Derrick Carter Puts the House in House Party

So many EDM events these days are about the production.

Years ago, even headlining DJs at many venues would be tucked away in a DJ booth where they couldn’t be seen. These days, there are gigantic stage set-ups with lasers, digital screens, smoke machines, bells & whistles.

What often gets lost in all of the smoke and mirrors is the music itself, the craft of a DJ to feel out a crowd, select his tracks, and mix his way into the hearts and minds of everyone in attendance.

Imagine taking your favorite mega-rock band and getting to see them play an acoustic set in a little dive bar. It would be pure magic. Sometimes, less is more.

That’s exactly what real house music fans were treated to on Saturday night when ROC Philly presented something we never thought we’d see. House music legend Derrick Carter, with support from Carl Michaels and Hugh Cleal, played in the basement of a house in West Philly for around 150 people.

You heard that right. Derrick Carter, in a house, playing some of the best house music around.

There was no giant stage or laser machines, just some decks and a mixer on a table (that was also littered with beer cans and red party cups). There was one small light machine, some sweet speakers, and some house heads clapping, stomping, and dancing their butts off.

This event wasn’t about making money, it wasn’t about visual aesthetics, it wasn’t about overcharging for water and drinks. It was just about one thing: the music.

Derrick Carter played from 3am until 530am and the party continued after that. We applaud ROC Philly for their efforts on this one. When the talent you book is top-notch, there’s no need to dress it up.

Word on the street is, this is just the first in a series of similar parties that will be popping up around Philly in the near future. Keep your ears open, and get ready to dance.

 

Paul Oakenfold Rocks the Decks at Whisper

When we heard that Paul Oakenfold was coming to town to play a gig at Whisper nightclub on Friday, April 6th, we were pretty excited.

After catching him at No Sugar Added at Nikki Beach in Miami last month, we were happy to have a chance to see him on our home turf.

Whisper has a great sound-system and a DJ booth at crowd level on the main floor. It’s an ideal setting for a superstar DJ like Oakenfold, some might even call it Perfecto.

We had a blast the last time we were at Whisper to see another legendary DJ, Green Velvet.

This time however, things were a little different. Evidently this was the night that every idiot in Philadelphia decided Whisper was the place to be. It was like walking into the middle of a classless flash mob.

While the music that Oakenfold played was top-notch, it was difficult to enjoy it with everything going on around you. No matter where you stood, people blatantly pushed and shoved (without so much as an “excuse me”). They clamored to get into VIP areas, or smash up against the DJ booth. We got the distinct impression that people weren’t there as much to enjoy the music as to feel an unwarranted sense of entitlement and self-importance.

Oakenfold, protected in the DJ booth cocoon, pumped out a great selection of tracks that kept everyone on the dance floor grinding, fist pumping, and “dancing”.

Although the party at Whisper continued until 3:30am, we called it quits about an hour before hand.

Our final grade: A+ for music, A for venue, F for crowd.

Check out the photo gallery below:

Nit Grit and Two Fresh Bring Lights & Lazer Extravaganza to TLA

Friday night was a miserable rainy night in Philadelphia but that didn’t stop us from trekking to the Theater of the Living Arts to check out Nit Grit and Two Fresh and their amazing light and laser show.

The evening kicked off with an opening set by local favorite Dubsef before local contest winner BUKU got a chance to wow the crowd.

Normally, a show tends to start off with a smaller crowd at the beginning of the evening and build as the night goes on. For some reason, this show went the other way.

While there was a decent sized crowd around 10pm when Dubsef and BUKU traded places, the crowd didn’t seem to get much bigger.

By the time Nit Grit took to the stage to officially usher in The NOANTIDOTE Tour to Philadelphia, the place had actually thinned out a little bit. Nit Grit was on point for the next hour and the light and laser show on stage was mind blowing. It seemed like everyone was having a good time but the crowd continued to shrink.

There was a break between Nit Grit and Two Fresh and that was not a smart idea. We’re not sure who was responsible but instead of keeping the energy high and bass drops down low, there was just a solid 15 minutes of buzz kill. House music (some Indy Rock that we didn’t recognize) came over the house speakers. To go from Nit Grit’s Dubstep set and ridiculous light show, to listening to mellow rock music while the stage sat empty was enough to drive even more people from the venue.

When Two Fresh finally took the stage around 1230am, the crowd was the smallest it had been all evening. It would get smaller.

Twin brothers Sherwyn and Kendrick Nicholls, and their live drummer Colby Buckler must have been pretty surprised to see such a small crowd when they took to the stage with their upbeat brand of hip-hop infused electronica. The live drumming, combined with the beats, synths, and lyrics of the Nicholls brothers are infectious.

Despite the fact that the crowd continued to thin, Two Fresh didn’t back off or let up on their performance. They brought it for the next 75 minutes. Less professional acts might have been discouraged but if Two Fresh was disappointed they hid it well. We enjoyed their performance, staying until the very end.

You can check out an expanded photo gallery of the show below:

Green Velvet Transforms Whisper into La La Land.

House-Heads were treated to a full night of superb music on Thursday night at Whisper.

The event, presented by ROC and Element Events (with a nice assist from Decibel Records and Promotions) featured sets from locals Adrock and Robbie Tronco. In addition, there was a live performance by Miami’s Afrobeta, and a headlining set from house music legend Green Velvet.

This night was truly about the music. The opening sets were the perfect appetizer to the main course.

By the time Afrobeta took to the stage (actually the elevated VIP area behind the DJ booth) the place was already bumping. Let us simply say that Afrobeta killed it. In fact they killed it, brought it back to life, and killed it again. There is nothing quite like a well executed live performance.

Smurphio and his salt-and-pepper Afro laid down some sweet basslines intertwined with his funky synthesizer melodies. Not to be outdone, Cuci Amador (who made her entrance waiving a flag on the main floor) moved from the stage area, to the tops of speakers down below, and back again. The entire time pumping out her sharp tongued lyrics.

Speaking to Cuci after Afrobeta’s performance, she was thrilled to have had the chance to play the show and loved the energy of the crowd.

Just after midnight it was time for Green Velvet. Rocking his signature neon green mo-hawk and a pair of welder’s sunglasses, the maestro took fans on a journey to house heaven with key stops at some of his biggest hits including Shake & Pop, La La Land, and Flash.

The cameras flashed, the dancers shook and popped, and the next few hours were pure ecstasy. EDM shows are a dime a dozen these days and it really takes a special event to stand out from the rest. This is a night that we, and the rest of Philadelphia, won’t soon forget.

Check out the expanded photo gallery and some video of the event below:

All’s Well That Axwell

Starlight, Star bright, Axwell was the biggest star we saw tonight. Axwell is a member of the famed Swedish House Mafia, and currently ranked as one of the top 10 DJ’s on the planet. On Saturday night, he made a stop in Philly at the Starlight Ballroom to throw down a monster set in front of a venue packed to the gills with EDM fans.

The event, presented by NV Concepts, Mass EDMC, and Steez Promo, had fans lining up in droves down 9th street outside of the venue for hours.

Once inside, it was a sweaty hot mess of dancing maniacs and dirty beats. The lights were simply insane, an Epileptic’s worst nightmare.

The opening DJ’s for the evening were Jeff Heart and Bamboora. Jeff Heart has been playing in Philly for ages and is a crowd favorite. Bamboora had the place rocking. In his bright Mass EDMC t-shirt, he pumped up the crowd to a fever pitch. The place was ready to explode and when Axwell took the stage just before midnight, it did exactly that.

Axwell took the stage as fans chanted his name. He took the mic and begged the question, “Are you ready Philadelphia?”

Philadelphia might have thought it was ready, but nothing could have prepared the crowd for the next two hours of sheer insanity.

The energy in the room was palpable as Axwell laid down one club banger after the next. The mirrored walls that line the room were completely fogged over and literally dripping with condensation. It’s surprising that it didn’t melt the snow that covered the ground outside.

Cooling relief came in the form of CO2 blasts shot from cannons on the stage and water handed out to fans in the front row. As impressed as the fans were with Axwell, the DJ seemed equally impressed with the crowd, mentioning that the best decision he’d made in a while was to come to Philadelphia. After the show, he Tweeted “Philadelphia ! Sweat doesn’t lie!”

Just before 2am Axwell thanked the crowd who again chanted his name, begging for one more song. They got it.

The event was top-notch. EDM is taking the world by storm like never before and this is just be the tip of the iceberg for 2012.

To view over 100 additional photos of the event,

CLICK HERE!