WEIR: the artistry of live sets
Music necessitates commitment—the attention of the listener, the time, energy, and talent of the producer, the hours spent preparing for a gig. It asks something of everyone.
For Chris Weir, producer/DJ/label manager better known by his eponymous artist moniker, Weir, it doesn’t matter if he’s on the giving or receiving end of a soundscape. It’s all about approaching it with intent. From memories of CDs in jewel cases, to his first time stepping on stage with a band, music has maintained its thread in Weir’s life.
Weir’s music project now provides a platform for nearly a decade of experience in the studio. His sounds range from downtempo that’ll make you want to light one up; to organic house that evokes the warmth of a jungle sunset; to Anjunadeep-inspired breakbeat that has the ability to melt time. There isn’t one sound that emerges from Weir, but a confluence of inspiration and personal taste. “It’s all different—that’s the beauty of it,” he says. “It’s about making music to fit any moment.”
Apart from producing his own music & performing regularly as a DJ, Weir is also one of the founders and creative minds behind the Denver-based independent record label, New Something, which has become a launchpad for numerous rising artists in Colorado and host to some of the Mile High City’s most rockin’ parties. Yet, starting the label, managing artists, releases, events, and every detail in between has also served as a fast-track lesson on music business, promotion, digital marketing, and the the importance of treating every aspect of the process with discipline.
On December 13, Weir is set to headline his first live show at Lost Lake Lounge in Denver, with support from Koppo, Cereus, and Howl. The performance will stray from his usual DJ outings—every sound will be manipulated live and blended in ways impossible when simply mixing songs. “It’s a collection of work that shows a bigger picture,” Weir says. “It’s straight from the soul—it’s the best meal I can cook with the ingredients that I have.” Accompanied by an audio-visual performance of digital art by Mellisan and live production by Devan Corona of Amplified Visuals, the headlining live show is the current culmination of his musical career.
In this conversation, step inside Weir’s home studio to hear about how he’s prepared for the gig, the gear he’s relying upon, his advice for fellow musicians, and his insights on the many ways music producers, DJs, and artists of any discipline, can meaningfully present their work, engage an audience, and leave their mark.
Historically, you’ve been more focused on producing & DJing. What set you on the path to want to perform live?
Honestly, I finally feel I have enough music where I can really hit a lot of different areas, moods, vibes, and sounds in an hour-long set. The preparation has been about creating music to tell that greater story.
I’m also not prepping in the most traditional way. I’m building the set ahead of time. I’m figuring out the flow now, so that when I'm playing live, adding effects, adding snare rolls, bringing sounds in and out, it'll feel more like DJing with Ableton. All of the prep work happening beforehand allows for those customizations—that’s what makes it a show.
How would you describe the difference between these types of performances?
They're similar in that you're performing music for a crowd. They are just different mediums, different formats, of how to present the music.
In a DJ set, you're limited, you have typically two decks; you play one song and use the mixer to blend into the next. For me, a lot of that is improvisational. It's feeling the energy of the crowd, factoring in the time of the day, trying to play music that's conducive to that energy.
A live set—at least how I’m approaching mine—is more about treating it as a visual artist would… it feels more like a collection of paintings that captures a bigger picture, a greater display of my art.
Instead of just playing song-to-song, I'm breaking all of my music down to its various instruments and sounds. When I'm building out the set and actually mixing songs, I can decide when to take the bass out from track one and add the vocal from track two, then add the high hats. I can get more granular with the music. When I’m building transitions and flow of the set, it's more controlled and customizable, and has more depth.
DJ sets are all about curating songs and playing to a vibe—a live set feels more matter-of-fact, like: This is what you’re gonna get. This is all the sh*t I've been working on presented in the best format possible.
How will you use individual stems & elements to recreate your music?
It depends on the track. If it’s progressive house, more clubby stuff, it tends to be more minimal. I have all my ingredients and it's just a matter of bringing them in or out to tell the story of the song. For my more emotive and psychedelic music, it's about creating totally new spaces, making room for new elements & changes in the sound.
I also really enjoy recording “found sounds” and incorporating those into the music. It can be simple things… hitting the bell outside my house, recording the rain in Santa Fe, having people call me to leave a voicemail. They’re subtle, but they can help you really go that extra mile to paint a picture, put you in a space.
Music is very visual for me. If I listen to a song and close my eyes, I go somewhere. I'm in the space of the music; whether I'm on a beach, in the jungle, outer space, or whatever it is… I really try to infuse that visual element into my music.
What gear/equipment are you using for the live set?
I’m using my laptop with Ableton, and I'll have the Universal Audio Apollo Twin X interface connecting the computer to the sound system.
For the musical elements, I have an APC 40 Mark II from Akai. What's really fun about it is that I can program every button & knob to do whatever I want, so I can build my own custom effects. It’s really the brain of the project. I also have a Zone K2, which is essentially my mixer. I’m using the gear to help me take all the music I've already made and recreate these custom edits that people have never heard before, and transitions that you just wouldn’t be able to do just using decks.
How does preparing for a Live Set or DJ set influence the artist?
They’re both expressive in their own way. The creative aspect of DJing is the song selection, doing it on the fly, picking up on the energy in the room; not just DJing track-to-track, but figuring out how to add vocals or use a third deck to keep things exciting. It's more improvisational, and that creativity on the fly is so sick.
The live set is infinitely more creative, but just in a different way. It’s my ability to cut up my tracks and figure out how to blend them. You can be more creative on the prep side.
How will visuals & lighting play into your Live Set?
The show that I’ve created musically is a live set, but it's really a curated audio-visual experience. Rufus Du Sol is one inspiration—they're a really good example of “throwing a show.” They have a set list, and at exact times certain things happen.
For the visuals, I'm working with Matt Santos (Mellisan). He’s a musician, and he’s a Co-Founder & Art Director/Creative Director at New Something. I've been working with him for at least five years—he does all of the artwork and promo assets for my releases. He uses Blender and Unreal Engine to build his renders, which are basically 3D video artworks.
Devan Corona (Amplified Visuals) has been doing the lights and production for New Something parties since we launched in 2019. We're taking the clips from Matt, and working with Devin to time-code everything. Essentially, we’re building it so that when I launch a song something happens on the screen and with the lights at that exact second, which will elevate the music even further.
You’ve worked with your A/V team for years. What has been unique about prepping for this project?
It’s really just the technicality of it. This is the first time we're really getting into the weeds, choreographing everything.I'm super grateful for them. I wouldn’t be able to do anything like it without them, and we’re learning & growing together. Whenever we build something, we come out on the other side saying, “That was sick. What can we do next?” If any of us succeed, we’re all succeeding, that’s how it feels.
How do you gauge the success of a show? Is it all based on the feeling?
Success, for me, is about way more than just ticket sales. Sure, I’d love to sell this out, add it to my resumé, whatever. But my main goal is adequately translating my vision and ensuring that people leave the show inspired, impressed, and excited for the next one.
The live set really feels like an art showcase. I go to tons of galleries in Santa Fe (where my parents live) and being able to go see one of my favorite artists, walk into a gallery, and not just see thier paintings but sculptures, and see how they tie together. It's a collection of work that shows a bigger picture. This live set is straight from the soul—it’s the best meal I can cook with the ingredients that I have.
Having a multi-disciplinary approach to music—can you speak to that?
Yeah, absolutely. I started DJing before I made music, so that aspect of performance has always been really special to me. But I want to do both as much as I can. Ideally, I’d play a festival, you can see me at main stage for a sunset live set, but then you come see me at three in the morning at some side stage, DJing, up there unsure what I’m going to play next, where we’re all creating it together. That keeps me on my toes. It's the yin and yang, how they play into each other.
You can see a live show—pyrotechnics, other performers coming out on stage, all this and that—but when you get to see an artist DJ, you get to hear their taste in music, what tracks outside of their own music get them going, almost seeing behind the veil. It’s important to do both.
For someone new to your music, or electronic music in general, what’s the best way to begin exploring these genres?
House music can seem inaccessible until you're either brought under the wing or you've been shown an artist by someone you know. I think it really starts with asking your friends to share music. A lot of people write it off because it’s too repetitive, it's monotonous, and there’s this image that everybody's just partying—but house music is for everybody. It's just a matter of finding what clicks for you. Everybody can find their slice.
In Denver, SoundGround is such a great entry point. First, because of the community. Everybody loves to dance, and it's just a high vibe, great people. You get to see the brighter side of things.
I would also really recommend checking out artists like Rufus du Sol, Bonobo, even Crooked Colors. These are all artists incorporating live instrumentation into their sound, and it feels more organic.
But you gotta see it live, that's where it's going to translate. I could show you tracks in the studio, in the car, or wherever, but to have that experience with the community, the production, and everything—that can really take somebody from just being curious into obsession.
Hearing it “in the place” can make all the difference…
Yes, totally. It’s a big reason why I started making music. I went to a festival and I realized while I was in the crowd that there was no product I could ever create and sell, nothing I could do—other than make music—that would make people feel how I felt then. Music is therapeutic. It’s expansive. It hits me so emotionally, and I want provide that for other people as best as I possibly can.
What's one of the most inspiring things about the community that surrounds you?
Everybody just does really dope sh*t. [Laughs] Everybody I know, whether it's their job or their hobby, they’re all really passionate about something. Most people in my circles are passionate about creative things, and that allows for insane cross-pollination & collaboration.
What advice do you have for aspiring producers & DJs?
Make as much music as you can—that’s the biggest thing. The more music you have, the more dynamic your performances can be. It allows you to try out different sounds and really lean into the best track for the moment.
Now, what’s a piece of advice you’ve received that really stuck?
My manager, Adam St. Simons, is based out of Salt Lake City. The first show I did with him was in Colorado, up in the mountains. On the way home, he told me: “You're not just defined by the gigs you say ‘yes’ to, you're equally, if not more, defined by the gigs that you say ‘no’ to.”
That has stood out crystal clear for so long. Sure, when you're first starting out you should say yes to literally everything, you gotta be hungry. But, at a certain point, you need to start treating it as a business and recognize the fact that it’s really about optics and perception. If you play a huge show then the following week play a 50-person gig at a bar, that's not a good look. You're working backwards.
You should aim to hit a certain point where you need to really think: What am I getting out of this show? Is it good pay? Is it good exposure? Am I playing in front of the right crowd? Will there even be a solid crowd there? Will it do good or harm for my brand as a musician?
You gotta reflect on the brand that you’re building.
Any final thoughts to share about the upcoming Live Set?
It just feels like the coolest thing I've ever done as a human being. I can't stress that enough. I've played so many shows, I used to compete in skiing, I have so much that I'm really proud of… and this feels like it just blows everything out of the water. I've never been so excited to do something in my entire life. I can't wait to share what I've been building—it’s the culmination of everything I’ve done since I started.
