Alison Wonderland brought Temple of Wonderland back to Red Rocks for her amazing SIXTH show at the iconic venue. It was a grand display of a creative mastermind who has grown in both her sound and herself over her storied career. It also showed everything that is right with a musician.
The show was clearly carefully curated from start to finish and was very much the brainchild come to life of Alison. The graphics and light displays were mesmerizing, the song choices were impeccable, and her show-womanship was top notch.
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When I first saw Alison Wonderland all the way back in 2016, she was a predominantly trap DJ working the decks like an absolute pro. Fast forward to 2018 and she stepped out from behind the table to display her cello skills, a massive step for the introverted DJ and producer. Now here we are in 2023, and she has transcended her show into a full-blown performance.
She was front and center belting her lungs out, seamlessly swapping between DJ and front-woman. She had badass drummers. She has truly grown massively and it shined in her performance here.
The first half of the show was banger after banger, heater after heater (which was needed for the 30-something degree weather). She took us back in time with classics like “U Don’t Know” and “I Want U,” she brought back trap and future bass drops, she kept the heart rate pumping like when I saw her at EDC Orlando back in 2016 (which I am pretty sure is where she officially coined her FMUOASL mantra, but I could be wrong). She showed off what helped get her notoriety and laid the foundation for her eventual artistic blossoming.
Then, the energy shifted. The emotion exploded out. She saved some of her heaviest anthems for the end, what felt like songs that deeply meant the most to her, singing with such passion it was truly moving. “Down The Line” and “Easy,” arguably two of her most gut-wrenching hits, brought the high-intensity party to a high-emotion fever pitch.
Her soliloquy thanking all of the people who helped put on that show and supported her through it all pulled on the heartstrings. And when she poured her heart out about her struggles with past pregnancies before at last having a successful one, I can say for certain everyone in attendance was left breathless.
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What makes so many love Alison Wonderland was on full display this night. She’s real. She’s human. She puts it all on the table and is unapologetic about it. So many people connect with her on an emotional level, whether it be her openness about her anxiety or just normal human antics that peel back the curtain on a megastar in the industry. And her shift in musical style shows how comfortable she has become both with herself and the projects she creates.
Alison Wonderland represents all that is right with music and musicians. Her songs are so raw and authentic you feel like you know her on a personal level, even if you’ve never met her. She genuinely cares about her creations and it shows in the finished products. She loves her fans, and that love reverberates with every social media post and every speech during her sets. Temple of Wonderland 2023 at Red Rocks felt like the pinnacle of her career thus far, a culmination of her incredible journey. And the best part is, it feels like we are still just getting started.
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