For a concert with such a unique name, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I walked into Camp Superdope.  When I squeezed through the gate into Denver’s Mission Ballroom, I remarkably saw very few camping supplies. Instead, I was immediately impressed with the Mission’s modern set up; opened in 2019, the Mission is home to a massive dancefloor, tiered seating and state-of-the-art sound and lights. It became clear to me that in planning their American tour, Matoma and Two Friends, the shows headliners, were focused less on the “camp” and more on the “super dope.”

“I know that as a kid, camping is such a big thing here, and I just threw in some ideas,” Matoma joked with me after the show. “We had some longer names, camp super-mega-dope tour, camp super-duper trooper mega tour, but it was just too much. And then we came up with Camp Superdope.” 

If the goal of naming the tour Camp Superdope was to appeal to America’s youthfulness, it looked to me like Matoma and Two Friends had succeeded. The crowd was made up of mostly college-age students, donning tropical Hawaiian shirts and basketball jerseys, who were waiting anxiously for Two Friends to take the stage. 

The aptly named duo did not disappoint. They energized the crowd with their famous Big Booty Mixes, the flawless mashups of songs ranging from The Office’s theme to Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe.” Paired with an upbeat, heart-pounding bass, it didn’t take long for the crowd to really get going. 

From there, this momentum was all Matoma needed to seize the opportunity for an unforgettable show. With less bass and more melody than most of his EDM peers, Matoma’s songs were categorized by a positive vibe that infected the crowd more and more with every song.

Born and raised in a small town in Norway, Matoma got his early DJing inspiration during his teen years from other European producers such as Tiësto and Swedish House Mafia. He recalls his experiences at these concerts as transformative.

“They [Swedish House Mafia] sold out the biggest stadium [in Stockholm]…and it was like 60,000 people. Just pure EDM, energy, people going crazy. That was when I started getting into DJing,” Matoma recalled.

 Matoma’s desire to create energy was reflected in his performance. As colorful pastel lights flashed behind him, he launched into his most popular song, an infectious remix of Notorious B.I.G.’s “Old Thing Back” that was impossible not to dance to.

“When we walked into the room today, I could tell that this was going to be a good night, and it was, seriously,” said Matoma. “Denver, I don’t know how many times I’ve played here, I think seven or eight… and every time, you deliver. It’s seriously mind-blowing.” 

While Denver made an impression on Matoma, by the end of the night, he had made a mark of his own on the crowd. As pink confetti rained down from the sky, Becky Hill’s vocals played over Matoma’s uplifting tropical house beat on the finale, “False Alarm.” It was impossible not to smile, and everyone  got the feeling that this was a moment to be remembered.   

“That’s why I started making music,” Matoma told me. “I wanted to touch people in a positive way: put a smile on their face, feel some emotion.”