Toussaint Lorenz Redefines the Live Show Experience in Denver

While live music has largely recovered from the pandemic, many artists are still facing a different challenge: giving audiences a compelling reason to leave the comfort of their homes. Major artists are struggling to move exorbitantly priced tickets and canceling dates, while lesser-known artists are struggling to give audiences a reason to put down their distractions at home and, perhaps even worse, put pants on.

But Colorado native and alternative hip-hop artist Toussaint Lorenz may have found the sweet spot, delivering both an economically friendly live show experience and a valid reason to insert one leg at a time.

On June 6, 2026, Toussaint supported Ahjzae Dallas' first headlining show at Lost Lake Lounge in Denver. While every act that touched the stage left their heart out there, Toussaint decided to take crowd participation—and, by extension, the live show experience—to another level by providing a seamless way for the audience to choose which songs would be performed.

While we won't reveal exactly how the process works—Toussaint's feeling being that you ought to experience it firsthand if you really want to know—we can say that it did, in fact, take both the energy in the room and the overall experience up a notch or five.

The crowd of "DJs," as Toussaint dubbed them, eagerly threw out requests while simultaneously and somewhat inadvertently taking ownership of the set itself. As songs were selected and performed, audience members became invested not only in the music but in the outcome.

This shift from spectator to participant was impossible to miss when, during one portion of the set, a crowd member abandoned their spot on the side of the venue and moved directly into the center of the room, hand raised, hoping to be selected for the next song choice. A small moment, but one that perfectly captured what made the experience different: the audience wasn't simply watching the show—they were helping create it.

Toussaint expressed that the idea came together while working on his semi-released project, IBOH II, alongside longtime collaborator, hypeman, and friend ImRich (formerly aQuop32). The concept was born out of a combination of feeling like it was becoming increasingly difficult to choose a setlist due to the growing number of performable songs in his catalog, while also wanting to create an experience that stuck with people and genuinely made them want to come back.

A feat that appears to have been accomplished, not only through the excitement generated by the concept itself, but through the added reality that no two performances can ever truly be alike.

When asked about his expectations for the concept and what he plans to do with it moving forward, Toussaint said:

"No expectations, but I do believe it will be adopted by other artists over time. People who knew about it beforehand brought me footage of Justin Bieber doing something similar and said we were tapped into the same frequencies. I thought that was cool and a green flag that what we're doing here would work.

As far as what I want to do with it, I want to perform it. Expand on it. Add more songs. Etc. It almost turns the event into a game. Everybody gets to participate. You're not watching a show. You're in the show with us. I think people will feel that and maybe even start to demand it. Once other artists start doing it, just don't forget who did it first."

The Justin Bieber portion of Toussaint's comment referenced footage fans had shown him of Bieber using a crowd-influenced song selection process during a festival performance. While the concepts differ in execution, Toussaint viewed the comparison as validation that audiences are increasingly interested in becoming part of the experience rather than simply observing it.

Needless to say, the method had an effect on those in attendance. Multiple patrons expressed that they'd never seen anything like it or had never been to an event quite like it.

Others commended the fact that Toussaint and ImRich had memorized every available song selection—30 records as of this writing—allowing them to be prepared for virtually any outcome the crowd could create.

That sense of shared participation and real-time energy isn’t stopping at the stage either. Toussaint says he's currently collaborating with 3rdspace on a semi-released project listening experience designed to extend the same interactive spirit into a more intimate setting. Instead of simply playing finished records, the event will focus on shared listening, conversation, and real-time audience energy—continuing the idea that fans aren’t just attending experiences, they’re shaping them.

In an era where artists are competing not only with one another but with algorithms, streaming platforms, social media feeds, and every distraction imaginable, Toussaint's experiment may have stumbled onto something larger than a new setlist format. It may be a reminder that people don't just want entertainment—they want participation.

If the reaction inside Lost Lake Lounge is any indication, this is only the beginning.

Interested in seeing it for yourself?

Click here and scroll down a bit to join our email list and be notified about upcoming performances and events around Denver.