In the Room with Vybe — Adventure Storytelling Media

Vybe · Denver · 2023–2024

Words & drone — Sindbad Horizon

Vybe — short for Vibrate Your Best Energy — is a Denver arts, music, and dance collective built around community: Park & Play gatherings, an annual outdoor festival, and whatever room they show up in.

I've known the founders since 2023 and have covered two of their nights since — camera coverage only, nothing official. The first was their outdoor festival that fall; the second was a Boogie Lights show in Denver the following spring, on someone else's stage.

Golden hour to dusk — the lake, the crowd, and the balloon arch, 2023.

2023 — The festival

Two days beside a lake in the Boulder area, cottonwoods just turning gold. Friday ran into night: fire and LED flow artists working under string lights strung through the trees, a band playing into the last of the light. Sunday was the same ground in daylight — a dance circle, the same band again, a rainbow balloon arch over the gate.

A band performing at golden hour at the 2023 Vybe festival, the singer backlit through fall leaves — A band played into the last of the light, both days.

An aerial view of the Vybe festival grounds beside a lake in fall, the red stage trailer under gold cottonwoods above a row of parked cars — The grounds, Sunday morning.

Friday ran into night: fire and LED flow artists working under string lights strung through the trees.

An aerial view over the Sunday stage — the full band performing, two festivalgoers standing together near a rainbow balloon display, parked cars and cottonwood trees in the grounds beyond — The band played on, under the cottonwoods — Sunday.

Several festivalgoers dancing together in the grass under a full rainbow balloon arch, cottonwoods and parked cars in the grounds beyond, Sunday afternoon — Dancing under the balloon arch — Sunday.

The festival's emcee, sunglasses and a bucket hat, addressing the crowd on the mic beside the red stage trailer, Front Range foothills behind — The emcee, working the crowd — Sunday.

A group practicing flow arts at dusk under the trees, a rainbow balloon arch behind them — The dance circle, dusk.

The field log

A guitarist playing in a live band at golden hour at the 2023 Vybe festival, sunlight through the fall trees — The guitarist, golden hour, Sunday.

Same band, a different angle on the same run into evening — the light dropping fast below the treeline while the set kept going.

Field log

Event: Vybe festival (annual)
Where: Boulder area, Colorado
Dates: Fall 2023 · Spring 2024
Second night: Boogie Lights, Denver
Coverage: Drone · camera

2024 — Boogie Lights

The following spring, Boogie Lights' night, not Vybe's. The collective had a corner of the room, their own chalkboard propped against the wall, and a few of their own performers sat in with the acts on stage. I shot it from the crowd and the balcony both.

The room at a Boogie Lights show, the band on stage under pink and gold light, the crowd packed in front — From the crowd.

The stage at a Boogie Lights show glowing under a golden spotlight, viewed from the back of the room — From the balcony.

The Chillsbury Doughboys performing at the 2024 Boogie Lights show, viewed from the balcony over the crowd, the act's name lit up on the stage backdrop — The Chillsbury Doughboys, from the balcony.

Three festivalgoers with arms raised together in front of a hand-lettered Soul Stage sign under the fall trees — Arms up together, near the Soul Stage.

Lake &and Lights

Lake and Lights