Drone at the Dome (DatD) was a durational, improvisatory musical performance I organized in October 2024, bringing together a broad swath of Colorado artists in a playful experimental framework.

Six hours of ceaseless musical drones were created by 14 different groups who performed overlapping sets of around 30 minutes each. Many magical moments occurred, particularly the surprise combinations of sounds that arose when performers overlapped with each other and found themselves in dialog.

In additional to a the vast talents of the participating artists, a significant part of the magic of the event came from the setting. Rainbow Dome is an artist-led, queer centered hub offering an alternative to the classic roller rink experience. On a tour of their new building, I was led downstairs to the expansive space that they planned to convert into a roller rink in the coming year, and Immediately asked them if I could hold a drone music event there. The main room in its current state is a raw, cavernous concrete space, with a 4 second reverb time. For most musical styles, this untreated space would be deemed awful for a concert, smearing sounds into a unintelligible mush. However, for drone music, it was a thrilling space, and it played an important part in the musical experience, for performer and listener alike.

This event was supported by the Denver Theatre District.

Photo credits: Ben Coleman, Phillip Stearns