Ten years after the release of Bright Moments, Flamingosis is stepping back into the album that changed everything. What started as a break out project built on soulful samples and sun-soaked grooves became the record that launched his first national tours and cemented his name across the electronic scene. Now, a decade later, he’s not just revisiting it, he’s reshaping it. With tour-only track edits, exclusive merch, and headline shows across the country, this album goes beyond nostalgia. It’s a living archive being rebuilt in real time.
The Bright Moments 10 Year Anniversary tour isn’t a static replay of 2016. Flamingosis builds each stop differently, pairing the full-album celebration with special guests, DJ Little Mac appearances, Super Smash tournaments, and new material from his album Sunlight Daydream with Diastrata. Some nights lean into the classic DJ format, while others expand the record into something larger. In Denver, that meant performing Bright Moments front to back with members of The Bodega Groove Collective, translating the original beats into full live arrangements inside Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom. The result felt less like a throwback and more like a reinterpretation. The energy in the room made it clear this wasn’t just his celebration – it belonged to everyone who has connected to the record since the beginning.
Hours before he headlined Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom on 1/31/26, Aaron Velasquez sat down with Electric Hawk to reflect on the album that set the tone for everything that followed.
Relive Bright Moments while Reading the Interview
Throwing Frisbees with Flamingosis
Kaylee Leitzel, Electric Hawk: This tour is a celebration of ten years since Bright Moments. When you think about the first decade of Flamingosis, what stands out the most?
Aaron Velasquez “Flamingosis”: Releasing that album was really the breakout moment for me. I’d done some touring before that, but Bright Moments was the one that really got me out there. It’s still the album a lot of people associate me with.
Right after it dropped, I went on a full tour with Late Night Radio, over 30 cities. That really pushed me into touring full-time and playing shows all over the country.
KL: What’s it like seeing fans who were there in 2016 still showing up a decade later?
Aaron: It means a lot. I’m really thankful my music has had that kind of longevity.
It’s a record people keep coming back to, whether they’re new fans or longtime listeners. I see new faces and familiar ones every year. It’s an album a lot of people really cherish. And even now, people discover it for the first time and come out to shows. It’s kind of the album that keeps on giving.
KL: Since the tour is built around the album, when you’re on stage playing it, does it feel like revisiting the past or reintroducing yourself?
Aaron: It’s a bit of both. Past, present, and future. For this tour we’re playing the album front to back, but we’re reintroducing it in a different way. Keeping it fresh and keeping people on their toes.
KL: Have there been any fan reactions or moments tied to Bright Moments that stuck with you over time?
Aaron: I can’t think of one specific story, but I’ve heard everything across the spectrum.
Some people tell me they listen to it while doing everyday stuff, like chores. Others share much deeper stories, like how it helped them through a really hard time in their life. Hearing that kind of impact is still hard for me to wrap my head around, but it’s amazing.
KL: Does this celebration feel like closing a chapter, or is it still evolving?
Aaron: I don’t think I could ever close the door on it. It’s always going to evolve. I’ll always play those tracks and fuse them with whatever new stuff I’m creating in the future.
KL: There’s been a wave of 2016 nostalgia lately. How would you describe where you were creatively then compared to now?
Aaron: A lot of people have compared my early stuff to Vanilla, which makes sense. He’s a producer out of the UK, and I was definitely influenced by that sampling style, along with artists like Letherette. Those sounds really shaped where I was at creatively at the time.
KL: Is there something you know now about making music that you didn’t know in 2016, especially when it comes to performing live?
Aaron: Definitely performing with a live band. I had no idea how involved that process was. Especially now, there are so many moving parts compared to just doing a DJ set. The band I’m with tonight, Bodega Groove Collective (Drew Birch on guitar, Ian Gilley on keys, Nate Miller on horns and Drew Sayers on Saxophone, Dan Africano on bass, Jeff Franca on Drums, Scott Flynn on Trombone and Nico Jimenez on percussion), helped transpose the beats into sheet music so they could rehearse parts. We rehearsed the album front to back. I picked up the saxophone again. It’s a lot more time and effort, but it’s worth it. Anyone who does live band stuff full-time has my respect. Coming from production and DJing, it’s a big shift.
KL: What’s it like playing the album live with the band versus being alone in the studio when you made it or on stage by yourself?
Aaron: It’s definitely different, but it’s fun. You have a bit less freedom to mix things on the fly because you’re locked into certain cue points. You can’t really freestyle as much, but the audience doesn’t mind. It still feels natural.
KL: You’re doing the live band, but I also saw DJ Little Mac on the lineup. That’s you too, right?
Aaron: Yeah, that’s me. It’s almost a joke name. I love playing Little Mac in Super Smash Bros., so I used it as an alias. That set is where I play unreleased music I’d never normally play out. If you get there early, you’ll hear stuff you probably will never hear me play again. It makes it really unique.
KL: When did you start doing the Super Smash Bros. tournaments at your shows?
Aaron: We started them during the Daymaker Tour in 2021. We wanted something informal, like a casual meet-and-greet. Now it’s just whoever shows up early and wants to play. We run a mini tournament, and the winner gets free merch like a vinyl or a shirt. It’s just a fun thing to do before the show.
KL: Cervantes has a lot of history. With this being your second headline show here, do you have any standout memories?
Aaron: I remember opening for Eliot Lipp here around 2015. My first headline was actually on the Other Side, maybe in 2017 or 2018.
I’ve been coming through here for over a decade. Cervantes was one of the first places I really got my start, so it really means a lot.
KL: This tour runs through March. Once it wraps, what’s next?
Aaron: We’re planning to hit this year hard. More shows will probably be announced. I don’t know where yet, but expect it to be all over.
KL: You’ve got special guests for Colorado. Are you doing anything unique in other cities?
Aaron: We’re trying to make the set a little different in each city. Keep evolving it, keep it fresh, so I don’t get bored playing the same thing every night. [laughs]
KL: If someone sees you for the first time on this tour, what do you hope they take away from it?
Aaron: The name Flamingosis has a lot of family history behind it. My dad and uncle did freestyle Frisbee in the 1970s. My dad invented a move called the Flamingosis, a reverse spinning catch.
I used that name to honor their Frisbee legacy through music. I don’t take the music too seriously, but I still want it to be good and fun at the same time.
Bringing Bright Moments to the Stage
Bright Moments 10 Year Anniversary Tour continues its nationwide run this year, with additional dates to be announced
NEXT UP
- FEBRUARY 20 – Alibi (Telluride, CO)
- FEBRUARY 21 – Public House (Crested Butte, CO)
- FEBRUARY 27 – Bayside Bowl (Portland, ME)
- FEBRUARY 28 – Higher Ground Showcase Lounge (South Burlington, VT)
- MARCH 5 – The Magic Stick (Detroit, MI)
Click here for the full list of tour dates
Stay in touch with Electric Hawk & all our coverage
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Twitch | Radio Show
Looking for new music? Keep up with our weekly Spotify Playlist, Fresh Hunts. Updated every Friday with all the latest releases. Whether it’s the newest drops from all your favorite artists, some old-school, or underground… we want you to hear it.