BrightestYoungThings: PHOTOS: DUBSPLASH W/ BIG FREEDIA

All photos by Bradley

Over the past few years, the Capitol Skyline pool has become a weekend summer destination for DC'ers who aren't up for braving beach traffic. This summer, Sheldon Scott (general manager of Restaurant Marvin) and the folks of Eighteenth Street Lounge Music have taken over where BYT left off, bringing in talent from near and far for the DUBSPLASH LIVE series. It's a winning formula - good booze, good food (Redhook Lobster and Sweetgreen foodtrucks, anyone?) and good music plus inflatables and pool chairs. Everybody wins!

This past Saturday, DUBSPLASH featured DC fave DJ Keenan Orr and New Orleans "Sissy Bounce" Queen Diva Big Freedia with Rusty Lazer on the decks. DJ Keenan was an ideal pick to start the day. He's the guy you want DJing your next road trip. With every song - from The Supremes to Janet Jackson and Daft Punk to Sir Mix-A-Lot - you could look around and see at least a dozen people singing along.

Though many at DUBSPLASH waited (an extra hour) in cult-like fervor for Big Freedia to start her set, it would turn out that the the large, sunny poolside venue was not the ideal location for a show that proclaims loudly to "Get your ass in the air!" and "Azz everywhere!" While Big Freedia plays well in dark clubs where everyone wants to grind, the performance doesn't pack the same contagious intensity in the daylight, particularly for an unfamiliar crowd sleepy with sun and booze.

Big Freedia and her dancers put on a lively show, however, pulling much of the lounging crowd up out of their deck chairs toward the stage to stare at bouncing booties. They even managed to coax some bikini-bottomed gals up on stage. Lucky for us, after dancing up a healthy sweat, we could jump in the pool to cool off while Rusty Lazer spun tunes into the evening.