as the Fox and events as large as Burning Man. His music has received support from huge names like Bassnectar, who plays Minnesota’s remix of The Mamas and The Papa’s “California Dreamin’”.
While dubstep has proliferated in recent months, Minnesota says the future is unclear.
“From my perspective, bass music is spreading from the west coast to the east coast. I played a show in Georgia earlier this year to a crowd of 200 people, and when I went back six weeks ago, 600 people showed up,” Minnesota said. “Bass music has more time to evolve. I don’t know where dubstep is going, that’s why I’m going back to school.”
Minnesota plays “Living Together” off his EP, Ancient Machines, at the Fox on Tuesday night (CU Independent/Rebecca Bratburd).
Contact CU Independent Reporter Rebecca Bratburd at Rebecca.bratburd@colorado.edu.
