Night 1~
The night began with the glitzy, Berlin-inspired club Output. Mystical purple light and disco balls galore–this was a nice transition into a night of hypnotic house music. Strobe lights flashed on as Cranks followed by Trent Cantrelle played in the chic main room, laying down a steady beat and overall sultry mood for the evening. Meanwhile, in the intimate Panther Room, decorated with sleek couches and mood lighting, Chili Davis & Sean Cormac played some groovy house and future disco.
Next stop was the Boiler Room set featuring Frankie Bones, DJ Keoki and Love & Logic, all housed at Cameo gallery. Step into the space and you are confronted by a dimly lit ambiance of people swankily yet casually sipping cocktails. Keep walking through the bar until you find your way to a mysterious hallway and back door and there you have the energy-packed, mist-filled Boiler Room. Bumping house music dominated the night from these pioneers of electronic music in NYC. The music really got the people going. At a certain point in the night a blue wig was even thrown into the air. Good energy was present throughout the show, with a lively crowd on deck surrounding the DJs and their extensive sets of equipment.
The next move was the Music Hall of Williamsburg, with German duo Booka Shade. Techno and house music filled the massive stadium-esque space. Blinded by an onslaught on bright flashing lights and fist pumping, the music was consistent with a steady beat and flashy flair. Their set involved some elaborate drums and other electronic equipment that provided a very live and hands-on performance.
Night one ended on a good note with fly female DJ Jubilee spinning at Glasslands. She played a variety of music from Dancehall to Hip-Hop to Jersey Club. The space itself looked like a trendy treehouse, with a tree-like sculpture positioned in the middle of the room and a wood-adorned upper level that overlooks the club. The crowd was young and hip–and though it was pretty late in the night ((3 am)) with energy levels wavering, Jubilee’s music was funky enough to keep heads bobbing and bodies grooving.
Night 2~
Night two was focused on the legendary, leather-capped, chain-wearing Machinedrum. He took over the stage of nightclub Villain, lit with dim red lights and packed with your classic Williamsburg hipsters. It was essentially an exposed brick warehouse full of eccentric music lovers ready to dance, or at least look cool rocking side to side. The space was filled with Electro-house music, synths and midi gear, hyphy and throwback tracks and of course some Dancehall. It was a night of steady two-stepping and head bobbing and many DJ Rashad tributes. Machinedrum mixed his songs masterfully, playing classic hip-hop, lesser known music and remixes. Super focused and confident throughout his set, Machinedrum was also able to have fun and vibe out to the music, with many shout outs and smiles. This LuckyMe and Ninja Tune event was super successful, had a great turnout, and was an awesome way to end this electric weekend full of music.
Sienna is currently a Literary Studies major at Lang with a minor in Culture & Media. She enjoys music writing, cultural features, creative non fiction and poetry. She has future plans of working in publications, making electronic music in her spare time and living a funky fresh lifestyle.
