Denver Veteran option4 Has a New Gig You Need to Know About
option4 behind the decks at Bar Standard
It’s tough to break out in Denver’s ever-growing music scene. That being said, Brennen Bryarly, the producer and dj known as option4, has done just that, not only in the ever-expanding musical paradise that is Denver, but way beyond. By day he’s absolutely crushing it as one of the newest premier talent buyers around the city. Bryarly also happens to be the one behind the popular ‘TheHundred Presents’ shows and parties all over town, which includes his weekly gig known to his loving following as STEAM Wednesday’s. He’s played a massive part in rejuvenating the once dying club scene in Denver into a multi-genre, any night of the week, hands-down throw-down. Thanks to people like Brennen the biggest problem a music-seeking Denverite faces is which set to catch on a Wednesday night. There are worse things, right? By night, Brennan doubles down as option4, who describes his flavor as, “more house than tech, more deep than disco.”. With his unique flavor and contribution to the music scene, it only makes sense that Option4 & Friends was born.
Coming to Denver once a month for the next foreseeable future, option4 & Friends features buddies and pals Bryarly has collected over his career, with an aim to give his platform a more “grassroots” vibe. Brennen admits it’s mostly about having a good time, and providing something new for a hungry audience. Who could argue with that? We popped by Denver’s newest monthly Friday night party to see what the buzz was about. option4 set the stage for the evening, getting the dance floor of Bar Standard moving before his longtime friend and colleague The Juan MacLean brought the house down. We had a chance to sit down with the mastermind and orchestrator to talk about his continued success both inside and outside the Mile High City.
SV: What are you wanting to accomplish with this new monthly event? What gives this event a different flavor from other similar nights in the Denver music scene? ex: STEAM, Ritual Fridays, Proper Sundays...
o4: Well I'm home for the next 5 months basically. I can't keep up touring every weekend and writing music at the same time.. so we're setting it up so that we tour half the year and write music the other half. It's tricky being a promoter and a DJ because i never wanna use my promotion platform (which is way bigger) to boost option4 if that makes sense? I just feel like it's a conflict of interest. So I keep em separate. The concept of the party is just to promote it very grass roots so that we attempt to capture those same family vibes that we had when we started this whole thing 7 years ago. Everyone knew EVERYONE. So it's more/less like once a month while I'm home I wanna get the whole gang together and curate an awesome time <3
SV: What made you decide to feature your friend, The Juan Maclean, for this inaugural night? Do you have any inkling as to who you might feature in the months to come, or what style/sound you’ll be trying to highlight?
o4: LOL.. umm funny story.. When I first started TheHundred Presents I wanted to book Juan because of my intense love for DFA. I lowballed an offer because I had no idea what I was doing and his agent basically ignored me and wrote me off. I was.. well.. very passionate if not reckless in the beginning haha.. I've booked Juan since then for years but never played with him. Since i'm starting a new party I felt it sort of appropo to see if he'd be down to rock a night w me. Luckily he accepted :) Tomorrow should be pretty special ~
SV: International DJ, MK, had named you as one of his premier DJ’s to keep our eyes out for this year. You’re slated to perform in each upcoming option4 and Friends show, on top of the many other things you have your fingers in around Denver. how will this event both compliment and challenge you in your DJ career?
o4: Well to be honest it's just gonna be fun opening up for someone with a different vibe. I'll be able to play a bunch of records I don't normally play on tour so I'm taking this whole curating the vibe thing really serious. That's a completely different approach than I normally take when I'm on tour.. because fans expect a certain type of sound to be played if they only know me from my original productions~
SV: You’ve recently found yourself in the position of Talent Buyer for Live Nation here in Denver. What’s the pressure like helping to set the stage for some of the biggest shows in town? Can you walk us through your process a bit when it comes to scoping new talent or lining up the next big show?
o4: It's.. a very competitive really wild game. Period. I'm still learning so much but it still comes down to betting on horses you think people want to hear/experience if that makes sense. Tastemaking is a word that gets thrown around a lot but .. I think it's more less just trusting your gut on what you think will be enjoyed then frantically trying to work dates out so that everyone can play in Denver. Like I said I have a LOT to learn but i'm sincerely enjoying the process. It's fun to book stuff that you like that's not neccesarily club music x