Britt Chester

For more photos, visit our Snowball 2012 slide show.

The third edition of the annual SnowBall Music Festival kicks off tomorrow night in Winter Park. Seasoned veterans that we are, we've put together an exhaustive survival guide for you to ensure that you have the best possible experience and don't become a human popsicle. We know what to bring, how much to bring and what not to bring, as we've weathered the storm since the beginning and know all to well the perils of wet socks, under dressing and breathing into hands to attempt to thaw them out. We've also got the full line up and set times for the fest and the drop on the after parties. Continue on to get the drop.

See also:
- SnowBall Music Festival's organizers on how it came together and what inspired it
- SnowBall Music Festival 2012: Day 1 travelogue
- SnowBall Music Festival 2012: Day 2 travelogue

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Eric Gruneisen

The scene tomorrow night at Red Rocks will probably look a lot like this -- only minus the shorts and with more coats.

Do you remember last year when Atmosphere and Common brought the heat to Red Rocks in the dead of winter for Icelantic's Winter on the Rocks? We do. We also remember the dusting of snow, the visible breath of awe struck onlookers and the rambunctious nature of the entire night. This year, we want to make sure you are prepared with all the right gear and know exactly what to expect, so we've compiled a survival guide with everything you need to know to keep from freezing your toes off between sets. Read through to find out what you can and can't bring, as well as preview the acts you'll see rocking between the rocks.

See also:
- Friday: Icelantic's Winter on the Rocks 2013, 2/1/13
- Win tickets to Icelantic's Winter on the Rocks 2013
- Winter on the Rocks after-party is going to be Mad Decent with Diplo at the Gothic

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Gabe Rovick

See Also:
- Global Dance Festival 2012 tip sheet: The twenty must-see acts
- Colorado's dance scene was Global before EDM became mainstream
- Show us your best rage face and win a pair of tickets to GDF
- 50 Most Memorable People at Global Dance Festival
- People of Global Dance Festival 2011

Got your dancin' shoes ready? Good. You're going to need them. This year's edition of the annual Global Dance Festival is about to take over Red Rocks for the weekend with a stacked line-up of the hottest EDM acts. Yesterday, we set you up with a full tip sheet of the Twenty Must-See Acts at GDF. Today, we've pulled together a handy survival guide with a complete rundown on everything you need to know before you go, from what you can bring to what you can't bring to what you should bring, as well parking info, maps and the full lineup. Page down to get the goods.

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Britt Chester

See Also:
- Global Dance Festival 2012 Survival Guide
- Colorado's dance scene was Global before EDM became mainstream
- Show us your best rage face and win a pair of tickets to GDF
- 50 Most Memorable People at Global Dance Festival
- People of Global Dance Festival 2011

This year's Global Dance Festival at Red Rocks will deliver over fifty acts -- all of which are at the top of their game right now -- spread out over three days. Since sorting through them all is a rather daunting task, we've done the heavy lifting for you. Below you'll find the twenty must-see acts, listed by time and organized by day. Pick your picks, and have fun. And if you don't already have your tickets, be sure to send us your best rage face for a chance to win a pair for all three days.

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Britt Chester

Shadows Ranch, home to Sonic Bloom and CampFest

Colorado will see more camping music festivals this year than ever before, and we've compiled a comprehensive and organized list so you know which ones to attend, if you can't make them all. We've even rated them based on several very important factors from location, to price, to music. Take a gander at our list, and let us know which ones you plan on attending. Maybe we'll be able to hook you up!

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Aaron Thackeray

See Also:
- The people of Global Dub Fest (slide show)
- Dubstep for Dummies, a primer for newly minted dubstep fans (infographic)
- Video: Welcome to the Dubstep Parking Lot
- Review: Global Dub Festival at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, 5/18/12
- Global Dub Festival survival guide

The summer of dance is about to officially get under way with Global Dub Festival, not only the first major dance event of the concert season, but the first festival of its kind at Red Rocks, one geared entirely toward the low-end frequencies. To ensure that you have the best possible experience tonight, we've put together a survival guide, including directions, parking info, a rundown of what you should bring, what you can and can't bring, as well as the full lineup and set times, to help you prepare for an epic night of earth-shaking bass.

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So thanks to our pal Skrillex and his utterly inescapable ubiquitousness since the Grammys, dubstep has steadily made its way into the mainstream to the chagrin of true aficionados and the delight of unsuspecting casual music fans. But for as many newbies that have embraced the low-end sound, there's been twice as many who've been confounded by the whole phenomenon. As a public service to the dubstep virgins making the trek to Red Rocks tomorrow night for Global Dub Festival with Flux Pavilion & Doctor P, we tasked our resident dubstep expert Britt Chester with putting together a helpful primer for the uninitiated. Introducing: Dubstep for Dummies.

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Celebrate Record Store Day this Saturday, April 21.

See Also: In honor of Record Store Day this Saturday: Ten records we treasure.
See Also: Wax Trax celebrating 33 1/3 birthday in April
See Also: Download a track from Wheelchair Sports Camp's forthcoming EP

Whoever says the music industry is dead obviously hasn't observed Record Store Day. While file sharing has certainly dampened CD sales -- removing the casual music listener from the economic equation -- a contingency of hardcore record geeks can still be found thumbing through the bins most weekends at your local sound dispensary. These were the folks that were never too into CDs to begin with, preferring the assuring weight and sonic warmth of vinyl to the disposable plastic jewel cases that cost a nickel to make and a day's wages to buy. Record Store Day is to vinyl collectors what Black Friday is to suburban parents.

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Britt Chester

The scene at last year's SnowBall Music Festival.

SnowBall Music Festival is about to hit Avon again. We were there for the icy, snowy, steamy, crammed and all around awesomeness of the inaugural edition last year, and just in case you weren't, or you need a refresher of what to expect, we compiled this Survival Guide just for you, so you can get the maximum enjoyment out of your SnowBall experience this year. Page down to see what you can bring, what you can't bring and what you should bring.

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Update (12/5/12): Full review and setlist from the show just posted.

Pax-Am Records

Update (12:53 p.m.): So check this out: A couple more things you should know here: First of all, Friday's show has been postponed until tomorrow night (Saturday) due to inclement weather (shocker, we know). Secondly, whatever sensationalist malarkey you've read about Ryan Adams being some sort of uptight, humorless curmudgeon or whatever, we're happy to report that that's complete bullshit. Dude is every bit as amiable as you'd imagine. Oh, sure, he probably gets grumpy every now and then, but don't we all? We can tell you this first hand because we just got off the phone with him a few minutes ago.

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